Until recently the rich nations organised themselves around a very exclusive club known as the G7. The US, the UK, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada and France, all major industrialised countries, share common economic and political interests.
With the addition of Russia, they later became known as the G8. Russia was allowed at the top table not so much for its wealth - it had none - but more to contain its descent into chaos following the collapse of the Soviet bloc. A post-cold war policy of containment, if you like.
The bonhomie of its annual meetings could not disguise the power and influence the group wielded on the rest of humanity, especially as most of them were also permanent members of the UN Security Council. The exclusivity of the club was jealously guarded. Other countries would attend only if invited, and would be required to leave the room as soon as they had had their say, before the group deliberated and then decided.
The economic meltdown, however, seems to be changing all that. It may even sound the death knell of the G8. The rich nations are now too keen to get anybody who matters under the tent. The G20, which includes some developing economies, among them SA, is emerging as the key instrument to tackle the financial and economic crisis.
But let's not get carried away. SA remains a bit player. The most important countries after the original G7 are the so-called Bric countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China. Evidently, there's no S or SA in Bric. We're simply tagging along. We're probably being admitted to the club simply because we're the biggest economy on the continent, and Africa could potentially be an important player in the future. And because of what it represents as a result of its history and the role of the iconic Nelson Mandela, SA has often punched above its weight in international affairs.
Thabo Mbeki, for all his sins, succeeded in muscling his way into some fairly significant company. He gate-crashed the G8, for instance, and in the end he and a few African leaders had a standing invitation to its annual meetings. He succeeded because he cleverly exploited Western guilt and also because he never pretended to be president of SA; he was always pulling this huge caravan which is Africa and its diaspora. That was ultimately to be his downfall. Forgetting to tend your backyard can be a fatal mistake in politics. Ask Jan Smuts.
So SA is not in the same league as China, India and Brazil. It can't compete with them, and doesn't have the potential to. Rather it competes for influence with countries not considered important enough to be included in Bric, like Mexico and Turkey.
Mexico's major strength is its proximity to the US. It's a huge exporter of drugs and illegal immigrants to that country. Hispanics are now a crucial voting bloc in the US. As their influence increases in US domestic politics, so will that of countries such as Mexico.
Turkey's strength is its location. A largely Muslim country that is democratic and secular, it lies strategically close to East, West and the volatile Middle East. It's a Nato member and could soon join the EU. A solution to the Middle East problem cannot be found without its involvement. It's no accident that Barack Obama was there this week.
Our attraction, our currency, has always been that we were the skunk that miraculously turned into a beacon for the world. But we've soiled that image. And with the imminent election of a flawed character such as Jacob Zuma as president, the rot will be complete.
