19 March, 2024

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On Overlooking The Obvious

By Upatissa Pethiyagoda

Dr. Upatissa Pethiyagoda

One way of “solving” a problem, is to pretend that it does not exist. A sub-head under this rubric is “sweeping under the carpet”. There are so many characteristics of our various plights where this simple thread, or common factor is overlooked or concealed. It is a question of numbers – be it unemployment, land hunger, hospital beds and health care, overcrowded trains and buses, insufficient schools, houses and many more.

More subtle are drug addiction, alcoholism, domestic violence, the brain drain, crime and destruction of traditional norms of family and social interactions. Ponder a while and the inter-relationships emerge.

Animal sciences are well aware of the concept of “Carrying capacity” when the issues are of insufficient space and life essentials. The dairy farmer knows that numbers of livestock relate to pasture extents, the poultry farmer also knows that overcrowding of cages leads to declining productivity and increasing savagery. As an example, normally docile rabbits transform into savage fighters, when crowding limits their access to food and space.

Why should not this phenomenon be applied to the human species? The English Economist, Thomas Malthus (1766 – 1834), warned that populations would automatically destroy themselves, because populations grow exponentially while resources (he chose food as the base), grow linearly. The curves are therefore bound to converge. When they cross, resources move from abundance to scarcity. System failure is inevitable. 

Poor Malthus was persecuted (and perhaps defrocked), for recognizing the threat. Perhaps where he erred was by suggesting that poorer people and nations) procreated faster. Unfortunately, his theory coincided with Europe’s Industrial Revolution, and an evil motive was implied – that his observation was a sinister and selfish attempt to deny the World’s poor from accessing the fruits of a massive advance. In current language, his truths were “Politically incorrect” 

The uncomfortable truth is that reckless “growth,” leads to an exhaustion of limited resources, resulting in environmental distress. Perhaps these climatic perturbations may be Nature’s way of warning against thoughtless exploitation. The frequency and severity of natural disasters are apparently becoming more evident. Society recognizes that phenomena (such as Global Warming, exhaustion of Petroleum (and other mineral resources), water shortage, energy supplies will result in upheavals and possibly Wars, will be inevitable balancing reactions.

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Latest comments

  • 10
    0

    “It is a question of numbers, be it unemployment, land hunger, hospital beds and health care, overcrowded trains and buses, insufficient schools, houses and many more.
    The writer has left out the most pertinent and treacherous, political decision making process in SL.
    Tamil are numbed by Numbers!

    • 8
      2

      Yes, Nathan,
      .
      How the Sinhalese ought to be treating minorities in this country, is the most pressing problem facing us right now.
      .
      However, worldwide, over-population, is what is at the bottom of so much
      . A few people have understood the most important issues; Gorbachev for instance. There are many short YouTubes showing him. He doesn’t seem to have made a serious attempt to use any language other than Russian:
      .

      This is a 42-minute documentary in English.
      .
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L53pebMuBKs&t=802s
      .
      I’m ultimately grateful to Upatissa Pethiyagoda for putting that “Ragging article” on. It enabled us others (including you, Nathan) to say many things:
      .
      https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-enliven-economic-revival/
      .
      That exposes hypocrisy of unbelievable proportions.
      .

      https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-enliven-economic-revival/
      .
      But you must take time to think. Small minds are obsessed with saying things on every little thing.
      .
      Panini Edirisinhe (NIC 483111444V)

      • 5
        1

        Dear Nathan,
        .
        I have given you the same link to a Colombo Telegraph article twice.
        .
        I’m sorry; this should have been the first one. I may have confused you somewhat:
        .
        https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-pathology-of-ragging/
        .
        The author of this also is Dr Upatissa Pethiyagoda:
        .
        https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-pathology-of-ragging/
        .
        I hope that Upatissa is a good sport who will excuse my mistake. Put it down to age.
        .
        Nathan,
        .
        Did you realise
        that from the NIC number one can calculate the exact date of birth of the owner. I think that every policeman knows how to do it, but I don’t. I think that SJ is an honorary policeman.
        .
        Panini (NIC 483111444V)

        • 5
          0

          Sinhala_Man,
          If I am permitted a little digression, …… .
          What is the advantage of knowing one’s age! No one behaves his age!!
          .
          When you are young, age is an advantage. When you are old, age is a handicap!
          When you are old, age is an advantage. When you were young, age was a handicap!!
          (You may think that I got mixed up. Not really, I know and believe exactly what I am saying!)
          .
          If you are puzzled, no amount of elaboration will take you out!

          • 3
            2

            Nathan,
            “If you are puzzled, no amount of elaboration will take you out!”
            More bored than usual today, aren’t we?

          • 5
            1

            N
            Interesting comment.
            Age is a good excuse either way.
            If you are young, you can pin it on inexperience or youthful enthusiasm.
            If you are old, there are fading memory, confusion, tiredness and many more.
            I trust that you are as young at heart and old by age as I am. So excuses cut both ways.

        • 3
          0

          Panini, you are exactly to the day 1 year and 10 months younger than self!! May I wish you a happy birthday in advance, approximately 45 days?! meaning same Birth date, different year na month!

          • 0
            0

            I hadn’t given much thought to the ages of others whom I was interacting with, but there usually are sub-conscious feelings about others.
            .
            Having to deal with persons known only by pseudonyms is never easy; even now I don’t trust myself to have clear ideas about other people. It just isn’t realistic. However, I have found that the most effective way to operate is to see what ideas are being put forward. I knew it to be not totally satisfactory; but, well, what to do?
            .
            Mahila, I had imagined you to be younger. There seemed to be flexibility in your thinking.
            .
            Panini

        • 1
          0

          Neck bending exercises by Nation s Dadoriya aka Ghanasara, I miss my hero Dr Safi in this session.
          .
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRr-qqTHzfg

    • 1
      0

      Looking at the picture of a malnourished boy alone, I felt sad and curse Rajapaksa. They suck the poor man’s last coin for 15 years or longer. There are report says, that barbaric brother in Rajapakshes family are now quarelling for their ” official residences”…. THOSE SO called secretary dogs do the job, not opposing on the spot. If I were their secretaries, if anyone came with such decisions to allow the best equipped official residence Gota, then I would have killed him.
      .
      Many still do not speak out against them for fear of their lives being threatened. The kind of barbaric people caught up in the unbridled admiration of the people made way for them to rise above in the society. But even though today’s youth are chasing Gotabhaya and his brother, talking about their presidency and prime ministership, many of them behave like North Koreans for Kim.
      .
      The back cover of the book is “Buddhism”; But “the difference between Sinhalese Buddhism and Buddhism is miles away. Our university teachers should emphasize this more so that the youth can get this and get rid of their ingrained mentality.

  • 2
    3

    Electric Car permits using the Climate Catastrophe story, like the Organic Fertilizer project is the new Green Game to further Debt trap Sri Lanka through purchase of expensive useless electric cars!
    Sri Lanka is already a green country with 50 percent Hyrdro power generation and will BENEFIT with more rain from Climate Change. But this news is never revealed that some countries will benefit and the dry Zones become temperate zones in Tropical areas. The Bullshit Climate Catastrophe story is being used for Euro-American to sell expensive Green Tech while energy assets in Sri Lanka are sold off and privatized. Sri Lanka’s Energy and electricity infrastructure is being looted and sold by the corrupt and incompetent clown Kanchana Wijeratne of the Bondcams Ranil Rajapakse Regime as the Washington Consensus (IMF, World Bank) with the Colonial Paris Club colonize the strategic island as the brown Sahibs are distracted with the British Queen…?!!
    KW should be sacked along with the Bondscam US-EU backed and brokered Ranil Rajapakse regime for ECONOMIC CRIMES in Sri Lanka!

    • 1
      2

      There’s degrees of blindness and cultivated ignorance! IMF, OECD’s Colonial Club de Paris and ISBs are the biggest Economic Criminal network on the planet. They have weaponized the US dollar, crashed local currencies, looted and destroyed numerous countries in the Global South and have weaponized Diasproas and local elites as they did in Colonial times to loot their countries.
      US puppets and citizens, Ranil, Basil and Goat Jarapassa, all play the American game and bow to their White Western Masters.
      IMF is in Lanka to bail out the Vulture Funds, not the Lankan people who are so colonized like the Colombo USAID and Soros funded NGOs like, Law and Society Trust, which pretend to be seeking Debt Justice but actually promote disinformation blaming China for the Lankan Western Debt trap.
      Why did the Aragalaya , masterminded by the CIA, to push the Staged DEFAULT support the IMF (except for Anthare – IUSFA – the only genuine protestors), at the Galle Face post Covid-19 beach party Araglaya players and actors Inc ?!

  • 7
    0

    Truly sad to see the photo of this poor child. While these rascals were looting the wealth of the country, these poor kids all over SL have been neglected.

  • 7
    0

    Upatissa, I have seen few cases of Marasmus and Kwashiorkor, during my student days and never thought will see again (gross malnutrition), that too in our Silly Lanka.

  • 8
    0

    Upatissa, lowering of retirement age from 65 to 60 will force 300 specialist doctors to retire from public services, including 43 of Colmbo N.H, 30 of Kandy N.H, 17 of Karapitiya, 15 of Lady Ridgeway and 9 of Apeksha . H. Some may have to be replaced by specialist from periphery and remote places. Doctors in general , have left country in large numbers. When cabinet size is endless the retirement age has come down for public employees. There is a photo of Ruwan accompanying Ranil and wife to U.K. When questioned Ranil says like Namal and team during Olympics , Ruwan too (political climate change advisor to President ??) went on a private visit to later accompany them in London. I believe the lady (DJ’s close friend) who had a dental job in US while posted in Austria, is seen in the picture. There is yet another photo Nimal attending “transforming education ” summit in the U.S, the person sitting right next to him seems, ex crook CJ Sarath, is he there to transform education after judiciary.

    • 7
      0

      chiv,
      .
      Seen from the point of view of “Mankind on Planet Earth” this is an interim problem.
      .
      The health of the elite has improved beyond cognition. There’s grinding poverty in India, but see how many of the richest people on the planet are in India:
      .
      https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/30/billionaire-gautam-adani-college-dropout-to-worlds-third-richest-person.html
      .
      Only two. We heard so much about Rishi Sunak’s wealth. His father-in-law is only at number 44 here.
      .
      https://www.forbes.com/india-billionaires/list/#tab:overall
      .
      And Rishi himself?
      .
      https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/rich-list-2022-wealthiest-people-uk-155330350.html
      .
      Only at 222. People like us cannot comprehend wealth on this scale. Dammika Perera is much richer. Money earned like Epstein? But we’re not exactly starving.
      .
      It’s our duty to keep working upto even 80, but not for money. And the work? For me, may be making comments on this sort, which only ten may see. Then I’ll be forgotten, but what I’ve said may indirectly reach others.
      .
      Panini Edirisinhe accepts responsibility for saying all of that.

    • 4
      2

      Ranil, soon is on his way to Japan, this time to attend Shinzo Abe’s funeral. Who will accompany him on this visit ??

  • 6
    1

    “sweeping under the carpet”
    In 1950s, there was no shortage of food or space or money for the Ceylonese. By starting on
    — “Sinhala only” policy
    — Trying to reduce the numbers of hard working Upcountry Tamils[Stateless]
    –high lighting divisions in Ceylonese population
    the Sinhala Buddhists supremacists [SBS] created a fertile conditions for negative economic growth.
    SBS still don’t want to accept the fact it is BECAUSE OF the minorities SUPPRESSION that they are in the present situation
    ie—> carrying a begging bowl shamelessly around the world even to Bangaladesh and Tamil Nadu.
    Even now the SBS can learn a lot from Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu.

  • 6
    1

    The Singhalese who does not want to hear see or talk about the Tamils and their issues are LIKE a monkey with 3 pairs of hands trying to shut their EYES EARS & MOUTH .
    They have a simple slogan FORGIVE & FORGET the grave injuries caused to Tamil speaking minorities in SL. It is not possible unless the justice is served to all the guilty people.
    SBS can not put the Tamil Issues under the carpet and expect a miraculous economic recovery for SL.

    • 5
      5

      N
      The US became the top economy of the world while trampling the Afro-Americans underfoot, far worse than any Asian national minority by a majority.
      Its trouble today is not because it denies equality to the poor, Blacks and Latinos, but because US capital got too greedy and destroyed its production base.

      • 2
        0

        Naman, you figure out, what may be the association between your opinion, the article “on overlooking the obvious”, the picture depicting , malnutrition in Lanka and US troubles ???

        • 3
          0

          By the way there is a nice picture of FM Ali Sabry meeting U.S President Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden at the dinner hosted by them on the occasion of the 77th session of
          United Nation General Assembly (UNGA).

    • 2
      0

      Naman,
      .
      I certainly keep saying “mea culpa maxima”, but how long can we keep saying it, without any end in sight?
      .
      You guys in the North must think carefully when voting; most of my thinking has been done. I will vote for the NPP (which has three in Parliament, one not a member of the JVP). You guys have to do some thinking.

  • 3
    1

    Singhalese dominated GoSL tries to deflect the criticisms of their handling of Tamil speaking minorities BY always pointing to OTHER countries on how they are committing far worse crimes against their minorities.
    That is NOT the correct way to tackle the issues. It is better to PUT your house in order first and foremost. After all we have a majority race that are BUDDHISTS practicing peace and harmony, AND NOT HURTING ANY OTHER SOUL.

  • 1
    1

    Nathan
    When you are young, age is an advantage. When you are old, age is a handicap!
    ie–PHYSICALLY
    When you are old, age is an advantage. When you were young, age was a handicap!!
    ie–MENTALLY + WALLET SIZE!

  • 5
    0

    Naman, to be fair, there are few among minority (not just Tamils but Muslims too) who does not want to hear, see or talk about their issues. You can call them as retarded donkeys , not the wise monkeys. For that they deny, defend the wrong, do compare and contrast analysis (between bad , worse and ugly) enable, give excuses, divert, deflect, show here show there ( look at U.S, West, India……), spin, fake, distort . . . . . . . They are either co-dependent because of personal gains ( power, position, material), cannot think beyond their stereotyped brain, hypocrites, carry their family trait ( “yes sir, yes sir” ) or just selfish.

    • 2
      1

      Do you mean good old SA? -:)

  • 1
    0

    UP, We cannot pretend as our lack in all essentials is known to every nation, and this birthed a unique aragalaya. Whole world knows that Jara family don’t do any jobs to earn, but steal the national wealth to get rich. The Tsunami funds never reached the poor who lost all. It was greedy robbery with murder that we need to be accounting for. We need clean hands and pure heart to serve citizens before going to parliament to create unsolvable disasters. Dr. Ranil has a unique opportunity to invite aragalaya into the fold to change systems like Mattala airport losing one million each month. All the dollars coming in are robbed, and the printing of rupees alone cannot save. But prez. has a different negative mindset to kill aragalaya. So all rob and nation suffers.

    • 1
      0

      Thanks for your observation, dear “davidthegood”, but haven’t we had the opportunity to say all those things in response to lots of other articles?
      .
      We must deal with each aspect of the problems facing us separately. If each of us displays a positive attitude, we will be able to move steadily forward.
      .
      Even the strongest and cleverest amongst us cannot achieve much in isolation. We must work together in harmony with one another. The Aragalaya generated the impetus in March; let’s now keep going, although at this moment we have to display clear thinking, even caution.
      .
      Panini Edirisinhe

    • 2
      0

      Dear Sensitive Souls,
      .
      The struggle is a collective effort of the youth irrespective of their political views. Many young people could no longer bear the crow, myna, and gota. However, this crisis was financed by the wealthy classes of Colombo. It later became a place that provided free meals to the poorer classes of Colombo. And some misused the opportunity for their drug and alcohol profits. I respect the youth who shed tears sweat to maintain it, however, I started becoming against them, since the struggle of the time, Colombo students and others continued it as ” ragging” events at srilanken universities. The footage from the president’s official residence should not have been aired on any television, as it was face-up spitting. That saliva falls on your face.
      .
      It gradually became more a place for drug addicts and all other artists who sought fame for their future carriers, and eventually its morals were corrupted.

      • 2
        0

        How Mahinda became people ‘s god….
        .
        You will get this all from the video below…. this man Thilakasiri was among them… but now he is spilling the beans.
        .
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FIjJ7dbY84

  • 1
    0

    For the past two months I’ve been following the process whereby the U.K elected a leader of the Conservative Party, who thereby became the Prime Minister.
    .
    Rishi Sunak was the brightest, but I knew that he’d be pushed down to second in the run-off. I’m too tired to discuss this; I hope that some of you have seen seen the links to Gorbechev; he had a vision for the entire planet.
    .
    The new British Government is going to be a disaster.The Environment Secretary is the MP for – the 18th Century!
    .
    https://island.lk/an-incident-recalled-good-sense/
    .
    Please read up what is said about about fracking.
    .
    And these about selfishness:
    .
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiHu4ZVQ9Jw This is only three minutes.
    .
    and this is 44 minutes:
    .
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu7nwbFm8Os
    .
    I need some rest now!
    ,
    Panini

    .

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