Western foreign investment in South Africa is significant; it totals $25 billion. South Africa, for its part, supplies the West with gold and diamonds and strategic minerals such as chrome, cobalt, manganese, platinum and venadium. A boycott of these exports would be devastating to several key Western industries.

South African problems defy simplistic solutions put forward by supporters of disinvestment and boycott. Ethnically, the country is diverse. It is not solely an issue of blacks versus whites. There are at least 17 different black ethnics. Several of whom, such as the Zulu and the Xhosa, have a centuries-old history of hostility. Black rule is no guarantee that the mass of South African blacks will be freer and have a higher standard of living. It could mean less, as the history of other African nations suggests.

Just a casual visit to South Africa demonstrates the enormity of the problem. Rural blacks have no education in the Western sense. Urban blacks, by and large, are just slightly better off. I've seen men being tutored in the use of a shovel. If the South African Government would give its black countrymen freedom tomorrow, it would take well over 100 years before there would be meaningful equality.

South Africa's legalized discrimination is offensive to nearly every American. In fact it's offensive to an ever-increasing number of white South Africans. In evaluating apartheid we might ask, how effective are the laws? Despite apartheid law, there is widespread evasion and contravention. Businesses illegally hire blacks. Some companies get around job reservation laws by changing job titles. Blacks are not permitted to live in cities such as Johannesburg. But if a census were taken in Johannesburg, blacks would probably outnumber whites. The question never asked about apartheid law is: If whites would not hire blacks, rent to blacks, buy or sell to blacks, why in the world would there be a need for a law? After all, elephants flying around would pose an air traffic hazard, but we don't need a law against them. The existence of apartheid law suggest whites would make economic transactions with blacks. The reason is that it is in their economic interest.

Economics has a way of bringing people to their senses. South Africa has been experiencing considerable economic growth. The increased demand for labor cannot be filled by its tiny white population. Businessmen, who need labor, search and train black Africans, seek government exemptions from laws and actually violate many racist laws.