Features
IS THIS THE BEST AMERICANS CAN DO?
A WELL-MEANING, ELDERLY 81-YEAR-OLD MAN OR A 77-YEAR-OLD CONVICTED RAPIST FACING 91 FELONIES?
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
The presidential election in November pits the oldest man ever to contest the US presidency against the second oldest, who is also the only convicted rapist in history to run for president, as his challenger. They are breaking, in terms of senility and criminality, electoral records they themselves set in 2020!
A contest for the toughest job in the world between one decent but stumbling old man and an extraordinarily flawed human being, both on the cusp of dementia. A contest that 75% of the American electorate, Republicans, Democrats and Independents, do not want.
The overwhelming consensus today is that President Biden and former President Trump will contest the presidency in November. I am going out on a limb by predicting that the storyline of the 2024 presidential election would have changed completely after the Republican and Democratic National Committee Conventions in July and August, respectively. These Conventions ultimately decide the nominees for the presidency of their respective parties in November.
The final presidential slate ends up with the two nominees of the Republican and Democratic Parties, and a couple of independent or minor party candidates. According to the archaic rules of the Electoral College, none of these minor party and independent candidates have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning the presidency. No Third Party or Independent candidate has won any Electoral College votes or made a difference to the results of any previous presidential election.
This might change in November, 2024. The increasing popularity today of Third Party and Independent candidates, made possible entirely by the vulnerability of the nominees from the two main Parties, may enable them to act as “spoilers”.
One of these independent candidates, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. may win some Electoral College votes, if only because of his legendary name. Although the Kennedy family, which has already endorsed President Biden, has disowned RFK Jr. because of his criminal past involving heroin use and controversial political agenda. Aother independent candidate, Professor Cornell West, who represents the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, may also win some Electoral College votes.
If these two candidates can somehow sneak in even a few Electoral College votes, they could deny the nominees of the two major parties from getting to the magic number of 270 such votes necessary to win the presidency outright in November. Unlikely, but within the realms of possibility.
Then the fun would really start.
The original, archaic intent behind the Electoral College is best described by elections expert, William C. Kimberling.
“The function of the College of Electors in choosing the president can be likened to that in the Roman Catholic Church of the College of Cardinals selecting the Pope. The original idea was for the most knowledgeable and informed individuals from each state to select the president based solely on merit and without regard to state of origin or political party”.
The conditions of this electoral system were included in the US constitution in 1787, when there were 13 “colonies” in the United States, an era when only white men were allowed the vote. An antiquity which should have been discarded a long time ago, to be replaced by the popular vote, the electoral process used not only in every other election in the United States, but in every election throughout the democratic world.
In the event that no candidate gets at least 270 Electoral College votes, the process becomes even more weird. The election of the president will be decided by the House of Representatives, with each state delegation having one vote. A majority of 26 states will be needed to win. It must be noted that a state like California, with an ethnically diverse population of 40 million, and Wyoming, with a predominantly white population of 700,000, will each have one vote.
The Senate will elect the vice-president, with one vote for each Senator (again with the population anomalies in states like California and Wyoming). A majority of 51 Senate votes will win the vice-presidency.
This wafer-thin majority in the House got even thinner after Democrat, Thomas Suozzi, convincingly won the special election in New York’s Third District, to replace George Santos, last Tuesday. Santos was the Republican congressman who was expelled for committing 21 felonies (a mere bagatelle, compared to Trump’s whopping 91), and a personal resume laced with lies even more hallucinatory than Trump’s.
Again, sans any candidate gaining a majority, the presidency and the vice-presidency will be elected by the new chambers of Congress elected in the general election in November. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 Senate seats are up for grabs in that election, after which the composition of both chambers would have undergone significant changes.
Last week, Special Counsel, Robert Hur, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate into the possibility of Biden misusing confidential documents during the period of his vice-presidency, concluded his report stating that, while there were no grounds to bring any criminal charges against President Biden, he was “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory”.
Biden and his staff were infuriated by this gratuitous description, an unprofessional opinion that had no relevance in an official report of a criminal investigation. Unfortunately, the press conference Biden held after the report was released changed the headline from his innocence of criminal charges against him and drew attention to the obvious fact of his age and poor memory, when he referred to Egyptian president Sisi as the President of Mexico!
The ravages of age fall gently in some, cruelly in others. Public perception is that Biden’s age is a disqualification, though the reality is that Trump’s mental processes are clearly unraveling and becoming more dangerous by the day.
When Biden decided to run in 2020, he said he would be acting as a “bridge”, which many Americans assumed meant that he would be a one-term president, who would bridge the gap between the criminal, authoritarian Trump administration to a return to normality and democracy. This he has achieved – in spades. But no one can deny that his physical and mental faculties have deteriorated, and will continue to so deteriorate. Especially if he is expected to perform the arduous functions of the presidency during a second term, which will end when he is 86 years old!
Much as I respect President Biden, I do hope he will retire with great honors before the Democratic National Convention in August. He will then pass the baton to the younger generation of leaders of the Democratic Party, who will be eminently capable of continuing the outstanding work he has done, and will also be strong enough to stave off the threat to democracy presented by Trump and the radical right wing of the Republican Party.
Trump faced three court decisions last week in his ongoing legal saga. The first was the Manhattan state hush money criminal case involving porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. Trump was charged with 34 counts related to the falsification of business records in a conspiracy to influence the 2016 election. An indictment which marked the first time in US history a former president was charged with a felony.
Judge Merchan of the New York District Court got straight to the point with a written ruling on Thursday: “Defendant’s motions to dismiss have been denied”, adding that the criminal trial will start on March 25, 2024.
Trump’s defiant objection after the ruling: “This is a case which will interfere with my election campaign to contest the presidency. Even if I am guilty, it’s not a crime”. In his unhinged mind, he is above the law.
The second was the Atlanta, Georgia election interference case, where Trump was accused, along with 18 co-defendants in an attempt to overturn the 2020 Georgia election loss to President Biden.
The Georgia judge had scheduled, also on Thursday, to discuss allegations by a Trump co-defendant that the Fulton County District Attorney, Fani Willis, and a top deputy had an improper romantic relationship and mishandled public funds, which would prejudice the final outcome of the election interference case.
The hearing is ongoing. The first day resulted in clashes involving District Attorney Willis and Trump’s counsel. The consensus was that the Judge will not disqualify D. A. Willis from prosecuting the case, because nothing that transpired at the hearing detracted from the actual charges of election interference against Trump and his co-defendants. But the victory would again belong to Trump, who would have achieved his main motive for bringing all these objections and counter-allegations, to distract and delay the cases against him till after the November election.
Trump was scheduled to face yet another, third judicial decision on Friday, February 16, in a case his guilt on financial fraud has already been established; the only decision would be the extent of damages he will be required to pay for his crimes. A number predicted at around $370 million, which, when added to the $85 million he was recently ordered to pay as damages for his sexual assault of E. Jean Carroll, could wipe out his already heavily collateralized business empire in New York. The bigger penalty will be that Trump will never again be allowed to do business in New York, and perhaps Trump Tower will soon be renamed the E. Jean Carroll Plaza!
Trump will have a full-time court schedule with trial dates in four jurisdictions and 91 felonies, which will leave him with little time to lie to his supporters at campaign rallies till the election in November.
Trump’s recent comments threatening to leave NATO and encouraging Russia “to do whatever the hell they want”, are in direct contravention of the founding principles of NATO, which specify that if one NATO member is attacked, it would be considered an act of aggression against all. This dangerously irresponsible statement is completely at odds with American security, and has caused anger and disgust in America, the majority of whose citizens recognize Putin’s Russia as the nation’s principal adversary.
This appalling statement has also angered America’s long-standing allies in NATO, who feel that Trump is giving Putin the license to invade other NATO member countries, which may hasten World War III.
Whatever the polls predict today, it is inconceivable that Americans, including moderate Republicans and independents, will vote for a criminal candidate who presents a clear and present danger to the rule of law and the democracy of the nation.
The November election will ultimately favor the leader of the political party who addresses the concerns of all American citizens. The Democrats have supporters espousing a wide variety of views, center right to progressive left, who are not afraid to voice their opinions, considered to be their prerogative by the Party.
On the other hand, the Republicans talk with just the one voice, the radical-right, Christian, white supremacist, authoritarian stance parroted by Trump-fearing supplicants. A voice that has always been all about Trump, never about the country, one that is getting exponentially unhinged and dictatorial with every passing tirade. Anyone who speaks against Trump’s dictatorial policies is immediately expelled, vilified and threatened.
In all these circumstances, it is by no means certain that the November 2024 presidential election will be, as everyone expects, a straight fight between these two flawed old men. One may retire gracefully, the other should be driven out in disgrace. Either or both of these events would present Americans with a much more vigorous and commonsense choice of leadership. A president whose prime concerns will be the preservation of democracy and the rule of law, and the welfare and security of the nation and the world.
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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