Even the mind is locked down!

2021/08/27

Yes, what I wrote as my title is correct; even thinking powers are shut in and energy locked out. But life must go on so Cass cheers up and will not fail the faithfuls who read her every Friday. The punch may be missing; the acid absent; any humour unavailable and sardonic subtlety totally non-est. Additionally, what she writes is not all she has in mind; there is self censorship too.

Bright spark gifted by MPS

Let’s go first into a ray of light and hope. Most MPs have decided to donate their salaries for the war effort against the deadly virus. Two nights ago on the news was the heartening tale that the Cabinet would forego their salaries. Cass mentally totted up the likely figure and it was substantial since we have a bloated Cabinet, resembling many in it and in the House by the Diyawanna. This piece of heartening news was followed by a Pohottu MP wailing that he could not afford to forego his salary as he had to pay back the people who had funded his entry to Parliament. I went to the kitchen and swallowed a spoonful of table salt, never mind my blood pressure! But he was abiding by the SLPP move, having his friends pay the money due from him. Shall we sob or jeer and viciously throw a brickbat?

Yesterday a spokesman for the SJB announced a to-be-commended step that Party had already taken: They had foregone salaries and donated essential equipment to hospitals that were in need of such to ease the suffering of COVID-19 patients. On the Newsline programme of MTV Channel I, on August 24, Dr. Jayawardena of the SJB pronounced that MPs could very well contribute more since the perks they benefitted by, converted to rupees, far exceeded their salaries and thus MPs could make bigger contributions, as the SJB had done.

All this was a coincidence, because earlier on Monday Cass was wondering why they, MPs, were not doing more materially for the ‘War effort’, than shooting their masked mouths. So they have done more and that is commendable.

Reverse side of the coin

The President called for more sacrifices from us the people in his latest address to the nation. We reply in unison, louder than others, those of us Ordinaries who are a-political, that we have tightened our belts to suffocation point. We have been made to do this and sacrifice much due to the profligacy of rulers through most years, more so during the 2005-2014 eras, when vanity projects like the useless Lotus Tower and equally senseless, water guzzling redundant Suriyawewa cricket grounds and park were constructed, just to carry a now royal name on the name board. This does not mean that the UNP-SLFP disastrous government of 2015-2019 was clean. Scandalous amounts of money were drawn out in the bond scam and who knows what the Leader did, apart from demanding to live forever and aye in a luxurious two-houses-made-one.

To quote a bit from the editorial of The Island of August 26: “Thus it may be seen that the Sri Lankan politicians have to do much more than forego their salaries during the pandemic. Let it be repeated they must return the loot or at least part of it.” We all know what this loot is. Very many or most in power earned extra money through commissions and worse, outright stealing. All of us can name names. They should return, secretly even, some of what they stole, breaking the second precept of the Buddhist minimum rules for living good lives. All religions exhort honesty and deplore stealing. Cass for one takes malicious delight presuming that the major rogues cannot use much of their ill-gotten gains. Married, they have to forego bachelor type roistering; how much caviar or its eastern equivalent to eat or drink the most expensive foreign intoxicant. Porches and MGs they have, but how to race on shut down city roads? And in the interim, “when oft they lie in quiet or pensive mood” may the devil of conscience prick them harmfully and conjure up pictures of murders and mayhem committed, so they live not peacefully.

Away on the mounts of Central Asia

No one outside the Taliban seems to believe their promise of protecting human rights, women’s right to education and jobs. Perhaps the bearded, turbaned ultra-religious Taliban are the greatest disbelievers in these promises: Insubstantial myths to them even before being pronounced. No wonder the crowds in the Kabul airport, still protected by allied forces personal, mostly the US Army, increases by the hour.

Everyone blames the Americans for the damnation that started in 1979, when the Russians invaded Afghanistan and they funded the Mujahideen to help oust the Russians, which was successfully achieved in 1989. Then allied forces stayed on and helped the Afghan people to taste freedom, improve their lives, mainly women who had already got the bitter taste of the fanatic cruelty of the Taliban. Twenty years of democracy ended recently with the Taliban taking control of the entirety of Afghanistan, except the air gateway to the country. The allied armed forces have evacuated those who served different global organizations and the Americans have evacuated thousands of Afghans at the rate of loaded planes leaving every four hours. The emergency summoned G7 meeting is considering extending the deadline of total departure of allied forces on August 31, to evacuate as many as possible. The Taliban have risen to the challenge: They demand sticking to the promise made at talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban with the participation of Allied representatives.

You would know all this probably better than Cass. The point that she wishes to make is that the United States is NOT the villain of piece. The presidents of the US and their decisions in concurrence with the heads of their armed forces; along with allies like Britain, France and Germany as countries are not solely to blame. The legitimate, elected government of the Afghan people and the Taliban bear even more of the blame for the present grave dilemma. To Cass, maybe limited in view and knowledge, the US is to be admired for not leaving the defeated Afghans or a fraction of them to the mercy of the rapacious Taliban. They are evacuating Afghans who want to migrate at record speeds and expense, even at danger to their armed forces still holding the Kabul airport as one of the emergency departures. Cass praises the Americans for not abandoning the Afghans and just moving off to the safety of their home country.

And here’s a saying which somewhat goes against Cass’ premise stated above, but is succinct and worthy of repetition:

“If you ever feel useless, just remember USA took four Presidents, thousands of lives, trillions of dollars and 20 years to replace Taliban with Taliban.” Apt eh! Yes, but so very sad.