Robben Island to Wall Street

294

Chapter 36

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ÀLJKW SDWK 6RXWK $IULFD PLJKW WDNH $IWHU PXFK GHEDWH ZH FRQFOXGHG WKDW D VFHQDULR ZH VXEVHTXHQWO\ QDPHG ³7KH )OLJKW RI WKH )ODPLQJRV´ ZRXOG EH PRVW VXLWHG WR RXU FRXQWU\ DV LW HPEUDFHG LQFOXVLYH GHPRFUDF\ DQG VXVWDLQHG JURZWK DQG ZDV GHYRLG RI SRSXOLVW LGHDOV ³)ODPLQJRV OLYH LQ JUHDW QXPEHUV RIWHQ VFDWWHUHG ZLWK VHSDUDWH JURXSV )RU VRPH WKHUH¶V DPSOH IRRG ZKLOH RWKHUV VWUXJJOH 6RPH JXDUG WKHLU SULYLOHJHG SODFHV IURP WKRVH ZKR DUH PDUJLQDOLVHG +RZHYHU ZKHQ FRQÀLFW VHHPV LPPLQHQW ÀDPLQJRV GRQ¶W GHVWUR\ HDFK RWKHU $IWHU VRPH SRVLWLRQLQJ WKH\ VORZO\ UHDFK DJUHHPHQW WR EHWWHU JURXQG 7KH\ VWUXJJOH WR WDNH R൵ \HW WKH\ DUH FDSDEOH RI À\LQJ KLJK DQG IDU ´ WKH JURXS FRQFOXGHG 7KH 0RXQW )OHXU 6FHQDULRV KDYH RYHU WKH \HDUV EHHQ XVHG DV D PRGHO FDVH VWXG\ DW VHYHUDO LQVWLWXWLRQV LQFOXGLQJ WKH 1DWLRQDO 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 6LQJDSRUH ZKHUH , ODWHU DWWHQGHG 2QH RI WKH JUHDW SOHDVXUHV RI P\ OLIH KDV EHHQ WR VLW DQG REVHUYH KRZ WKLQJV DUH XQIROGLQJ VLQFH ZKHQ D GHPRFUDWLF JRYHUQPHQW ZDV HOHFWHG , KDYH EHHQ SULYLOHJHG WR OLYH WKURXJK D GL൶FXOW EXW ZHOO PDQDJHG WUDQVLWLRQ WKDW KDV DWWUDFWHG ZRUOGZLGH DWWHQWLRQ VLQFH WKH DGYHQW RI RXU GHPRFUDF\ ZKLFK LQVWDOOHG WKH YHQHUDEOH 1HOVRQ 0DQGHOD DV LWV ¿UVW 3UHVLGHQW , GRQ¶W EHOLHYH ZH KDYH SHUIHFWHG µ7KH )OLJKW RI WKH )ODPLQJRV¶ VFHQDULR EXW WKH resolve exists to get there. , FDQQRW WDON DERXW P\ EXVLQHVV DFWLYLWLHV GXULQJ WKH WXUEXOHQW V DQG RPLW WKH QDPH RI P\ HVWHHPHG IULHQG DQG PHQWRU 'RQ 6LPPRQV IURP0XVNRJHH 2NODKRPD , ZDV KLJKO\ LQVSLUHG E\ KLV IDWKHU -DNH RI ZKRP WKH Los Angeles Times ZURWH µ« IHZ PHQ VHHP GHVWLQHG WR VKDSH KLVWRU\ TXLWH DV WKRURXJKO\ DV GLG -DNH 6LPPRQV 6QU ¶ 0U 6LPPRQV FUHDWHG ZKDW ZDV SHUKDSV WKH PRVW VXFFHVVIXO $IULFDQ $PHULFDQ RLO G\QDVW\ DQG QHJRWLDWHG PXOWLPLOOLRQ GROODU RLO GHDOV ZKLOH ZLHOGLQJ FRQVLGHUDEOH LQÀXHQFH DV D SROLWLFDO SRZHU EURNHU 7KLV KH ZDV DEOH WR DFFRPSOLVK LQ D YHU\ GL൶FXOW WLPH LQ WKH KLVWRU\ RI KLV FRXQWU\ $OPRVW VLQJOH KDQGHGO\ 'RQ WUDQVIRUPHG P\ SHUVSHFWLYH RQ GRLQJ EXVLQHVV DQG YHU\ QHDUO\ RQ P\ HDWLQJ DQG GULQNLQJ KDELWV $Q LPSRVLQJO\ WDOO PDQ ZLWK D KXJH