From Outside The Pearl

20/11/2021

Data is the new GOLD

Very soon everything you do, say and even think will be monitored by someone and your every action predicted and yes even controlled by the person or persons’ who have that information. Now you may think this is a conspiracy theory, and I am a great believer in conspiracy theories but sad to say this bit of information dropped out of the CT bracket a long time ago. Owners of personal data and those who mine for it are the new billionaires of today. I don’t have to elaborate any further, I am sure names, organizations and of course countries spring to mind.

All actions will be predicted, probably by using algorithms and the herd of humanity will be directed and driven like the cattle herds of the past and in probably the same direction, to the slaughterhouse! That great “controller” of humanity – religion will be declared redundant (as is already happening) for after all isn’t it the set of rules decreed by your religion that primarily keeps you on the proverbial “straight and narrow”? If not for religion, you would kill and rob at will and survival would depend on how “strong” you are wouldn’t it? Probably aided and abetted mildly by the law of the land. People will soon learn that in the new world your ‘God” would grant your wishes based on the data that is collected on you and manipulating this data and hoping to fool the algorithms would replace all those pseudo attempts and gaining merit that prevail today. Just like the biggest scoundrels in the world make huge donations to charity and carry out much publicised charitable works they will either hire people to feed data into the systems or in the case of the mega rich (read as demigods) own the access to that data. The high priests and the bishops and cardinals will have information technology qualifications and wear jeans and t shirts!

We don’t need to fear nuclear wars, they will be predicted and forestalled long before they happen. Even armed confrontations unless they are needed to support the economies of the strong nations will not happen. The real war will be in cyberspace for dominance and control of data. Think about it folks, it has already started and is well underway. There probably is an organization much more powerful than the sham that is the United Nations, meeting regularly and steering the seething mass of humanity towards a predetermined goal set by them. Now this is a complete conspiracy theory but maybe this too will fall from the ranks of theory into accepted practice, sooner than you think.

So, what are we doing, us scribes who try to open the minds of our readers to think in a different way? Yes, we are wasting our time! What we write and what is published (often two different things depending on the country it is published in) has no bearing just as the ranting and ravings of the old-time preachers and their heartfelt attempts to guide humanity had little effect.

As long as we put all our data on the internet, we will be controlled by the data Moghuls. Absolutely everything including pictures of our meals, all the clothes we wear, our holiday destinations and even our wishes for holidays in the future, it is all there and no doubt some of you realise that this is already mined, and you get “customised” special offers based on this information. The car you drive and the vehicles you aspire to, where you live and your dream home it is all there, sound familiar? The only thing I haven’t seen is the toilet habits of individuals posted on the internet but that may be because I don’t look for that sort of information!

If the internet is not controlled and certain rules put in place to control what can go on it and what can be taken out of it, we may as well give up on any attempts to retain our individuality and freedom of choice. Some countries have already put such restrictions in place but in the world of capitalism big money calls the shots and big money belongs to those who got into the data game early. As for data collection and mining we are told that our mobile phones and television screens can be turned into transmitters with gadgetry already built into to them and with the flick of a switch.

Will the world break up into communities that refuse to be connected via the internet? Little villages like my favourite little village of ancient Gaul’s who held out against the Roman empire a la Asterix. What if the Pandemic goes along the lines of what is being said by the prophets of doom and large-scale loss of life leads to isolated communities anyway? Could we revert to a more simple and even primitive lifestyle. On the other hand, what if the pandemic is a creation of the internet? All part of a predetermined plan for the cattle herd of humanity!

Food for thought or should I say fodder, dear readers?! One thing that is very clear is that the work of scribes such as I profess to be, is largely a waste of time. We will influence nothing as our readership is probably just a handful of “old timers” who live in the past anyway. Besides, they are already converted! Therefore, with heartfelt thanks to those who have wasted a few minutes of their time reading my efforts, I take your leave over the holiday period at least and until some development (hopefully favourable to our beloved Pearl or the world in general) tempts me out of my reverie to write again. May I take this opportunity to wish all of you a blessed Christmas and a New Year better than the last!

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12/11/2021

N.T.B.

A non-traditional budget they say! With a few nasty asides thrown in about it being presented by a dual citizen. Now anyone who bothers to read what I write knows my stand on involving dual citizens in running a country run by frogs in the well. Of course, the qualifications, life experience and morals of those dual citizens matter but not to denizens of the Pearl, methinks. At least not to the 6.9 million of them who voted this mob in. I see this as just another occasion for the Rajapaksa clan who seem to suffer from collective Attention Deficit Syndrome, to look “pretty” and try to look regal in the public eye.

The incumbent head honcho has made a veiled statement about the 6.9 million needing to look at fresh candidates should any chance to vote arrives in the near future. Now this statement if analysed with probably more insight and intelligence than can be attributed to the perpetrator, could mean that certain realizations are in place. Realizations that the current system, which is entrenched in bribery, corruption and an overwhelming “you scratch my back and will scratch yours” mentality is the root cause of the predicament that the Pearl is in. If that is the realization (and I sincerely doubt it) there is a rather pathetic ring to those words. A man who started off with the intention and truly believed that he could make a difference has found out that he is simply a puppet (or is it moppet) being controlled by the SYSTEM that overwhelms everything in the Pearl. On the other hand, it can be masterful move (again am I giving too much credit) to switch tracks and rise phoenix like from the ashes of the despair that is affecting everyone in the Pearl at present.

The first steps towards achieving this is to defeat the budget in parliament. Now let me tell something to all the “earthworms” who sit in that island on the Diyawwanawa and destroy our country each day. All those who vote to pass this litany of lies that passes for a budget (traditional or not) should be aware that they should NEVER, ever be voted for again under any circumstances. There is talk of the JVP being the saviour in waiting. I say NO for two reasons. The obvious one being the insurgencies but a more recent one being the JVP squandering an opportunity to stop Rajapaksa senior in his tracks with a golden opportunity to vote against one of the first budgets tabled at the start of this misrule. That was the time the JVP had their highest representation in parliament and rightfully the people never forgave then for that sin.

Find capable successors who have no connection with the present system. A tall order for sure. Simply bringing in people with foreign qualifications and experience is not the answer either. To govern a country democratically, the rulers should understand the grass roots and be steeped in the different cultural nuances of that land. The obvious need for integrity and moral fortitude notwithstanding, where on earth do we find such people from? That is the question on which the very future of our beloved country depends. It cannot be valued in monetary terms or in anything but the future of our children and the propagation of a 2500 plus year civilization, therefore this task is beyond all value. We need a leader with self-belief and a sterling background. The self-belief should stop short of egoism or egotism. The future leader must be uncorruptible and must not give way to adage that absolute power corrupts absolutely. For that very reason we may need to revert to the Westminster system of democracy that ensures no one has absolute power.

An insurmountable task you may say. I tend to agree. But we need to start somewhere, and this is the time for the “earthworms” who have had enough (surely there MUST be some in the Government ranks) to make a stand. Vote against the budget, it may still be passed but at least you would have made your stand. Like Custer in his last stand, you will probably lose your scalp, but you will go down in the history of the land as responsible politicians who had the nouse to say, “enough is enough”! It is also time for a new political party. Come forward at least a dozen “good men and true”. Come forward and give us a draft constitution and a manifesto that makes sense and is different to the gobbledegook and utter rubbish that has been tabled as alternatives in the recent past.

Let’s progress into the land of fairy tales and imagine the “head honcho” rounding up a few Earthworms who suddenly develop a backbone (biological impossibility), defeat the budget and form another government without his “secret seven” kinsmen and other assorted idiots holding ministerial portfolios. Even if this desperate dream is realised are there enough earthworms around who we can trust to break free of the system and build a real future for our country? The answer again is a resounding NO, I believe, but strong leadership may make the difference. However, here again there is many a difference between tough talk and having the character to change a system. There is talk in recent time of catching people by the scruff of their necks, using the armed forces and implementing certain policies but the falsetto voice that the deliverer of those threats lapses into when delivering them, leaves the discerning listener with certain doubts in their minds.

We need “new” people. People who are capable of unrelenting, round the clock work and uncompromising morals and ethics. People with no connections to the existing system. How will such people, even if they do exist, win a democratic election? How will they convince a voter base used to voting for people who promise the greatest number of “freebies” to vote for them? Another impossibility but a clear indication that our woes are created by ourselves, and the only salvation lies in changes to society and the education levels of our voters and ourselves.

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07/11/2021

Play both sides against the middle.

No fertilizer from China, India airfreights it in! Supposed to be too late for the “maha” harvest but “better late than never” is a valued adage. Lanka scrapes through yet again and a possible disaster averted…or is it? I think we can acknowledge the fact that we will never face the type of hunger and famine experienced in Countries in Africa or even in parts of the Indian subcontinent. Our thrice blessed land has lots of fertile area and edible fruit trees and the ever present ‘Kos” and “Dhell” trees abound and supplement the versatile coccus nicifera -coconut palm. Almost everybody has a vegetable patch and access to edible herbs and nutritious local vegetables.

Besides we are generous “giving society” and we share what we don’t consume. What if we run out of rice? What if the “maha” season does not deliver the abundant volumes that we have had in the past. We could of course play both sides (China and India) against each other again as we certainly do not seem to have enough hard currency to buy any shortfall in stocks for ourselves. We may even find a player in the middle in the form of the USA who would appreciate a chance to get a foot hold and some influence in the Pearl. It looks like we could get out of this scrape too if the worst-case scenario does materialise.

We KNOW this is not the long-term solution. We have however never prepared ourselves or even based our decisions on the possibility of the worst-case materialising. An amazingly accurate description of the Sinhala race and their inability to prepare for inevitable events, once told to me by one of my dear burgher friends had something to do with the urge to evacuate one’s bowels and the lethargic search for a toilet until far too late, the rest of which I leave to the imagination of my more crude minded readers to work out! This is so accurate. We never plan for disaster, and we have somehow survived to date. Maybe the “thrice blessed land” (3 visits from the Lord Buddha) or the hundreds of deities charged with protecting most facets of life in the land, play a part. Do not however, forget the curse of Kuveni which so far has borne only small fruit.

The distribution of the Indian airfreighted fertilizer (will it be given only to “Apey Man’s” -political catchers and hangers on), will a blackmarketeer who pays commissions to the correct parties be charged with the distribution of same, all this is up in the air. Will the “rice mafia” get hold of it and hide it to boost the prices of their stashed stocks. Or will the rice mafia bite the dust and have all their horded stocks sized by the government (fat hopes!) and distributed among the starving populace. On the other hand, why do we need so much starch in our diets in the form of rice, simple fare or vegetables (preferably organic) will suffice to keep people alive until better times arrive. After all, “DIyasen Kumaraya” is on the way and some “wise men” have gone to the extent of predicting a date for the end of this regime. Search U-tube diligently and you will find the predictions.

Over here in Auckland, Aotearoa – New Zealand we are anxiously poised for a increase in freedoms. The possibility of being able to get out of the confines of this concrete jungle in time for the Christmas break or just after, is eagerly anticipated. However, the number of cases in the community is over 100 per day and the virus is spreading to other parts of the country. The opposition is setting about causing confusion among the populace and preaching with the 20/20 vision of retrospect. The Prime Minister who in the eyes of some has kept the Country safe and minimised deaths and hospitals admissions is being accused of lying and imposing her will on the people by others. Democracy prevails, and one wonders if the function of an opposition is simply to spew rhetoric and create confusion!

The labour government that is in power has identified their vote base and is rather unashamedly pandering to them. Those who have backed the wrong horse in this democracy (mixed metaphors I’m afraid) are gnashing their teeth and small business mainly is suffering from a lack of favourable terms of business and handouts at the cost of their workers, which they took for granted and treated as their just dues under the previous regime.

All we can discern from the reams of largely empty rhetoric seems to be that a large percentage of the population being vaccinated or VAXED as the latest version of the Oxford English Dictionary has it, is the key. The anti Vaxers’ are also having their say but the country is surely and steadily working its way up to 90% of eligible people being vaccinated. I am even led to believe that certain members of the younger generation who expressed vehement objections to being vaxed when appointments had been made for them by their parents, have got the jab in secret!

The last word on the pandemic seems to be that it will be part of our lives and if we get it or not will depend on our personal choices (vaccinations, reverting to our old lifestyles when freedom comes) and if we survive or not will depend one our health and the strength of our bodies and immune systems. Words of wisdom on these lines were told to me by a much-respected Doctor friend of mine around 2 years ago. If more heed had been paid to thinking of this nature much heartache and strife may have been avoided, but then again, this judgment or assessment on my friend’s words has the benefit of hindsight too, doesn’t it? Would or could anyone governing a democracy and being responsible for millions of lives have had the cohunes (in the case of men) and whatever gives them strength, in the case of women, to make this call? That my friends is the multi million (in human lives) and multi billion (in monetary terms) question!

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30/10/2021

One Country one Law / one Joke!

A man in a yellow robe who is out of jail on a presidential pardon (contempt of court is what he is charged with) oversees drafting a new set of laws for governing our beloved “EX- Pearl” of the Indian Ocean. This entire action can only be interpreted as a collective slap in the face for not only the judiciary, the lawmakers of the land (parliament) but the whole NATION. This slap in the face is exacerbated into a kick in the proverbials by the fact that only certain laws (mainly governing the Muslim community) are going to be looked at. Meanwhile certain archaic and outdated laws governing the Kandians (of whom I am a proud and pure-bred member) are not going to be addressed. I hasten to add my lineage only to dispel any thoughts from my readers that I have any bias towards or jealousy of any community.

A criminal who was sentenced by a court of law is in charge of making new laws. Surely no self-respecting judge or even lawyer can tolerate this? The parliament we know is nothing but a joke, but even those “earthworms” have a modicum or a miniscule shred of self-respect? Is there nothing that is going to be done? Simply the usual empty meaningless rhetoric followed by a deafening silence. Surely not this time? Isn’t this the final straw that broke the camel’s back, if it isn’t it D…. well should be!

There is a lot that can be done. The Lawyers and the judiciary can bring the country to a standstill by refusing to function under this leadership. They can deploy their many talents to convey the message to the nation in the different languages that they are fluent in. Unfortunately, their services will have to be “pro bono” and this may prove to be a decisive factor in negating matters. The “earthworms” can ensure that the budget does not pass. For once they can acknowledge that the litany of lies (as I have described it before) that is tabled every year in November does not pass, thereby denying this Government of relatives the opportunity to continue robbing and ra**ng our country and keeping an inept president in power.

Is it that hard? Indeed, it isn’t. It is simply the will that is lacking. The lawyers are too busy making packets of money by drawing out cases for years and years and charging for every time a case is postponed. They don’t really care if an unqualified misanthrope wearing any sort of robe or even a king without clothes makes the laws. All they need is to find ways of ensuring that cases do not come to speedy conclusions. As for the judiciary, I cannot say what I wish to say on that subject for contempt of court charges happen with alacrity in the pearl and in spite of an alleged hot line being available to request for presidential pardons (watch Asikland a circle of strife) it is only those with “connections” and having the title of “apey man” who are bestowed such pardons.

I know reason and logic do not exist in the decision-making process of the Pearl, but one has to try to work out why such decisions are taken. Beside the obvious fact that the collective kick is also aimed at the cohunes of the Cardinal (who seems to have grown a prominent pair over the last few months) and the insult a rogue Buddhist monk given the reigns will cause, and aiming the kick at the Muslim community which has been a favourite target since the Tamils are now decimated, I fear the agenda is greater. Why are their no members of other communities and religions on this committee. Why no members of the fair s*x? I know this will only serve as a rubber-stamping process for what the ruling family wishes to try and impose on the masses, working of course on the premise that “the masses are Asses” but still, isn’t some sort of credibility required. This is nothing but another clear display of the utter contempt that the ruling family has for the Asses who voted them in. However, I fear another agenda…. More on that later.

The newspapers are full of statements from various people about how they are going to protest against the blatant corruption in the country. The handing over of the LPG facility without due process to at least a dozen other items in the front page of just one newspaper. We all know this is a simple waste of newsprint, maybe they should limit the import of newsprint to save precious foreign currency! Nothing is going to done even against “Bookie Pala” who it is now clear has pocketed a fat commission from selling the TV rights to our cricket when he was piloting the nosedive that the sport has taken. On that subject I watched the exponents of that game who represent our Country, in their recent misadventure against Australia. I will reserve my comments and limit myself to an incident I witnessed in another game. Afridi (of boom boom fame) who has retired from playing cricket for Pakistan was shown briefly watching a game and the cheer he got from the Pakistan fans (obviously fond memories for services rendered) left me wondering if any of our ex-players would get such a rousing acknowledgement from our fans. I doubt it because we all know that each and every one of them was only playing to their own agendas and not one of them had the greater good of the game at heart when they did or indeed continue to do what they do TO cricket in the Pearl.

Back to the long-term agenda of governance in the Pearl as I see it. Divide and rule was the motto of the British raj. They succeeded and the untold damage they have caused to the very fabric of society, in countries such as ours has never been acknowledged and indeed not even addressed by anyone, including ourselves. The present agenda seems to be divide and instigate violence among communities, to rule. When things get out of hand and the rulers have nothing but searing contempt for those they rule, Martial law is a real option. If violence erupts among the communities when barbaric laws are imposed due to unqualified idiots framing such laws, it can be justified that the military is required to control the situation. An inept and useless parliament and civil society that has only empty rhetoric to offer has their days numbered in single digits, if you ask me!

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22/10/2021

An illicit review
There is a “musical” doing the rounds on the internet about Asikland (Our – sick – Land). (https://youtu.be/dIZACm-lg_8I) hope as many of you, my dear readers, as possible, get to see it before it is invariably pulled down and moved to oblivion. Many of you must be familiar (I sincerely hope) with the episodes that preceded this 2-hour musical. The talent of the people involved leaves one gasping, for had they lived in a more prosperous country they would have taken their place among the Andrew Lloyd Webbers of this world, or maybe just a rank or two lower! True the tunes are “borrowed” from more famous artists such as Queen and Elton John and some of them have been used in well known plays and musicals and even movies such as Lion King (ironic!) but the lyrics have been changed and adapted so wonderfully. The parody on the names of the characters is reminiscent of the subtle wit of Goscinny and Uderzo of Asterix fame. The storyline is a clear satire on life in the Pearl and all the bogus know towing of the lesser politicians and other assorted “catchers” and supposedly intellectual and “literate” conversation of the cocktail circuit. So much so that it is reminiscent of the Antics of Evita and Peron in that world-famous work of Lloyd Webber. Che Guevara or his incompetent representatives in the Pearl are parodied to perfection. So is the inept opposition and its past and present leaders. There is an authentic insight into the workings of the “ruling family” with nicknames and behavioural characteristics that smack of input from an insider. Even the voices and the inferences of the very accents of characters have been dealt with carefully and very insightfully. There is a piano solo by the one term president from Pollonaruwa that leaves on clutching the sides of one’s chair in hysterical mirth. All in all, it is a panacea for the ills faced by us lovers of the Pearl and people who remember better days when honour and genteel behaviour was taken for granted and indeed even expected of leaders of society.
Certainly, the talent of the people involved in this production are on a par if not far excessive of those of a young female singer who is being touted on the internet and in the general media at present. Does one dare say it (and I know there are others who agree with me) but such an artist is literarily a dime a dozen in the Pearl. It seems big names, powerful family connections and of course the blind sheep following of internet posts and Instagram that has gained such “popularity” for a song thin on lyrics to say the least! What of other far superior popular artists (Annesley, Clarence, Sunil, Desmond – just to name 4 with much more meaningful and relevant lyrics) the three sisters to venture into the realm of the fair s*x and the classical talent of Nanda Malini and maestro Amaradeva? The Asikland musical deserves to go viral, much more so than the aforesaid efforts of a young female singer.
I hear the Pearl is opening up for business as usual. Provided the immunisation levels are adequate this seems to be the way the rest of the world is going. Non Vaxers are still creating headlines and doubt and uncertainty but the thinking seems to be that they are the minority and if they choose to gamble with their health the option is theirs. However, even in liberal democracies like Aotearoa – New Zealand, rules such as employers having the option to discontinue employment if people are not vaccinated and certainly freedom of movement and choice to travel and attend large gatherings if not vaccinated are being introduced. A “vaccine passport” both in the form of a card (already available) and a digital document to be stored on a mobile phone or other electronic device will follow. Howls of protest on violations of privacy and government tracking of movements of individuals are undoubtedly on the way.
Talking of inevitability and things on the way, the North-East Monsoon is on the way folks and judging by its impact on countries to the north and east of us geographically, the affects could be catastrophic. Are we prepared for such an eventuality? Here is Aotearoa – NZ the Red Cross conducts “disaster preparedness” exercises in neighborhoods' and among community groups. People are told to have their important documents, first aid kits, battery powered torches and radios in special waterproof bags ready to “grab and go” in an emergency. Local places of refuge for example higher ground in the case of a Tsunami or flooding are pointed out and general action is taken to minimise the trauma of possible natural disasters. Above all people are educated as to the benefits and the synergy generated by a community of a local neighborhood working as one during a disaster. The combined strength of pooled resources and the importance of having a “disaster buddy” (someone from another area to check on how you are doing and inform the authorities should you be incommunicado) is emphasised. In fact, there is even a “disaster preparedness week” declared by the red Cross every year, when such activities and intensified. The Pearl has a Red Cross society doesn’t it? I recall a multi-story building on Dharmapala Mawatha near the public library. I wonder what the worthies inhabiting that building do? I know there are individuals who have been trained at Government expense (past governments) who are currently sitting on their hands due to political differences! What’s more the soothsayers are predicting natural disasters, will even this not move the so called Government who have been elected to safeguard the people, into action?
Global warming and the impacts of climate change is a hot topic these days. Another global conference in happening (the 26th I believe) in Glasgow Scotland. I wonder if there is a delegation travelling first class with unlimited expense accounts in hard currency that the Pearl does not have, is lined up for departure? Or is an acknowledged global crisis with special impacts on Island nations, deemed less important than an innocuous gathering in Italy or a visit to see a grandchild?
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See the world’s finest democracy in action! Catch the all-new musical about Arsikland's search for a new president. Election fever is here! ...

15/10/2021

Apologies from a President?

Much fanfare has been made of an apology extended by the president of the Pearl to the denizens therein. Such an occurrence they say has never happened before. In fact, Sorry and Thank You are words that I was once told, didn’t exist in the native language until recently. More on that later. So, the fearless leader of the country has apologised (very conditionally may I add) for errors he MAY have made and of course for all the errors his subordinates HAVE DEFINITELY made. This would be assumed includes his brothers, nephews, and all other members of the clan and of course the “earthworms” in parliament and all those assorted “catchers” who occupy positions of power and doubtful prestige.

Possible and probable “mistakes”, (read as blatant corruption and moronically bad decisions) have been made. This is from a bunch that was voted in with a two-thirds majority by this “O SO” literate population of the Pearl. What are the consequences? Or do we live in a world without consequences, a world where the mere mention of an apology is sufficient for a government (if it can be called such) to carry on dishing out more of the same to a long-suffering “Bovanisque” population, which will no doubt be followed by another such “apology”, or worse a show of force from a battle-hardened army when things exacerbate?

In an ideal world admittance of a mistake and or incompetence will be followed by the resignation of the person or persons responsible. In this case, the all-powerful executive president IS responsible. Or is responsibility another word that doesn’t exist in the native language? At the very least the upcoming litany of lies that passes for the annual budget will be defeated in parliament and the result will be another general election. This outcome is out of the question as the “earthworms” are well fed and fully occupied with procreation and providing comfort (read as the Sinhala word SAPA!) to their kith and kin. Is there nothing that can be done by the general population (who are unable to go on – thousands of rupees for a kg of milk powder!) in these circumstances? After all, we do have a semblance of democracy around don’t, we? Isn’t this what the opposition should be looking at using whatever scant resources and brainpower that is available to them? Shouldn’t the Chief Justice not to mention the speaker get involved? Or do we not have a single “good man” around to even “remain silent and let evil thrive?”

Even in this “teledrama” world that those in the Pearl live in, cannot the leader take RESPONSIBILITY and realise that the script can no longer be manipulated to have a happy ending. The CABAL (pun intended) of script writers have run out of fantasies! This is reality and the present form of governance has FAILED. We are looking at anarchy and mayhem. It is time to call a halt and ask the people to make another choice, either from those that are in front of them or from divine sources that are being referred to by soothsayers. (There is talk of a “Diyasen Kumaraya” who is going to emerge from among us!). Of course, the avid following that charlatans’ who make such predictions have on the internet and U tube may simply be an indication of the level of desperation of the people. Reverting to beliefs and rituals of the Middle Ages does not bode well for the level of literacy of the populace. But then again, close analysis shows that it has always been a very thin layer of mostly foreign thinking that has kept us away from what was construed to be “Pagan” rituals and beliefs.

There are no quick fixes, the disaster that we are facing in the Pearl cannot be rectified by the wave of a magic wand. It will take drastic changes in society and in the thinking and expectations and indeed the education of the people. But let the people vote for what they think is the solution and then back that solution with all the “heart and soul” of the majority. Isn’t that the very essence of democracy?

Holding on to POWER without responsibility seems to be the name of the game. One hopes that saner counsel will prevail, at least from progeny living abroad. Especially with the advent of another generation, the belief that capitulation could maybe help the next generation avoid the possible consequences of the curses being rained upon the present generation, may (we hope) influence a favourable outcome for the Pearl.

Going back to the Sinhala language. I find that it is now the trend to talk of the past in the present tense. For example, instead of saying I went to a place a few years ago and encountered a situation the current trend is to say a few years ago I am going to this place and then I am encountering this situation, etc. I hope you can decipher what I am trying to say dear reader, but I believe this kind of talk originated in the temples during sermons and I wonder why? When my generation learned the Sinhala language, we were taught a past tense but today the past seems to be in the present. It leaves me mystified. I hope a scholar of the language takes the time to read this humble missive and is able to offer some sort of explanation. I for one will be most grateful as a reasonable explanation will help me to tolerate and even listen to the rhetoric that is emanating from those who have dreams of leadership. They all seem to speak in this manner, now I know the past achievement of our country are much better than the present (!) but is talking in this way a solution?!!

Sticking to the days of learning the language, of my generation, there used to be a parody made of expressing an apology. When one said sorry in Sinhala without really meaning it, one said “SOURY AAAH” (the words were expressed with a degree of sarcasm and even some contempt) and to be frank this apology from the President has the same connotations.

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