Ryan Cooper

So, more than a year after coming home, I've finally finished my last consumable product I brought back from South Africa—some shaving gel. It's strange to think back on those days, so vivid and yet so distant, sort of like remembering a movie I've seen a thousand times. Seems like it didn't happen to me but every detail is still perfectly clear in my mind. I will always remember my Peace Corps times as a grim failure, mostly, but it's finally starting to be tinged with a little fondness and nostalgia. Obviously, I don't shave that much. Also obviously, I'm super cheap. Not sure what's up with the Cyrillic.

Tyler Cowen very graciously links to my explanation of unemployment in South Africa: "I told him I would try to answer the question, but after a bit of research I don’t find myself getting much further than his suggestions." I take that to mean not that I've captured all the nuances, but that my (probably pretty half-assed) explanation at least hits most of the major points. For me, the important thing about South Africa in this regard is it's a gut check for how seriously one takes ideas. The place is a kind of a dark mirror of the United States, where the optimal policies really include  a lot of neoliberalism and Republican union-busting. (In moderation.) Exercises like that are important to avoid sloganeering and tribal groupthink.

I've been meaning to put this up for ages. But here is some background on my Peace Corps article--things that I referenced, or things that got left out of the article. 1. Read about the group that got the ball rolling on that 20/20 report . The group is called First Response Action, and it's dedicated to improving the situation of Peace Corps volunteers who were victims of rape and sexual assault. It was founded by another South Africa volunteer named Casey Frazee, who I have since met online. I've always supported that group wholeheartedly. I wanted to put a nod to them in the article, but couldn't find a good spot for it. 2. Read about the law FRA got passed in November . This was a big step forward for rape and sexual assault, certainly, but didn't completely address the general oversight issue. I again wanted to stick that in the article somewhere, but couldn't find a good spot. 3. Read the post that got me kicked out of PST . 4. Finally, if you...

I'm considering a smallish project: trying to tease out the factors which make for South Africa's staggering unemployment rate— at last count 25 percent . I've been reading up on it a bit myself and soliciting questions from some random economist types (also, to see if there is any consensus at all). A further question is how it manages to survive with such a problem. That level of unemployment was a grinding, horrible crisis which shook the foundations of our democracy during the Great Depression, but South Africa has been dealing with it basically since 1994, when it could actually be called a real country. Stay tuned for further developments.

It's not comprehensive, but a truly amazing look at the rot that has taken root in Mzanzi's poorest slums. It focuses on the random mob murder of a Zimbabwean immigrant named Farai. I liked this graf in particular: At age 17, the Republic of South Africa is still young enough to be appreciated as a marvel. The “skunk of the world,” as Nelson Mandela called the apartheid state, has been peacefully transformed into a constitutional democracy. There are disappointments, without question. The optimism of the early years — the glorious idea that South Africa would be an inspiration of enlightened leadership — has long faded. The frail, 92-year-old Mandela may remain the most beloved and respected man on the planet, but during its years in power, the organization he championed, the African National Congress, has become, in the words of the historian Martin Meredith, “just another grubby political party on the make.” Check it out .

Apologies for the recent darkness here, but I've been working hard on some stuff for the magazine that I might turn into an actual magazine piece! Probably not, but who knows... I spent some time with the Editor-in-Chief Paul Glastris today going over the points, and then basically starting from scratch. It's a good kind of feedback though, and Paul is really good at striking the right balance of reasonable, honest criticism. I love this job. In other news, I met some old Peace Corps South Africa buddies for some drinks and greasy food after work today, and it was really, really great. Unexpectedly so. Though I think this will change once I process the experience, the whole Peace Corps service has been feeling bizarrely unreal, like it happened to someone else, and this was a nice reminder that no, it was all genuine. Plus, I missed those guys! It's nice to be able to laugh at the same kind of inside jokes and say "yebo" without having to explain yourself.

Garrett Rhodes , an old South Africa Peace Corps guy: Whether it be to save money, live greener, or to cultivate a sense of self-reliance, washing your clothes by hand can be a satisfying and easy experience and can be successfully accomplished by almost anyone. Satisfying and easy? Not for me. It's not satisfying, it's actually quite difficult, and takes the better part of the day. As I said earlier : Reading Noah's comedic masterpiece about handwashing stuff made me appreciate once again what a magnificent appliance the washing machine is. I bow down and give thanks to the mines, the iron smelters, the steel foundries, the (probably) Chinese manufacturers, the 104,400 ton freighters, and the national transport system that makes it all possible.

This will be my fourth winter since 2009.  Damn you southern hemisphere!

Some time ago I made this case , and I had a pretty good discussion with my old friend Noah in the comments, so I'd like to work that up into a single post. So: let me start with the DC Metro, since I take the Red Line to work every day.  Though, on reflection, the New York subway is probably better overall, the DC metro is still better than any single public transport system in South Africa.  It's cleaner, safer, and more efficient than everything save the Gautrain, and, comparing these two government reports, carries more passengers even than the Johannesburg metrorail network.  Given our better-educated, better-trained, and far richer tax base, it's no surprise that when we put our minds to it, we can put together a very effective transport system. But where South Africa is crushing us into the dirt is in the most important area: capacity .   According to the South African National Household Travel Survey (pdf), fully 40% of all South African commuters use ...

1. Washing machines . Reading Noah's comedic masterpiece about handwashing stuff made me appreciate once again what a magnificent appliance the washing machine is. I bow down and give thanks to the mines, the iron smelters, the steel foundries, the (probably) Chinese manufacturers, the 104,400 ton freighters , and the national transport system that makes it all possible. ( Dryers, on the other hand, seem to me to be mainly an expensive waste of electricity.  Wet clothes are why God made the sun.) 2. Low crime . By developed world standards, America is a rather violent place.  But in my corner of Colorado, we sleep with the doors and cars unlocked.  That is simply unheard of in South Africa, and it's quite the psychological relief to not be constantly looking over your shoulder.  It's the kind of thing you don't really notice until you stop doing it, like a muscle you didn't realize you were constantly clenching.  (I'm moving to DC though, lets hope I don...

1. Television commercials . I had forgotten how thoroughly American commercials have been sanitized to reflect the dominant cultural mores.  South Africa has the occasional quite interesting commercial (see above), but more often they're just bizarre, which is still a fairly effective way of catching your attention.  American commercials are, on the other hand, simultaneously bland and irritating. 2. Public transport .  Out here in Colorado I have to drive everywhere.  As I've said before, the South African public transport system might be a bit uncomfortable at times, but it is still remarkable in its reach, cost, and speed.  Even a town the size of Cortez would have taxis leaving in several different directions at least once per day back in Mzansi. 3. Dynamic governance .  Clearly America has a bit less overt corruption (though South Africa has far superior financial regulatory bodies).  But coming home I can't escape the feeling of creeping ...

After more than a week home, my thoughts are crystallizing somewhat, and I've got a few semi-coherent observations, in no particular order. People are friendly .  This could be a result of hanging out in rural Colorado, but personally I don't believe it.  Even the immigration officer in Los Angeles was nice: "Welcome home!"  General human interactions are, on the whole, a lot more pleasant than in South Africa. Colorado is beautiful .  After the bland, washed-out colors of my village, the vibrant greens, spectacular clouds, and rugged topography is like being clubbed in the retinas.  Quite the place to live. Culture shock is powerful .  I'm feeling it mostly in little strong bursts.  I'm very glad to be spending at least a little while here in the old family abode where things haven't changed very much and I know lots of people; I reckon it will get worse again when I move to the city.  The worst episode so far was on the plane coming back, ...

1. Beer .  When I arrived in Denver after a marathon 24 hours in the air, I sat down at a pub in the airport and ordered a porter, and it was by far the best beer I've had in two years.  The taste of freedom.  Speaking of which... 2. Customer service .  The bartender at this place also had the best customer service I've had in two years.  Friendly, polite, cheerful, and very well-timed.  Quite a shift from the usual South African sullenness where you have to practically lay out bear traps for the waiter to get the bill. 3. Food .  My mother made some corned beef with vegetables, and a shortbread with Palisade peaches for dessert, and it was a workout my tongue hasn't experienced in some time.  There's good food to be had in South Africa, but more often it's a kind of red-headed stepchild of old British cuisine consisting of small variations on "boil it into an unrecognizable paste." 4. Construction .  Walking around my family home, desi...

I have just left my village forever. It's been a great time, and an extremely valuable experience, but quite frankly I am sick to my back teeth of South Africa and cannot wait to get quit of the place.  Don't get me wrong, the country has a lot going for it, especially if you take a few steps back and look at the larger picture.  The government is stable, and the political situation, which looked only a few years ago to be heading down a Mexico-style single party state road, is improving.  Macroeconomic management has been head and shoulders above most countries in the developed world, especially the United States.  There is a strong national identity, and very little of the tribal conflict that characterizes many other African countries. But the average, day to day existence quite often grinds at the soul. South Africa has a concept called "Ubuntu," roughly translated as "a person is a person because of people," similar to other brotherhood-of-mankind phi...

Dear god : BRIDGEPORT -- Federal agents arrested a 31-year-old former Peace Corps volunteer on charges he sexually abused at least five young girls while working in a South African preschool. Agents from the Peace Corps' Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Jesse Osmun, 32, of Glen Street, Milford, on charges that he traveled from the U.S. to engage in sexual conduct with a minor. The charge carries a maximum 30-year prison term and $250,000 fine. U.S. Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons Thursday ordered him detained without bond. A criminal complaint signed by Special Agent Joyce Shores, of the Peace Corps' Office of Inspector General, alleged that Osmun "provided a written confession" that "he engaged in sexual contact with three underage girls for approximately one year." Reading The Looming Tower , I thought by the end that I could place Osama bin Laden in the human f...

Aaron has a true, and hilarious , post: This is where our self-appointed experts come in. As Mason talks more and more about this project (which has really taken off, by the way), the most common reaction when talking to either Azeris or PCVs or anyone, for that matter, is that Mason gets an earful of how to change things in CBT Azerbaijan. It’s a fascinating moment: “ Hey, that’s a great idea! This is how you should change it! ” I cannot claim to be innocent of this reaction. Inevitably, the proffered ideas are well-meaning but either have already been thought of or don’t really fit in with the goals and model of CBT Azerbaijan. You can see how this might become a little irksome. That is mildly interesting. More interesting, however, is that this is almost exactly what we as Peace Corps Volunteers know is the wrong approach to making any sort of constructive changes with our local colleagues and organizations. I remember during Pre-Service Training talking about how to ask apprecia...

  Continued from part I . 1. Public transport .  I know, I said I was looking forward to leaving taxis and buses behind.  Yet zooming out a little bit, the public transport system here is remarkably extensive and convenient.  One can get fairly reliable and cheap rides to even the smallest villages out in the hinterlands, and it's really a remarkable feat of logistics.  The bus companies, in particular, make for my money the best-organized, best-run, most efficient and most reliable system in South Africa.  I'm sure the options are better in Sweden, but they sure as hell aren't in America. 2. Long runs and walks alone .  My plan when I get back to America is to live for at least the next few years in Washington, DC, and while I'm sure there will be a lot of things to like about that, one of my favorite things to do here is wander around the bush alone.  I grew up in remote rural towns, and when I moved to New York, the crush of people defini...

Continued from part I . 1. Begging.   I hate that shit , and it never lets up.  Today I stepped out of my room, and in the 50-yard walk to school, no less than five people asked me for money.  Four children and one adult.  It's completely routine.  "Hello, Thabo," says the person.  "Hello," I say.  " Mpha madi ," he says, holding out a hand, meaning "give me money."  When I say no, often the person is angry. 2. Taxis and buses .  The public transport I usually take is cramped, uncomfortable, usually miserably hot or cold, takes forever, and is often terribly dangerous.  Drivers are sometimes equipped with well-maintained vehicles and drive conservatively, but more often they're aggressive maniacs zooming around in seat belt-less rusting contraptions held together with band-aids and bailing twine.  On vacation, having my own rental car was a terrific feeling of freedom. 3. Teaching .  This isn't to say that I have forever ...

I'm really looking forward to abandoning the camera on my phone. This crappy picture is of a bunch of textbooks my host sister is currently reading.  They're for a correspondence course in several subjects having to do with school administration and the like, obtained from North West University, and I helped her download several supporting documents.  Paging through the books, the courses seem at least somewhat legitimate—not obviously a diploma mill-style efforts, at least.  There are repeated instructions to help people avoid common South African mistakes, like copying the textbook verbatim.  My sister applied for course because if she passes, she will get a R1000 salary increase. She has no chance of passing.  The courses assume a passing familiarity with the academic gearshifts—computer and internet skills, ability to parse legal and academic language, and most importantly good writing skills.  My sister did not know the meaning of the word "legis...

One of Sullivan's readers makes a good point about white roofs, which I explored myself awhile back: Another points to a post by Duke scientist Bill Chameides, who says that "if white roofs became ubiquitous [worldwide], the extra energy needed for heating in the winter would exceed the energy savings in the summer." An innovative solution: A group of recent M.I.T. grads, as  reported  on the school’s web site, has developed a temperature-sensitive tile — it’s black when temperatures are cold and white when temps are warm. It’s a chameleon roof tile — so adding the Greek word for  heat  to the English word for the colorful lizard, they named their invention Thermeleon. It's true, a white roof doesn't make sense for every climate.  I reckon it would work best in a very hot place like Phoenix that requires little or no heating during winter.  My village in the Kalahari is actually rather temperate—yesterday it was freezing cold—but given that mos...