On building Pleasure Gardens and austerity measures

The kings of old built pleasure gardens for their own use and amusement. The exact purpose they served is not certain but were probably used for hunting, games and ceremonial purposes. King Wickramabahu III was apparently the first monarch associated with gardens when he built one in 1371. Later ones followed suite.

Under the evil colonials such great traditions died out but what joy filled my heart when I read that these were to be resurrected, in the very city of the colonials. What better way to teach those foreign devils a lesson? 

More soberly, a smaller story  announced new austerity measures. 

We live in hard times and the yawning budget deficit has necessitated a tightening of the screws (or is it thumbscrews?)

The all-round austerity measures also include further curbing public expenditure while increasing taxes and reducing subsidies or doing both. This came as debt servicing costs rose by three per cent more than state revenue, a senior government official told the Sunday Times. If the new measures were not resorted to, the Treasury would be forced to go for more borrowings to cover government expenditure which would then lead to more debt servicing, the official added.  

Purely from an economic point of view, cutting expenditure on one side, increasing it on another side; to finance the Pleasure Garden, serves little purpose.

In economic terms all that is happening is a reallocation of resources; presumably from areas of low priority to those of greater importance.

Apart from the priorities, there are other questions that come to mind. Why is the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority doing this? It has nothing to do with its function or responsibilities. Are gardners or architects in charge of the TRC?

No, the answer is that the TRC has an increasingly scarce resouce: some spare money. Instead of contributing this towards bridging the existing deficit they instead choose to spend it on a project. Why so?

Because the spending enables the building contractor to make money. Funding the deficit will bring no joy to the rulers (although it may bring some relief to the people) but new expenditure opens new possibilities for personal enrichment and gratification.

Moreover the spending need not be restricted to the funds actually available at the TRC, the TRC can also borrow. The advatage that this offers is that such debt is not recorded as Government debt.

Thus the Government can claim that the debt to GDP ratio (a measure of the sustainability of Government debt) is declining, while actually increasing its borrowings. This is something that the rating agencies have warned about, although all the implications of this may have been missed by the public-at-large. Naturally such grim warnings are viewed as being the work of spoilsports, attempting to ruin the party, so it drew a sharp rebuke from the Central Bank.

Anyway, the path to reclaiming our ancient glory is clear, all one need do is discard the colonial mindset and assume one from some long dead king. This is evident here.

While we await the Pleasure Gardens in Colombo we can visit the one built in Mirijjawila in the Hambantota district. I have not seen it yet, would someone who has visited share a few pictures?

Manthri.lk : an attempt to measure the contribution of MP's

Do you know what an MP does? How much does he/she contribute to parliament? Is there some way of measuring what the person you voted for is actually doing?

These are basic questions that the average citizen should ask.

Manthri.lk, a website that was launched today, takes a small step towards attempting to analyse the contribution of MP's in their legislative function. It takes data from the official parliamentary record (the Hansard) and analyses it to see how often MP's have contributed to debates.

This is only a small step towards holding MP's to account but it is one in the right direction and which could be extended to include other information.

The organisation will be happy to publish the Asset Declarations of any MP who cares to submit it to them. (These may be obtained by members of the public on the payment of a fee of Rs.500/-. Citizens are encouraged to use this facility and forward the declarations to Manthri.lk who will publish any that it obtains).

One member of the audience suggested that attendance at Parliamentary sittings be also published as there are widespread allegations that MP's only turn up in Parliament when they have nothing else to do. Parliament is sometimes adjourned for lack of a quorum.

Another audience suggestion that the cost of maintaining an MP - his salary, the costs of his staff, office, vehicles, security etc be also published. This would be extremely useful in deciding on the cost-effectiveness of MP's but the organisers said that this information was impossible to obtain.

Is this not a valid question for a member to ask? If British taxpayers know what it costs to maintain the Queen, should we not have the right to know how much our MP's cost? Why has no one asked this question? Is it that even the opposition MP's are quite happy to enjoy the luxuries that come with the job, luxuries that they would be rather uncomfortable disclosing to their constituents?

Will one bold MP dare ask this question? Or care to give an estimated figure for his own costs?

Perhaps we need legilation like the New Zealand Civil List Act which compels that this information be made public?

There was a suggestion that a blog linked to this website be started, allowing members of the public to post questions and opinions on relevant matters.

All in all a very interesting idea and one that is worth trying to develop.  
 

Fonterra, Out!

Thus spake the Lakmawa Diyaniyo, supposedly an ally of National Freedom Front (NFF). The NFF is lead by the irrepressible Wimal Weerawansa, who basically does what the rulers want done but don't want to do themselves.

It seems that Wimal Weerawansa's antics have been observed, so Hey presto! out springs another front.

The CIA coined the term Plausible Deniability to describe the withholding of information from senior officials in order to protect them from repercussions in the event that illegal or unpopular activities by the CIA became public knowledge.

In Sri Lanka we have improved on this and created Complete Deniability; where puppets who are portrayed as clowns carry out the strict orders of their masters.

The reputation for buffoonery is no accident; it is a carefully cultivated deception which enables the regime to laugh off incidents and events in public while sending a message to their victims.

Very clever indeed.

Apart from anything else, the Fonterra exercise presents an excellent opportunity to distract attention from the Welliveriya incident. This however is not the prime motive; the real target is the huge value of the business that Fonterra runs.

Getting rid of a big competitor will allow opportunity for state-owned businesses to profit; profits which can then be siphoned off. It may also present opportunities for a few cronies to set up "local" businesses to "help" local people, while gouging the consumer and lining their pockets.

In the meantime there is untold damage being done to various businesses including printing and packaging (Anchor keeps one or two of the 6-7 big printers going, not to mention the manufacturers of foil packs), advertising and media (one of their biggest customers), wholesale and retail trade (who rely on a few major products to cover their overheads). 

A few weeks ago it was Dipped Products that was pushed overboard. They may or may not have been responsible for the pollution but by allowing the crisis to explode and then looking for a quick fix was the worst of all solutions for all concerned. The problem is still unknown and far from fixed but has disrupted production and frightened customers.

A few weeks later, and with much more sinister motives, Foterra has been targeted.

The next time some idiot tells me that this Government is very business friendly is going to get thumped.

Growth? The only growth is in the Government expenditure and the egos of those who cook the statistics.

Poya joys

A clear, moonlit night is such a joy to observe. There is a stillness, a tranquility, so far removed from the hurley burley and the stresses of daily life.

Just sit back and observe; the stars twinkling, wisps of clouds being blown across the sky, the gentle, cool night time breeze.

I have been too preoccupied with politics of late; I always was but it seems to have grown ever larger. I think its the sheer ugliness of the thing that binds me, a wierd fascination of the grotesque.

I must blame Mr Lee Kuan Yew, his books transformed my thinking and led me to look at economics and politics in quite a different way. It was fascinating, sometimes entertaining but developments in the last few years have been depressing, even shocking.

It has poisoned my mind, blunted my thoughts and robbed me of spirit.

I need to spend more time gazing at the stars.

The rise of the Hitler myth and Goebbels' principles of propaganda

I came across some interesting articles on how the myth of Hitler was sustained and the principles on which Goebbels based his propaganda. Both would be of professional interest to people in marketing.

To citizens they present a useful template against which to judge what is emanating from the local media, especially after a call from the Chief of Defence Staff to the media to protect the image of the army.

For almost a decade after 1933, Hitler enjoyed a remarkable degree of popularity among the great majority of the German people. However dramatic and spectacular his political career, concentration on Hitler's character and personality – in some respects bizarre, in others downright mediocre and wholly unpleasant – can nevertheless do little to explain the magnetism of his popular appeal. Nor can his extraordinary impact on the German people in these years be accounted for satisfactorily by seeing in Hitler's personal Weltanschauung (notably in his obsessions with the 'Jewish Question' and with Lebensraum) a mirror image of the motivation of Nazism's mass following. Recent research has done much to qualify such assumptions, suggesting too that even deep into the period of the dictatorship itself Hitler's own ideological fixations had more of a symbolic than concrete meaning for most Nazi supporters. (emphasis mine).


What seems necessary, therefore, is an examination not of Hitler's personality, but of his popular image – how the German people saw their leader: the 'Hitler Myth'.(Sourced from here)

 According to the article, the principles in building the myth were:

1. Built on herioc notions of leadership, a Superman of sorts. The man who did what no other leader did before.
2.  A 'peoples leader' who embodying strength and vitality would crush internal enemies and win greatness and empire for a people 'without a living space'.
3. The extreme glorification of military values promoted the extension and partial transformation of 'heroic' leadership images.
4. After the end of the old political order, ideal leadership was envisaged as being embodied in a man from the people whose qualities would reflect struggle, conflict and the values of the trenches. Hard, ruthless, resolute, uncompromising, and radical, he would destroy the old privilege and class-ridden society and bring about a new beginning, uniting the people in an ethnically pure and socially harmonious 'national community'.
5. He embodied the triumph of true Germanic virtues – courage, manliness, integrity, loyalty, devotion to the cause – over the effete decadence, corruption, and effeminate weakness of Weimar society.
6. Portrayed the struggle of the 'little man' against society's 'big battalions', and mortal struggle against Germany's powerful internal and external enemies to assure the nation's future. (Emphasis mine)

How many bells does that list ring? Read the article in full.

Goebbels' principles of propaganda were:

• Avoid abstract ideas - appeal to the emotions.
• Constantly repeat just a few ideas. Use stereotyped phrases.
• Give only one side of the argument.
• Continuously criticize your opponents.
• Pick out one special "enemy" for special vilification. 

Of the more detailed list the following are particularly relevant:

Propaganda must label events and people with distinctive phrases or slogans.

1. 1. They must evoke responses which the audience previously possesses.
   2. They must be capable of being easily learned.
   3. They must be utilized again and again, but only in appropriate situations.
   4. They must be boomerang-proof.
2. Propaganda to the home front must create an optimum anxiety level.
   1. Propaganda must reinforce anxiety concerning the consequences of defeat.
   2. Propaganda must diminish anxiety (other than that concerning the consequences of defeat) which is too high and cannot be reduced by people themselves.
3. Propaganda to the home front must diminish the impact of frustration.
   1. Inevitable frustrations must be anticipated.
   2. Inevitable frustrations must be placed in perspective.
4. Propaganda must facilitate the displacement of aggression by specifying the targets for hatred.
5. Propaganda cannot immediately affect strong counter-tendencies; instead it must offer some form of action or diversion, or both.

 Now who's been a Good Boy and spent many an hour pouring over and now practising the output of Papa Goebbels? Hmm hmm, telleth the Truth and shameth the Devil.

Rumours, rumours.

Heard a few rumours recently that I though were worth sharing.

The first story is a bit wild, a genuine conspiracy theory and concerns the factory at the centre of the Weliiveriya incident. The story is that they did have a treatment plant for waste but when the electricity prices went up, switched off the plant.
When talking to a few people they said that even if this were true, could this really have poisoned the water in such a large area? A lot of raw rubber factories (factories that process the latex) have treatment plants but no one seems to be quite sure how effective these are. There should therefore have been fairly widespread complaints about other fcatories if they were capable of contaminating the water in a large area, ergo the company was not the culprit. Admittedly the rubber factories are not the same as a glove manufacturer, but some chemicals used in the processing may be similar.

A more likely explanation could be that the pollution came from cesspits and sewage tanks, caused by improperly planned housing.

The real problem is that no one knows the truth and no one seems to be interested in getting to the bottom of it either. The President's grand gesture of asking the factory to relocate, to pollute some other area is hardly a solution. In fact it may only be a glib statement, to quieten the masses.
   
Meanwhile, the latest on the Sri Lanka Tea Board is that the cess funds, which are collected from the export of tea have been used to fund the Carlton Rugby tournament. If bailing out the Cricket Board was bad enough, if this were true, I think this is infinitely worse.

Does anyone have any further information on this?

Buddhism and Nationalism in Ceylon

I stumbled upon a few articles from the 1950's and 1960's in The Tablet, a Catholic journal that make for some fascinating reading.

I came across these when trying to research the subject of the Nursing Sisters or the Service Nuns who used to nurse the sick in the hospitals.  My mother claims they were a selfless group, dedicated to care for the sick. They did not see nursing a profession, but a vocation.

Speaking to some people who are familiar with the operations of private hospitals today,  they try to recruit senior nurses who may have had experience working in the 1970's or before, to train new nurses. They believe that there were high standards of nursing in the past, which may possibly have been due to the influence of the nursing sisters.

The nursing sisters were asked to leave in the late 1950's, most had apparently left by 1964. Some articles that touch on this are available here and here.


The even more interesting links on Nationalism are posted below:

1. Buddhism and Nationalism in Ceylon. 
2. Two responses to the above article; here and here.
3.  Christianity in Ceylon: The Background to the Conflict over Education (about the takeover of the schools).
4. A personal column, (dealing with the writer's impressions of Buddhism).

A much more recent, but still very relevant article is here. It was only written in 2007, just about six years ago, yet the development was seen as surprising and the views of the group were considered marginal.

Now they seem to be mainstream. Surprising how far we have fallen, in such a short space of time. 

Erasing the record

The 23rd of July marked the 30th anniversary of the anti-Tamil violence of 1983. Post war, it should have provided an opportunity to reflect and to pose some difficult questions; as to what caused it and if those causes have been addressed.

It just struck me that the state owned Daily News  simply chose to ignore it completely. The pro-Government Island and Nation only carried small features.

In a country where the now-legendary victory is trumpeted on an almost daily basis, the omission seems inexplicable unless one assumes that the amnesia is deliberate.

It does not fit in with the current narrative so must, like the Flying Fish, be expunged.

The past may be dead, but as the saying goes; those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it.

Caught at last: The white van

It appears that at long last, a deep mystery is about to be solved. In foreign lands we hear stories of UFO's and aliens spiriting people away, for god only knows what purpose.

In the paradise isle of Sri Lanka it is not UFO's but a White Van (or something that looks pretty much like one) that has allegedly been responsible for this.

Ministers of the Government have always denied its existence, just as sceptical scientists have denied the existence of UFO's. We believed them. Until now.

Finally the police have nabbed the object. Like a lot of mysteries this seems to have had a rather simple explanation. A gang, let by a serving sergeant major and operating out of a white van was abducting people.

The print story in the Sunday Times carried fuller details, which were even more interesting. Apparently the gang specialised in abducting drug dealers and holding them to ransom.

No wonder the police acted which such speed to apprehend the suspects. Unlike ordinary people, drug dealers are an important and growing constituency whose interests need to be safeguarded at all costs. The gang may not have realised what they were up against.

On the other hand, that still leaves open the question of who was abducting journalists and other troublesome creatures and the bigger question as to why no one has been caught. Of course these people are a totally useless lot; in an immortal phrase of the Khmer Rouge 'No gain in keeping, no loss in weeding out', so the police are hardly likely to give it any priority.

Perhaps it really is the work of aliens. At least this Sri Lankan seems to think that they abound.....


  

Why did the long dead cases of the 'Trinco 5', Khuram Shaikh's murder and some others suddenly come to life?

People may have noticed that investigations into some violent crimes have suddently started to move forward, for no apparent reason.

Kishali Pinto Jayawardana has a good summary on the case of the five students killed in Trincomalee. The murder investigation into the death of British tourist Khuram Shaikh has also started to move (see here for a collection of articles on the case).

What prompted this flurry of activity?

There can only be one reason: foreign pressure. What threats could foreign Governments have exerted over Sri Lanka? The only conceivable one is a boycott of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

What lessons can we draw from this?
1. Thank goodness the CHOGM meeting is taking place, some benefits are already being seen, although these are not what the regime anticipated (these were more in the line of fast cars, great parties and an opportunity to lord over the colonial master).
2. It is better to seek justice abroad than at home. No wonder they rant and rave about foreign governments, complain of interference and claim this is neo-colonialism. It is one thing that can make them act.

What do we call a Government that cannot be held to account? Hint-have read through this.

Winning elections and being popular do not necessarily make rulers legitimate

The Economist has a very interesting and relevant article on majoritarianism - that electoral might always makes you right—is not true democracy, even if, on the face of it, the two things look alike. They go on to explain why.

The crux of the matter is that democratic legitimacy isn’t merely a correlative of a ruler’s share of the vote. The leader are elected to serve not just the people who voted for them but also the many who did not.

The issue is how the relationship between supporters and opponents is managed. In part this is a matter of rules and institutions to constrain a leader’s power and to allow the aggrieved to find redress. These should include a robust account of citizens’ basic rights, independent courts to enforce them and free media to monitor them.

Beyond documents and institutions, the difference between crass majoritarianism and democracy resides in the heads of the mighty. Democrats have a bedrock understanding that the minority (or often majority) who did not vote for them are as much citizens of their country as those who did, and are entitled to a respectful hearing; and that a leader’s job is to deliberate and act in the national interests, not just those of his supporters.(The Economist, emphasis mine)

The full article is worth reading.

The story behind the killing of a planter

There was a recent news story about the grusome murder of a planter.

This afternoon I met a friend who had known the gentleman. He told me the story of what had transpired.

The estate concerned was a difficult one. The managing agents had sublet it because it was too difficult to manage. The unfortunate victim had been hired to try and put the place right.

Apparently the Pradeshiya Sabha members would routinely walk in to the premises demanding, at various times; tea, timber and even land. They were in the habit of making off with stocks of made tea, felling timber and encroaching on the land.

This planter had started putting a stop to these activities, for which he was beaten up once before. He was provided with security thereafter.

He was waylaid outside the factory on Friday, the security were chased away and he was beaten up. He was then shoved into his own pickup truck and paraded around the village-presumably to serve as a warning to anyone else who may want to try to control the banditry. He was later stabbed and killed.

We have thus yet another example of the State, through its agents preying on the citizenry.

When people say that a culture of impunity exists, it sounds like an esoteric abstract concept; one that is of little concern to the average law-abiding citizen. This murder is a good illustration of what this means in practice, to the average law-abiding citizen.

The citizen needs to walk in fear of the politicians and their hangers-on; whether it is a schoolmistress or a magistrate.

When DIG's are engaged in running extortion rackets and hit squads this should not come as a surprise to us. Is it any surprise that countries should issue travel advsories warning their citizens of the growing lawlessness? Instead of summoning the ambassador perhaps the Government should stop protecting criminals?


Update: The planters held a protest march last Sunday and a news report states that a powerful politician was behind the killing.

 

A little matter of perspective

Who is an extremist? Almost no one is willing to accept that their particular point of view may be termed "extremist". As far as the person is concerned they are moderates; it is others who are the extremists. The ugly, unwashed others.

The BBS claims they are not extremists and many of their supporters make the same claim.

I suppose this amounts to a difference in perspective; depending on their particular worldview coupled with an inability to see things from another persons point of view. In psychology this is referred to as egocentricism, a problem most often seen in young children. The phenomenon decreases with learning and experience and usually disappears by mid teens.

Where it prevails into adulthood it can make for a rather unpleasant individual. Unfortunately if such individuals rise to positions of power in (a company or organisation) it spells doom for the unfortunate underlings. In public office it can be disastrous.

Take for an example the perfectly normal, rational support expressed for the Burmese monk Wiranthu, in Sri Lanka as for example here.  He is being hailed as a hero.

Wirathu has been at helm of the anti-Muslim violence in Burma which has claimed at least 250 lives and left 15,000 homeless. Wirathu, on the other hand, seems to be quite flattered by press coverage that has focused on him. He does not consider himself an extremist and this idea never crossed the minds of his supporters here. Are his views now firmly in the mainstream?

In Sri Lanka we are not short of "heros" but it seems that our pantheon is not complete without the inclusion of Wirathu.

What does this say about the future of the minorities in Sri Lanka? Are following the Burmese example; the shining path that Wirathu has illuminated?

 

Felling timber on tea estates - to help bridge the budget deficit?

Namini Wijedasa has written an interesting article on the latest brilliant idea - that the timber on tea estates be felled to pay the EPF liabilities.  As has been pointed out before, the EPF simply lends its funds to the Government, usually at rates below market, to help plug the budget deficit.

So what is really happening, in a roundabout way is that the Government is felling timber to bridge its budget deficit.

There are however, many other concerns that this raises. Some of the timber on the estates was planted for the purpose of harvesting, so provided it is mature and is part of a proper programme of forestry management harvesting some timber will do no harm. A quick fix, which is what this looks like, is likely to lead to long term damage to the estates.

Trees on estates provide much more than timber, I had a quick chat with a planter friend who gave me very brief rundown. They are usually grown for five reasons:

1. To provide windbreaks.
2. To provide shade.
3. To provide "green manure" and improve the soil.
4. To reduce water run-off and soil erosion.
5. For use as fuelwood.

The trees commonly found on Sri Lankan tea estates include Grevillea robusta (silky oak), Acacias, Dadaps and Eucalyptus. 

Of these the primary purpose of the Eucalyptus is for timber. They are also said to draw a lot of moisture from the soil so are probably not the best trees to have around, so felling some of these in a controlled manner will do no harm.

The shade and windbreaks play an important role in long term productivity of the estate. 

Tea should not be exposed to excessive sunlight, which is why shade trees are planted at regular intervals. Apart from damaging the tea (in the long term-short term yields pick up with bright sunlight) excessive heat reduces the activity of earthworms and other lifeforms in the soil that will result in lowered levels of soil fertility.

Excessive wind is also a problem as it tends to blow away mositure, topsoil and nutrients. Very strong winds, which are prevalent in some areas can even damage the leaves and tender shoots of the tea bush. 

The fallen leaves of the Gravillea are said to "claw the ground" and prevent water runoff. Acacias and Dadaps are leguminous, meaning that they fix nitrogen into the soil, the so called 'green manure' that improve soil nutrients. All may be used as fuelwood, which is quite valuable these days, especially outstation due to the high price of kerosene.

According to my planter friend a really big Eucalyptus tree can fetch around Rs.50,000 less the cost of felling, sawing transport etc. If the number of trees quoted in the article referred to above is accurate (67,132), it is possible that the sum of around Rs.3bn can indeed be raised. This is a tidy sum of money and given the rampant corruption, the attendant dangers that:

a. They will fell every single tree, regardless of the purpose it was planted for; 

b. that the lions share whatever funds raised will go into the pockets of crooks/politicos/cronies (they are interchangable terms);

c. any money that does end up with the EPF/ETF will be promptly (and cheaply) lent to the Government.

The words of Ludwig von Mises, an Austrian economist of the early 20th century, nicely sum up the situation: “It may sometimes be expedient for a man to heat the stove with his furniture. But he should not delude himself by believing that he has discovered a wonderful new method of heating his premises.”

The Sunday Times article lists some of these very abuses that have already taken place, although on a smaller scale. Allowing large scale felling may open the floodgates.

According to my friend some he had heard that some state estates have now been reduced to a state where they are deducting a rupee from the wages of workers - to help pay for weedicide!

The debts owed are supposed to be Rs.1.74bn what the Government should do is to deduct 0.6% from the Defence budget and leave the trees alone. Cleared of their major liablities the estates can then be handed over to private management to see what can be salvaged (the estates are in such bad shape that they are impossible to sell) but something may be possible.  

An indepedent, transparent process managed by an external body that calls for proposals and selects the best is the way to go forward, if we are to save whatever is left.

I am neither planter nor botanist, just an interested onserver. Does anybody else have alternative suggestions? 

 l    

 

Sri Lanka moves up one place on Failed state index

Apparently,  Sri Lanka’s ranking among failed states has deteriorated, based on the findings published in the annual Foreign Policy and Fund of Peace report. The report puts Sri Lanka at 28^th position as compared to 29 in the 2012 report.

The ranking is prepared by the Fund for Peace, an NGO (Wikipedia has more details).

A change in one place is probably not very significant but it does place us in pretty poor company. The listing and weights used are here. 

The Foreign Policy site lists 10 key reasons why they believe countries fall apart. Many are obviously not applicable to Sri Lanka but some definitely are.

The preamble to the list starts of by saying

Some countries fail spectacularly, with a total collapse of all state institutions, as in Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal and the hanging of President Mohammad Najibullah from a lamppost, or during the decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone, where the government ceased to exist altogether.

Most countries that fall apart, however, do so not with a bang but with a whimper. They fail not in an explosion of war and violence but by being utterly unable to take advantage of their society's huge potential for growth, condemning their citizens to a lifetime of poverty. This type of slow, grinding failure leaves many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America with living standards far, far below those in the West.

  Which is fair enough.

Their list of top 10 reasons why states collapse however is a bit strange. Most are not really central to the collapse, some seem to describe the end results (eg no law and order, weak central state, poor public services) as causes. A couple of points are important and I've analysed them below:

1. Lack of property rights
North Korea's economic institutions make it almost impossible for people to own property; the state owns everything, including nearly all land and capital. 

Property rights are very important, they are the cornerstone of capitalism but not many countries are in the state of North Korea. In Sri Lanka property rights may exist on paper but with the courts corrupted enforcing rights is difficult. If the opponent of the landlord happens to be the state or one of its cronies the likelihood of a fair hearing is virtually nil.

Expropriation of property, by the state via dubious bills and by cronies through coercion and fraud are ever present dangers.

Now do the lack of property rights contribute to the failure of the state? It will certainly have long term adverse impact on business and investment affecting job creation and tax revenues. May be it is a case of the state starving itself to death?

It is important, but can it be considered the most important? Probably not, in my opinion.

4. Egypt: The big men get greedy
When elites control an economy, they often use their power to create monopolies and block the entry of new people and firms. This was exactly how Egypt worked for three decades under Hosni Mubarak. The government and military owned vast swaths of the economy -- by some estimates, as much as 40 percent. Even when they did "liberalize," they privatized large parts of the economy right into the hands of Mubarak's friends and those of his son Gamal. Big businessmen close to the regime, such as Ahmed Ezz (iron and steel), the Sawiris family (multimedia, beverages, and telecommunications), and Mohamed Nosseir (beverages and telecommunications) received not only protection from the state but also government contracts and large bank loans without needing to put up collateral.

I think this is true and describes Sri Lanka's kleptocratic rulers perfectly.

In my opinion the single most important reason world be decline of the rule of law. As it detriorates the state will progressively pass through stages of uncertainty, chaos and finally anarchy.

Back to two hands-just about

Finally removed the cast on my arm yesterday. In short a period as three weeks it is difficult to believe the extent to which muscles have atrophied and stiffened.

One arm looks as flat as a board, the range of movement is severly limited and what movement is possible tends to be jerky and mechanical.

Bushing teeth, eating, even moving the mouse (although not using the keyboard) are a bit difficult and I don't think I can still attempt to wear a T shirt

Getting back to normal is going to a bit more painful than I thought but at least there is steady progress.

Expect more bored and annoyed posts......... 

He who protests is an enemy; he who opposes is a corpse

I was watching a programme on the Khmer Rouge and the slogan above set a bell ringing.

It is only a step away from an all-too familar refrain that we hear constantly.

Found a few other of their popular slogans here. Shhhh. Listen very carefully; see if one can hear any of these, whispering of the wind.

No gain in keeping, no loss in weeding out. (p. 210)

This adage was often expressed even more bluntly: To destroy you is no loss, to preserve you is no gain.

"You can arrest someone by mistake; never release him by mistake." (p. 208)

"Better to kill an innocent by mistake than spare an enemy by mistake." (p. 209)

"Better to arrest ten innocent people by mistake than free a single guilty party." (p. 209)


"If you wish to live exactly as you please, the Angkar will put aside a small piece of land for you."(p. 298) The "small piece of land" refers to a burial pit.

A DIG’s fall from grace - what does this tell us?

The Ceylon Today, one of the few newspapers worth reading carried a detailed story on the recent murder of a businessman, allegedly carried out by a DIG of police.

A summary of the critical issues raised in the story are:

a. it appears the DIG was taking on assignments to assassinate individuals on a regular basis;

b. a police squad appears to have been carrying out abductions, whether for political reasons or for gain we do not know, possibly for both;

c. an extortion racket, probably connected to (b) above was also being run. Other businessmen have apparently now come forward with various allegations of extortion.

A DIG, as per the police organisation structure is the second most senior officer in the force, which means, if true, the above crimes are being carried at the very highest levels of the force.

Why has this come to light?

Only because the murdered businessman was connected to the President, so a green light was given to investigate.

Note that his connections, being unknown to his assailants, were not enough to save his life. They at least allowed an investigation into his death.

What lessons must the public draw from this?

If such a senior policeman was running such a heinous crime ring there must have been complete apathy or incompetence from the IGP and from the Minister concerned.

If incompetence were not the problem, the official complicity must be in place. The reactions of the people in charge should offer us a clue.

If the ministers concerned, IGP and fellow officers express shock at this outrage, take responsibility for their inactions and show some willingness to correct the problem then we have some reassurance. At least they acknowledge the problem. A credible independent inquiry into the matter to discover the root causes is imperative.

If there is silence at the top, a few bland statements and the whole issue is swept under the carpet then we know what conclusions to draw.

The only thing is what do other businessmen need to do? Perhaps wear a T shirt that says "I am a friend of the Prez, don't touch me"? Perhaps a secret handshake or a ring that would indicate that they were untouchable?

And for the rest?

Deiyyo Saakki?

Update: more explosive revelations here.  You may need to use a proxy server since the site is inaccessible via SLT. The link is below:

http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2013/06/disgraced-dig-vass-is-only-tip-of.html 

Bailing out the bankrupt cricket board - a wise use of tea cess funds?

Sri Lanka Cricket is in deep financial trouble, having burned millions of dollars in stadia that lie unused.

The Tea Board will be a part sponsor of the team at a cost of Rs.530m. Dialog, the other sponsor, will pay some Rs.753m.

So far so good,

Only that the last time when Dilmah sponsored the team, they only paid $2m. Dilmah did not renew the sponsorship. Although no reasons were given it is reasonable to assume that the commercial return was insufficient to justify a larger sponsorship.

Now the Tea Board is paying twice what Dilmah paid, for a partial sponsorship. Does this really make commercial sense? The tea industry is already crippled by politically motivated wage hikes and unnecessary regulation, it is imperative that tea cess funds be used for the maximum possible benefit of the industry.

Does this looks like a thinly veiled bailout of the Cricket Board? To save a Government bail out and embarrassing questions as to how the body of the most lucrative sport went bust?

The finances of the Cricket Board are actually quite similar to that of the Government, its just that the latter still has the capacity to borrow.

Update: I was watching the cricket yesterday. Although I kept looking quite hard I could see neither the Tea Board nor Dialog anywhere. Someone said that since Reliance was sponsoring England the Dialog logo could not shown  and since Pepsi was also involved the Tea Board logo could not be displayed. Not sure if this is true but the team sponsorship does not seem to have brought any publicity to either sponsor, at least as far as the UK tour is concerned.

Development As Development Of The Heart: Why Are We So Poor? - a response to Vagisha Gunasekara

Vagisha Gunasekara has published an article on development. This is an extended version of the reply that I posted on Colombo Telegraph.

What she presents is an agreeable philosophical argument, one that I have much sympathy with. Unfortunately the solution, the pooling of resources, while intrinsically appealing is unworkable in practice.

Pooling is the essence of Socialism and Marxism.

The problem is that pooling or sharing is only possible within ones own social circle - family and friends - or a small tribe. Man is a tribal animal, pooling and sharing will take place within a tribe but never between tribes.

In anything larger, the competitive beast that is the essential nature of man comes to the forefront and the question of "why share when I can enjoy it all?" comes up. The answer, invariably is "let me enjoy it all".

Is this not the very behaviour that we see in the ruling cabal of Sri Lanka? Is this not the observed behaviour that has been experienced in innumerable dictatorships the world over?

On a smaller scale, just observe the typical behaviour at traffic light controlled intersections. When there is a jam in the road ahead how many drivers will wait, regardless of the light until it is clear to move ahead? How many will just drive into the middle of the junction and block all traffic going across? If they cannot even share a little space (and observe the road rules) so that in the long run all will be better off what hope of sharing anything else?



This is why every experiment at practising socialism has eventually ended up a communism-the only way to share on a wider scale is to do so by force. Force leads to terror and repression that leaves everyone worse off.

Related posts on tribal leaders, on re imagining development