By Dayan Jayatilleka –
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka
In 2015 Sri Lanka broke with the settled traditions of its democracy and brought Right and Center together with ghastly results: we inhabit a decadent, fraught, ‘Weimar moment’.
Is the post-2019 future to be a rightwing “Authoritarian Populism” as Stuart Hall named the Thatcher (or more broadly the Thatcher-Reagan) phenomenon?
Or is it to be a left-of-center, progressive and democratic populism in which nationalism is part of the protean mix?
Is the patriotic populist vision of a strong state and strong leadership, to be of the centristPutin-Erdogan variety or the rightistTrump-Netanyahu variety?
Will Sri Lanka return to the successful democratic conventions and traditions that have prevailed since 1947 (including over the JVP and LTTE): the competitive alternation of center-right and center-left that propelled our high social welfare and sustained our pluralist democratic freedoms?
Or will we see post-2019, roughly the same pattern, that we did post-1977—an euphoric ‘new beginning’, a great economic upswing initially, a harsh authoritarian interlude justified by calls for stability in the cause of rapid economic advancement, and a culmination in multiple conflicts, internal and external, with foreign troops on our soil?
The most effective political struggle against the rightist-dominated government has been waged post-2015 by a progressive, broadly center-left Opposition. Which ideological tendency, progressive Center-Left, moderate–centrist, or neo-nationalist Right, prevails in the broad oppositional space and as the opposition’s option, will depend considerably on the SLFP’s new course.
Early in 2015, when the Yahapalana government took office, a noteworthy economic conference was held in Colombo. Nobel Prize winner in Economics, Prof. Joseph Stiglitz, sat next to Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and urged that the key to optimal economic development in Sri Lanka should be regarded as the question of equity. By January 2016 Prof Stiglitz had written a key article containing his recommendations. He has proved prophetic:
“Some suggest that Sri Lanka turn to the International Monetary Fund, promising belt tightening. That would be hugely unpopular. Too many countries have lost their economic sovereignty in IMF programs. Besides, the IMF would almost surely tell Sri Lankan officials not that they’re spending too much, but that they’re taxing too little.”
So far, Stiglitz’ recommendations have been ignored by the UNP and its Alt-Right challengers.
Any design for a new vision for Sri Lanka should centrally and explicitly address the mounting social crisis. A front page lead of an English language newspaper (May 27th) disclosed that 40% of Colombo’s children are malnourished. The overall malnutrition figures for most provinces is a shocking 25%-30% i.e. 2 or 3 out of every 10 persons! The report was based on a presentation on May 24thto a Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Women and Gender and the Children’s caucus, by Dr. Thusitha Wijemanna.
The same newspaper reported on May 30th, that ‘the Global Nutrition Report (GNR) 2017, a World Health Organization (WHO) publication, documented that in Sri Lanka ‘Anaemia among women of reproductive age’ i.e. ages 15 to 49, had risen to 33 per cent as at 2016, when compared to lower figures of 25.7 per cent as at 2011.
The vision for Sri Lanka articulated by Joe Stiglitz, the world’s most renowned economic policy intellectual, pays particular and repeated emphasis to precisely the “public” rather than the corporate/private: “public goods”, “public investments”, “public infrastructure”, “public services”, “public transport” etc. His recommendations for Sri Lanka stress the publicfactors and dimension rather than the private sector, the “market realities”, or public-private partnerships:
“…Likewise, another frequently proposed strategy, public-private partnerships, may not be as beneficial as advertised. Such partnerships usually entail the government bearing the risk, while the private sector takes the profits. Typically, the implicit cost of capital obtained in this way is very high. And while the private sector can, and frequently does, renege on its contractual obligations (through bankruptcy) – or force a renegotiation under the threat of reneging – the government cannot, especially when an international investment agreement is in place.”
“…Heavy public investment in infrastructure, education, technology, and much else. Indeed, such investments are needed for the entire country…”
“…This gives the country the opportunity to create model cities, based on the adequate provision of public services and sound public transport and attuned to the cost of carbon and climate change.”
“Sri Lanka, beautiful and ideally located in the Indian Ocean, is in a position to become an economic hub for the entire region – a financial center and a safe haven for investment in a geopolitically turbulent part of the world. But this won’t happen by relying excessively on markets or underinvesting in public goods.” (Stiglitz, Ibid)
Godfrey Gunatilleke is the most distinguished Sri Lankan development thinker-practitioner alive. Volume 1 of his selected essays ‘Towards a Sri Lankan Model of Development’ (May 2017), contains a final chapter entitled ‘A Vision of Sri Lanka 2025 and 2035: from High Human Development to Very High Human Development’. Anybody who attempts a vision for this country should study it.
The latest vision statement for Sri Lanka rolled out at the Viyathmaga event at the Shangri-La by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is one which does not mention, one single time, any of the following keywords and core concepts:‘citizens’/‘citizenry’, ‘social’, ‘public’, ‘poor’ (except for ‘poor returns’!), ‘poverty’, ‘inequity’, ‘unemployment’, ‘rural’, ‘peasantry’, ‘agrarian’.This is by no means a center-left, moderate or Middle Path policy paradigm.
What Sri Lanka needs is not to mimic, adopt or adapt a model from the US, India, China or anywhere else. What it needs, firstly, is a deep study of its own realities and development experience, and a balance sheet of the positives and negatives of each development episode/phase, with a view to combining the best practices adopted by all Sri Lankan governments hitherto. Secondly, this study must be informed by a creative application of the best development practices in other parts of the world, insofar as they are relevant.
Development is not a spectator sport, where the majority of citizens watch and cheer while corporate profits and high-rise buildings ascend, as their own quality of life declines or stagnates. Any authentic vision for ‘development’ rather than merely ‘growth’, must have as its explicit priority, the wellbeing i.e. rapid improvement of the lives, livelihoods and life chances of all its citizens. This must be the explicit driver of policy, and cannot be an ‘app’, afterthought or add-on.
Jim softy / June 8, 2018
Are yoi writing all these to land in russia. So just fool the voters and land there. I heard you are yearning to build a New Castle when you come back and you are not the happy with the house you got as your dowry. When you come back you may be saying My wife built this all with what she earned as the Friday Officer or Offical without a Subject portfolio (vishaya Bhara Niladharini)..
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nimal fernando / June 9, 2018
“40% of Colombo’s children are malnourished. The overall malnutrition figures for most provinces is a shocking 25%-30%”
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I am sure that this statistics does not include children of any of the politicians or their hangers-on. ………… So who cares? The children of the pols should receive the best nourishment to carry on the great work of the parents.
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Man, we can write here till the hell freezes over …………. nothing much’s gonna change.
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Now the only thing that’ll make a change in Lanka is if Stormy does Sirisena, Ranil, Mahinda, Gota and Dayan …………… make men out of those sooks! ….. Look what she did for Donald. Now, will Stiglitz ever say that; the truth?
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Another day gone by in paradise.
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Hela / June 8, 2018
This is my main concern of GOTA’s vision. He may be a captive of a set of advisors having a very narrow perspective about the development strategy for next 5-30 years for Sri Lanka. Viyathmaga needs to further broaden it’s intellectual base.
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perianna / June 8, 2018
vitathmaga is Buddhist sinhala pseudo-intellectual gang which supports murderous gota
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Chuti Doni / June 8, 2018
Hela you are spot on. Gota is only OL passed and did menial jobs in US. He is surrounded by people just like him – dumb idiots who only knows how to rob.
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max / June 8, 2018
Chuti, try to be loku. But, with this kind of rather pathetic views, you never be loku though.
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Vanguard / June 10, 2018
And win wars by violating human rights.. oh sorry old boy SF did that.
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K.Pillai / June 8, 2018
Hello Hello Hello Dayan Jayatilleka.
Thank you. We can make up our minds about post 2019. But how about you?
You are rubbing in that in 2015 we, the voters broke with the settled traditions of our democracy and brought Right and Center together with ghastly results: we inhabit a decadent, fraught, ‘Weimar moment’.
More decadent than our corruption/nepotism/impunity riled life?
Should we resort to brutal curbing of the media? And whitevans?
Do you recommend post-Weimar moments?
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You mention the centrist Putin-Erdogan variety – your words. Some of European Putin admirers are extreme rightwing.
Erdogan is dragging secular Turkey to fundamentalism. Why do you hate secularism Dayan?
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You quote the Global Nutrition Report (GNR) 2017, which says that in Sri Lanka ‘Anaemia among women of reproductive age’ i.e. ages 15 to 49, had risen to 33 per cent as at 2016, when compared to lower figures of 25.7 per cent as at 2011.
One will say that 25.6% malnutrition is as bad as 33%. Are you suggesting that 2011 SL was a land of ‘milk and honey’.
We are tired of your sermons Dayan.
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Jim softy / June 8, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
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wannihami / June 8, 2018
Anemia data if to be used as a social indicator needs to be expressed in terms of income, otherwise it can be said that the data shows the results of food choice. In the last 30 years consumption of red meat in Sri Lanka has gone down quite a lot (anecdotally..I have no statistical data), and the regular consumption of green leafy vegetables with phytates can chelate the iron instead of being a contributer of iron. Therefore, these kind of data out of context is meaningless.
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Jim softy / June 8, 2018
Political Experts say DEEP STUDIES. We are recycling, at present, three groups of PALHORU. The least experienced one just completed 40 years. but he has 23 years of experienceas party leader even the failrue at almost every election is experience eventhoug never learend anything. Why itis difficult to understand for 2600 years we were livinng in the middle of so many enemy invasions. We were lagging behind because of 500 year european invasions. but their obedient KALASUDDAS are ruining and wrecking the country for 70 years. “I understand some, if not all, including you are all Viyathun just for wealth. Other wise, none of you are talking what is happening to the country because of IMf/MCC/Mangala and Ranil govt. Because Mahinda Rajapskse did almost the same thing. YOu all are out of track and trying to continue the destruction. but, there are other people watching it closely.
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Jim softy / June 8, 2018
How come 40% malnutrition is conencted with all these rhetoric, jargon and crap ? Dayasiri Jayasekara and Rosie Senayake explained the whole story. OFfering Cash and money gofts to politicians is very common. Besides, the corruptions are legalized. any day of the year Politicians can get donations from businesses and interested parties. That is allows. Earlier, the govt Institution management code did not allow such gifts. but now it is allowed. So, some how Politicians are driven by the donations and various perks offered by businesses. Becuase of that country is problem ridden. Education, HOusing, HEalth and nutrition, agriculture – every where it is problems. there are 114 ministers, there are so many institutions and levels of govts to address the same problem. but nothing happens. The best example uneducated politicians becoming Specialists or experts is the recent example of Navin dissanayake who says he will go definitely with the PALM oil plantations and the absence of glyphosate weed killing made rubber and Tea industry lose Rs 26 billion.. that is typical destruction of the country by businesses and politicians. YOu do not need studies. gotabhaya Rajapakse is now taken over Mahinda Rajapakse, and the group. He is there for himself and the brotherhood. IT is their own religion.
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Mallaiyuran / June 8, 2018
” What Sri Lanka needs is not to mimic, adopt or adapt a model from the US, India, China or anywhere else. ” I think that is a word for those call themselves as Marxist -Leninist- Maoist and carry the umbrella when it rain in Peking or Mosco or those are standing as stagnant “Center-Right-Left” without dynamic or robotic thinking. Other than that the pretentious economist arguments all are only cut and paste, and out of context.
Prof. Joseph Stiglitz is a big guy, true; but he is not the only one Check this this out, as a matter of fact, he is listed toward the end of this list. https://superscholar.org/features/20-most-influential-living-economists/. Prof. Joseph Stiglitz is known mainly for his anti-globalization studies. That issue is practically irrelevant to Lankawe, because as a country with extreme government indebtedness and weaker local income, there is no talk about not tapping global helps. Period. Anybody talking beyond that is either no economics student or a paid writer. Prof. Joseph Stiglitz research is about the current global trend and it is out of reach in Lanakwe’s current condition. As he is a supporter of Lankawe’s war, he was sought by Yahapalanaya guys to consult. He advised based on his themes. Everybody knows when Old King hired the Pakistani Internal Law expert that time his fist advice was “Just Comply with UNHRC”. Old Royal paid to him to withdraw that and made him to work with late Desmond Lorenz de Silva. Now Lankawe is said to be, even planning to pull out of UNHRC. Lankawe pay for the consultants. But it is not absolutely necessary to listen to them; but in fact by paying them more, Lankawe always convert them to repeat what it wants to say.
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Mallaiyuran / June 8, 2018
After the war, Old Royals wanted $2.9B from IMF. Hillary Clinton attempted to block it. Sonia challenged if IMF fails, then India will grant it to Old Royals. But at the same time India too had applied IMF loan. So Hillary Clinton backed off as India could apply on its name and give it to Lankawe, it was pointless for she try to block it. Old Royals got the loan, but the story was not so smooth. China got into that, fearing if Lankawe take loans from India it might fully turn towards India. China has had taste of Nuraicholai already, so it didn’t like to lose Lankawe. Then Old Royals did was complete looting of the country and Ajith Nivard killed CB down to the root. When Yahapalanaya came to power, there was no possibility of getting IMF loan in two weeks so knowingly the EP and PM got together and employed Mahendran for one year to rob EPF to fund CB and Sirikota. Apparently these are not coming in the Thero’s cut and pastes. So now our question to Prof. Joseph Stiglitz is “if he thinks IMF loan make the country to lose its sovereignty, does he thinks Chinese loans did save Lankawe’s sovereignty from China? Apparently his answer is going to be no.
His talk was no FDI and nor IMF, but internal fund raising. It worked for Malaysia in earlier occasions because Law and order was there, Central Bank was in order, Inflation was not that problem, many economic indicators were in good condition, so country was able to raise locally instead of IMF or Chinese loan. The question has to be asked from Prof. Joseph Stiglitz is “would he recommend Chinese loan for Lankawe, knowing the that the Defense department Computers went down and Hangbangtota is now sold on 200 years lease (may be more).
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Mallaiyuran / June 8, 2018
Thero is cutting and pasting Prof. Joseph Stiglitz’s public sector investment. We do know that kind of solution existed from great depression. That depression originated in Western Market oriented economies. They were run by private sector. So when the private sector faced bankruptcy, Keynes proposed the public sector to create Bank Credit and invest. It worked that time. But it created inflation and other problems. So it faced objection too. When Lankawe Central Bank is at this condition, inflation is going through the roof and dollar is beyond 160 rupees, is Prof. Joseph Stiglitz is suggesting to reject, China loan, IMF loan, global FDI and he wants the CB create additional credits and invest? Obama time’s (2009) tax credit was criticized because they were aimed at low income people. They are a category just spend all their income up to the last penny. And these were on low cost Chinese import. So any Tax relief given to revive the economy was transferred to foreign nations and the effect is immediately lost. Lankawe export to China $250 million and import $3.5 Billion. Can anybody explain if CB create additional credits what will be the multiplier effect for these loan investments? If that is going to be zero then “is Prof. Joseph Stiglitz suggesting CB to expand the credit and keep pumping the money to China on consumer good?”
I ask a favor from the PhD economist Thero De Silva, Can he come out with a summary budget and balance sheet for his proposed public sector “public goods”, “public investments”, “public infrastructure”, “public services”, “public transport” . . I think that is the worst cut and paste Thero ever did without understanding what it is.
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Mallaiyuran / June 8, 2018
Public sector investment is only for where the private sector is broken. Ceylon was a private sector economy, under the Colonial Administrators. Sirimavo nationalized them. Don Stephen’s and JR’s main focus were Dam building and Sinhala Colonizing. Ceylon is still remaining as a country where private sector is not explored yet. Even China and Russia are exploring that side. Lankawe Government under heavy debt. Inflation is high. The only solution to Lankawe is FDI. That is opposed by Thero class economists because FDI is only sour grapes for Lankawe. Foreign firms are not ready to come in because corruption, Sinhalization – non English speaking labor, lawlessness, Law and Order failure, extremely high inflation, no economic or monitory policy by the central government…. Latest episode in this is the country’s Chief Executive was accused trying to plug from Indian investors, with his agents. Emirates got a lesson from Air Lanka. Private sector investment follow a maxim of “Once bit, twice shy”
”Is the post-2019 future to be a rightwing “Authoritarian Populism” as Stuart Hall named the Thatcher (or more broadly the Thatcher-Reagan) phenomenon?
Or is it to be a left-of-center, progressive and democratic populism in which nationalism is part of the protean mix? “
That is not a question for Lankawe Modaya voters, but a question for Thero’s dream Candidates Old Brother Prince and Vaalaiththoodam Jr.
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Maharage, Nimal / June 8, 2018
Mallaiyuran, Thank you for your great analysis of dynamics associated with Lankawe and the west. Your comments form themselves a good article that obviously ridicule the ignorance of Dayan when it comes to economics.
Dayan should not touch Economics. He should first read ABC of economics before trying to bring incomprehensible economic arguments to support his theories.
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Amazed / June 8, 2018
Russia beckons. Tune changes in a snap!
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Another turn in DJ’s zig-zag political journey, looking for a crumb or two here and there. He is another politician at the margins – not a commentator.
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Jim softy / June 8, 2018
What is this ? Winds of Change ? for sure, even to date Sri lanka does not have visionary politicians or experts to go with that. Only thing I know that poor Dr. Nalin De Silva, now he is old, was hit by a Car, the super luxury sports car of the MP son of the former VVVIP. Poor Professor was crying I heard saying what did I do to throw me at the mud puddle. Some how I heard he had gone; bent to that empty brain politician and worship him saying I am sorry. It is OK that I was thrown onto the mud puddle. That is the sri lanka we have and I heqard the fit model is Ferdinand Marcos. I don’t think Sri lankan are that absurd to go through the rest of the procedure. I remember what happened to Sarath chandra Edirisinghe. Ediriweera Sarathachandra had said, I di dnot tell anything to JRJ except what you are doing to this country. that cheap are the VIYATHUN in Sri lanka when politicians are considered worthiest of the worthy lot.
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Jim softy / June 8, 2018
They talk fancy words, that we di dnot here before this. Ranil aslo talk the same. but, we remember Mahinda Rajapske said that the Army would annihilate Drug lords. but the truth is, I heard, he is still signing to those consignedments and he socialized with drug lords, Kudu Dimu, Kudu, Duminda, Mallawaarachchi, Lanza. Paliament,as per Ranjan Ramanayake, at least 175 who signed for drug imports. These are the visionaires who wants Sri lanka developed. Besides, Basil Rajapakses’ 5000 milking cows, out of which he brought only 2300, I heard far expensive than the Indian cows which fiots very well to us. Now they are holding the money for the rest of the 5000 (that is 2700) until they come back to power. why ?
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Spring Koha / June 8, 2018
Before any post-2019 choices, could be WE the People be granted one, just one, 2019 wish? To rid ourselves of the post-independence curse that has given us mostly semi-literate, devious, self-serving members of parliament who beget bribery and corruption, piss-poor Public Administration, crooked keepers of the law, and a subservient judiciary. If this wish is granted, then we will see the decent talented people come into government and public life to make this country great again.
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Buzzer / June 9, 2018
Well said Spring Koha – especially about that bit about those ” semi-literate, devious, self-serving members of parliament who beget bribery and corruption, piss-poor Public Administration, crooked keepers of the law, and a subservient judiciary”.
Hopefully this will remind DJ how low he has stooped to get in bed with many of these low-lives. No doubt “birds of a feather” will flock as they do and water will find its own level.
De Silva Jayatilleka is continuously exposing his attraction to seedy politicians and their insidious motives fueled by greed and deceit.
What a horrible bunch of creeps we have been saddled with!
The chameleonic deSilva Jaya
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Vanguard / June 10, 2018
” semi-literate, devious, self-serving ” voters.
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gamini / June 8, 2018
What a transformation of the individual Dayan Jayathilake de Silva. The only article that I have read that he does not spew venom anymore on Ranil Wickremasinghe. What a Chameleon?
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Rajash / June 8, 2018
“…with a view to combining the best practices adopted by all Sri Lankan governments hitherto…”
what the country have hitherto is an economic failure, practice of corrupt white elephant projects.
“you mean best practices to line the pockets of the politicians “
did the readers detect that he has not taken My3/Ranil to the laundry or even mentioned them…..the author is waiting for his ticket to Russia
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Jim softy / June 9, 2018
YOu talk best practices. Tamil s talk for Tamils, Muslims talk for ,muslims. the system is excessively politicized. Besides LAW yers know that the parliament is really powerful. The example is PM. Mahinda Rajapakse faced it but did not understand it. PArliament is the law makers. Yet, they have legitimized the corruption by the parliament. PResident is lame duck and weak. So, correct the system first and then talk about best practices. Once the extreme politicization is eliminated, You find faults in the system. then apply best practices. Otherwise, every one is lost. See how Dayan Jyathilake talk everything in the book but he can not apply that to thehh country. Sri lanka can not grow it’s rice, Onion, vegetables, spices etc., IF they grow it they can not store it a for entire duration. British introduced coconut of which we are using the every part. Now we want to introduce Palm oil. We were drinking Polpala like herbal tea. british introduced Black tea. Every one had made lot out of that even when the quality of what they had was very low. Sri lanka is still struggling with that. So, it is a Stupid and undisciplines country. why aince 1948, it is under kalusuddas mudlaiers and after that, the thieves, looters, Fraudsters and cheaters produced by that system. che guvera came thousands of youth died. LTTE came thousands of youth died. HJAve we understood. Protestant political analysts are still misleading the country.
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Rajash / June 8, 2018
“,…balance sheet of the positives and negatives…”
have you picked this from the post match interview after a cricket match
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K.Pillai / June 8, 2018
Rajash, most of DJ’s ‘positives’ are ‘negatives’ in other peoples rating!
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Spark / June 8, 2018
In porn movies, there is something called threesomes & foursomes, where a women can pleasure different men in different ways all at the same time and banged in the same manner in return. I have a feeling if this punk was born a women, he would have done well as a porn star in this category.
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Ajith / June 8, 2018
We in Srilanka still do not want to learn from the true experiences of the past seven decades. Before thinking about our development policies, why this nation failed economically in right, left, center policies and politics. First of all we should accept that this is a nation belongs to multi ethnic, multi religious, multi cultural communities, not to belong to one community. This country faced continuous civil wars, riots, insurgencies which resulted in continuous losses of human resources, economic resources, cultural values, breakdown of law & order, Justice system. Development needs stability, peace, resources, skills and participation people. There is not a single country become developed with such a low level of instability for seven decades. We are a militarized nation which consumes large proportion of expenditure without any productivity. Our political system is corrupted and inefficient. Unless we find a way to create a stable nation where people living in every corner feels that he belongs to this nation, and he is proud of his country and willing to contribute, there is no development. Every one knows the truth but no one wants to accept the truth.
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Ajith / June 8, 2018
We had an opportunity in 2009 to turn around the country towards a real development. It is not because Sri Lanka won the war, it is because the whole world was with us, the country suffered sufficiently to learn the lessons from the mistakes of the past and to use that opportunity to correct the mistakes and to bring the peace & harmony and create a stable nation. We all know what went wrong from 2009 and who was responsible for making instability after 2009. There is no war but there is no peace as well. In 2015, people fed up with the instability and wanted to change that instability but those who promised to bring change failed again and now instability continues. Now 10 years passed from 2009 we are talking about another change without addressing the problems and talk about choices. What choices we have? The same old choices, the same old people, same old policies. The problem is not the choice of economic policy, the problem is stability, peace & law & order. How to find the solution?
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Vanguard / June 10, 2018
Dictatorship is one option like Lee Kuan Yew. His son is now PM you know, completing the circle. How nice.
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Mallaiyuran / June 8, 2018
Thero tried to prove Zero Casualty at UNHRC, but lost the job still. Chinnaiah refused to recommend a Russian spy gadgets bugged ship for Lankawe and he too lost the job. Thero covered the Fresh Embassy scandals. Now he is going to Russia. Let’s wait and see if the Russian Vodka can work better than Swiss and French Champagne.
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wannihami / June 8, 2018
Dr DJ it is complicated.
What is equity? In which terms? Is it in terms of money? cost? or standard of living?
If you have to commute 2 hrs each day in semi-stationary traffic, in your SUV (which cost you 25.00 million), for a 10hr job that pays 0.6 million RS a month, and you had to wait 3hrs for a specialist doctor to turn up at a private hospital who tells you that your ill health is due to all the Black label you consume during weekends and all the meat you consume daily and all the sitting you do daily, while your spouse was always stressed out driving your 2.4 kids from your McMansion in the suburbs to College Royal or CIS and all the ballet, soccer and tuition. Is that a high standard of living?
Or If you make a 30,000 RS a month as a rural school teacher while your spouse is looking after the small paddy land and the kid who goes to the central school, and you eat mostly the vegetables you grow, and you get the health checks free at the clinic at the local hospital (where you have to stay in queue for 3 hours), and if you had your prescription drugs free, is that a high standard of living?
A social capitalistic economy where productivity from that strong economy can provide for a high standard of social services (i.e. free education, health care and disability benefits) would and could be a system where both the moneyed class and the cash poor class can have dignified standards of living.
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K A Sumanasekera / June 9, 2018
We have been done by Right Wing Christians, Elite Communists, Left of centre Rightists . Right of centre Rightists , JVP. LTTE and even Right of Centre Leftists in recent times., since the Anglo Saxons left..
Still 33 % of the kids are malnourished,
Helmut Kohls, Tanakas, Sarkosi’s and Najibs got busted taking Santhosams.
What have we done ?.
We took the Santhosams to a different level.
Now 118, and perhaps up to 166 of our elected and non elected Members of Parliament who represent all those Right to Left Combinations are sitting on Santhosams which range from one Million to Tens of Millions each, depending on their breeding.
All those Santhosams were paid by one Yahapalana supporter and a close mate of Dr Ranil, with compliments of Lankawes poor mans EPF.
This is in addition to LKR 34 Mil each which they collected as Bonus in the form of Car Permits for helping Yahpalanaya .
The country is in Chaos, with nearly all valuable assets being already sold to Hindians and the Chinese.
Even our valuable Nature Reserves have been given to Foreigners and their agents to build Holiday Resorts, Cattle Farms and even separate ethnic Settlements.
What we need is to reverse this destructive administration and do some thing different to lift the Nation as whole, to catch up with the 21st Century Living Standards..
Bottom line is, we need a Putin to rebuild the Nation after the Yeltsin Demolition which Dr Ranill has done to our Nation…
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Ajith / June 10, 2018
It is Mahinda mama who introduced large scale santhosams to keep his power. That iswhy there is no law & order & no justice system. He gave every one a ministerial post Santhosam to get Yes vote. He didn’t stop the Santhosam internally but extended upto UN personalities with big big Santhosam. That is what Mahinda did to this nation.
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shankar / June 9, 2018
“A front page lead of an English language newspaper (May 27th) disclosed that 40% of Colombo’s children are malnourished. “
dayan don’t you think that you have also contributed to this in a big way by supporting the tearing up of the banda chelva pact and now trying to tear up a potential sambandan sirisena pact.If the banda chelva pact had gone through do you think thre would be 40% malnutrition among children now.
The bhuddhist monks don’t look malnutritioned to me.In fact they look like hairy bears.
“Sri Lanka, beautiful and ideally located in the Indian Ocean, is in a position to become an economic hub for the entire region – a financial center and a safe haven for investment in a geopolitically turbulent part of the world. But this won’t happen by relying excessively on markets or underinvesting in public goods.”
yes,all that is okay ,but what do we do with these racists who won’t let the country come up.They will not allow national unity.Hmmmm.can we put them on 700 ships and set them adrift on the high seas.They get some people to write articles too.we can send those as ambassadors out of the country.As long as we have these racists in the country malnutrition will prevail.
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K.Pillai / June 9, 2018
Several commenters here point out that our standard of living is going down down down.
Ever wondered why Dayan?
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Ajith / June 10, 2018
The standard of living condition changes do not happen in one or two years. It is a result of accumulated effect of several years.Truely educated people understand this but unfortunatey this cannot be understand by blood thirsty people like Dayan.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / June 14, 2018
Hello Commenters You have all made some excellent and valuable contribution to (excluding those personal attacks) Dayan’s article. I am thinking how to capture all the valuable observations including Dayan’s thoughts and make it to a one comprehensive work useful to our Nation. Should we have grass root movement/a new political & a Nationalistic movement put Sri Lankan interest at heart and perhaps we can call this “One Lanka Movement and a Centre for Alternative Thinking”?. We could observe/correct/evaluate/due diligence work for GOSL respective departments as required? What are the channels available share the peoples thoughts on specialised subjects like economics as it is difficult for any average voters like me to grasp the implications of any economic policy making? or Dayan can use the information gathered here as a gauge of public opinion and discuss matters with the police makers as required?? Time to translate all our good thoughts into action list??? Until we do this all else may stay as is with no push for change??
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