Them vs Us

Recently, I have seen some whinges emanating from the Pearl about the so-called rich countries hoarding large stocks of vaccines and not giving them to the disease-ridden third world. There are two ways of looking at this. Why on earth should the countries, holding large stocks of vaccines; regardless of how they have got hold of them, part with them to countries that due to the lack of foresight, planning and discipline have fallen into a state of utter chaos? Of course, the other side of that argument is that those countries ridden with chaos are such due to the mayhem caused in them and their very social fabric by colonialism and the blatant robbery and destruction caused by it. However, we have had around seven decades to rectify the damage caused by colonialism and they have had seven decades to spend the money they robbed. Who has come off better?

Of course, we all know about the slaughter and destruction that is happening in Palestine and the West Bank of Gaza. Now, the reasons for this latest outbreak and who started it are up for debate. There ALWAYS are two sides to a story and unfortunately in today’s world the more powerful (read as rich) country, usually gets their marketing forces into play earlier with a larger budget and succeeds in establish their perfect credentials and absolute innocence with regard to the perpetration of the outrage. Has Israel gone too far this time? The merciless destruction and even taking on a press building belonging to Al Jazeera the most popular news network in the region may prove too much for that country populated by a race of people who have attracted more than their fair share of hate over the centuries of human habitation. Again, one wonders about the two sides of every story and the rich being able to re-write the history of the world to suit them. After all, one once-powerful country, if it had been able to propagate the Third Reich, would have written the history of the world differently! Remember even the most powerful man in the world was dethroned by the all-powerful fourth estate of America and the world. The attack on Al Jazeera may be the “last straw that broke the donkey’s back”. Maybe, just maybe, even the might of Israel is worried that Al Jazeera may be able to sow some seeds of discord among the implicit believers of the Western world who have been conditioned to think that the “persecuted” Jews are innocent and can do no harm and that then ONLY attack in self-defence! To kill women and children and systematically destroy buildings that are occupied and in use; wasn’t that called terrorism at one stage?

Are the true colours of the human race coming out once again?! If you have money to buy up all available resources and keep them for yourself and may the Devil, take the hindmost. If you can brainwash the majority of the world into thinking that you represent the forces of good against the barbaric, uncivilised rabble that THEY are made up of, destroy them for the greater good of the world. Chilling, real and repeated so many times throughout history. Back to our beloved Pearl, I am told the Asgiriya Theravada Buddhist monastery has asked that their monks be vaccinated on a priority basis, in a country that has run out of vaccines. Now, unless those monks are volunteering to be guinea pigs for the more obscure and untried versions of the vaccine and thereby do a favour to the other inhabitants of the country and establish if they can survive these vaccines, what right do they have, as those who have given up all worldly needs and wants to demand priority? Maybe, they should volunteer to try the different combinations of the vaccine as we seem to have run out of enough of the same kind to give the requisite two doses. This is just another example of how wrong we have got the practice of the Dhamma as preached by the enlightened one. It is Them vs Us even when it comes to those entrusted with spreading knowledge for the betterment of the human race. On that subject, there is some debate as to what should be done to ‘celebrate’, it really should be commemorated, the thrice-blessed day of the Vesak full moon. It is obvious, isn’t it? Practise the Dhamma in its purest form. Stay at home and observe the 10 precepts or at least eight of them and indulge in meditation, use the national TV networks and mass media to bring the only form of the Dhamma that should be practised, (my opinion) into the homes of the majority of the country who profess to be believers. It can do no harm as I can tell with certainty that the majority of the male Buddhist population of the Pearl have never done anything except perfunctorily mutter five of the precepts during obligatory Pirith ceremonies in their households. Furthermore, it will help to propagate the penchant for brainwashing that seems to be a characteristic of the current regime.

In conclusion, I have noted with dismay, that the leader of the main opposition party has recruited, (assuming that he is able to make his own decisions), a self-declared hater of Ranil Wickremesinghe as his foreign affairs advisor! Definitely, a person such as the current leader of the opposition needs advice on foreign affairs, among most other things, but his choice is a clear indication that the values of this so-called breakaway of the UNP have absolutely no semblance to those of the UNP and all it has stood for over the decades. So, for all of you who switched sides politically and also voted for this mob, your justifications which were on thin ice anyway, have now fallen into freezing water!

Unfortunately, it seems that “US”, if it is taken to mean those who stand for good, righteousness, kindness, humility, and clear thinking are a bunch destined for extinction and THEM who destroyed the Dodo, the Sabre-Toothed Tiger, the Mammoth, the Passenger pigeon and most of our planet will prevail, with only Covid-19 and any future such forms of the disease, to try and win the battle of THEM vs US! Rather sad that we (US) have to be compared to a viral disease that is decimating the human race, oh how the values of this world have changed!