Features
Character flaws cost lives the final presidential debate
Vijaya Chandrasoma
From 1993, the third week in October has in the United States been dedicated to National Character, a time to “highlight character education and the importance of modeling good character”.
Trump delivered a gem of a Proclamation of National Character Week in the first year of his presidency, in October, 2017. Some especially cynical extracts:
“Character can be hard to define, but we see it in everyday acts – raising and providing for a family with loving devotion, working hard to make the most of an education, and giving back to devastated communities.
“Character is forged around kitchen tables, built in civic organizations, and developed in houses of worship”.
In the three years of his presidency after this Proclamation, Trump has provided the perfect antithesis of the qualities of character he has described. What we see in his everyday acts are examples of pathological mendacity (20,000 lies in that period, according to the Washington Post), of self-serving and corruption, and of unbridled narcissism.
He has raised and provided not for just one family but three, and treated them all with his unique brand of betrayal. His loving family devotion has been displayed in his public exhibitions of lust for his own daughter, Ivanka, hinting at a penchant for the inbreeding traditions of his white-trash hillbilly supporters from the Deep South, who believe in “keeping it in the family”.
He has worked tirelessly to obtain an education which has won him the presidency, a supreme achievement for a man who paid others to take his examinations. His exemplary efforts to give back to devastated communities were illustrated in the humiliating lobbing of paper towels to a crowd of Puerto Ricans at a relief center in the hurricane ravaged U.S. territory.
He knows not the purpose of civic organizations never having participated in one; and rarely goes near a house of worship, except to stand in front of a church, holding aloft a Bible upside down, a display of hypocritical devotion for the benefit of his adoring evangelist base.
And his character has been forged not around kitchen tables and houses of worship, but in casinos, notorious Epstein-style orgies and bankruptcy courts.
Trump proclaimed October 18 – 24 as the National Character Counts week for 2020, with a speech proving beyond all doubt that his speechwriters continue to be blessed with a perverted sense of humor. Some extracts:
“The foundation of any free and virtuous society is the moral character of its people. Personal responsibility, integrity, and other values which define our unique American spirit underpin our system of self-government and inspire us to continue working toward a more perfect union….
“This week, as we continue to unite as one Nation to both defeat the virus and safely reopen our country, we are reminded of how far decency and compassion can go in helping others during times of great challenge and uncertainty….
“Throughout this week, we recommit to being more kind, loving, understanding and virtuous.”
Moral character. Personal responsibility. Integrity. Unity. Decency. Compassion. Kindness. Love. Helping others. Understanding and Virtue. These are arrows in Trump’s quiver of character singularly conspicuous only by their absence.
Trump has never taken personal responsibility for the countless blunders of his administration. He lies that he has done an incredible job in containing the virus, which he has downplayed from its inception. His desperate desire to keep the economy strong, which he conceives is his ticket to re-election, has taken precedence over the health of the people he has sworn to protect. Even today, he mocks people for taking preventive measures like wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding crowds – advice of leading epidemiologists in the world, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the U.S. National Institute of Health since the 1980s, who has served under six presidents, Democratic and Republican. Trump recently called this celebrated and world renowned epidemiologist a “disaster” and, “an idiot”. Talk about projection.
Amazingly, as Covid19 hospitalizations and fatalities are increasing in the US at exponential rates, Trump, at a rally in Nevada on Monday, ranted that “Sleepy Joe” will “listen to the science if he is elected”. Which is exactly what Biden has promised to do if he wins the presidency!
At a recent rally in Arizona, Trump mocked CNN, ranting, “You turn CNN on, that’s all they cover. Covid, Covid, pandemic, Covid, Covid, Covid….You know why? They’re trying to talk everybody out of voting. People are not buying it, CNN. You dumb bastards”.
In fact, the “dumb bastards” exhort voters, on an hourly basis during programs, to have their voices heard by voting. On the other hand, Trump tries to avoid all reference to Covid19, as his homicidal incompetence in the mismanagement of the virus is the single main reason he will be denied re-election. He continues to lie about the virus, saying it is “round the corner”, when it shows no sign of abatement. He has talked about the virus rounding the corner so often that he seems to be going round in circles! The reality is that the pandemic is showing a resurgence throughout the world, with infection and death rates at record levels.
The United States, with 4% of the population of the world, has suffered 25% of global fatalities caused by the pandemic. A Report from the Columbia University National Center for Disaster Preparedness, released on October 22, states “we estimate that at least 130,000 deaths and perhaps as many as 210,000 could have been avoided with earlier policy interventions and more robust federal coordination and leadership. The inability of the US to mitigate the pandemic is especially stark when contrasted with high income nations, such as South Korea, Japan, Australia, Germany, France and Canada”.
Following South Korea’s or Japan’s protocols and policies would have led to as few as 2,799 and 4,315 deaths, respectively, in the US, the Columbia team estimated. Stunning numbers, representing 97% to 99% deaths in the US which could have been saved. Over 200,000 avoidable deaths, to date, with competent leadership.
President Obama, the epitome of all the character traits required of the US Presidency, and still the most popular and admired man in the country, if not the world, weighed in at a Biden campaign rally in Philadelphia on Wednesday, the eve of the final presidential debate.
Obama gave an unprecedented, blistering, mocking rebuke of the incumbent president on the eve of the final presidential debate. He slammed Trump’s many character flaws, concentrating on his failure in his handling of the pandemic and healthcare, two issues most likely to defeat Trump in a landslide.
President Obama concluded a stirring speech, saying, “What Lincoln called the better angels of our nature, those are still with us….We see that what is best in us is still there, but we’ve got to give it a voice, and we have to do it now.
“We have 13 days…. until the most important election of our lifetimes. And if we pour all our efforts into these 13 days….then we will not only elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we will also leave no doubt about who we are as a people, and the values and ideals that we embrace.”
Personally, listening to an inspiring speech by a great president, after four years of the racist rantings of an ignorant narcissist, made me weep.
In yet another stunning pre-debate development, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawyers reported that the whereabouts of 545 children, separated from their parents at the Southern border and caged by the Trump administration, are unknown.
The final debate was held on Thursday, October 22 in Nashville, Tennessee, subject to a restriction imposed by the non-partisan Presidential Debates Commission: the debaters had their microphones muted while their opponent spoke. The moderator was the NBC White House correspondent, Kristen Welker. Both candidates had tested negative on the day. Audience members also tested negative before they were allowed into the auditorium.
Viewers were treated to a presidential face-off in stark contrast of the chaos of the first debate. Thanks mainly to the most professional control by Ms. Welker, the moderator who emerged as the star of the evening.
Republicans breathed a sigh of relief that their leader managed, against all odds, to behave like a human being. Though his lack of compassion when talking about 225,000 Americans killed by the virus, and the fate of 545 children separated from their parents while in the charge of US Immigration authorities, showed that he only just cleared the “human being” hurdle.
As expected, the US response to the Covid19, took center stage, and brought the comment of the night. When the President tried to defend his inexcusable response to the virus, basically shrugging off the fatalities, saying that Americans “will have to learn to live with the virus”, Vice President Biden retorted, “He says we are learning to live with it. We are learning to die with it”. Referring to the Coronavirus virus and the resultant death rate, which is many times higher than any other developing nation, Biden said, “Anyone who’s responsible for that many deaths should not remain as the president of the United States”.
When Trump was praising Republican states and slamming Democratic states, Biden said that he would be the president of all Americans, of the United States.
Trump entertained the audience with his hilarious perennials: that “he has done more for the blacks than Abraham Lincoln”, “he is the least racist person in the room”, “he will release his tax returns as soon as the audit is completed”, and the classic that “he has been tougher on Russia than any other president.” And when he tried to justify his failed relationship with North Korean strongman Kim Jong-un, calling him “a different kind of guy”, Biden retorted, “It’s like saying we had a good relationship with Hitler before he invaded Europe.”
Biden also scored points about Trump’s refusal to divulge details of his mythical healthcare plan after his Supreme Court repeals Obamacare and strips 20 million Americans of their healthcare.
Trump also had the audacity to allege that the Biden family was guilty of corruption, making money from Russia, Ukraine and China. Never has a glass house been so clearly in view!
The consensus was that Biden won the debate, perhaps not as resoundingly as he would have wished. It is also doubtful that the debate swayed the opinions of undecided American voters in any significant way.
Current opinion polls indicate that Joe Biden will win the presidency and drag America from the brink. If, however, Trump causes a major upset and wins re-election, this “harsh, horrifying, unwatchable fever dream will surely be the first line of America’s obituary.”
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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