5 November, 2024

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Let’s Make 2017 Better Than 2016

By Kumar David

Prof. Kumar David

Prof. Kumar David

Year 2016 has been a dance with death! – Let’s make 2017 better than 2016

There have been very few years since the end of the war that have been as repugnant as 2016, mainly internationally but the domestic front too has been exasperating. The year will be remembered for Brexit, Trump, impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, economic calamity in Venezuela, Modi’s well-intentioned but poorly managed demonetisation and the carnage in Aleppo. On the domestic side 2016 is the year in which the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government blundered time and again. How Brexit and Trump will pan out is discouraging and my money is on the negative side. In India my crisp new Rs 500 note is stacked on a positive bet for the long range. (Australia, Pakistan and Venezuela too have decided to demonetise though on a smaller scale than Modi but for similar reasons). In Aleppo the smell of death stalks the streets and the conscience of the world has not been so tarnished since it stood idly by and watched genocide in Rwanda.

In the medium term Donald Trump is nasty news. The dynamic is that the US has entered an era of conflict between modern America, not just liberals, and its primordial and primitivistic remnants. Trump will not entirely backs-off on his trade mark policies. Nationwide protests that greeted his election gave notice that a divided nation is arming for political and ethical war. Blood may literally be spilt if Trump and his billionaire Cabinet prune wages, cut social welfare and benefits, or go ahead with measures like an abortion ban, deporting Mexicans, or curbing imports causing prices to rise.

Another Vietnam War- Civil Rights Movement era on campuses and cities may be Trump’s legacy. A fringe group has called for independence for California, an absurdity, but what this points to is that there are in reality two Americas in educational attainment, intellectual ethos and economic structure. Trump has been constitutionally elected but three million more votes were cast for Hilary Clinton. The point is that his bizarre policies have been rejected by the modernised half of society and his moral right to lead has been spurned by the educated and intellectual classes. It is this extraordinary dynamic that will play itself out in the next four years. The United Sates will emerge from Trump’s first term a divided and weakened nation.

Don’t be fooled by US markets

Well-heeled crabs will dance for a few more months while the water warms. The stock-market is smoking weed and on a high that is remote from reality. Dow Industrial P/E ratio was 22 at the end of the months (Dow Utilities a staggering 28). P/E ratios are calibrated in different ways, an S&P P/E ratio called “Cyclically Adjusted” stood at 26 last week as opposed to its long-term average of 17. To put it simply the market is way overpriced. [A P/E ratio of say 25 means it takes 25 years dividends to earn back an investment; that is 4% return on capital]share-buy-back-in-the-us

Worse still, prices are driven up by companies “buying-back” their own shares. There could be many reasons why a company intervenes to buy its own shares and raise their price. One is that corporate managers can crow “see how well our stock is doing” and inflate their bonuses; another is that there is excess liquidity around for reasons like Quantitative Easing, so investors borrow cheap and pump up a share price bubble. Investors are borrowing at low interest not to “invest” but to speculate. This is crucial to perceiving the breakdown in economic confidence.

I have reproduced two diagrams, typical of many, from the web to portray the pyric boom in the US stock market. Figure 1 says that of late, in every quarter, over $150 billion (vertical bars) of “own” shares were bought back by about 380 companies (top line) each quarter. Figure 2 shows that margin debt (borrowed money) in in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at a four times higher ratio than at the trough of the 2009 recession. This means the so-called Trump rally is artificial and ephemeral. American capitalism and with it Europe, Japan and China are in a self-inflated, borrowed money bubble set to burst in a year or two. The ensuing recession will be severe. The similarity of the current trend to the 2001 and 2009 recessions is eerie (fig1 does not include the 2001 recession, but trust me).fig-2-borrowing-to-purchase-dow-and-sp-shares

I have written at some length (13 and 20 November) that the Trump presidency will usher in a period of domestic social and political disquiet as well as instability in US foreign relations. In the foregoing paragraphs I have supplemented this with a warning that the medium term economic outlook too seems negative after a year of artificial Trump buoyancy passes.

The message from Aleppo

The brutality of Russian airpower and Assad’s army has been documented so I don’t need to add anything. What does this brutality this say for countries that become proxy battlefields for global powers? Thomas Hobbs come to mind; “Life is nasty, brutish and short” and “Force and fraud are in war the two cardinal virtues”. In the late twentieth century and the first decade and a half of the twenty-first the world was exposed to human rights rhetoric and an effort was made by the UN and HR bodies to pursue these goals. War-crimes probes pertaining to the last phase of the Lankan civil-war is a welcome outcome of these trends.

There is reason to fear that concern for human rights and protection of civilians may become a thing of the past. Putin-Assad brutalisation of Aleppo while the UN, the West and the ‘non-aligned’ world stood by is a harbinger of things to come. What is on the horizon is a world where the powerful look after themselves and say “Each for himself and the devil take the hindmost”. Trump, Putin, Netanyahu and Xi Jinping agree that human and democratic rights are for suckers like Angela Merkel who in any case, isolated by bigots in her own country, is now beating a retreat. The Putin-Trump thesis turns the world into a human rights dystopia. No surprise that President Sirisena beseeched Trump to squash Lanka’s war-crimes tribunal.

We will need to fight these barbarians at the gate. To this resolve we must fully commit this New Year’s Day alongside a pledge to fight another no less important Trump threat to the planet, climate sabotage. Again it is the world’s poor who will pay the price of global warming.

Sirisena-Ranil’s unforced errors

Grant the devil his due; this government is not an authoritarian monster like the Rajapaksa regime. I no longer awake each Sunday wondering whether the white-van will come. Nor do incensed family members phone and thunder “Kumar, shut up will you!” There have been no more Lasanthas and Ekneligodas; which is reassuring for those who dare to dissent. We have emerged from the valley of the shadow of death.

The problem is that if S&R continue mucking things up, practically, they will prepare the ground for the return of the Rajapaksas. And a Rajapaksa come-back it will be curtains us small potatoes; we cannot evade the white-van a second time. Big shots will cut a deal and make a getaway; small fry will fry. So there is more reason then “the good of the country” and such like lyrics for kicking the S&R butt before they drag us all down into the drain. This is why on practical concerns like electricity sector reforms, though I have extended my cooperation and technical expertise, I am also harshly critical.

There are two big worries; the new constitution and the inability of RW to force his lot to zero in on a consistent economic direction. Next week I will deal with the economy in the context of RW’s Development (Special Provisions) Bill gazetted on 25 November. Here I will express concern about what is happening, or rather not happening to the constitution. What are they discussing, what are the options on the table? My fear is that any, even half decent constitution, will be strangled by the Rajapaksa rump of the SLFP, denying it the requisite two-thirds majority. That is I fear that the new constitution may be altogether aborted?

I cannot here recount all the individual cock-ups the Sirisena-Ranil outfit has managed; I will make do with just one. The President’s interference in electric power sector decisions and his fouling up of the CEB’s long term expansion plans is like a monkey performing delicate brain surgery. The henchmen who drove the President to scrap the clean-coal option in Sampoor don’t recognise the difference between a kilo-volt and a milliamp, figuratively speaking. In a piece on 25 September 2016 (‘Short-circuit at Sampoor’) I estimated the cumulative loss from this blunder at Rs. 220 billion. It now seems power cuts may start earlier than thought and the cumulative financial loss will be greater – perhaps much greater if the rains too fail.

If the left is to make more than minimal impact in 2017 its central task is to unify itself. At present it is fragmented into bits and pieces, sects and shards. Fragments are picked up, used for specific tasks, then to be discarded; “Jayampathy write a constitution! Bahu celebrate the centenary of the Russian Revolution! JVP block some Rajapaksa treachery!” Good on a one-of basis, but to achieve macro-impact on the big picture the sects and fragments, bits and pieces must fuse into a single entity. A rational constitution, breaking the imbroglio on the national question, countering the factions in society that are gung-ho on a near neo-liberal economic programme, and a stronger anti-corruption focus, all need a unified left. Unification into a single entity “omitted, the voyage of their life will drown in shallows and in miseries”.

Latest comments

  • 6
    2

    And so it came to pass:

    Each from his own village

    Trekked from far and wide

    To see the glories of Christmastide

    Where investors who built the great tree

    Gained vast wealth

    From the poor persons’ money

    That they brought forth

    To the country’s capital

    To see that very tree.

    • 2
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      Prof. Kumar David

      Thanks for the write up.

      “The year will be remembered for Brexit, Trump, impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, economic calamity in Venezuela, Modi’s well-intentioned but poorly managed demonetisation and the carnage in Aleppo”

      “Sirisena-Ranil’s unforced errors
      Grant the devil his due; this government is not an authoritarian monster like the Rajapaksa regime. I no longer awake each Sunday wondering whether the white-van will come. Nor do incensed family members phone and thunder “Kumar, shut up will you!” There have been no more Lasanthas and Ekneligodas; which is reassuring for those who dare to dissent. We have emerged from the valley of the shadow of death.”

      That is the good news. However, the developing bad news is that

      “The problem is that if S&R continue mucking things up, practically, they will prepare the ground for the return of the Rajapaksas.”

      “I cannot here recount all the individual cock-ups the Sirisena-Ranil outfit has managed; I will make do with just one. “

      And, the President Sirisena’s, transformation into a Gamarala, and then turning and acquiring the titles of Turncoat, Traitor, Gona and Lala-Perethaya to the 6.2 million who voted for him,and his cozying with MaRa MaRa Chatu MaR AmaNa MaRa a and cronies, probably based on self-interest.

      What can those 6.2 million voters who voted in Sirisena to do?

    • 1
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      Ramona Fantastic.prof David should have tiltled his paper as “Let us make 2017 better than 1977”.That was the year that the Yakkas started to gobble up our economy.

    • 1
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      Sirisena _ Wickramasinghe govt has shown us what a governments should not be.Much was expected from them in Jan 2015, what we got were pure fibs.

  • 7
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    Sirisena and Ranil should not worry or afraid about Mahinda Rajapakse or their party politics. They should focus on the people and the Nation: How to bring unity; how to eradicate corruption; how to improve the welfare of the people and how to improve the institutions such as security, law and order and justice system. It is a difficult task but this will give a positive response from people and give a blow to those who are trying to create a coup to capture the power unlawfully and violently.

    • 3
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      But they need to consider the cracks starting from one so called depty ministers.
      I think the message being not passed to ground level people by the current regime. They really have a problem with media handling. I beg Media men finally to see the future of nation.
      If Derana and Hiru would promote Mahinda and the thugs the manner they have been upto from that day on, the gulliable folks will never change their opinions easily.
      What I see is – lanken changes are due to urben and minority populations. All others living on rural corners are tamed by deceitful politicians fo rsuch a long time as if mice have been injected with poisonous chemicals that will take years to remove from the body of the met ones.

  • 3
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    Mr. Kumar! Will this happen actually? I read the following on another column:

    “Everybody refers to Sirisena’s departure from the Rajapaksa camp as the ‘hopper theory’ of politics where you break bread with a man in the night and then stab him in the back in the morning. The possibility that he may be now trying to do the same thing to the UNP is certainly ………..(the talk in the New Year)?

  • 3
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    Excellent summary of our situation, especially the section on “Sirisena-Ranil’s unforced errors”.

    Will Sirisena-Ranil learn from their past glaring errors???? Unlikely, to say the least!!

    But let’s hope for the best for us all in 2017!

  • 6
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    Excellent summary of our situation, especially the section on “Sirisena-Ranil’s unforced errors”.

    Will Sirisena-Ranil learn from their past glaring errors???? Unlikely, to say the least!!

    But let’s hope for the best for us all in 2017!

  • 1
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    Dear Guru, I did not realize things were so bad. It is still more shocking to hear about the white vans and your fears.

    • 3
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      Writer is a nice person. And an interllectual. But Edwin the like men dont know what they have been uttering. It is a curse if they further abuse the name of their Gurus for their surivival. Else Edwin, as a man who make every hurts by his verbal diaahrea not contributing the least of the future of this nation. Alone a degree seems to have helped nothing. Sexagenarian of Edwin kind are advisable to go to kindergarten again. At least the rest of few decades could help him for unracial thinking.

      • 0
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        Maralathoni , Dr. Kumar David is my Guru in Electrical Engineering and I have the greatest respect for him. The above comment was made with genuine concern. Dr. Kumar knows that very well.

        So please don’t be a rabble rouser and let out your Maralathoni elsewhere.

        • 2
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          My Maralathoni is fair enough when thinking about impact of your constant garbage being added regardless on the topic being addressed on this platfrom. You may have learnt something in Ele. Enginerring but surely nothing in the areas of SADARANAYA turning you a wise person. Else, you the guys would not continously add anything supportive MRism by fooling masses in this country. All these weeks, I have been just overreading your messages, most of them cause more harm to widen the gaps between the tamils and sinhalese. Why you guys focus it that way ? If I am right, as a senior person you should have fair and balanced thoughts about the country. As those men from Mathugama or anywhere roaming there down, you too add your thoughts being partical to high profile crime doers make us constantly worrying.
          Never would I or anyone with little brain want Rajaakshes to return. Enough was enough.
          Chamal may bea good person.But he will join the goodies in the future. Else, from Tsunami fund embezzelment to all varied high profile abuses, Rajaakshes were world champions. Even today, as if they are reborn make statements fooling the nation. People are no that stupid appeared to be, but guys with dgrees too to tend their bends following those rural gawky masses is not means comprehesible to many.

          • 0
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            Invitation for a Lunch with කැරන් කොකු මාලුව

            MsMaralathoni, I will be in SL in next week for a 3 week holiday. If you, Dr Kumar and Simplyfedup are in SL at that time, I invite you to make an overnight trip with me and my wife to this village and the temple. (We usually go there). We can stay overnight at the Kukulegnaga Laya Reasort and visit the Kukuleganga water falls too. All expenses will be born by me for the three of you and spouses (if any), but no others, please.

            The village lunch that the Temple priest arranges for us consisting of real rural Sinhala village dishes, such as various kinds of leafy mellum (karan koku, malla kola, gotu kola, mugunuwenna), kos, del, tapioca, karavala bedum, parippu, ala curry, fish, chicken etc. cannot be had at any 5 star hotel.

            Then there is the dessert of kiri peni, (Matugama kitul peni is the best), konda kevum, athirasa, dodol, mun kevum, peni vel + so many other things.

            It will be an out of this world experience, with typical hospitality of the Sinhalese villagers making it an unforgettable event.

            Then we can talk to them and the priest. I promise an open discussion. At the end of it all you will find out what Mahinda’s magic is.

            If you want to oppose MR, just as I want to, learn who he is. Knowing your enemy is half of the battle.

            P.S.: කැරන් කොකු: I had heard of this before, but I had it at the temple for the first time. A must.

            • 1
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              Keep the word and see it at the end of the term, who is going to win it. Like my older cousins in Galle and abroad – you too have been brainwashed by Rajaakshe magics. I dont think I may use abusive vocubulary, but I now cant control my laugh – i really dont know from what end I do it now….
              We the ones who got to know from external offices in Europe, not just in Germany, are well aware of the facts how Rajaapkshe ran them. Except the educated man in UK, all others were the idiots not worht to run RURAL co-operative shops… anyways, leaving those facts aside, I will add my thoughts to your posts here.

              I have no doubt, the current men will make records. They will surely enrich the soruces for youth in the country creating new working sites in the country – first VW and then rubber industry site – and several more waiting… I know all these to some extent, but however, lack of time, held me away to update about them accordingly.
              It is just that the people have been manipulated over the years by Meida men. Yesteday alone Derana kept on showing the WEERAKAM of Mahinda… even if he could not control his bum, .. is a news for them.. to repeat and abusive telecast times.
              These men were blinded folded and trained to do the business for Rjaakashe idiots. That you will see it if you own a free mind. I know perfectly well how media men work for Rajakashe under high pay. They even abused all vaarious sources, to seeking unfair publicity but focusing their political future. 19 Amendment related TRUTHS were good enough one with a little brain to stand against Mahinda. But no, you guys, thought said to have collected exper in and out of lanka, seem to be no better to rural folks that are kept away from checks and balances.
              Thanks fo rthe invitation, but let keep cool as RW has been sofar… let s behave like educated men – unlike those ground handlers of Mahianda et al. Future will be shaped up for all with all new stpes beeing introduced. All the countries with introduction and implementation them stay lagged for sometime. That is common to any country particularly the coutnries filled with lanken nature of people – with majoriteis being not wise enough filter rights from the wrongs.
              I can imagine to sit with Dr David who, but I am afraid, not with you or any others. Thanksand good times for lanken style mallum eating… hope you will find a balanced views by the end of the lunching.
              Peace for the world, giving the lead for the educated and civlized folks – be blessed by Gods and Super natural powers for their fearless efforts towards tangible changes.

              • 0
                1

                Ms Maralathoni, Oh Ho! The maralathonis must be the cries of your victims just before they are axed down by cannibals. What is your score? How many up to now? Oh have you lost count? Oh My God! What an escape.

            • 1
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              This bugger seem making advert to the resort. How naive ?

              Please CT be open your eyes. These are just commercial issues.

              • 0
                1

                Sam, Upset you did not get an invitation? Canines not allowed. Sorry!

                • 2
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                  No, had I been invited, that could have been an insult to me andmy person. I dont have anything do with the racists and promoters of racists. For me we are all the same. I dont care the race, religion or anyother scales you guys have been used to filte you from the others.

                  • 0
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                    what about the species? Don’t you care about that too?

                    And the word ‘bugger’ is a very bad word. Don’t use it in print.

                    • 0
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                      [Edited out] Comments should not exceed 300 words and external links are discouraged.Please read our Comments Policy for further details.

            • 2
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              Thanks for your invitation. I wish I could also join you there however, I really dont want to end up the way that British man faced it in Tangalle 5 years ago. I will be travelling across the country iwth my colleagues from Europe (Germans, French and Italians)- what gurantee you could give me that any of us would not have been hurt the way that British innocient man with his fiance from Russia were undergone. If Prince Charles woudl not have been active inthat investigations, the murders – close confidantes for Rjaakashe family would have been romaing in the city evne today,
              Please beware of your wife and the children – from the like minded men in srilanka – for the last 2 years passed, they may have not achieved what they initially targetted, but something is changed there for sure… if I am sane – lanken culprits rose up thanks to Rajaakshes – this I expreience even today when getting back to alnka each time. There I dont want any double checks from you or any others of the like mindedd nature..
              Have agood times and bring us unbiased thoughts to share with on the issues that we keep discussing on this valuble forum.
              That would be more than enough than meeting for an unsafe RICE AND CURRY eating – with no guaranteen of return home unurt.
              Anyways, you as one who spend the job life in ME may be used to torture treatments but democracy held europe where we are based, will always need more security. Thanks

              • 1
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                Simplyfedup, My guarantee is Dr. Kumar David, if you know him.

                No wonder you call yourself Simplyfedup. It is sad that Nazis like you consider the rural Sri Lankan people and the Temple Priest with so much suspicion. You must be one of those people who benefitted from the ethnic riots and sought for asylum downgrading Sri Lanka with so many horror stories.

                You have been repeating these exaggerated so many times that you have started to believe them yourself. Good thing you turned my invitation down. I don’t eat human flesh like some Germans do.

                • 1
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                  Mr Rodrigo,

                  1)I stayed back in Germany after my education: Now I have been travelling across Europe for my duties. That is why I sometimes get lagged me not being able to draft the comment properly. Now even being on a train I am responding to you. So, you cant put me down in that way calling me as a former refugee. Had Rajaakshe been elected for his 3 rd terms, many of the lankens would SURELY have sought asylum in Europe.

                  2)The reason why I rejected your invitation (even if he could have been hearted one), I would never trust srilanken get to know on public forums.Just the ones like you – never. You intentionally caused hurts to the tamils lately calling them Demala Demala… the kind of behaviours painted me a good picture about you. Sorry mate, you still need to grow up.

                  3)And about Germans and Nazi History:
                  I think it is no right anyone of us if not born stupid to generalize Germans as Nazis. At the time Tsunami waves took the lives of lankens, Germans were among the few who donated millions to the country. Rajapakshe embezzeled them for their own purposes was an another problem,so I am grateful to them for that even today. Besides, as we pefectly know even among us lankens there are enough men and women that would behave beyond Nazi germans or nazi austrians. Most known Gota s behaviour is not far from a Nazist I would say and Going back to late 80ties the way JVPrs went on killing innocient youth in the country – and the manner you fellow men in Pettah killed hundreds of innocient tamils in 83; not even going that far – Managalarama Monk and BBS aggressive monk are both not far from the Nazi behaviours.

                  • 0
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                    Simplyfedup, I vacationed in Switzerland twice, a long time back and used to travel by train using my Swiss Rail Pass, with unlimited travel.

                    During these I saw many Tamils at railway stations, just killing time, apparently doing nothing. Now there may be agents of your Tamil International Something collecting and extorting funds from other Tamils. Hopefully, you are not one of them though your reluctance to travel in to rural areas in SL appears to be born of fear.

                    back in the 90’s, I met a Tamil and Swiss girl at the peak of Jung Frau. Seeing me, a brown guy, She came and asked me ‘Why are you killing Tamilsin Sri Lanka?”. I turned to the Tamil, who seemed to be embarrassed, what about the Sinhalese you tamils are killing and he pulled the girl and went away.

                    Tamils went in to these countries using tricks like that. what is your story?

                    • 0
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                      Please read my comments if you really respect the VIEWS coming from the commentators.

                      Else I dont want to waste my valuable time if you have no time to even read the responses being passed.

                      I am no tamil. Born lanken from south – but got education in German speaking part of Switzerland and now stay back in Europe.

                      I call myself a Srilanken mingling with various nationalities today. Most of them are my former Uni-mates. What counts for me more is the person without racial attitudes.

                      I dont care the least about race, colour, religion or anyhting else so long the person remains anti-racial being friendly to all equally. THese is what we promote in Europe and Australia today. I love to see it the way kindergarten going children grow up with multi cultural backgrounds in Australia and Scandinaviancountries more than anywhere else.

                      What I am to this day is connected to lot more with my schooling/eudcation/Buddhism/multy cultures/medical research and all my exp sofar.

                      Anyways, your repeated stupid underestimations persuaded me to reveal bit about my being this way to correct you here.

                      I had been to Matugama/may be your native place too for a funeral in early 80ties. I usually travell to the country several times a year. I speak to even threewheelers and all walks of people to feed me with self collected facts each time.

                      I also know any kind of developments back in SL, since I keep informed perhaps more than any average lanken would do. This I have been doing for last 2.5 decades. I lived in the country until late 80ties until they the JVPrs took the lives of 50k OR more of youth just because they were just registered STUDENTS at local Universities. Back in home country, I have no mates to share my thoughts, since the life has been changed over the decades.
                      Now getting back to your thoughts on Tamil srilankens (not to discriminate tamils brothers or sisters, but I have to add the facts here as I have seen while travelling Europe -still may be subjective to some extent – forgive me if any info could hurt anyone to some extent) who roam in Swiss stations or anywhere – I know not only tamils but also sinhala beach boys sought refuge in european soils claiming the civil war issues. It is no right to attack them for their problems, our govts had not provided them with enough so that they could have basic level education before they entered these countries. Truth prevails as it is -swiss locals in the views that tamils srilankens are very traditionals and woudl not change them easily. Partly that has been a probelm to thesse hosting coutries. Culture, Langague, and Education may have been the key factors entwined with those first generations that keep them isolated in each of the host coutnries as the turkish communities face it in Germany for the last 6 decades. They live in ghettos. I know how some feel being isolated in city areas in Basel for example. It is same in Berlin and Dortmund in Germany. That can even be the same in London. Not just Tamils foreigners in general including YOUR ANDMY SUPER RACE accoding to you -SINHALAYA. are also isolated, in LONDON. Go and see -then you can get the facts straight.

                      I met few tamil SRILANKENs EVEN AFTER the war is over, but at a swiss bustop (Zug/CH) who had left srilanka after the war is over. But these are just single issues. Whenever I could I supported them not as a sinahalya, but aas human being.

                      All in all, I REALLY dont want to share you here all the bits, PLEASE get more through webinfo if you are REALLY interested.

                      Density of tamil refugees taken refuge in Switzerland is more than any other countries – is my feeling having lived in that country even if my current place is not CH. This was one of the key arguments considered last year Dr Merkel let 1-Million Syrians to Germany. However I believe today, had Dr Merkel shared it with other countries, Germans would not have felt it the way they do today – every second in Germany feels, they have no security enough as had been years before.

                      There had been an ascending refugee flow since 1983 to europe due to the civil war -brutal war fought all successive govts against a group of terrorists. Not only tamils, but sinhalese, burghers, Muslims took advantage of the basic laws of european soils. However lanken govts have not done enough in terms of srilanken refugees living in EUrope. For them, they are not tamils but srilankens. That is also right to my view too. But You guys with racism in blood – let alone – today should get it we are all srilankens especially counted while being out of the country.

                      Most of the tamils entered to european countries are just ECONOMIC refugees – even black amricans live example in New Orelands or any other poor states could seek refuge in EUrope: Any lie being explained to those authorities worked them to end up in EUrope. THat is the reality for them.

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                      You really need to grow up.- I repeat….. typical to average Sinhalayas back in home country.

                      Just having read between lines, you call me a tamil (I am neither refugee on the west nor a tamil) – and again one who may have been shocked by fears ? … man are u FULLY addicted by frog-in-well mentality ?ගෙඹ්ඹී තිරිසන් මානසිකත්වය –

                      No point of exchanging with you Mr -you dont even take time to read the comments fully.

                      I think I have to be away from CT next few days.

                      Just one thing for your knoweldge:

                      NOt only tamils sought refuge in Switzerland but also SInhalyas and other minorities. There are also your gay men (male prostitutes from tourist areas of the country )from the Hikkaduwa area -just in Basel waiting for you. I was ashamed to be Sinhalaya at thetime I heard it first from my my swiss and italian colleagues.THAT IS WHY I BELIEVE LANKEN TOURIST GUIDE PROFESSION NEED MORE REFORMS – Just few yards away from Basel city areas there is a massage clinic run by one another Rodrigo.or Perera may be you are blood related them.who knows. come with the facts next time… … I hate those touristic areas in SL -they destroyed our culture. THese were the experimental sites for westerners to test their drug and sex related practices which they are not allowed in restricted western hemisphere. One Professor known to me once added, not European Islands but Srilanka was the key destination (Holiday Dream Island) to Germans and all europeans prior to 1983.

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              By the way, let me guess, the resort belongs to you or your goons ?

              Just for the purpose of passing information, I WILL add here the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16dTCRC5HT8
              If anything would end up the way that is not far from or similar to the fate of Tangalle murder – you never know – where Rajaakshe has put his eyes and ears, it is literally fishy. That is what we feel having studied them being out of the country but over the years.
              Even that Peacok Palace believed to be from ASP liyanayge later reveealed as one another hidden properties purchaged by Rajaakshes by state funds (not granny forests golden egg fairy tales) abusing the relationship of house and property sale owners.

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                [Edited out]

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                Simplyfedup, you say, “That is what we feel having studied them being out of the country but over the years”. Don’t take time off from your extortion and other rackets to fatten the purses of Tamil International something. MR is a thug, a thief, extortionist and all that. So don’t ever think of even setting your foot on this Dharmadeepa – as long as he is around. The white van will waiting for you as you come out of Arrival.

                You also say “(not granny forests golden egg fairy tales)”. a little bit of misspelling there. It is not eggs silly – it is yeggs.

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                  Who do you think you are ? This sounds to be a threat.

                  I travel to my country anytime.

                  Those who turned Dharmaddwepa to a hell by end of 2014 – are the ones who have to pay it today not me.

                  I wish for the harm done by Rajano et al they deserve life long imprisonments. Basta – I have no sympathy to them at all -collectivity succeeded but the cake was not shared.

                  Thanks YOUR level corrections: even profs CANT avoid them while being on busy schedules. Besides, what refered was – the goose that lays the golden egg- SO YOU should have gotten it wrong. BTw

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                    Simplyfedup and other Tamils. You guys when you are cornered and have nothing else to ask, ask ‘Who do you think you are”? Well here is my common reply to that question.

                    I am Edwin Rodrigo son of James Rodrigo, the teacher. I am a Sinhala and Buddhist by birth but now turned atheist.

                    Now I will ask you a question. Why are you so upset when we call you Demala? Are you not proud of your race? Wait a minute now. I withdraw the last question. I don’t want to add insult to injury.

                    Who would be proud of belonging to a race, in which 90% of the guys could be manipulated by the latest King Pare Paharan to follow him like lemmings to death?

                    Even Nazis were better – not a lot but a little better. At least Hitler died honorably, not begging for life like Pare Pahran and becoming Kalapuwe Paharan in front of the whole world.

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                      Please read and respect the comments. I have responeded to you accoridngly.
                      Simplyfedup
                      January 3, 2017 at 3:29 pm

                      If you are too lazy to read when explaning them, I dont want to waste my times.

                      Good luck

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              කුකුලේ ගංගට විනෝදයට ගීහීන් කකූල් නැතිව එන්න නොවේවා !
              hope not you Edwin will loose your legs and other parts on your return from Kukuleganga even if you go there for enjoying the time !. Be blessed. If anyone close to MR are the owners of the resort- Budusarnai to you all. Beware of you – think before leap. Dont take senior scholars like Dr Kumar to the place please. Tc Bunjappu
              My granny told me this ” care is better than cure”.

              Do you perhaps know one of the principals of Mahinda College/Galle lived in Mathugama. We paid our visit to the place at the time the Guruthuma/Master died in early 80ties.

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                Don Juan Appuhamy, Thanks for the concern. The resort is run by SL Army. They stopped killing Tamils long ago after the Last King of Jaffna Pare PAhran was erased off by Army Pvt Nimal.

                But if you are Para Demala better keep away. Old habits die hard even for the Para Sinhala Army.

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                Don Juan, you say, “My granny told me this ” care is better than cure”. That reminds me of one Cooray, my boss of yesteryear, a slave driver, if ever there was one. Leave even a small thing undone, he would find it and drive us mad. So We used to say ‘Prevention is better than Cooray’.

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              කැරන් කොකු:the kind of new vegetables are becoming known today than had been in my days inthe country. No doubt lanken curries are fine and to our taste are the best for us south asians. But I think people should all learn to be familiar with mild-spicy food in order to keep stomach healthier. Gastroenterologists should warn the people adequately. In europe, the responsible medical professionals and food nutritionalists keep informing the people about their eating habits. With rise of sttomach cancers it is healthier to eat mild-spicy curries.

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                Simon, Thanks for that very useful piece of information.

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              what a joke – to have කැරන් කොකු curry while going to have a great holiday back in home country….. as my info are concerned, lanken veg s that have been grown in waters (Like Nelum Ala or Jabara) are now adays mixed and caught by excessive Cd and As the like heavy metals due to overused of fertilizers over the years pleasing Rajapakshe importeurers. Those who ve been engaged in the reasearch on the subject have repeatedly published few journal papers on this.

              Please be informed, that almost everything down there have been contaminated by today. Prevention is better than cure.

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      EDWIN RODRIGO “I did not realize things were so bad”
      Edwin – keep burying your head in the Arab toilets you are too busy cleaning.

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        Thanks for the warning. For the sake of everyone and the country, I hope that there will never be a come back for MR again. He served his assigned role in history and now he should go with grace like Churchill after WW2.

        Whenever, I go on vacation, I visit a temple in Matugama area in a remote village. It is a typical vote base of MR. The people are paddy, rubber and tea producers. They were fairly well off during MR time. each family has a few acres of land with these crops. They all also have a 3 wheeler for transport. Nice rural people, hospitable and ready to help.

        MR has charisma and was like a God to them. They hate MS and RW and the Y-palanaya. With the disasters in tea and rubber subsidies, naturally they have reason to hate YP. Why cannot this government attract people like that?

        lack of charisma? Only talk no action?

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          Edwin, please grow up. If we have some sorta of learnt knoweldge, we must not listen to every simple simons. Lankens regardless of where they are made fools by former regime for their own political survival.

          And not charisma (This is typical lanken thinking man – Dr Narashighe Rao had no that much of Charisma, nor does Dr Merkel it at the time she came to office) but what matters is the work delievers done by leaders which needs to be praised. Besides, you have comparisons man, being out of the country, do you ever trust that Rajaakshe promoted men are educated and able men ? In his high days except few Ambassadors all others were stupid men and women. Foreign ministry was Mathugama fish monger-get togethers.

          Be it in ME, Europe, America is the same. Any countries being caught and abused by thuggish adminsitrations for decades, when changing the systems, people in general would not agree – that was the case with Malaysia and Singapore too. Anyways, what matters is learnt people to join hand with good moves of the govt. You or anyone with some knowledge today feel relax being able to share the thoughts and getting to read almost everyone is being subjected to criticisms. In the MR days, if you did so, what could happen is needless to say right ? The higher wastages rampant to those days coudl give a life to the poor. None of they are seen today…. why not you guys praise them – is that typical to lankens in general ? Last time, I landed in sl, and I felt myself, there is a real change made ot the system in this country, no placards of mahajarajano wwere seen – nothing. I di dnot even hear any flight loads were made to Rome to waste millions by Mr Sirisena and Mr RW. All these comoforted me than any silly issues heard from some guys on the street – like you go tthem from Matugama.

          Besides, those men enjoyed illegal jobs being abused by some politicians in regional level would never be happy for new laws being introducted. See the queues seen at Motor vehicle licence issuing bodies after 25k was introduced – dont you think all these men had ever owned those licences prior to the statment… no. It can be a high crime on a devleoped world. Driving without licences and create all fatal accidents are similar to those amok runs heard in BerliN and some cities in Europe. Donot you agree ?

          Just listen to Sports programs being telecasted by lanken senders today – and how the local sportsmen/women are treated by those clubs and so called bodies available in the country. Most of them had done nothing under Aluthgamage. Even those motor racing winners giving pride to the nation had just been offered the trophies only. They now come out of the long slumber and open the real situation the local sportlers face. And I myself know the problems of some people that run Threewheelers – most of them dont respect anything.. but they run their business, that have now become a problem of NUMBER 1 in the country which their reckless driving block roads and create road accidents almost everyday. The reason state to impose high fines was Threewheelers getting jammed inthe country today. Rajaakshe or other men may have done some work, but not repsecting any ethical and moral standards. You as a graduate should have the knowledge to see things in compliant to norms.

          I believe the problem of the day is – the current men dont boast anything that they achieved sofar and also there is a great threat to them by Derana and Hiru media men when promoting good moves of the govt. Lst night I was in a search to compare how biased is Derana by now. They repeated the same news of the former many y atimes. Their servile service is no means acceptable. And SLTV and ITN now telecast good programmes as had not been the case under Hudda. All these are real good things need praises.

          UNHRC issuese interms of working together for the resolutions imposed are no 2.50 issues not to inform the general public repeatedly, but MR men abused the gulliable gawky people abusing state senders fo rtheir promotion:

          People have become so stupid not to see things by their own – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goebbels – the kind of stasi insittutions were filled in the days of former East germany.

          I know my Enlgish is not the best, but I think It is somewhat undrstandble what I am going to tell you by all these improvements.

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            Simplyfedup, Sorry, Your comment is too long and I don’t have the patience or the time to read it.

            But the following caught my eye. “Edwin, please grow up. If we have some sorta of learnt knowledge, we must not listen to every simple simons”. Don’t worry about my growth. But please worry about those so called ‘simple simons’ who are form a majority of our voters. They decide whom to elect, whether we like it or not.

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              Please read my comment – I was writting it while travelling -being on a train heading from Basel to Zurich (switzerland for this day only). I took much time. I take time to add my thoughts even if my schedules are tight. Please respect. Learn to do so is expected. Thanks

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          EDWIN RODRIGO the Zoopilia

          “He served his assigned role in history and now he should go with grace like Churchill after WW2.”

          Churchill didn’t go with grace, he was the prime minister of the UK 26 October 1951 – 6 April 1955, partially paralysed since June 1953.

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          Edwin, best place you to go and see it Sinigama dewale, There you and the like minded men can join smashing Coconuts praying for a better future. No matter coconut prices could go up, the idiotic wastages should continue for the sake of Rajapakshe LOGO.

          I think even if you are around early 60ties or so – you sound to be very naive – not to have grasphed yet what Dr Kumar has been saying. Even if he could be your Guru for lectures at the faculty, I am happy him to be miles away from your thoughts.

          Heavens sake, who would ever want Rajaapskehs to come back ? Even our elderly parents were in the opinion “රාජපක්ෂලා රට කෑවා අද අපිට මේ රටේම තැනක් නැහැ _තිරිසන්නූ වගේ හිටපු ගම්වල බලෙන් ඉඩම් හොරා ගත්තා- unfortunately, our land properties were grabed by thugs worked with notars and other officials worked together with PS pradeseehya saba) politicians in the high days of MR regime (This is in Weligama area).

          May be the ones mentoned below

          a) There had been Iranian project in UVA – that was stopped for some reasons at the beginning, the project had been without tender but by the goons of Rajaakshe men. However, there had been many without any legal procedure had the chance to double their sums – and have now been hurt. This is one of hte hundreds of projects, carried out by Rajaakshe men – giving open order to abuse anything and everything being against to norms – all of them inclu. those underground Pradeshieeya saba men simialr to that MURDER high criminal of Tangalle who now is imprisoned for the Britishmurder case
          b) Roads and construction works had been carried out by Rajaakshe goons leaving them higher commissions – but superficial kind of work deficient in various ways are not happy today, since the current men are strict holding Tender calling.

          c) Some goons in sport and the activities today-not having their upperhand as had been before under the Lead of Rajakashes and their backlickers like Aluthgamage – are totally against the current leaders since Dayasiri as minister of sports do a greater work for the benefit of various players that got cornered during the high days of MARA regime

          Young men that called lastnight s sport programme proved how they were abused by sport clubs and committees -that is against abused by Mafia handlings.
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FPaT_MncaA&t=82s

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            Samuel Jayaweera, you mentioned Sinigama Devale and prompted me to go there and bash up coconuts. I do not know whether you had a premonition of what we were planning to do – exactly the same thing for a different motive – namely to get rid of the Dengue Mosquito from our paradise island.

            The Seenigama Devale Kapuwa did not give us permission saying that they already had thousands of smashed up coconut shells, half filled with water, that the Devale has become a paradise for the Dengue mosquito to have their honeymoons and breed. In fact the situation is so bad that even the Deiyo is thinking of moving out in to one of the 5 star hotels until they bring a solution.

            Finally, the Kapuwa said: “Mahattaya, okata karanna one hondama vadey thavath pol gahana eks neme, gahapu pol tika aran dana ekay”.

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              The reason why I added Sinigama Dewale above was connected to my old Mahindian friend who was originally from the areas near to that. When passing the areas including Hikkaduwa I have never got off from the vehicle to smash coconut or to do anything. We only just slowed down the vehicle each time passing the place.

              And the fact that kirimati eating Rajaakshe elements lately started SMASHING coconut paying visits to any Dewales entetained and attracted us all regardless of where our geographic locations are.
              Looking at them how obsssed they have become and how they are bound to uperstiious thoughts make me laughing from both ends really.

              Men like their leader – who fell down since his life was above astrological preditionS: Not Appa but they behave as if they ate punnakku for the entire lives of them.

              Where on the earth, as a leader behaved that way -never inlanken history, but the man…CHARISMATIC LEADER -no second to a Covil kapuwa.

              Anyways, such a pragmatic leader turned out ot be a caricature (no second to අම්බලන්ගොඩ රෑකඩ Ambalangoda puppet)of an Astrologer- by name Sumanadasa Abewickrama or someone with lower IQ as Sannasaglaa proved before the millions, is one of miaracle of Asia

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            Sampur and the clean Coal Option

            Samuel, you say, “You sound to be very naive – not to have grasphed yet what Dr Kumar has been saying. Even if he could be your Guru for lectures at the faculty, I am happy him to be miles away from your thoughts”.

            Dr. Kumar David, my Guru, will be the first to recognize my right to disagree with him, if I thought I had sufficient reason to do so. We have agreed on certain things and disagreed on others from our faculty days, without any malice.

            Dr. Kumar says, “The President’s interference in electric power sector decisions and his fouling up of the CEB’s long term expansion plans is like a monkey performing delicate brain surgery”.

            There are many good engineers and other experts who consider coal to be something that should be avoided even if it is clean coal. There are also some who believe that we should go for renewable energy. I have no opinion on this matter as I don’t have the time to study it nor the inclination.

            All I have to say is, Dr. Kumar David is a kilovolt man and a I am a milliamp man and never the twain shall meet.

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          “…he should go with grace like Churchill after WW2.”

          you are comparing Churchill winning WWII to the of LTTE at the same scale.

          for gods sake man concentrate on what you do best….cleaning Arab toilets.

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    Any disturbance, good or bad, will have ripples. So the hope was that the ripples in the S&R administration would eventually settle down. The realisation now is that there are external factors that won’t like settling down at home. Trump being completely ignorant of the Chinese will only make this worse.
    Another big problem lies with our ‘left’ in that being left appears important only up until coming to power and once they reach that they somehow drift towards the right. Power appears to have that rightward pull. This also seems to be the modern human nature. May be the left needs to realise this and align accordingly, to find the right middle ground that’s pragmatic.

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    I just wonder what is this demonetization in Australia that Kumar is talking about? I am damn afraid, if it is the case, because I have thousands of big notes under my mattress! I may get caught for black money!

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    “Let’s make 2017 better than 2017 “. For that to happen you saya all want a unified left. Certainly.
    But this unification you are talking about is within “red insiders” only or both “red outsiders ” and “red insiders “.

    Will your one time comrades Vasu , Tissa & even Dew be prepared to have hoppers with kurakkan shawl and then do the honourable deshapremi act and join the “red insiders ” ?

    My view is since independence in 1948 , our rathu sahotharayos from all the traditional red parties gave hope to the people of SL and then let down the country at critical times.

    What happens if the “Deshapremi Jathika Vyaparaya” is resurrected by both “red insiders ” & “red outsiders ” to bring back Kurakkan Shawls to power ? MaRa has already taken a vow for 2017.

    For that to happen will our Yankee GoRa follow the footsteps of SWRD and switch from western dress to national dress with ofcourse a kurakkan shawl ?

    Comrade KD would you like to be a punter for the bet ” whether GoRa will switch to national dress with kurakkan shawl”?

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    He He He He Heeeee…

    Happy New Year and All the Best…

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    And Any forecasts for Perpetual Treasuries his Year?….

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      Sumane, PT is just one among the many problems. So, just hang on that only cant help toppling the govt. please come with enough good arguments.
      You need to support that Aluthgamage, because he will have to face it sooner than later, since his successor seems to be doing all good regarding all the lags in terms of lanken sports. Please see it it below
      If Aluthgamage would be the first to get jailed from the bunch we will be able to shed happy tears in coming days itself.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FPaT_MncaA
      If you are still no mad, you will turn your prion filled head at least today.

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    Your electricity engineering is telling you 220 billion rupees lost in Sampoor, but the government committed war crime spending a $200 billion in bombs. They don’t mind of that money. You teaches Tamils not to protest against sampur power plant. Well, thanks to Sampanthar, he stopped another Hambantota in Sampur (the victory is not permanent, India will take over those lands-but,at least for some time, while Tamils trying to recover from war).

    Ranil is so adamant,even if it is on the break up of UNP, on protecting the Old Royals. You can’t have the cake if you want to eat it. If the impunity is to stay, corruptions and crime too have to stay. Old Royals signed a deal with Chinese for $2.2 billions when American firm was asking for $1.5 and the committee which evaluated the tenders recommended the lower cost one. Now Chinese are one step ahead in the game and getting a free land to build their own refinery in Hambantota. If they do it properly, when the harbour is nearby, raw oil in west an arm length away and the petrol consumers in the east, they will be able to bring down every refinery to the knee around that area. Only pollution and loan will be left for Lankawe. If Chinese are going to sell that to Ceylon too, India will leave the China Bay Oil tank field and run away without paying the lease money. Why Chinese can only come out with this type of idea, why could not the Lankaweyans? If the Lankawe engineers have coordinated using foreign expertise, can’t they have increased the wealth of their own citizen? I don’t know honestly, but I read the Chinese built Nuraicholai plant for Old Royals was not working properly this week too. Can you tell me what is condition of Sapugaskanda Refinery as of today? Are they getting Iran’s crude now? Why are you dying with Sampor? Sinhala Intellectuals are the one going to run the government. Sinhala Buddhists are not interested in economy, but the free sip arrak and Biryani only.

    “The problem is that if S&R continue mucking things up, practically, they will prepare the ground for the return of the Rajapaksas.”

    You were the leader of this gambling though at last minute you backed off. I think your pockets too should be filled up with the pudding you cooked. Take your share graciously and be blessed please. We repeatedly begged not pump ethylene unnecessarily, because it is of no use. Ramanathan is so smart; he saw it in 1934 what you could not see in 2014. New King can not go with clients voters who voted for him, the minority, but he has to woo the majority, who voted against him and rejected him.

    This means the so-called Trump rally is artificial and ephemeral. American capitalism and with it Europe, Japan and China are in a self-inflated, borrowed money bubble set to burst in a year or two. They say in Tamil :”Eruthu mukkivara, veedu nakkivara”. When Clinton rebuilt American economy for 8 years, they elected Jr Bush for 8 years to watered it down. Now Obama has rebil it. Somebody has to do the job now. China may needs a deep analysis. 2006 it had $650 billion surplus. In 2016 it does not have even $65 Billions. It looks like Jingpin going to hold the torch and take the hands of Trump and Abe too.

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    MS’s selflessness in challenging MR against all odds and at a huge risk to his and he’s family’s lives must never be forgotten by those 6.2m voters who made the right choice.
    RW’s national govt has failed to deliver on anti-corruption nor successively prosecute any of the claims against MR&Co, other than continuously headlining the various arrests by FCID is the biggest failure of this Govt so far and full credit to RW for his tongue in cheek policy which might be his downfall as MR launches a challenge in 2017.
    As predicted by many columnists the constitutional reforms are dead in the water for lack of a 2/3 majority, what next would be very interesting, MS’s address to the nation on 4thJan will have some hints.
    A cabinet reshuffle with greater representation of SLFP and Other party’s including JVP members prior to seeking a 2/3 majority of the constitutional change perhaps will be the bitter pill RW has to swallow if 2017 is going to be the year SL turns the corner.

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