The Media culpability – Media reporting of today’s demonstrations outside Parliament!

Following my critique of the media and their misuse of their very real power in a democracy to influence public opinion, there will be another instance this morning outside Parliament as forces for, and possibly forces (paid thugs) stacked against the 19^th Amendment are likely to gather, and it is a question of assessing the situation before a senior police officer asks the Court to ban any demonstrations in a specified area like the main road leading up to Parliament or the grounds in front of parliament or some such designated area. 

A quick reminder of how media was grossly manipulated by the previous regime, that only permitted (in addition to the main media it owned or controlled) a certain TYPE OF REPORTING, so that the people were prevented from getting at the truth, or very near the truth, by this suppression.

We witnessed the shenanigans last week where after the desecration of the chamber of Parliament by squatting MPs performing acts that had nothing to do with Parliament (trying to protect a person, whom was NOT an MP and therefore outside of the jurisdiction of Parliament) who then went outside and made a spectacle which was reported extensively, where actually such a puerile spectacle should have been relegated to a minor part in the back pages and NOT as part of the main news.

It is as well to bear in mind present activity that gets reported that should not, and the amount of coverage is the responsibility of the various Editors and sub Editors when they get the pictures and report thereon. Their giving prominence to such activity is based on their assumption of what sells papers, (people’s lust for parliamentary thuggery) and back stage responsible written analysis of the obligation of the very same people to respect the sanctity of Parliament which was wholly absent as to imply it was not of interest to people with blood lust!

Given this background which I brought in to this essay, to illustrate how bloodthirsty the reporters and photographers will be in the morning for a fight, that the Rajapakse loyalist who wish to scupper this historic sitting in Parliament will come JUST TO CREATE A SCENE that the pathetic reporters for reasons above will be waiting to catch with visuals and reportage, hoping these incidents will take center stage when the  proceedings inside, and the debate for and against MUST take center stage, along with live telecast, even if some activity is stage managed by some unscrupulous MPs for their own MOB appeal.

It is with this background in mind, that even though the Prime Minister has encouraged people to come in support of this amendment to demonstrate along the streets in support of the 19^th Amendment in terms of restoration of Democracy and Good Governance, the Media will give the publicity to those who oppose such a move, where the voice cuts are for the filth, and the clean demonstrators of loyalists and civil society will get barely a mention.

I am afraid that due to the IDIOCY OF THE MEDIA, the police may have to take the step that the demonstrations, can disrupt the peace and safe passage of people to and from Parliament and restrict both camps, to areas outside this perimeter of conflict. SHAME!  

How independent is our Media? Individual Journalists are in the pockets of interested parties!

It would be nice if when we read an article or hear or see some news, there was a tag with a journalist which says he is the mouth piece of so and so. In the English print media after a while one would get to know the bent of that journalist, spouting the views of their sponsor, or who only reports in favorable light of and sycophantic words of his sponsor.

Especially in the post 8^th Janaury 2015 era, where there is broad license on what is written and there is little if any censorship by the Editors or Owners to prevent anti Govt. bias, it is all the more important that Journalists actually appreciate the new found freedom, and give credit where it is due, to the people, and therefore report in as objective a way as possible.

Due to the historic bias, and the 10 years of MR rule that effectively bought loyalty by shameless familiarity with Journalists, giving them laptops, and interest free loans, these compromising strings show in their writings. As a result there is still more biased reporting on behalf of an administration that has been clearly thrown out by the people, due to the Journalist knowing these rogues personally not being able to change their spots, and see them without the rose tinted glasses they seem to look at them still!

It will take a decade at least to change the Media culture, to return to a level of professionalism that only a few journalists have today. I trust budding journalists who go through their training learn what it takes to be a good reporter, especially an investigative reporter, and learn the inherent bias one comes with, as a result of one’s own experiences, or family background, and therefore being quite aware of one’s own prejudices due to that. If then they try to be objective despite having personal preferences, when reporting and writing for public consumption, they will do their profession a service.

I don’t know how many journalists reading this will understand what I am saying here. That goes to the crux of the matter, as today’s journalists don’t even realize how prejudiced they are towards certain people, let alone ideologies. How pathetic is their writing?

Taking the past Government they did not have an ideology as such, it was an era of Robber Barons akin to the turn of the 20^th Century in the US, when they ruled, such as the Rockefellers and Carnegies, so being paid to write positively about crooks, was part of the course, as money was not an object and “arakku botaleta liyana warthakaru” was a dime a dozen. WE MUST CHANGE THIS PATTERN FORTHWITH.

An appeal to Newspaper owners and also those of other media. It is time to explain to your staff the importance of objectivity despite personal prejudices, and implore them that only with such reporting styles, will they improve their product and by that same measure improve the quality of the paper they are reporting for.

It is with some satisfaction that I see the yearning for political news amongst our newspaper reading public that the circulation of the Sinhala Newspapers has gone up so much after 8^th January 2015. However this yearning and readership has not been satiated by responsible reporting and therein lies the conundrum.  Time for reflection and responsible reporting. 

225 MPs in Parliament have a historic duty

on April 27^th and 28^th on behalf of SRI LANKA

Isn’t it ironic that we call upon over 100 of those MPs (over 160 voted for) who voted for the 18^th Amendment, to give absolute dictatorial powers to Mahinda Rajapakse on September 8^th 2010 to vote to overturn that by the 19^th Amendment.

The actual vote on that day was: 161 for 17 against and 46 boycotted!

First we need a list of the 161 who voted for the 18^th Amendment so we will never forget and more importantly they will never forget the day they gave one man over the people!

Secondly we need a list of those who will vote against or boycott the 19^th on April 28^th and we should never forget them either. If there are some in both lists, then we know that democracy is not in their future vision for the Nation and so should be labeled.

The President’s speech to the Nation was more a speech to the 225 MPs reminding them of their duties to reflect the people’s mandate and choice of 8^th January 2015 as being their responsibility, and not for (enlightened greed) self-interest for personal gain.

What is the Rajapakse stand on this? Are they in favor or against? We are still not clear, and as we don’t know, then it is safe to assume that they prefer the status quo, where they were able to plunder, without being held accountable at all, as they had the Legislature, Judiciary and the Executive all sewn up without the required independence, and the Fourth Estate was hounded into submission by threat and innuendo, unable to speak up for the masses.

Mercifully for the people of Sri Lanka we live in a different world today, and few seem to appreciate how different it is in fact. We must try and explain to our fellow countrymen who are still not convinced, that we are indeed in a different era, post Rajapakse, and Maithripala Sirisena cleverly was able to explain by using the Counter Revolution argument why it was natural that some segment of the population prefers the past, living comfortably in the past, unable to comprehend a brighter and better tomorrow.

It is clear that the Rajapakse family who so shamelessly led the Counter Revolutionaries, fall into the relic of the past bygone practices being unable to comprehend that it too has gone the way of Stalinism!

The populace are now wondering if the thugs, the drug dealers, the wannabes and the illiterates they have sent to Parliament will be able to shed their clothing and put on a new outfit to suit the occasion.

How ironic then that we are dependent on this low life, so that we may herald a period where we send more responsible people who truly wish to serve, just like Sirisena who made the claim as the Servant of the people, at the next election. It will be interesting to see how many of the old guard return and how many new faces, and new hope that may emerge. The problem with familiarity is that it prevents unfamiliar genuine and honest people replacing them. Prospective voters choose your prospective MPs carefully. 

Oil – Has Sri Lanka optimized on the Oil Price windfall

that has directly resulted in a positive growth of the GNP and negates any fallout of reduced Construction Projects?

The attached article, is a telling example of the incredibly flexible and efficient US Economy and Technology, that was able to weather the price drop, but nevertheless be able to reduce the industry costs by more than 50% from the cost of production of a Barrel of Shale.

So when the Middle Eastern Countries who hoped that the price drops of over 50% would decimate the Shale business, they were sadly mistaken as the US was able to more than match it by cost reduction out of efficiency and technological improvements.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/11556531/Oil-slump-may-deepen-as-US-shale-fights-Opec-to-a-standstill.html

The consequence of this for long term price stability at lower prices, and its devastating effect on Middle Eastern Economies in the longer term, cannot at the moment be understood by many policy makers. This has consequences for the stability of the Middle East as they will not have sufficient surpluses to subsidize their ever thirsty, fast growing populations.  

If not foreseen, the possibilities of major implosions is more than certain, which will affect the political balance in the Middle East. Those economies that have been able to wean themselves out of oil dependency will most certainly benefit, but others like Nigeria and Venezuela will face an uncertain future as they are dependent on oil to run their economies.

Even Saudi Arabia with an increasing population will face pressure to abolish the monarchy or at least significant part of the largesse paid to the huge Royal Family of more than 4000.

We presume that by this time, Sri Lanka would have changed its human export structurally to essential and skilled jobs in these countries, that the local populations will not have the skills to replace, and thereby be cushioned from the impact.

The flip side for Sri Lanka’s energy security will be the cost of extraction of Oil and Gas from our own offshore fields, which will not become a priority in the future, and we should turn more to cleaning up the environment, and the use of renewable energy, and making our energy use more efficient, and reducing energy wastage both by more fuel efficient vehicles and our industrial and home energy consumption patterns.

The renaissance of the US economy will be at hand as the world’s largest producer and consumer of cheap energy, and it should be consequent upon Sri Lanka being ready to cash in on those opportunities presented without leaning to the China orbit for help and trade.

The Chinese economy will face greater pressures on cleaning up the mess they have created in their environment and the aging population, and health consequences of industrialization and non-communicable diseases spiraling out of control. If we predict we will benefit! That should be the slogan. We must look into what if scenarios and be prepared for all outcomes.

The President is duty bound to do everything within his power to ensure that the Rule of Law prevails.

The simple reason that the majority voted for Maithripala Sirisena, was that he promised a return to a period of the Rule of Law. PURE AND SIMPLE.

Why was that? The Majority in the Country were convinced that the Law was NOT being enforced fairly, and they looked forward to a period when we could have recourse to the Law to find relief in law for any grievance that we may have be it Civil or Criminal.

There are many with very short memories, who seem to forget that the Law had become an Ass and we were desperate to change the status quo, and did not know how. Mercifully there was a window of opportunity, called a Presidential Election, and there was a platform of hope, which people took advantage of, and were able to change the status quo, to return to a period of “All are equal under the law” from a period when there were many above the law!

I would challenge any sycophant to say there were NO favorites outside the law under the previous administration. Don’t we remember the days when elected officials were protected by the Govt. from prosecution, and the Police became villains if they so attempted to prosecute, and faced dismissal or transfer to Siberia if they wanted to enforce the Law!

I hope RAJAPAKSE loyalists do not engage in selective amnesia about this period. Despite the minor hiccups, which due to the freedom given to an irresponsible media, sound like major ones, there is an overall sense of progress to a BETTER form of Government. We must value this freedom, and not pooh pooh the great strides we have made in such a short while. The fact that the 100 day program has not kept to time is NOT altogether the fault of the Govt. it is also due to the irascibility of those opposed being highlighted in the press and media, due to their loud and boorish behavior.

We expect a statement of Statesmanship from the President at 9pm tonight, highlighting his commitment to enforcing the rule of law, and that no one is outside the law. He must reiterate to the people that they must get used to State Institutions functioning independently of the Govt. and that people do not have a right to question the fundamental rights enshrined in the present Constitution, except in a Court of Law.

http://www.ceylontoday.lk/51-90722-news-detail-lawyers-criticize-speaker-and-mps.html

He must remind the people that he was elected on this promise, and that steps that have been taken are in keeping with that promise, no matter what misinformation the members of the previous regime opposed to a change in status quo may try to imply.

There are even people of the previous Govt. who go around saying that the present period is a reversal of progress, when it is anything but, and due to the complete absence of criticism of the previous 10 years people were blissfully unaware of the daily misdeeds of that Government which are only gradually coming to light, and will take a little while for the law to take its course, and the true extent of the crimes reaches the people.

http://www.ceylontoday.lk/51-90724-news-detail-government-protecting-mr-eran.html

The great strides taken in these 100 days must not be overlooked, as people are comparing with the 10 years of (blind to the people ) misrule, it is a daunting challenge to change the mindset of the people.

Let us not forget human nature when accused of crime is to first deny, and then finger point at the accusers. Therefore don't be fooled by statements that hold NO value in truth, from accused.  

These no confidence motions

from a whole Government on whom we had no confidence and therefore effectively threw out is simply stalling tactics that must be rejected as wasteful

Bandula Gunewardena who did much to ruin the state of the Education sector as the previous regime’s Education Minister, is now trying to get people to bring a no confidence motion against the current Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake on very spurious grounds.

Granted a call to raise the limit on bonds that could be purchased or issued, was rejected by parliament, when in Bandula’s own Govt. these were done without any parliamentary approval.

Then the CB Governors being asked to resign demo was dotted with people who made money from the Perpetual Treasuries, and Perpetual Capital Share transactions kickbacks and they have the nerve to demonstrate against the same person who gave them so many millions in chump change.

Actually the Media focus is on people who have been guilty of numerous frauds in the MR Government, trying to cover up their tracks by accusing existing regime people of a few minor transgressions that is if they are proved!

In the area of transgressions, the scale of fraud under the previous regime pales in comparison to that of this regime. It is therefore ironic that while the authorities are taking their time in finding the evidence of these major crimes under the MR rule, the same weight is given by the media for crimes of this regime.

The attached article is a very succinct analysis of why people really ought to stand back and try to understand that we cannot judge the two with the same yardstick as the conditions prevailing are quite different and the scale of crime incomparable.

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-way-forward-charismatic-leader-or-ordinary-citizens/

This article clearly explains how each of the two regimes must be judged. The Bus driver analogy would be further taken by me into one of the Pied Piper taking a bunch of impressionable fools behind him to drown, as they are following him blind, to that of the Orchestra Conductor who is fallible, but where the music nevertheless is bearable and consistent of the tune that is being played.

His attempt at portraying Mahinda Rajapakse as somehow charismatic, boggles the mind, but I am sure to some he is that! What would we think of that? I was so shocked that I tried to find out why, and then came across the link that shows that our IQ is miserably low when compared with similar countries and that explains the idiotic approach of our people!

http://www.photius.com/rankings/national_iq_scores_country_ranks.html I am really quite distressed at that analysis as I always maintained that our people were intelligent, and now this shows that was a little too far-fetched! Why?              

Where is the Media – in explaining the futility of the opposition Parliamentarians’ protest on a day that is historic for ensuring a democratic future for this Country?

The Fourth Estate after January 8^th 2015 is a disgrace. They have not risen to the occasion and endorsed the will of the people for checks and balances and the end to unadulterated corruption. The most forceful and demanded promise was that the 19^th Amendment would be passed in Parliament as soon as practical. When there is a bunch of hooligans, drinking and making the parliament floor look worse than the floor of a place where the drunkards gather in the evening for a bit of revelry, seeing inebriated bodies lying around, and no one having the gall to comment unfavorably on treating this august place like an after party junkyard, what more can one say of this profession in Sri Lanka today.

It is time the media take stock, and understand their responsibility in such a historic period of our Country. They seem to have joined in this inebriation, rather than have the knowledge and the nerve to report what they see objectively criticizing the depths to which these brigands have sunk their legislature to.

It is important that the Sinhala Meida, more than the English speaking media, get a grip on their true responsibility to the hapless public they MUST reach out to. Further the TV in the form of Rupavahini and ITN DO NOT HAVE even one journalist of stature who is able to explain fairly what the law is, and how reasonable or unreasonable some of the steps taken by our elected representatives are in this tragicomedy.

We have waited 10 years for this event, of reducing some of the powers of the President and the restoration of the checks and balances to ensure Good Governance and a fair balance with the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary, and it seems that the Parliamentarians opposed to this just don’t get it. Sadly we have elected these Morons and have only ourselves to blame.

Actually a more responsible journalistic tradition, such as that in India, would have taken the lead role in influencing public opinion, which in turn would ensure the legislatures heed their word, and NOT resort to antics that are puerile and seen as puerile by a more discerning public, educated in the art of analytical news, not in the art of slavish belief of what they see and read, and reported as seen and as not as it SHOULD BE seen.

When history comes to be written, let it not be me who has to write the role played by the Sri Lankan Journalists, in their acts of Omission in removing the best chance this Country has had in recent history of returning to the fold of civilized politics, and government, where the citizen’s rights are paramount and NOT those of the few who choose to trick an electorate into being elected and then pursue an agenda far from the best interests of their countrymen, and ONLY in their personal interests.

The objective of this blog is to safeguard the inalienable rights of the people, and to protect them as much as is possible from the actions of the few, that wish to return this Country to a state of a waste land, after bleeding it, and milking it dry.

All journalists, especially those communicating in the Sinhala medium it all YOURS!                

Rogues Gallery – where they should be on the Parliament Floor.

I found it quite funny to see the people who now must obviously be those who both received disbursements over and above their station, purported to venerate a dictator, and then thrive in some way to make and disburse ill-gotten gains, by virtue of their veneration, knowing they will be protected from prosecution by their sponsor, sprawled on the floor of Parliament, in protest at the mere request of this sponsor being hauled before the Bribery commission!

http://www.adaderana.lk/news/30548/bribery-allegations-against-former-president-sparks-protest-in-parliament

Surely if he has nothing to hide from them, one would not need a gavel of traitors who have bled their country of legitimate income, trying to prevent him the leader of the pack from having to explain the misdeeds under his rule.

This is simply NOT taking revenge, but merely taking cognizance of the people’s verdict of January 8^th to prosecute those who have embezzled unconscionable amounts of money from the State, and treated the State Coffers as some sort of Piggy Bank of the leader and his band of rogues all lined up for us to see.

There are other rogues who did not wish to show their face in Parliament but who hope to gain from one or the other side of the power circle. Nevertheless it is important that the people realize that it is best to get the people from the top, held to account for 10 years of rape of the Nation.

It was interesting when the Ex- President said that there is nothing in his name, and that he nor his family did nothing wrong during his administration, when all the evidence is contrary to that statement. Any fool knows that no account will be in the name of the President and his family. Similarly we also know who pulled the strings and abused the laws of the land so blatantly, that to say that they are innocent is showing the lack of legal knowledge these supposedly legally qualified should be aware of.

The article below is a good read to know that we are actually in a far better position today, than at any time in the Rajapakse Administration, whatever the minor hiccups any new administration of less than 100days can hope for especially bearing in mind the 10 years of ruthless mess covered up by dictatorship, that prevented any finger pointing by the press to the public of the egregious crimes happening under their noses. When they now come to light people have become blasé as to the severity of their venom and lack of concern for the citizens whom they purported to serve.

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/hundred-days-and-after/

So now that the Governor of the Central Bank has been interrogated, grilled by the Bribery Commision and been shown to be clear of the allegations, in something that happened about a month ago, why not take the others to task on something that has happened continuously for 10 years. It is high time fairness prevails and justice is at least seen to be done. 

Let’s not be fooled by the belief that only fools can fool the fools!

How people can still think Mahinda is a hero is beyond my imagination. The reality is that people believe Mahinda’s lies and they do not believe the Government’s truth! Mahinda being a clever, devious and cunning politician knows how to appeal to the voter, and play on his weakest point. A free press, willing to report lies as much as truth, and an electorate with short memories can easily swayed, when the greed that represents our people, is NOT satisfied. They still don’t realize that for 10 years we had a controlled press!! So idiotic.

Every complaint about this Government is about, promises NOT being fulfilled. The worst promises are those that relate to greed, for jobs, for subsidies, for pay raises, for purchasing at prices well above prevailing market prices, and then the inability to lock up the crooks that represent most of Mahinda’s hangers on.

No person, without unwholesome theft from the people or driven by greed wish to follow MR. I find it hard to find a competent person who is free of baggage who is willing to support a return of MR. It is simply the people who were enriched personally by the MR regime who are now making a comeback, THANKS to YAHA PALANAYA. If we had the similar brutish regime of MR all these jokers will be in jail, or worse killed in broad daylight, when they were taken out to show the loot they have allegedly stolen!

It is very important for a human being to question his humanity, when he wishes to defend the MR regime, as it is NOT defendable in any moral or righteous sense of the word. The way in which this Country has been sold off with regard to any exploitable resource, is simply unconscionable. It is simply pure treachery against a Sovereign State that this whole bunch of dealers who support Mahinda Rajapakse are guilty of.

The simple and logical sentence for this is simply the firing squad. For those who should face this sentence to have the gall to continue to back this abomination for a human being, who enabled this Country, along with Maithripala Sirisena’s family to squeeze every ounce of wealth from the Country, and its people, to use the redemption of war, when after the war, more people have perished out of their greed subsequently, and we continue to pull the wool over the people’s eyes by misinformation, is not forgivable.

I am concerned for my Country, for a future for our children! They are culpable of taking Rs2M from each person they put on a boat to Australia, when they should be preventing them leaving!! To vote these worms back into lead this Country for even a second makes me sick to the stomach. The fact that we can write in freedom is due to THIS Govt., whilst the white Van for those opposing was THAT Govt., so do we want “that” Govt.?

Anything is better than the past. Now there is hope when there was NONE. For pompous writers to back a claim otherwise is simply obnoxious, putrid and deranged.

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/lets-dissect-the-mahinda-resurgence/

Dissect this piece of perfidy at your own leisure, to realize that we still have people of this ilk breathing on this land, supporting a regime that is beyond human. Make your choice!     

Desperate Need for a new Media Culture in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is known as the place where “Arakku Botalayata Liyana Warthakaru” live, and we must change that!

Except for a few talented young females, like Dharisha Bastians, who was able to remove  the hollow Emperor Mahinda’s clothes by her writing skills for the FT, there are hardly any noteworthy reporters, especially in Sinhala, which is the language that matters for the masses, and which could change National Opinion, and more importantly attempt to educate this Mass of the basic principles of right and wrong, and thereby able to see good or evil of the actions of our  largely unscrupulous politicians.

Investigative Journalism, no easy art, and that which requires resources from a visionary Newspaper Owner to subsidize the cost of an investigation, is also sorely lacking in Sri Lanka.

It is also obvious that the end is nigh for many newspapers unable to survive due to the severe loss of Govt. advertising that kept them afloat for so long, and this advertising, bought the compliance of the papers, and their prostitute owners and editors to the cause of an increasing corrupt regime, with no scruples, morals or a care that they were wasting the current and future resources of the Country with their un-adulterated profligacy.

This strategy is further compounded by the fact that after the Tsunami that resulted in the Regime Change on January 8^th, this gaggle of journalists have NOT been able to educate the readers to the obviously better environment for THEM, and therefore sing the praises of the ethos of this regime as compared with that of the previous. Instead they are merely using their new found freedom to present the MR point of view whenever they can, as that is permitted now, and blow up minor transgressions of the regime at every step, without reminding the readers, that they pale in comparison to the big time transgressions of the previous regime that they were prevented from reporting on, and which in comparison was grossly unforgivable.

It is time for a journalistic code of ethics that also require a compulsory program of study, and those who attain the highest knowledge are guaranteed a minimum monthly of Rs50,000, creating a culture of person, not dependent on being paid off by some unscrupulous politico, or business man NOT to report their wrongdoings but rise above that to report that which is for the public good.

We also have to educate the public in the ability to reason, as otherwise, like now they accept what they see, read and hear as gospel, and are NOT critical enough to analyze the angle of reportage. I know the international media are also not free from Bias, and they too have an agenda. However we have every reason to rise above that, and realize that we serve the local public to whom we OWE a sense of duty to report that which is right. This public then will have more faith in this profession, will create quality journalists who will join this profession, and eventually work to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Sri Lanka, by highlighting the wrong doings and prevention of the destruction of the environment and improving the caliber of those going into politics and bring an overall holistic improvement to all aspects of Sri Lankan life, a desperate need in a society, that is deteriorating, in whatever aspect one does a comparison of, beginning with the absence of being able to distinguish right from wrong.   

Freedom of the Press confronts the inability of meeting Election Promises

The people who seem to vote for goodies for themselves, and NOT for the goodness of their Country, I suppose the natural effect of a give me give me political culture are now fed up with this Govt.

It is not enough that the fuel prices were reduced, food items of a significant bunch of necessities were reduced, state employees pay was increased significantly now pensions were increased along with the welfare benefits for the really poor, that people want the balance too!!

So now they are fighting that the Mahapola Scholarship is not up to Rs5,000 yet when it was set to go into effect in May, and that the Paddy is not purchased at the promised prices, as the money has now run dry, and the limit per individual is 2000kg, and no one it seems is receiving the Rs80/kg promise for bought leaf tea, (instead selling to traders at Rs52/kg) or Rs350/kg for latex rubber (instead selling at Rs220/kg) and that 3 wheel fares have not been forcibly brought down! And the reduced prices for a cup of tea has left most restaurants refuse to sell them as they cannot make a profit at controlled prices.

It what our people have not got that they harp on about, not that we now live in an environment of freedom. We can do anything and say anything, and Govt. waste and corruption has definitely been reduced saving the people at least Rs500M a day. That figure that will reduce our national debt by that every day, DOES NOT AMOUNT TO A HILL OF BEANS TO OUR MISINFORMED AND ILL EDUCATED PEOPLE who would rather we further indebted ourselves so they get what they want!!!!!!

I am speechless at having to explain this logic to people, who only want what was promised, and don’t care if MR returns and borrow Billions more dollars to feed this insatiable appetite of our people for further benefits, short term, but set to satisfy.

On the front of bringing crooks to book, the objections are where are all those Lamborghinis, and helicopters? and why aren’t all the crooks in jail? because they got used to White Vans and Abductions and killings while running from the law and never protested that innocent until proven guilty was even required! Do they want to hear that MR was killed while running away when he was going to show where he had hidden the billions of kgs of gold stolen from the LTTE holdings? If that is so then we live in a cruel world of cynics, ungrateful imbeciles, and greedy humans that don’t care a damn how much this country has been ruined by one family that treated everyone and everything as their personal property, and dealt severely with people whose views deferred to theirs.

The Govt has a huge image problem because even their owned media, in the interests of fair play is giving sufficient face time to Govt. critics, something MR never allowed, and people with short memories have refused to give credit for. Picking on a minor governance issue on the Bond trading scandal, when a major one where the Executive was controlled by one brother, and the legislature by another brother for 10 years was bad governance of the worst kind. We know the complete lack of parliamentary democracy in 10 years of MR rule and people have the cheek to even suggest that things were better under his administration, tells a lot of the psyche of our dear citizens steeped in ignorance and fed on lies! God help us!     

The shocking revelations of the Rajapakse Cronyism Era

 still does NOT cause sufficient outrage amongst a very pliant populace: Do they need their heads examined?

Thus the fact that Mahinda Rajapakse even dares to make asinine statements, and worse reported by a media incapable of analyzing the psychological game he is attempting, and enlightening the populace to ironies of his statements, adds to the frustration that sane people have to the actions of the Fourth Estate.

After all while it is normal that a sitting Government is fair game for the media, the unnatural attention is given to a despot who is desperate to redeem himself in an environment where people still appear to be so foolish as to give him the benefit of the doubt. The wholesale destruction of the Country in the past 10 years is now coming to light, where all attempts at reversing this environmental outrage, was actually prevented by a culture of cronies who did not care a damn for the Country but just for self, cannot be denied.

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/mangala-releases-foreign-service-examination-results-buried-by-rajapaksas/

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/weliamuna-report-recommends-criminal-prosecutions-of-shiranthis-brother-nishantha-w-airlanka-ceo/

Just read the two links above to even get a taste of if MR could be even forgiven for being ignorant of the goings on! Not at all, he just cannot deny all knowledge as much of the actions were purely and simply for the benefit of the his immediate family, and so they were the direct beneficiaries of not appointing people on merit to the Foreign Service or allowing his philandering Brother-in law make an absolute ass of himself in levels of abuse which in the UK would put him in jail for a few lifetimes!

This shameless approach where the sycophants DON’T find anything wrong with this behavior is at the heart of the psyche of many Sri Lankans who have grown up, simply unable to distinguish between right and wrong.

We as a country have to go back to basics to teach morality to our citizens, and even begin to retrain our teachers on basic ethics, as parents are simply unable to teach their children due to a huge parenting void created by the social upheaval of the workplace where there are large numbers in foreign lands, and an equally large number in jobs where they have to live away from their children, whose home location determines where they go to school, and their parent’s jobs which in most state sector jobs, involve relocation every 5 years as part of the transfer and promotion systems in public service, and the children stay put.

Simply put 70% of school age children DO NOT have a mother or father at home during the school week!!! That is a startling fact, where just one parent and in many instances just an aunt or grandparent takes care of the child. The child therefore does not get the care and love of both parents, and we are breeding a society of irrational, uncontrollable and deviant children left to fend for themselves. No wonder that the drop out rate amongst boys is so high, and society does very little to reverse this fall into the abyss. I digress, but the Rajapakse regime merely did not understand this and did not care, as that was NOT EVEN a priority.