ABSTRACT

Jimmy Carter’s election to the White House raised high hopes in the minds of many who desired a change from the some preceding administrations, particularly regarding United States policy towards South Africa. He spoke of moralism, human rights and also of the shortcomings of the Republican administrations. The Carter administration established an agenda of foreign policy goals in Africa that gave importance to the implementation of human rights. Young’s advocacy of capitalism was based on the belief that it was extremely fundamental, irreversible, pervasive and powerful that it amounted to a law of nature, the inevitability of which was also conveniently beneficial. The counterargument articulated by Young and supported by Lake was that the Carter administration, to be true to what it represented not only had to take a resolute stand against South Africa but also had to be seen publicly doing so.