Features
Trump posts fake news about “the creation of a ‘Unified Reich’
A second Supreme Court judge defies the Constitution, flies flags of Fascism
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
Last Monday, Trump posted a 30-second video on his Truth Social network which had a vision of himself speaking at a campaign rally, with a fake newspaper in the background, flaunting eye-catching 60-point-font bold headlines to grab the reader’s attention:
TRUMP WINS! ECONOMY BOOMS! WHAT’S NEXT FOR AMERICA?
THE CREATION OF A UNIFIED REICH
This header was followed by the summary of a series of articles, stolen from Nazi propaganda, praising German industrial strength and production which had significantly improved after 1871, with the creation by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, of the Erstes Reich, (First Reich). A unified German empire, which brought about German prosperity made possible by the closing of its borders and the deportation of 15 million illegal aliens and Jews, vermin who were poisoning the blood of Germany. Policies perfectly emulated by Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich in the 1930s.
Trump argued that the video echoed his policies after his resumption of the presidency in 2025, which will bring about peace and prosperity to America. The video was removed after two hours, probably on advice of an oxymoron extension of “moderate Nazis”.
President Biden, commenting on the video, said “A Unified Reich? That’s not the language of an American president, that’s not the language of any American. It’s the language of Hitler’s Germany”. As White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre said, “it is abhorrent, sickening and disgraceful to promote contents associated with Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler”.
And it’s not as if Trump’s use of this fascist language has been a rare occurrence. His admiration of ruthless dictators like Putin and Xi Jinping pathetically resonates his manic, narcissistic greed for power. The video echoes Trump’s rhetoric on how he is going to rule the country if he wins a second term. And some Americans will vote for him, though they are completely aware, even approve, of this likely Hitlerian prognosis.
I have long been trying to figure out how 74 million Americans voted for Trump in 2020 after his dismal first term, which brought America to its moral, medical and economic knees, and ruined the reputation of a nation which, under President Obama, hitherto had the admiration of the world. And how on earth he is currently leading in the polls, after conviction of sexual assault and financial fraud, in debt for court-imposed damages of $500 million, and currently awaiting the verdict of a criminal trial for election fraud and making illegal hush-money payments to a porn star.
This is not to forget three far more serious criminal indictments he has been arrested on 91 felonies, on charges of obstruction of justice, sedition and espionage. Trials which he has, by means of a ridiculously dilatory judicial system and the most corrupt Supreme Court in the nation’s history, manipulated to delay until after the November election. Charges which, if he wins re-election, will be dismissed – by him, as the first dictator of the USA.
As I keep writing, this is a mystery for the ages.
Apart from the corruption and pro-Trump bias already shown by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginny, the New York Times has recently revealed instances of such bias displayed by another Justice, Samuel Alito.
Thomas accepted bribes of luxury vacations and the gift of a home for his mother from a Republican billionaire donor, while his wife took an active part in inciting the insurrection of January 6, 2021, pleading with then Trump Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, to do his utmost to ensure the illegal nullification of the November 2020 election, which Trump lost to President Biden by over 70 Electoral College votes and seven million popular votes.
A recent New York Times article states that the US flag was flown upside down, a symbol of Trump MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, outside the Virginia home of Justice Alito, for weeks after the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Another provocative “Appeal to Heaven” flag, a MAGA symbol calling for a Christian Jihad, a holy war for the establishment of a Christian government in the USA, completely at odds with the US constitution’s principle of the separation of church and state, was also aloft at Alito’s beach house in New Jersey. No explanation has been given by Justice Alito for actions which clearly display his political and religious biases.
US Supreme Court Justices are supposed not only to be above reproach, but like Caesar’s wife, give the appearance of being above reproach. Unlike every other court in the nation, the Supreme Court does not have an established Code of Ethics. The Justices of the Supreme Court are supposed to self-police their own ethical behavior.
Senior Democratic Senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin (Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee), does not agree. He states, “The court should have a Code of Conduct with clear and enforceable rules so both Justices and the American people know when conduct crosses the line. The highest court of the land should not have the lowest ethical standards”.
Justices Thomas and Alito have confirmed the wisdom of Senator Durbin’s contention by breaking not only the fundamental codes of ethics with impunity, but even the law of the land. They have already proved their biases in the Trump’s immunity case, where they have submitted their opinions that the former president is immune from prosecution even had he ordered the military assassination of a political rival. A preposterous opinion essentially disparate from the Rule of Law, and the internationally accepted concept that no one, not even the President of the United States, is above the law. The final Supreme Court verdict on this immunity case is scheduled to be delivered in June, and the opinions of Thomas and Alito are expected to be in the minority.
The venal corruption and political biases of these two Justices have reduced public approval of the present Supreme Court to its lowest levels in the nation’s history. An anomaly, with a 6/3 Conservative, Christian majority, which will continue for decades, considering the ages of many of the current Justices.
What is Trump’s secret? He does not have the charisma and the oratorical gift of a Kennedy, the humility and compassion of a Carter, the charm of a Clinton or the integrity and brilliance of an Obama. On the contrary, he is the most vulgar, vainglorious, ignorant power-hungry president in history, and as the former Republican Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, Geoff Duncan said at a recent interview, “Trump has the moral compass of an axe murderer”.
So perhaps the polls are completely lopsided, considering the fact that Trump has not won a single national election since 2016. He won that election by illegal means, according to the ongoing hush-money trial of breaches of campaign finance law in 2016, of which he is patently guilty. A verdict on this trial will be delivered after closing arguments next week, which is certain to result in a conviction or a hung jury, with minimal chance of an acquittal, based on opinions of legal scholars after due consideration of the evidence provided at the trial.
The tragedy is that whatever the verdict – acquittal, mistrial or conviction – will be Trumpeted as a victory, and Trump will be able to raise funds from his base, either as a martyr if convicted, or as the innocent victim of a witch-hunt in the event of a mistrial or an acquittal. His poll numbers will likely rise, whatever happens.
As an extension to the continuing Republican strategy of election denial, Trump, his Vice-Presidential aspirants like Speaker Mike Johnson, Senators Marco Rubio, Tim Scott and Ted Cruz, Representative Byron Donalds, and other leading Republicans refused, at recent public interviews, to answer a simple yes/no question: Would they accept the results of the 2024 presidential election? They all prevaricated, with various equivocal answers.
So win or lose, Trump has already had a major success. He has undermined public confidence in free and fair elections, the cornerstone of a vibrant democracy. And the end game of this strategy of election doubt/denial is violence.
My personal theory is that Trump’s fascist policies represent the death throes of a large minority of Americans of white, European heritage, who have collectively and exclusively “inherited” and enjoyed the enormous wealth of a nation incredibly awash with natural resources. Who have exploited the labor and talents of those black and multi-colored immigrants, some coerced into slavery, others seeking a better life, the “American Dream”, for over four centuries. These slaves and immigrants, with their free and cheap labor, with their diverse talents, created the greatest, wealthiest economic and military powerhouse in the world’s history.
An impure and alien dark-skinned population, they are necessary no longer. Indeed, they are now a burden, they represent a threat to the white supremacist, Christian way of life, and interfere in their continuing and exclusive enjoyment of the vast wealth of the richest country in the world.
I was led to compare the behavior of some these white Americans to that of Lemmings, who are supposed to commit mass suicide periodically by jumping off seaside cliffs. I have since learnt that this is a myth, that Lemmings do not commit suicide. So why is this myth of mass Lemming suicide still widely believed and used as a metaphor for human behavior, when someone who blindly follows a crowd – even towards catastrophe – is still called a Lemming?
The most logical reason for the persistence of this fraudulent myth is the wide coverage of the 1958 Disney movie, White Wilderness, which filmed a death plunge of dozens of these creatures off a cliff. These images served to dramatize the cruelty of nature when Lemmings – and human beings – are forced by circumstances to destroy themselves when faced with situations and conditions considered, by themselves, untenable and impossible under which to exist.
For Lemmings, the untenable situation was supposed to be overpopulation. For white-supremacist Americans, such untenable conditions arose when the way of life and privileges they have enjoyed for centuries are being threatened. As they will be, when they are outnumbered by those colored immigrants of impure blood by 2050.
Democracy is not working for these white American Lemmings. They would rather destroy themselves with Trump’s totalitarian policies, even his extreme, Nazi style Final Solution, with the aforementioned creation of a Unified White Reich, than live in a nation defiled, in their perverted minds, by Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. Policies that will surely destroy them, just as Hitler’s policies destroyed that madman and the Nazis.
I am confident that the majority of Americans will not be stupidly suicidal enough to force all Americans down that mythical cliff leading to the dreaded White Wilderness 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 . )
