Through the ages, politics has often been described as the “art of the possible”. In more recent times, adapting to a world in transition, it has been described as the “art of compromise”. Both hold true in today’s context.
It is said that politics is as old as the oldest profession, and is often as sleazy. Four years ago, Americans who had grown tired of traditional politics voted en masse to elect a non-politician as their 45th President. By his own admission, Donald Trump had one job to do – drain the swamp.
Four years later, the man who was supposed to drain the swamp became the swamp, and last Wednesday, America, along with the rest of the democratic world, heaved a collective sigh of relief when Joseph R. Biden was officially sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.
The world in general and Sri Lanka in particular have much to learn from the epic failure of the American experiment which instead of draining the swamp succeeded in creating an even bigger one, complete with the stink of ultra-nationalism that almost brought the country to the brink of chaos and anarchy. Donald Trump, notwithstanding his boasts of being “the greatest president in the history of the United States”, will long be remembered as the man who failed in the one thing he was tasked to do. His final act on the last day in office, pardoning a bunch of criminals, will likely be the last nail in his political coffin, if not the anticipated conviction in an unprecedented second impeachment.
Back at home, Sri Lankan voters, in keeping with the global trend pioneered by Trump, also elected a non-politician as the country’s seventh Executive President in November 2019. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa now has a Herculean task before him: To steer clear of the destructive Trumpian path by shifting to the centre from his party’s perceived ethnic outlook of right of centre. In doing so, he will have to resist the overtures of the more extremist elements in his political coalition that may sooner than later turn out to be a liability of Trumpian proportions.
Like Trump, President Rajapaksa was also elected to clean up our own political swamp, the stench of which had become nauseating to the greater majority of Sri Lankans. Although the previous administration promised to do the very same job through its “Yahapalana” – or Good Governance – administration, it was tainted with corruption allegations for the greater part of its tenure, with the Central Bank Bond Scam perched at the very summit. To add to its woes were the many acts of commission and omission with the Easter tragedy taking pole position in that particular list.
In similar fashion to their American counterparts, Sri Lankan voters in recent times have shown maturity and not hesitated to dispense with governments that have failed to deliver on their promises. The Yahapalana Government was one such casualty. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the current administration to walk the talk and deliver on its primary promise of draining the swamp, paving the way for a clean and stable administration starting with the state sector.
To be fair by the President, he has been hands on from the word go by focusing on cleaning up corrupt dens like the Department of Motor Traffic, the Police Department, Pettah traders who control the supply of essential commodities and thereby control prices notwithstanding gazette notifications, and even taking on the rice mafia, albeit with limited success. It is obvious that much distance needs to be covered on that particular road for tangible benefits to accrue to the longsuffering public. As things stand, there is nothing to stop the administration from going the full distance in pursuit of this objective.
That apart, it is essential that the flames of racial disharmony which have once again been threatening to engulf this once war-battered nation, owing to the arbitrary actions of a few, are doused as quickly as possible, much the same way that the newly elected President of the US is endeavouring to do in his own backyard by stretching out an olive branch to his opponents, including the pseudo-republicans in the Republican Party. Ushering in the winds of change, “unity” was the central theme of Joe Biden’s inaugural address, which, in content and mass appeal, was a welcome departure from the abrasive style of his predecessor who in the end proved to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, owing to his not-so-tacit support to the far right, right to the end.
Little do our own ultra-nationalists realise that they are in the very same mould of the western fascists they proclaim to abhor, who have reared their ugly head first in parts of Europe and now in America. The more anti-western they act, the more pro-western they appear, simply due to the fact that their irrational actions play right into the modern-day western agenda of creating strife and division in the places they seek to colonise through non-military means.
Those days, our former colonial masters fomented extremism among both the Sinhalese and the Tamils in order to make their job of ruling over both that much easier. Today, the same tactics are employed so that a divided nation can be less of a threat to their global expansionist agenda.
Therefore, it is very much in the country’s interest that the rising wave of ultra-nationalism appearing in the familiar garb of patriotism is ideally eliminated or limited to the fringes, where it could do no further harm to the fabric of national unity, already torn apart many a time and held together by the most delicate of threads.
Among the many home truths that Biden placed in the common American conscience during his inaugural speech, the most relevant to us back home was his emphasis on the fact that if true peace and prosperity is to be achieved, then unity is an essential precursor to that. It is a universal principle that applies to every country on this planet, desirous of achieving the elusive twin goals of peace and prosperity.
As long as fringe groups are allowed to rouse up racial tensions as and when they please, unity will remain a distant dream. Sri Lanka will do well to take a long, hard look at the events that transpired in America over the last few months and save itself a whole lot of trouble by reining in the extremists, striding the middle path, and preparing the ground for true unity among its diverse people. For the powers that be, it is the surest and cleanest way to ensure political longevity.
Until such time, not only our political leaders, but more importantly the people themselves lay claim to such enlightenment where the best among us can shine through to the top, irrespective of cast, race, or religion as shown by the election of a coloured woman with South Indian roots as Vice President of arguably the most powerful nation on Earth, our dreams of peace, prosperity, and equality will remain just that, a dream. And there lies the real-life lesson of the fabled American Dream.Living the ‘dream’
24 Jan 2021
Living the ‘dream’
24 Jan 2021
Through the ages, politics has often been described as the “art of the possible”. In more recent times, adapting to a world in transition, it has been described as the “art of compromise”. Both hold true in today’s context.
It is said that politics is as old as the oldest profession, and is often as sleazy. Four years ago, Americans who had grown tired of traditional politics voted en masse to elect a non-politician as their 45th President. By his own admission, Donald Trump had one job to do – drain the swamp.
Four years later, the man who was supposed to drain the swamp became the swamp, and last Wednesday, America, along with the rest of the democratic world, heaved a collective sigh of relief when Joseph R. Biden was officially sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.
The world in general and Sri Lanka in particular have much to learn from the epic failure of the American experiment which instead of draining the swamp succeeded in creating an even bigger one, complete with the stink of ultra-nationalism that almost brought the country to the brink of chaos and anarchy. Donald Trump, notwithstanding his boasts of being “the greatest president in the history of the United States”, will long be remembered as the man who failed in the one thing he was tasked to do. His final act on the last day in office, pardoning a bunch of criminals, will likely be the last nail in his political coffin, if not the anticipated conviction in an unprecedented second impeachment.
Back at home, Sri Lankan voters, in keeping with the global trend pioneered by Trump, also elected a non-politician as the country’s seventh Executive President in November 2019. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa now has a Herculean task before him: To steer clear of the destructive Trumpian path by shifting to the centre from his party’s perceived ethnic outlook of right of centre. In doing so, he will have to resist the overtures of the more extremist elements in his political coalition that may sooner than later turn out to be a liability of Trumpian proportions.
Like Trump, President Rajapaksa was also elected to clean up our own political swamp, the stench of which had become nauseating to the greater majority of Sri Lankans. Although the previous administration promised to do the very same job through its “Yahapalana” – or Good Governance – administration, it was tainted with corruption allegations for the greater part of its tenure, with the Central Bank Bond Scam perched at the very summit. To add to its woes were the many acts of commission and omission with the Easter tragedy taking pole position in that particular list.
In similar fashion to their American counterparts, Sri Lankan voters in recent times have shown maturity and not hesitated to dispense with governments that have failed to deliver on their promises. The Yahapalana Government was one such casualty. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the current administration to walk the talk and deliver on its primary promise of draining the swamp, paving the way for a clean and stable administration starting with the state sector.
To be fair by the President, he has been hands on from the word go by focusing on cleaning up corrupt dens like the Department of Motor Traffic, the Police Department, Pettah traders who control the supply of essential commodities and thereby control prices notwithstanding gazette notifications, and even taking on the rice mafia, albeit with limited success. It is obvious that much distance needs to be covered on that particular road for tangible benefits to accrue to the longsuffering public. As things stand, there is nothing to stop the administration from going the full distance in pursuit of this objective.
That apart, it is essential that the flames of racial disharmony which have once again been threatening to engulf this once war-battered nation, owing to the arbitrary actions of a few, are doused as quickly as possible, much the same way that the newly elected President of the US is endeavouring to do in his own backyard by stretching out an olive branch to his opponents, including the pseudo-republicans in the Republican Party. Ushering in the winds of change, “unity” was the central theme of Joe Biden’s inaugural address, which, in content and mass appeal, was a welcome departure from the abrasive style of his predecessor who in the end proved to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, owing to his not-so-tacit support to the far right, right to the end.
Little do our own ultra-nationalists realise that they are in the very same mould of the western fascists they proclaim to abhor, who have reared their ugly head first in parts of Europe and now in America. The more anti-western they act, the more pro-western they appear, simply due to the fact that their irrational actions play right into the modern-day western agenda of creating strife and division in the places they seek to colonise through non-military means.
Those days, our former colonial masters fomented extremism among both the Sinhalese and the Tamils in order to make their job of ruling over both that much easier. Today, the same tactics are employed so that a divided nation can be less of a threat to their global expansionist agenda.
Therefore, it is very much in the country’s interest that the rising wave of ultra-nationalism appearing in the familiar garb of patriotism is ideally eliminated or limited to the fringes, where it could do no further harm to the fabric of national unity, already torn apart many a time and held together by the most delicate of threads.
Among the many home truths that Biden placed in the common American conscience during his inaugural speech, the most relevant to us back home was his emphasis on the fact that if true peace and prosperity is to be achieved, then unity is an essential precursor to that. It is a universal principle that applies to every country on this planet, desirous of achieving the elusive twin goals of peace and prosperity.
As long as fringe groups are allowed to rouse up racial tensions as and when they please, unity will remain a distant dream. Sri Lanka will do well to take a long, hard look at the events that transpired in America over the last few months and save itself a whole lot of trouble by reining in the extremists, striding the middle path, and preparing the ground for true unity among its diverse people. For the powers that be, it is the surest and cleanest way to ensure political longevity.
Until such time, not only our political leaders, but more importantly the people themselves lay claim to such enlightenment where the best among us can shine through to the top, irrespective of cast, race, or religion as shown by the election of a coloured woman with South Indian roots as Vice President of arguably the most powerful nation on Earth, our dreams of peace, prosperity, and equality will remain just that, a dream. And there lies the real-life lesson of the fabled American Dream.Kapruka
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!