Features
30% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE TRUMP WAS SENT BY GOD
THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF JANUARY 6, 2021 INSURRECTION/TOURIST VISIT/FAMILY PICNIC
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
Donald Trump held a “Commit to Caucus Rally”, in Newton, Ohio yesterday, to memorialize the third anniversary of the failed Stop the Steal assault on the Capitol by his white supremacist supporters on January 6, 2021.
An in-depth report from the Economist cites a survey conducted by Denison University political scientist Paul Djupe, that around 30% of Americans believe that Trump was sent by God to save America.
According to white Evangelicals, God had played a part in the election of all past US presidents, except for President Obama, who was a Satan appointee. Americans believed that God had specifically chosen Trump for the presidency in 2016, because he seemed to be the perfect choice to guide His thrice-blessed nation to its manifest destiny of a white Christian haven. However, He appears to have made a divine miscalculation in his choice of Trump, who has proved to be a whining loser since 2020.
Or have we been unable to comprehend the ultimate divine wisdom of God’s Plan? Only time will tell.
The violence unfolding during the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol, as seen live on TV by everyone whose eyes were connected to their brains instead of Trump’s ass, was a savage insurrection of white supremacists, wearing horned headdress and Trump T-shirts, carrying confederate and TRUMP flags. Terrorists threatening to hang Vice-President Pence, having already built a gallows for the purpose on the premises, to kill Speaker Pelosi and all the lawmakers the mob was able to get their hands on.
A riot that resulted in five deaths and hundreds of injuries; millions of dollars’ damage to the Capitol, the seat of the nation’s government and one of its most iconic buildings; and the arrest, conviction and imprisonment of more than 1,100 rioters, most of whose defense was that they had been incited to attack the Capitol by Trump.
The week after the insurrection was repulsed, Senior Republicans, whose very lives had been threatened, had a vivid memory of the violence of that terrible day. They accused Trump, from the floor of the Congress, of inciting the brutal insurrection to prevent the constitutional transfer of power to President-elect Biden. They demanded accountability from Trump in the face of his evident guilt of incitement to violence. Those who so excoriated Trump included then Republican Senate and House leaders, Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy, current Speaker, Mike Johnson, Senator Leslie Graham and several other prominent Republicans.
Then the recollections of these craven Republicans had a miraculous transformation of memory.
They became terrified that their public opposition to Trump and his base, attacking him for his treason on January 6, may cost them what is most dear to their hearts – re-election. Their commitment to the truth, their oath to uphold the Constitution, be damned.
The current whitewashed recollections of the January 6 insurrections are best described by Republican Congressman Andrew Clyde: “Watching the TV footage of those who entered the Capitol and walked through Statuary Hall showed people in an orderly fashion staying between the stanchions and ropes and taking videos and pictures”.
Trump has since been found guilty of sedition for incitement to an insurrection against the United States after a year-long Congressional inquiry. He has also been indicted, arrested and on bail on four indictments and 91 felonies, including sedition, espionage and obstruction of justice, inter alia, in four separate jurisdictions.
The aftermath of the January 6 events has not brought the action immediately expected of any civilized country governed by the Rule of Law – the swift prosecution and imprisonment of all those responsible for an act of treason against a legally elected government.
The outcome in the USA has been the complete opposite. The former president, the leader of the insurrection to overthrow a legally elected government and to cling to power, walks free three years later, disgraced, impeached, indicted, arrested and on bail on 91 felonies, but still free. Free to spew his vitriolic, Hitler-like rants before adoring crowds of white supremacist neo-Nazis. Incredibly, this vulgar criminal remains a primary candidate to win re-election of the presidency, which he attempted to violently overturn in 2021, come November 2024.
A significant part of the nation has been corrupted by this white supremacist maniac, who will keep on fanning the racist flames while he keeps on pouring gasoline to keep them afire. A strategy which seems to be working, bringing to the surface the vast majority of white supremacists in fear of losing their white privilege with the invasion of brown-skinned vermin. Hitler may have failed, but his anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant white supremacist movement has been reborn throughout the western world, very much so in the greatest democracy the world has seen, the United States of America.
The corrupt, six/three Rublican majority Supreme Court of the United States was scheduled to rule, on January 5, 2024, on the extent of immunity available to a sitting president from prosecution for any crime committed during his incumbency.
This is a ruling that could enable any future president, who, having lost the election, could go berserk, commit any crime, including an attempt to topple the government, during his Lame Duck period – the 12-week period between the day of his defeat at the November election and the Inauguration of the President-elect on January 20 the following year. Over 12 weeks with the awesome powers of the presidency, in spite of having been roundly rejected by the electorate, with total immunity for any crimes committed throughout the term of presidency.
These changes represent a total repudiation of the original reason for the Revolutionary War (1775-83), when patriots in the original 13 colonies waged war against the cruel yoke of King George III of Great Britain, resulting in the formation of an independent American nation.
The American Revolution was waged against the rule of a foreign monarchy. And the Constitution of the new and independent nation was drafted as “The Great Experiment of Democracy”.
The presidency of Donald Trump has highlighted the obvious flaws in this Great Experiment, especially a total lack of public confidence in its elections, the cornerstone of any vibrant Democracy.
Perhaps the time is ripe, as suggested by Trump and his cult, to terminate an outdated Constitution, replace it with the Bible and establish an alternate form of government more in keeping with the nation’s white Christian traditions, especially in the face of an insidious invasion of brown-skinned immigrants.
Perhaps the United States is ready to maintain its status of white supremacy, for a system of government with a King, beholden not to the rule of earthly law but to the heavenly commandments of the Christian God. A Monarch of the home-grown variety, the head of a form of divine government of white Christians, devoid of petty restrictions like free speech and press, environmental protections, term limits, even the rule of law.
Much like the ancient British House of Windsor, America will have its own Orange Dynasty of Trump. After the job of Making America Great Again, Americans can rename their nation “Great America”, and change their national anthem to “God Save The Donald”, with appropriate lyrics; to be performed at the coronation of King Donald I by the January 6 Jailhouse Choir, sung in the background of Trump taking the Oath of Allegiance, waving an upside down Bible he has never read.
Post-Trump Republicans have become most adept at rewriting the history of the nation, especially whitewashing its history of genocide, slavery and the current infestation of immigrants. We are all aware of Trump’s conviction that brown-skinned immigrants, vermin who poison the blood of white people, are the cause of all that ails the nation – crime, drug addiction, murder and rape, which Trump will eradicate by closing the nation’s borders and enforcing mass deportation of all illegal immigrants. Hitler’s concept of the Final Solution is also not off Trump’s table.
Trump’s two leading rivals for the Republican nomination, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, have their own uniquely imaginative versions of the nation’s chequered and violent past. They had both been tiptoeing around Trump’s criminal past, and have only during the past week have been criticizing Trump on his indictments and 91 felonies. If they were serious opponents, they should have been shouting about these serious criminal charges from the rooftops, right from the beginning of their presidential campaigns,
They both seem to be either playing for the VP spot (Haley), 2028 or more likely, the hope that the Trump candidature will implode and burst into criminal flames.
During the 11 months left before the election, Trump will have a busy schedule. Besides running a presidential election campaign, he will have to present himself in court in four jurisdictions to defend himself on 91 serious felonies. An impossible schedule, which, with the help of a compliant Supreme Court, will enable him to delay a conviction, which is the real victory he is seeking. If he wins re-election, as seems likely now, all these criminal trials would automatically disappear, by self-pardon or dismissal.
Unless President Biden (whose current approval ratings in the polls are in the low 30s and is losing to Trump or any other Republican candidate by significant margins, if the presidential election were held today) and the Democratic Party make a startling comeback, King Donald I will be primed to destroy America’s Great Experiment of Democracy, come January 2025.
So I have a question for Republican Trumpers, which has baffled me over the years. Trump has always whined that every charge against him is a part of the greatest witch hunt in history, that he has committed no crime, and to use his own words, he is “the most innocent man in history”.
Seeing as he has been indicted and facing trial on several counts of sedition, obstruction of justice and espionage perhaps leading to treason, these protests come without a vestige of proof of his innocence.
Even Section 3, Amendment 14 of the Constitution specifies that Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president for inciting, and providing aid and comfort, to insurrectionists, just as surely as he would be disqualified if he were 25 years old and born in Sri Lanka.
If he is so innocent, why does he keep on insulting and threatening the lives of those who criticize him, why does he vilify his judges and prosecutors as partisan fascists and leftists, out to imprison him on purely political grounds?
If he is so innocent, that the Constitution itself is unconstitutional and should be “terminated”, then why has his legal strategy over 40 years of criminal acts always been to deny, distract and delay, never to provide proof?
If his innocence was so self-evident, then wouldn’t he and his Republican supporters want this proven in a court of law as quickly as possible, so that he can face the electorate with an unblemished reputation? Obviously a rhetorical question.
However, I do agree with the 30% of Americans who believe that God sent Trump to America. However, white Americans may have miscalculated the real motive behind God’s decision, their belief is that Trump was sent to save white America.
My belief is that God’s real plan to send Trump to America was to punish Americans for all the carnage, genocide, slavery, racism and crimes they have committed in the past, often in His name. A divine motive far more in keeping with the final plan of an all-knowing, all-merciful God.
Trump is God’s retribution.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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