Features
It’s the Guns, Stupid
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
I have used a variance of the catchphrase, “It’s the Economy, Stupid”, which became the mantra of the successful Clinton presidential campaign in 1992, when the US was facing an economic recession during the presidency of George H.W. Bush. The slogan served to highlight and exploit one key issue in the minds of a majority of voters, the economic downturn, and make it the central point of the successful Clinton campaign.
In 2004, the central issue for the voters was the illegal, pre-emptive war against Iraq waged by the younger Bush. The Democrats did not exploit overwhelming opposition of the electorate against the US invasion of a sovereign nation. They failed to rally voters behind the strategic slogan, “It’s the War, Stupid”, out of a sense of misplaced patriotism, which probably cost them the presidency.
As the New York Times stated, “The Democratic leaders never united around a substantive alternative vision to the administration’s pre-emptive war against the thug of Baghdad. That isn’t patriotism, it’s abdication”.
The Democrats seem to be heading in the same direction in their preliminary campaigns for the 2022 midterms just five months away and the 2024 presidential election. Despite all the dangerous threats the nation faces today – the end to democracy, high inflation and the possibility of a recession, the Republican Supreme Court’s ruling to take away women’s rights to reproductive freedom, the one single issue is, and has been for years, the proliferation of military-style weapons and the resultant loss of 40,000 lives per year, especially the murder of toddlers.
After all, according to the National Rifle Association, the Republican Party and the huntin’, fishin’ cowboys of America, the dead have no need for rights and freedoms.
The current public hearings of the Bipartisan Committee presented overwhelming evidence that the insurrection was being planned by Trump and his closest “advisors” even before the presidential election, when the polls indicated that Trump would lose the election.
The first public hearing of the Committee laid the framework of Trump’s treasonous plan to cling to power, with an extensive propaganda campaign that the election was stolen from him. The Big Lie still believed by 50% of Republican voters, who refuse to trust the evidence of their own eyes.
The Deputy Chairman of the January 6 Committee, Republican Liz Cheney made an opening statement, considered to be one of the finest prosecutorial orations in recent times.
Towards the end of her speech, Cheney offered a stark warning to members of her party who continue to support former President Donald Trump and downplay the events of January 6. “Tonight I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonour will remain”.
Previously unheard and unseen evidence, from police and congressional witnesses, Trump’s previous associates and a video filmed by a documentarian, were made public during the televised hearings. They provided incontrovertible evidence of Trump’s treason, that Trump knew that the Big Lie was indeed a Big Lie, but still spread false propaganda in a desperate, seditious attempt to cling to power.
He defrauded his own supporters for funds to the tune of an estimated $250 million, in an ostensible appeal to fight non-existent “election fraud”. The Committee proved that these donations went straight into the personal coffers of Trump and his family, potentially a prosecutable federal crime of Mail Fraud.
During the second hearing, then Attorney General William Barr stated that he told Trump a few days after the election that there was no evidence of election fraud. He also said that “Trump was detached from reality” and his claim of election fraud was “bullshit”. Ivanka Trump, the former president’s daughter and his “chief adviser” was also present at this meeting. She confirmed under oath that Trump had accepted Barr’s findings and knew that he had lost the election. Predictably, Trump has now turned against his favourite lady.
These crimes have been long known to the public, but there is little hope that even the comprehensive evidence provided by the January 6 Committee will sway the entrenched minds of Trump supporters. They will continue to downplay four years of crimes while Trump was at the White House and his leading role in the January 6 insurrection. They still worship him, and their cult-like support will be shown at future elections. Whatever the crimes, including treason, that Trump has been proven to commit, his supporters will pretend to disbelieve, forgive, even ignore them as long as he keeps their dreams of white supremacy alive.
And there is no doubt that if Trump, or any of his closest associates are indicted for fomenting a coup that came very close to the destruction of American democracy, there will be widespread violence resembling another Civil War. Millions of white supremacists armed with military style weapons, who form the base of the Trump cult, will take to the streets in a nationwide insurrection to preserve the privileges of the white race. This threat of domestic terrorism and white supremacy which emerged during Trump’s presidency, may be brought to the boil, one way or another, perhaps even before the midterms in November.
The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 16, when the Committee will show evidence of the extreme pressure Trump put on Vice President Pence, ordering him to illegally overturn the votes of the Electoral College on January 6, an act against the Constitution. To his credit, Pence refused to succumb, even at the risk to his own life.
However, the monotonous regularity of the murder of 40,000 people per year, including little children, seems to be the current central issue. It is bad enough that there have been 228 mass shootings (defined so when four or more people are killed), including 27 school shootings this year. We are still in June.
We have witnessed the mutilation of children, between six and 10 years of age, and teachers who spent their lives on education. The worst were in Columbine, Colorado (1999), in Newtown, Connecticut (2014), in Parkland, Florida (2018), the last, two weeks ago in Uvalde, Texas. With hundreds of lesser school shootings sprinkled among these four major tragedies.
What sadistic cretin can still find excuses for the imposition of gun control regulations after the constant mutilation of innocent children? The answer is the NRA and their bought and paid for puppets in the Republican Party.
Where gun regulations are concerned, these corrupt Republican Congressmen do not represent the opinion of the vast majority of Americans, including moderate conservatives and independents.
Except for the five million members of the NRA, which include all Republican members of Congress, there is none who would not have been touched, saddened, even angered, at the speech made by actor Mathew McConaughey from the podium of the White House Press room, days after the Uvalde shooting. McConaughey grew up in Uvalde, Texas, his mother taught elementary school a mile away from the massacre. He still has friends and relations in that little town, and a shared grief in the tragedy.
In an impassioned speech lasting 21 minutes, McConaughey said, “we have an epidemic of indiscriminate mass shootings, of parents burying their children, of inaction. Buck passing to save the unnecessary loss of lives is not a partisan issue”.
He spoke tenderly of each of the little ones by name, talking of their individual dreams: of 10-year-old Alithia, whose dream was to attend art school in Paris and one day share her art with the world. Of nine-year old Maite, who dreamed of being a marine biologist. Maite wore green high top Converse (shoes) with a heart she had hand-drawn on the right toe. Green because they represented her love of nature. “Wore them every day. These are the same green Converse on her feet that turned out to be the only clear evidence of her identity after the shooting. How about that?”
One little girl explained, in pre-recorded testimony, that she had smeared her classmate’s blood on herself to play dead, and graphically described the moment the gunman shot her teacher in the head. What wonderful childhood memories she will carry the rest of her life?
According to Dr. Roy Guerrero, a Paediatrician who testified in Uvalde, “Two children whose bodies had been pulverized by bullets fired at them, decapitated, with their flesh ripped apart. The only clues to their identities were their blood-splattered cartoon clothes still clinging to them, clinging for life and finding none”. How about that?
The reconstruction of these little bodies was beyond the expertise of morticians’ cosmetologists, whose job was to beautify corpses for public viewing at funerals. An impossible task for these mutilated little bodies. How about that?
“This moment is different. We’re in a moment of opportunity that we have not been in before, a window of opportunity where real change can happen. So while we honour and acknowledge the victims, we need to recognize that this time it seems something is different. There is a sense that perhaps there is a viable path forward. Responsible parties in this debate seem to at least be committed to sitting down and having a real conversation about a new and improved path forward – a path that can bring us closer and make us safer as a country, a path that can actually get something done this time”, concluded McConaughey.
This time may be different, even to a minimal extent. A bipartisan group of Republican and Democratic Senators are trying to find common ground. Whatever they come up with will be unlikely to involve any sweeping reforms.
The reforms under discussion – mental health, improving school safety and support for children and ensuring that those who are adjudicated as mentally ill cannot purchase assault rifles – fall far short of the serious action that needs to be taken to significantly diminish gun violence – increase of the age of those allowed to purchase guns to 21, universal background checks, waiting periods, mental health and red flag laws, a total ban on military style assault rifles, the weapon of choice of most mass murderers.
On Thursday, more than 220 CEOs of major companies – all contributors to Republican campaigns, called on the Senate to take “immediate action” to reduce gun violence following the spate of recent shooting deaths.
These business leaders wrote, “Taken together, the gun violence epidemic represents a public health crisis that continues to devastate communities – especially Black and Brown communities – and harm our national economy”.
In my opinion, if more meaningful steps are not taken to curb gun violence and the massacre of little children, those politicians who prefer to hide these tragedies under an avalanche of thoughts and prayers and nothing else, will be routed in any future election.
America is at the tipping point on the threats to many freedoms – women’s, LGBTQ and civil rights, voting rights, police reform, inflation, recession – and democracy itself. In spite of this, the central issue in any future election will be gun control, until stringent regulations are enacted capable of finally lowering gun deaths to levels enjoyed by every other advanced nation.
Today, the economy is the central issue, the main concern amongst 48% of the electorate; gun violence is a distant second, at 17%.
However, inflation and economic downturns are global and temporary. Gun violence is American are permanent. My thoughts and prayers go to the men and women who will realize that that the lives of our little children are more important than the price of gas, as they go to the polls in November.
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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