Dr. Rajasingham Narendran
I remembered the ‘Little red Riding Hood’ story by brothers Grimm, last night, while reading the highlights of MR’s latest budget , that is a prelude to the next presidential elections.
“She was surprised to find the cottage-door standing open, and when she went into the room, she had such a strange feeling that she said to herself: ‘Oh dear! how uneasy I feel today, and at other times I like being with grandmother so much.’ She called out: ‘Good morning,’ but received no answer; so she went to the bed and drew back the curtains. There lay her grandmother with her cap pulled far over her face, and looking very strange.
‘Oh! Grandmother,’ she said, ‘what big ears you have!’
‘All the better to hear you with, my child,’ was the reply.
‘But, grandmother, what big eyes you have!’ she said.
‘All the better to see you with, my dear.’
‘But, grandmother, what large hands you have!’
‘All the better to hug you with.’
‘Oh! but, grandmother, what a terrible big mouth you have!’
‘All the better to eat you with!’
And scarcely had the wolf said this, than with one bound he was out of bed and swallowed up Red Riding Hood. “
MR and his government that have stalked and devoured everything decent , principled, constitutional and legitimate in this country and provided the worst governance we have ever seen, and insulted the peoples intelligence, tested their capacity to bear the cost of living, corruption, nepotism, injustice, lawlessness , pompousness, arrogance, unaccountability and extremely bad governance, have come with a ‘Unstoppable Sri Lanka’ budget. Will the trajectory that has been set for this country by this government in the past five years be unstoppable?
This budget is designed to deceive and devour the people, like the sweet talk of the bad wolf dressed in old grandma’s garments. The large ears, the big mouth, the big paws and the hideously large mouth with big sharp teeth and a very long tongue behind this budget are quite visible. We know how we will be devoured, if MR and his government are elected or proclaim themselves elected for third terms. Will we be the nation of ‘Little Red Riding Hoods’ who went looking for flowers and birds in the present budget as schemed by MR and his government, while the bad wolf that has already devoured the grandmother, is waiting for our approval to devour us?
As the President proudly pronounced it is a Godaya’s magic that assumes that most Sri Lankans are village mutts (Gam Modayas)!
Kumar R. / October 26, 2014
Rajasingam,
Agree with you completely, but couple of observations:
Here is what you wrote on August 4, 2013, just about a year-ago, and four years after the war and repeated advise to you that your faith in the regime was grossly misplaced:
Dr. Narendiran Rajasingham wrote “I will yet acknowledge what the President does (is) right. I will yet condemn the sections of the Tamil Diaspora that continue to live in cuckoland”. (I will be happy cite your detailed discussions that preceded this declaration from you – but that would not be too pleasant given your current enlightenment.)
Glad you now realize who exactly was living in cuckoo land!
Also, from your use of the nursery theme, it is refreshing to see you are finally beginning to realize the wisdom of what you leaned in the kindergarten, and we can only hope you have been adequately weaned from your previous illusion that at the vet school you gained “super-human” powers. Cuckoo land indeed!
It is good to see your total reversal from your long-held believes as you have begun to spare no words in you condemnation of the regime and the President. (”MR and his government that have stalked and devoured everything decent , principled, constitutional and legitimate in this country and provided the worst governance we have ever seen, and insulted the peoples intelligence, tested their capacity to bear the cost of living, corruption, nepotism, injustice, lawlessness , pompousness, arrogance, unaccountability and extremely bad governance, have come with a ‘Unstoppable Sri Lanka’ budget.) Wow – what a blithering, unreserved tsunami of word power!
However, it is difficult not to sense a rather generous dose of “over-doing” it, in this article as well as your recent writings. Is that an indirect apology, or is that your attempt at washing away past sins? Many of the recent writings seem to be of the “holier than the Pope” persuasion.
A sincere, direct apology would have possibly served a lot better, proved much quicker and less laborious as far as your efforts go. Just a thought!
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K Rasiah / October 29, 2014
KumarR
I am responding to all your comments for this article.
It is clear that you have serious prejudicial agenda against Dr Narendran. Your harping is relentless and has become a preoccupation.
You started by saying ‘Agree with you completely, but couple of observations’ about his write up, You lost your marbles and proved that you are a complete bogus to ranting in hypertension. Your hibernation only breeds animosity and hate and peace of mind for you.
Your stupidity was such that you clobbered Dr Narendran in your slander– ‘these academics who supported, protected and promoted the ill deeds of the regime’. It appears you are more privileged to meet the mind of Mahinda Maama to make such a idiosyncratic statement. Of course people will know how diabolical your comments are reflecting the very body politics of your patriots and Gurus Rajapakse brothers.
Then your rant goes further to Dr Narendran questions i.e.,‘the question is whether you, Rajasingham, have any credibility in helping distinguish between the two — between right and wrong’. Don’t you think this is more appropriate for you than Dr Narendran. Because, you thrive in making wrong judgements like the MaRa government is making all the time and more recently it has become the embodiment of its governance.
Who are you to question Dr Narendran —- ‘Q1: Are you for or against an international, independent inquiry on the conduct of war? Just one or the other – and no diversions please. Q2: Did you not take an all-paid vacation at State’s expense, and following that campaign vigorously for Diaspora funding to support the regime. If you took that trip, are you happy that you took it?’. You know Dr Narendran is not going to respond to your puli porukki questions as it lacks the wider focus needed it is no different to the failed mission of the LTTE.
Dr Narendran
I hope you remember me. I met you in Sri Lanka in 2009 with Dr **** Mohamed. The discussion we had was wide ranging and you gave us very intellectual analysis of the issues facing Sri Lanka. What you said then is reality today. Your 23 point clear statements below speaks of your ability to reflect the status quo which the semi detached minds of KumarR likes will not understand. Because, they are prejudiced and they are habitual catapulting hero’s.
They are good at following the MaRa bros mission and get satisfaction from the hardship encountered by our people in Sri Lanka.
If you happen to come to Canada please let me know. Voices like yours must be heard widely.
Do not worry about the grinders like paranoid KumarR.
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Kumar R. / October 31, 2014
Rasiah,
Disappointing, but hardly surprising that the Doctor needed a mouth piece — hopefully not a paid one. Quite an orchestrated response, transparent despite the faked theatrics of pleasantries for effect! Good try my boy!!
In any case, you wondered:”Who are you to question the DR”. Couple of suggestions: First, try answering the question “who are you (Rajesh) to question me (Kumar R)”. – that will hopefully help you solve your own wonderment! Second, do you have any clue as to why CT may be providing the “Comment” section? Seemingly you force yourself to get blinded as per your convenience. There are multitudes of forums that do not have that provision, and so, if you or DR want to publish one-sided “wisdom”, I am sure you both can easily find a suitable one, where one won’t be challenged on nonsensical, one-sided, blinkered diatribes.
Another pearl from you “your slander– ‘these academics who supported, protected and promoted the ill deeds of the regime’.” Why is that a slander? Did you not understand my citing what Rajasingham wrote in mid-2013: ““I (Rajasingham) will yet acknowledge what the President does (is) right. I will yet condemn the sections of the Tamil Diaspora that continue to live in cuckoland”.
Rasiah – just learning to read and write is not enough. One also needs to learn to understand and equally, if not more importantly, develop the habit of “thinking”.
Here is the back ground for my first question (Q1).
Rajasingham was very vocal even as recent as last year about his unreserved objection to any initiatives by the Diaspora towards international, independent investigations on the conduct of war. So, why is that now Rajasingam is unable to express candidly whether he holds the same view or if he has changed his view on this? Is it the guilt or is it the shame that is standing in the way of an explicit answer? If he did not express his preference previously, then certainly yes, he may not need to declare his preference now.
And similarly for Q2, why is the question “did you take a trip at State’s expense, and if so, are you happy that you did?” difficult to answer? Given that Rajasingham is so diligent in spelling out his 23 Happy/Unhappy experiences, the 23 that seem to have mesmerized you, why does Rajasingham hold-out on declaring his Happiness/Unhappiness on an event and experience over an event where he had total control and he made his choice?
O.K. Since Rajasingham is unwilling to answer, and you choose to more than condone that unwillingness or forthrightness, let me spell out what seem the obvious speculation.
If Rajasingham did not take that trip, it would have been quite simple to deny it – and the story ends there. Right?
Therefore, the evasion only adds to the suspicion that indeed Rajasingham must have taken that trip. That speculation certainly can be shot down rather quickly by a forthright denial.
So, if he did take that trip, one has to wonder why the Government would pay a foreign currency earning Diaspora guy an all-paid vacation at State’s expense, especially when the Government was so short of funding even to feed it’s most destitute of people – those in the IDP camp? The only logical answer is that the Government planned to entice or bait some in the Diaspora with some ulterior motive. That also fits with the observation that Rajasingham was very enthusiastically campaigning on behalf of the Regime in the past few years – was it the pay back for the free-trip? Difficult not to wonder.
Seemingly Rajasingham’s efforts failed miserably – thank god the gullible are quite minimal among the Diaspora!
Interestingly, Rajasingam began berating the Diaspora, stating to the effect that “my biggest disappointment was that the Diaspora did not support the funding activities as much as I had hoped for.” The raged berating of the Diaspora continued while Rajasingham concurrently kept praising the regime, even as late as last year. Now, in retrospect, it is difficult not to speculate the reason for Rajasingham’s anger at the Diaspora – his inability to fulfill his obligations to the regime as pay-back for the free-trip?
Continuing, then it is not difficult to conclude that Rajasingam’s failure to deliver (god knows what he may have promised, if he did take that trip) would have displeased the Royalty right-royally! So we can only speculate on what the tone and content of the communication would have been from the island-palace.
Although the details of that communication (verbally or otherwise) will possibly remain a mystery, the flavour of that communication is made quite vividly transparent from Rajasingham’s abrupt, sudden, shocking right-about-turn to now pronounce the Government as “government that have stalked and devoured everything decent , principled, constitutional and legitimate in this country and provided the worst governance we have ever seen, and insulted the peoples intelligence, tested their capacity to bear the cost of living, corruption, nepotism, injustice, lawlessness , pompousness, arrogance, unaccountability and extremely bad governance.” No more a mystery why Rajasinghm changed from his stand last year “I (Rajasingham) will yet acknowledge what the President does (is) right”!
So, in effect, if indeed Rajasingham took the free-vacation offer by the State, then that would certainly explain both, first, his continued berating of the Diaspora, and second, his sudden transformation from his previous praise and adoration of the regime.
Let me also re-iterate that in my view it is vilely despicable that a foreign currency earning Diaspora would accept a free-vacation offer by the State, especially in the period when the country was so desperate for funds to feed the IDP’s.
First, if there was any benevolent intent at all in accepting that visit, then it would have been only proper to just accept the security assurance, but pay one’s own passage and stay – and not accept “all-paid luxury” from the State. Only avarice cum foolishness could entice one to do otherwise.
Second, if the State offered such a free vacation to Diaspora and at such high cost, especially when it was going around the globe with a begging-bowl, then it must be morbidly obvious, except to the most gullible, that the ulterior motive of the State could hardly be innocent.
Let me know if you think otherwise on the above two.
Rasiah, I must thank you for the opportunity to spell out the above. I will stay with the substance of the discussion, and as for your other nonsensical, baseless, trashy comments, contrived in your distorted imagination to make up for the lack of any intelligent or legitimate counters, I will give them exactly the treatment they rightly deserve.
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Piranha / October 27, 2014
Dr Narendran,
You do know well that most Sri Lankans are in fact gam modayas for they keep electing leaders who have repeatedly fleeced them, lied to them, treated them with contempt, taken away their freedoms and liberties, treated them unjustly, assaulted them and killed them.
The Sri Lankans deserve their leaders because they foolishly elected the liars, the sinners, the thieves, kudu peddlers and murderers. The rest of the world has moved on and become civilised and we in Sri Lanka are lagging behind with the failed states of Africa and Asia.
The sooner this dastardly regime is deposed the better for the name of the country and for the welfare of the people. But will the gam modayas see the light? I have my doubts!
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Kumar R. / October 27, 2014
Piranha,
Is it fair to call the gamaya’s as modayas, given that it took the “cream-of-the-crop” academics such as Narendran, DJ, Rajiva etc more than four years to wise-up to what the regime was doing?
Not only did these pseudo-intellects not wise-up to reality, but in fact they were so dumb as to be fully complicit in the creation of the monstrosity that now passes for a Government in SL!
First blame falls on these academics who supported, protected and promoted the ill deeds of the regime. If they were true intellects, they should have had the foresight to alert, advise and guide the “gam modayas” rather than just whine over spilt milk now in hind-sight!
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K.A Sumanasekera / October 27, 2014
Those Wise dudes are getting wiser for sure..
This time they are backing a dead horse..
Sorry I should say an overly handicapped one,
That is the TNA and the Diaspora on each side of the saddle against a favourite with unbackable odds in punter’s parlance….
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K.A Sumanasekera / October 27, 2014
We have some Modayas among our great majority who happen to be from the Sinhala Buddhist inhabitant population..
But these Modayas are all in the same HQ tent as Dr Narendran.
Which is the campaign office of the UNP, TNA, Diaspora Alliance to dismember the country again .
A few recent additions are Keselwatta Kid, Sobitha Thero, Anura Kumara and may be Ranawaka too..
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / October 27, 2014
Mr. Sumanasekera,
Is the alternative to the deep blue sea, the devil? Do you think this should be our choice, as Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and otherSri Lankans? Are we a nation bereft of any other choices? Is our hopelessness and choicelessness that bad? Have we no longer the choice to hope that something better would emerge? Are we peoples who should never learn lessons from our experiences? Are we all born omnicent?
Why hold elections if we cannot make our choices, from the alternatives available? We hope an individual and a party would be better and vote for them. We hope they would have learned lessons from history and past failures. However, when we feel failed, betrayed and cheated, we have the choice to go for an alternative that we hope will do better.
Dr.RN
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Kumar R. / October 27, 2014
Rajasingam,
The question is not which among the blue sea and the red devil one should choose. Rather, the question is whether you, Rajasingham, have any credibility in helping distinguish between the two — between right and wrong.
And that credibility question arises only because of your past flawed rationales that you so proudly and unabashedly published and promoted in gross ignorance for over four or five years, celebrating the regime and condemning anyone who opposed it.
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K.A Sumanasekera / October 28, 2014
Dr Narendran,
I thought your Camp is against holding the Election….
What is this deep blue sea?..
The great majority had to wait 30 long years to get at least what they have now, in terms of freedom to travel, freedom to worship, and freedom to earn a living, even without mentioning the opportunities which are there to earn a quid and buy some food.
Weren’t the Deep Blue Sea you now offer as the U Beat alternative, in charge of the inhabitants all through those three decades?.
UNP decimated the public sector which is the main source of employment in any developing country,
UNP under Ranil decimated the Military Intelligence and locked up the Army in barracks.
And gave every opportunity for the LTTE to carry on their carnage killing innocent people of all ethnic groups.
TNA ,a major part of the Blue Sea was campaigning with the LTTE soldiers to select candidates and educate the poor Northern and Eastern Tamils on good governance and democratic value.
Does anyone need explanations of the activities of the Diaspora and its leaders, who now call themselves equal stake holders of your Deep Blue Sea.
Has the Deep Blue Sea made any confessions at least as a whole or individually?
Simply because people are poor they are not stupid.
Just concluded Prez Election in Brazil is a good example.
Elite party there didn’t even have a TNA or a Diaspora either.
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Native Vedda / October 28, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera
“And gave every opportunity for the LTTE to carry on their carnage killing innocent people of all ethnic groups.”
Could you clarify what you mean by “all ethnic groups”.
You mean, Sinhala/Buddhists, Sinhala/Buddhists, Sinhala/Buddhists, Sinhala/Buddhists, …………. and more Sinhala/Buddhists.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / October 28, 2014
Mr. Sumanasekera,
The ‘Devil’ was the LTTE and the ‘Deep Blue Sea’ is the post-2010, UPFA government led by Mahendra Percivel Rajapakse. The devil’s parents were all the governments that led us down the hole before its advent.
Let me clarify further,
1. I wanted the LTTE destroyed as an organization and the Tamils freed from its vicious grip.
2. I wanted Ranil to win the 1995 Presidential election in order to pursue the ceasefire agreement.
3. I was glad the MR government defeated the LTTE and was extremely upset about what befell the Tamils in the war zones.
4. I was satisfied with how the IDPs were handled and treated in the IDP camps, having seen their utter misery and physical status while streaming out of the war-zone.
5. I am happy with infra-structure reconstruction/construction and demining efforts of the MR government.
6. I am unhappy with Para-military and persons of dubious chracter being appointed to be the governments political agents in the Northand East.
7. I was happy that mundane life returned to normal quite soon after the war in areas where the war was not fought.
8. I was not happy with the neglect of the war widows, war-orphans and war-maimed and un-and under employed youth.
9. I was not happy with ex-LTTE cadres being used as intelligence operatives by the armed forces.
10. I was angry about the land theft policy of the government.
11. I was angry about the response and reactions of the TNA and sections of the Tamil Disapora to the plight of the war-affected in the aftermath of the war.
12. I preferred MR to Sarath Fonseka in the 2010 presidential elections.
13. I was unhappy at the direction the MR government was taking after late 2010 and its approach to governance, especially how Sarath Fonseka and CJ.Shirani Bandaranaike were dealt with.
14. I was angry at the deceit practiced with regard to the APRC report.
15. I am livid at how the NPC is being handled and the 13th amendment is undermined.
16. I am at how this government is trying to cheat the people and how the poor and the powerless are being handled, while the maggots of society are being empowered and molly coddled.
17. I now want MR and his government defeated and replaced by a government led by Ranil Wickremasinghe (because I do not see anyone better in the horizon).
18. I want the APRC proposal implemented.
19. I want the 13th amendment implemented in full and strenghthened.
20. I want the Executive Presidential system of governance to continue in a much reformed form.
21. I want clear seperation of powers betwen the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary.
22. I want Tamils and other minorities to be part and parcel of a democratic, well governed and resurgent Sri Lanka.
23. Last but not least, I want the militarization of all aspects of life in this country to be halted and reversed.
Incidentally, are you the author of the following report in the Ada Derana?
“The body of a Police Constable attached to the Welelawatta Police Station has been found washed ashore at the Wellawatta beach this morning.”
I am asking this question because of the name ‘Welelawatte’ being used in reference to Welawatte. It is name of your coinage.
Dr.RN
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Maghribi / October 28, 2014
Idealistic Ceylonese
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Dr. Rajasingham Narendran / October 28, 2014
A correction to my last comment:
The year should read 2005, instead of 1995.
Dr,RN
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Maghribi / October 27, 2014
“Democracy: The worship of jackals by jackasses.”
— Henry L. Mencken (1880-1956) American Writer
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K.A Sumanasekera / October 28, 2014
Dr Narendran,
Pretty impressive list.
Elite , Aglicans and the Vellalas will back it 100 percent.
Specially your wish for Christian Faction Leader Ranil to be the President will really pleas them..
The Reverend and Surendran also might tick it off on behalf of the Diaspora, although you don’t list the denial of Duals to LTTE supporters as a “Dislike”..
Perhaps you assume that it is a non issue if the UNP CF Leader gets the Presidency and he will give them all amnesty with a Passport as well.
Now the issue is, will your likes and dislikes match with the wishes of the great majority of the inhabitant population, which happens to be in fact, over 70 percent of the inhabitant total.
Few issues which prop up immediately are.as follows.
Will our brave Soldiers be safe under their new Commander in Chief?.
Will the Military Intelligence Unit, which you specifically mention as a “Dislike” be liquidated again the same way it was done in Athuraliya?.
Will Ms Pillai get hold of our brave Commanders to to do justice in Geneva?.
Will our inhabitants like to have JVP Police, JHU Police, UNP Police, BBS Police, and even Ravana Police to go along with the TNA Police?.
Will the inhabitants have to beg the CMs of the above parties to get Ranbima titles in the future?..
Democracy and Parliamentary system is balancing and compromising the needs of different factions for the best possible outcome for the country and the whole population.
But this wish list seem to be far from it.
No wonder the TNA doesn’t want to front up to a PSC.
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Native Vedda / October 28, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera
“Will our inhabitants like to have JVP Police, JHU Police, UNP Police, BBS Police, and even Ravana Police to go along with the TNA Police?.”
Since your inhabitants are stupid as yourself they can think anything they want to. If you have Rajapakse Police Department all over the island why not the other parties?
Those provincial Police would be known as:
Central Province Police Department
Eastern Province Police Department
Northern Province Police Department
Southern Province police Department
Western Province police Department
North Western Province Department
North Central Province Police Department
Uva Province Police Department
Sabaragamuwa Province Police Department
In order to illustrate your stupidity may I draw your attention to NYPD.
The police department is not New York Party of Democrats.
Day by day you are turning into a real moron. Don’t drag your majority inhabitant with you.
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K.A Sumanasekera / October 29, 2014
Dear Native,
My Elders tell me the NYDP Police Chief reports to the Governor ,
Aren’t Americans lucky that they don’t have a Tea Party, Texan Party, Hispanic Party , Afro American Party, Cuban Party, Redneck party. Indian party, and Eelaam Party.
The last may be a possibility across the border from Buffalo.
Wonder whether Canadians have different Police forces too….
/
Native Vedda / October 29, 2014
K.A Su Moron Asekera
Almost all police forces in the USA are accountable to their local mayor and city councils.
“Aren’t Americans lucky that they don’t have a Tea Party, Texan Party, Hispanic Party , Afro American Party, Cuban Party, Redneck party. Indian party, and Eelaam Party.”
The great majority of the inhabitants of this island are not living in the USA.
My Elders had this article preserved under their pillow and now have asked me to give to the most stupid person ever to walk in this land. Please read and save it for posterity:
5 Far-Right Groups Trying Hard to Secede from America
By Evan McMurry
October 10, 2013
There’s nothing more American than seceding. At least, that’s what every secessionist movement would have you believe. Enchanted by the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence, scores of small movements have found it necessary to dissolve political bonds with their state and federal legislatures, though none has successfully done so since the creation of West Virginia in 1863.
The hundreds of secessionist movements throughout U.S. history—over 200 in California alone—have mostly grown from the same root: a small, culturally homogenous, and usually conservative rural population that feels ignored, if not outright antagonized, by its big city legislature. This grievance sharpened in recent years as the ideological split over issues like gay marriage and especially gun control became geographically acute, and as vague anti-urban tendencies were focused by theories like Agenda 21, which see city planning policies as masks for fascistic attempts to confiscate resources and currencies.
The modern secessionist movements are very much of a piece with this history, with some crucial updates: their founders have morphed from hard-scrabble eccentrics to successful businessmen, and the printed declarations of separation have become Facebook pages and (woefully underfollowed) Twitter accounts. Below are five current secessionist movements currently kicking up dust in the overlooked section of their states.
1. The 51st State Movement (Colorado). In a sign of the new secessionist movements, the 51st State non-profit is run by businessmen: [3] President Thomas L. Gilley, CEO of a dry beans distributor (“our beans speak for themselves”) and Treasurer Jeffrey Hare, CEO for an IT security firm. The men boast of their Colorado and farmer roots, a twin legacy they see threatened by the encroaching liberalism of the rest of the state.
“People think this is a radical idea,” Hare told the New York Times [4]. “It’s really not. What we’re attempting to do is restore liberty.”
The eleven rural counties of the 51st State have depopulated over the past two decades, and though unemployment is low thanks to healthy oil and agriculture markets, the counties receive few resources from Denver. The movement was fired up when Colorado considered a slew of gun control measures following the Aurora shootings last year. (Not surprisingly, they cheered last month’s recall of two state legislators over the issue.)
Save for the intro from the Declaration of Independence, their website is matter-of-fact and utilitarian: there’s little anti-government invective, but plenty on how to get involved, and on the steps for legal separation: a ballot measure, then ratification by the state legislature and amendment of the state constitution, and then by Congress.
Currently, the 51st Movement remains something of a shot in the dark. The group’s hopeful hashtag—#51stStateInitiative—has exactly two mentions [5] on Twitter. Hardly shocking for a rural movement, but not fortuitous for one that eventually demands recognition, either.
But that’s not to say they’re not having an impact. Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper has recently shown signs of being chastened by the backlash from more conservative elements of his state. “There are enough people that feel their views and their opinions aren’t being considered that I think that’s a serious problem,” he said, showing that secessionist movements might, ironically, be better at affecting change within their legislatures than at splitting from them.
2. Texas Nationalist Movement (Texas).Ignore Rick Perry’s infamous 2009 secessionist comment, which was taken out of context [6] from a longer answer to the Associated Press dismissing secessionism.
Do not ignore the Republic of Texas, a choleric organization that briefly flourished in the 1990s. The Republic was founded by Richard Lance McLaren, who declared Texas illegally seized by the U.S. government and demanded independence and eventually reparations to the tune of $93 trillion; he filed so many suits that the country clerk supposedly gave his cases their own cabinet. Incensed by the Branch Dividian conflagration in Waco, but also riven by internal disputes, the Republic ended with McLaren holding two hostages in stand-off with Texas authorities. He’s currently in prison until 2041.
The Texas Nationalist Movement slowly grew out of the Republic of Texas, and claims to work within existing legal and political structures to achieve Texas independence. Like many secessionist movements, TNM argues that its state’s annexation was illegitimate, giving its proposed separation a gossamer of legal rationale. It recently hosted the Come and Take It Festival [7], where it gathered signatures for a Let Texas Decide Petition that TNM hopes will make the ballot in 2014.
The group claims its membership soared [8] both after Perry’s comments and around the 2012 election—it now claims over 250,000 members—and its political presence was affirmed [9] at the start of the 2013 legislative session, when the group scored a meeting with Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, and even got secession mentioned on the floor of the Texas House. “Our economy is so vast and diverse that if Texas were its own country — and no, don’t worry, that isn’t something we’re going to do this session — but if we were, we’d be the 14th-largest economy in the world,” boasted House Speaker Joe Straus.
3. Alaska Independent Party (Alaska). “Aren’t most Alaskan Independence Party members a bunch of radicals and kooks?” It’s a good question, especially as it was asked by the Alaskan Independence Party itself [10]. “The party has its share of individualists, in the grand Alaskan tradition,” A.I.P. responded. “No longer a fringe party, the A.I.P. is a viable third party with a serious mission and qualified candidates for elected offices.”
That grand Alaskan tradition includes “Old” Joe Volger, the founder and charismatic authority of the A.I.P., who became politicized [11] during the construction of the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline, declaring that “the United States has made a colony of Alaska.”
Arguing that a U.N. charter guaranteed territories a vote on independence, something Alaska never technically held, Volger began a surprisingly successful campaign for political prominence, eventually getting Wally Hickel, Richard Nixon’s interior secretary, elected governor under the A.I.P. ticket. Along the way, he made a name for himself as an eccentric player in Alaskan politics, once proposing during a gubernatorial debate to nuke the glaciers surrounding Juneau. (“There’s gold under there!”) And when he wanted the U.N. to recognize Alaska, he sidled up to the only nation willing to sponsor it—the Republic of Iran [12]. Volger was murdered by another secessionist before the recognition could take place.
Younger members furthered his cause, favoring “infiltration” methods over Volger’s more pugnacious style. Two members soon found a willing figur [13]e in the mayor they’d helped elect in Wasilla—Sarah Palin. Palin’s husband Todd was a member of the A.I.P. for many years, and Palin addressed the A.I.P annual convention [14] in 2012, not long before John McCain chose her as his running mate, endorsing their beliefs in a liberty-heavy rhetoric that would soon become familiar to the rest of the nation.
The A.I.P. currently endorses Bob Bird for Senate and Don Wright for the House of Representatives, bragging that both men received 4% in their last elections. Its website (which hasn’t been updated since 2010) promises that in the event of secession, Alaska will not lose federal funds, its military bases, or its McDonalds.
4. The State of Jefferson (Southern Oregon and Northern California). In 1941 a group of residents from Southern Oregon and Northern California rebelled from Salem and Sacramento and announced the State of Jefferson, named after Thomas Jefferson for his role in drafting, wait for it, the Declaration of Independence. (A local newspaper ran a contest for the best proposed names and got “Mittelwestcoastia,” “Orofino,” and “Bonanza.”)
Feeling slighted by the big city and big government concerns of its surrounding counties, members stationed themselves in Yreka, CA, elected a governor, and created a flag with two Xs marking the double-crosses of their state legislatures. They then began seceding every Thursday, flying their rebel flag and distributing articles of grievance to passing motorists on Highway 99, sometimes at gunpoint. The group’s momentum was growing when the Pearl Harbor attack occurred, knocking the nascent movement into the footnotes of history.
A modern iteration of the State of Jefferson, flying the same flag, considers this only a dream deferred. Two weeks ago, Modoc and Siskiyou counties—representing about 50,000 residents between them—voted unanimously to separate [15] from California.
Unlike many secessionist movements, which usually find nothing but scorn from the rest of their state, Jefferson has a sympathetic ear further south. Jeff Stone, a Republican on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, wants to create South California [16], a state that bundles 13 more conservative southern counties—home to 13 million people—and lets liberal Sacramento have the rest.
But there’s a catch: Stone wants Northern California to keep the City of Angels. “Los Angeles is purposely excluded because they have the same liberal policies that Sacramento does,” Stone said, specifically citing the plastic bag ban. “The last thing I want to do is create a state that’s a carbon copy of what we have now.”
A Facebook page called California Rebellion [17] supporting Stone’s cause sprung up in 2011, howling at the state’s budget shortfall and pledging to help Oakland police fight Occupy protesters. (The page also seems to have been confused by a We the People petition calling for a similar secession, accusing the White House of planting it to distract from the real cause.) CR planned a large-scale gathering to get the ball rolling, but unfortunatelyscheduled it on September 29, 2012 [18], one week before the presidential election. The event was canceled and never rescheduled. The page’s last post, which quoted the Buddha, was in December 2012.
In all, Stone’s efforts don’t seem to have gained much traction. As for California’s opinion on the matter, Governor Jerry Brown’s office had a suggestion for Stone. “If you want to live in a Republican state with very conservative right-wing laws, then there’s a place called Arizona,” a spokesman said.
5. A New State Initiative (Western Maryland).Founded by a businessman, contemptuous of urban centers, and redolent of fringe right-wing politics, the Western Maryland secessionist movement features the best cross-section of modern secessionist characteristics.
Western Maryland’s five counties are more rural and suburban than their eastern counterparts, and represent a solid Republican block in an otherwise blue state. The movement has many of the same complaints [19] as its Colorado counterpart—high taxes, gun control laws, environmental regulations—but adds a more fiery, Tea Party-esque flair heavy on invocations of freedom and constitution references.
The driving force behind this is Scott Strzelczyk, a technology consultant who started the movement this summer on Facebook [20] (the page is approaching 7,000 likes). Strzelczyk was once a Democrat, but swung far right after Barack Obama’s election in 2008, when he began speaking at Tea Party events and blogging on theories like Agenda 21 [21].
“If you think you have a long list of grievances and it’s been going on for decades, and you can’t get it resolved, ultimately this is what you have to do,” says Strzelczyk told the Washington Post [22]. “Otherwise you are trapped.”
Whereas other movements already have ballot measures in play, Strzelczyk hasn’t yet devised a strategy, and is soliciting even the most basic services online. But if nothing else, Strzelczyk and his followers hope to get Martin O’Malley’s attention, as the 51st State Movement did Hickenlooper’s.
“Best-case scenario: It works. Worst case: Nothing changes,” one member said. “But if it doesn’t work, maybe they will finally see that the populace really is fed up.”
Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
K.A Su Moron Asekera
You ought to form a lunatic fringe right wing (kassippu)party for you to lead the chosen people to the promised paradise. Do you think your partner (if you have one) will support your party?
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K.A Sumanasekera / November 1, 2014
Dear Native,
Appreciate your painstaking efforts to help the Vellalas to dismember our Motherland , the only Turf the great majority of the inhabitants have to call their own.
This totally contrasts with the Velalas and the ex LTTE supporters who have the privilege of calling several A list Western countries, their own.
If Ricky Perry done a Prabakran his ass would have been grass in three months not after three decades.
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KumarR. / October 29, 2014
Rajasingham,
Why all this lame, inconsequential efforts at diversion with this mother-of-all pretend-wish list that you think might put you in some favorable light. The damage is done – the goose is cooked!
Do you even realize how pathetically defensive you sound when every time you are tongue tied for a legitimate answer you take refuge in dragging in LTTE to hide your inadequacies – exactly what the regime, Dayan, Tamara, Rajiva, Rambuks and the like do!
Here are two questions that you have direct control on – see if you have the courage to answer them directly and frankly.
Q1: Are you for or against an international, independent inquiry on the conduct of war? Just one or the other – and no diversions please.
Q2: Did you not take an all-paid vacation at State’s expense, and following that campaign vigorously for Diaspora funding to support the regime. If you took that trip, are you happy that you took it?
If you did take that trip, how do you feel realizing that you were just paid to do some strategic dirty-job for the Regime – a regime you now choose to describe as ”MR and his government that have stalked and devoured everything decent , principled, constitutional and legitimate in this country and provided the worst governance we have ever seen, and insulted the peoples intelligence, tested their capacity to bear the cost of living, corruption, nepotism, injustice, lawlessness , pompousness, arrogance, unaccountability and extremely bad governance”
Were you duped? Was it big-time?
You are, with all your education, no doubt aware that those free-vacations were not costless – it was money that was robbed out of funding made available for IDP rehabilitation, among others! So, asked another way, if they make you that offer now to go on a free-ride, would you go?
It is laughable that you would say “I was angry about the response and reactions of (the TNA and) sections of the Tamil Disapora to the plight of the war-affected in the aftermath of the war.” What exactly do you mean by that?
You have previously written exactly to the contrary, saying that it is the overly-generous flow of the money from the Diaspora that is discouraging the Tamil youth in the North from seeking gainful employment – and you went on to claim that it is as a consequence that the regime had to bring in southern labour for all construction work! What imagination? – No one in even the MR regime could have that cunningness in thought! I will be happy to track that discussion down, if your memory has lapsed. Let me know.
Are you suggesting that the Diaspora should have sent the money to MR rather than sending to the Tamil family and friends in distress? How do you think that would have worked now that you have a better appreciation of reality as in ”MR and his government that have stalked and devoured everything decent , principled, constitutional and legitimate in this country and provided the worst governance we have ever seen, and insulted the peoples intelligence, tested their capacity to bear the cost of living, corruption, nepotism, injustice, lawlessness , pompousness, arrogance, unaccountability and extremely bad governance”? In that light, are you happy that you tried to get Diaspora funding to be sent to MR’s regime directly?
Here is a more important, and saddening yet amusing thought.
The Diaspora, except a handful of gullibles, stayed away from that all-expense paid luxury vacation offer at state expense. In effect, a share of state fund that could have been put to good use to help out the disadvantaged actually was spent to give the greedy among the Diaspora foreign currency earners to enjoy an all paid vacation! And, now you think it is the other segment of the Diaspora that did not give in to cheap temptation that is at fault? What audacity? What foolishness? What silliness?
If you took that free-vacation offer, and if have even a modicum of sincerity, you would actually make a fully compensating donation, compensating for every pound that was spent by the state for your trip, to one of the orphanages with full public declaration. Lame excuses such as “I make a lot of independent, anonymous donations” will not wash. Paying back with full discloser would be the bare minimum for rightful repentance, if you indeed took that free vacation! Ask one of your well meaning friends.
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kali / November 2, 2014
Dr.Narendran
This budget is designed to deceive and devour the people, like the sweet talk of the bad wolf dressed in old grandma’s garments. The large ears, the big mouth, the big paws and the hideously large mouth with big sharp teeth and a very long tongue behind this budget are quite visible. We know how we will be devoured, if MR and his government are elected or proclaim themselves elected for third terms. Will we be the nation of ‘Little Red Riding Hoods’ who went looking for flowers and birds in the present budget as schemed by MR and his government, while the bad wolf that has already devoured the grandmother, is waiting for our approval to devour us?
**** You have missed out the most important question that is on everybodies lips. The question is this.
Oh Grandpa ( MR) what is the Big BAG next to you for.
The Granpa says. Oh subjects that is for my LOOT which gets filled very quckily and my agent the guy who beat up Dr.Nonis comes every morning to take it to the Bank in Swaziland ( not Switzerland .
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