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Aujourd’hui dans l’Expresso : la visite controversée du président émirati, le retour des touristes russes en Finlande et le rapprochement énergétique italo-algérien

European countries have so far not adequately addressed the impact of rising global temperatures on the health and well-being of the working population, a study by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) reveals.

Credit: Sunday Times, Sri Lanka

By Charles Seevali Abeysekera
BROMLEY, UK, Jul 19 2022 (IPS)

Sri Lanka is officially bankrupt and a failed state in all but name. How did a country of 22 million people with a level of literacy on par with most of the developed world end up in such a dire position where the state coffers did not have the measly sum of 20 million dollars to purchase fuel to keep the country functioning beyond the next working day?

Whilst the vast majority of the population have concluded that the blame for this economic armageddon is due to the gluttony of corruption and greed, instigated and enabled by the Rajapaksa family , its acolytes and sycophantic nodding dogs, my own assessment is different.

It is a fact that vast sums , amounting to billions of dollars, were indeed stolen and moved overseas through various illegal networks by the Rajapaksa clan and their accomplices.

Many billions were also squandered on gargantuan white elephant vanity projects in order to glorify the Rajapaksa legacy. However, the seeds for the bankruptcy were sown when the country attained its independence from Great Britain in 1948.

Sri Lanka proudly proclaims itself as one of the oldest democracies in Asia which has had a functioning democracy since 1948. The democratic process has functioned like it should do and parliamentarians elected as they should be and the leaders who represent the aspirations and values of the people appointed as they should be.

Why then has the country reached this abyss?

For democracy to enrich the lives of the people and bring about economic prosperity, two essential and fundamental criteria have to be satisfied. The election of individuals based on merit and the adherence to a universal justice system.

In the absence of meritocracy and a universal justice system, democracy becomes meaningless – an utterly futile process which will not achieve what it is intended for.

Meritocracy is however an alien concept in Sri Lanka!

A universal justice system does not exist in Sri Lanka!

Meritocracy does not exist in Sri Lanka because the cultural DNA is that of a feudal society. Sri Lankan culture promotes race, religion, nepotism, old school connections, social connections, social influences, political influences and servitude (where one class of people are held in perpetual bondage or servants for life ) over and above the attributes and qualities of the individual.

That is a primitive mindset and a recipe for disaster.

In Sri Lanka, people are judged not by the content of their character but by their race, their religion, their socio-economic background, their family connections, the schools they attended, where they live, and who they know. (with apologies to the Rev Martin Luther King for using his words in a manner he did not intend)

When a society functions in such a feudal manner, such values permeate throughout and has a direct correlation with the workings of the justice system. The justice system replicates the culture and ultimately ends up being not fit for purpose.

If a justice system is unable to function based on facts and objectivity, the fabric of society slowly starts to tear apart because the checks and balances needed for a society to progress and for nations to grow, slowly start to dissipate.

Since 1948, Sri Lankan democracy has existed on the basis of nepotism, feudal, racial and religious criteria.

The feudal culture masquerading as democracy has elected the Senanayake family, the Bandaranaike family, the Premadasa family and the Rajapaksa family into the highest offices of the land.

The singular qualification that Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake had was that he was the son of the father.

The singular qualification Prime Minister Mrs Bandaranaike had was that she was the wife of the husband

The singular qualification President Chandrika B had was that she was the daughter of the father and the mother

The singular qualification that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (now acting President) has is that he is the nephew of President JR Jayewardene.

The singular qualification that Sajith Premadasa has is that he is the son of the father

The singular qualification Gotabaya Rajapaksa has is that he is the brother of Mahinda

The singular qualification Namal has is that he is the son of the father

The singular qualification Basil has is that he is the brother of Mahinda and Gotabaya.

The singular qualification Thondaman had was that that he was the son of the father.

And this is called Democracy?

This is a banana republic in all but name where Nepotism is the ultimate passport to success – and all done through the ballot box !

This is a culture of entitlement masquerading as democracy , which in turn has given birth to a nation whose leaders are elected not by the content of their character but by their name and association.

It is the equivalent of death by a thousand cuts for what has been spawned is a society where quality has been superseded by mediocrity at best and incompetence at worst.

The end result is the economic armageddon that has destroyed the country.

When leaders of a nation are elected in such a manner, those who serve them and the very fabric of society itself replicates the structural fault line that promotes feudal nepotistic values. It becomes self-fulfilling, promotes mediocrity, encourages malpractice, and creates a culture of corruption.

The legal system, which on paper is there to oversee the rule of law, sadly becomes an extension of the structural fault line which then ensures that impunity and immunity against corruption , theft or even murder, becomes standard operating procedure.

Einstein’s definition of “insanity” is where he states that if we do the same thing over and over again, we end up with the same result. Sri Lanka’s sham democracy since 1948 has been exactly that. A culture based on feudal nepotistic values which enables the same results over and over again.

The people of Sri Lanka must break this vicious cycle if they are ever to escape from the death spiral they have created for themselves.

The critical mass of people who have recently demonstrated for structural change and the complete transformation of government and governance, have achieved more in the last few months than most of the corrupt incompetent deluded half-wits in parliament ever will.

A fundamental new approach to governance based on competence and the rule of law is a pre-requisite to stop Sri Lanka disintegrating into anarchy and chaos.

Does real democracy exist in Sri Lanka ? No !

Real democracy in Sri Lanka doesn’t exist because the culture prevents those with real ability and competence from being elected on merit alone. The vast majority of the electorate simply doesn’t understand that real democracy that provides a positive outcome is based on merit, first, second and last.

It is also unlikely that the majority of the electorate will understand this any time soon.

Can the country find a leader that replicates Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew ? It is imperative that it does find such a leader who leads by example and who creates a structural transformation of society itself where honesty, integrity and the adherence to the rule of law becomes sacrosanct .

However, does such a leader exists within the current crop of parliamentarians? If not within in parliament , then where ?

A leader who will also ensure that all those who have been culpable in this bringing about this catastrophe are forced to change their ways as well as bringing to justice those who have systematically looted and stolen the countries’ wealth – politicians and non-politicians .

Does a universal justice system exist in Sri Lanka – No !

A justice system in a secular democracy has to be independent of parliament. The justice system is meant to be independent of state machinery and should not be influenced by state operatives.

However, in Sri Lanka the parliament overrules and effectively instructs how the justice system should act which in turn makes the whole system corrupt and not fit for purpose.

The country has huge numbers of legal eagles with more qualifications than they have had hot dinners and who know the finer points of the law better than most in the world.

However, they are rendered impotent and toothless because they are beholden to the political masters they serve – either through choice or otherwise.

The corrosive and toxic nature of a feudal culture which promotes false values over merit and the rule of law ensures even the greatest minds of the land are reduced to corrupt sycophantic nodding ponies.

The legal system in Sri Lanka is also an organised money printing racket where the ordinary citizen or client is entirely at the mercy of the corrupt and dysfunctional bureaucracy.

Those who operate within the system make the equivalent of monopoly money by effectively fleecing the unsuspecting and manipulating a system that is not fit for purpose.

As I write this , the elected leader of the country whose policies and incompetence were the catalyst for the economic meltdown, has fled overseas – the ultimate ” runner viruwa ” !

The man appointed as the acting leader of the nation is one whose party has a single seat in parliament – his own ! And that too not due to electoral votes but due to a corrupt system which enables ” grace and favour ” appointments to parliament.

Such is the abyss that Sri Lanka is in.

What truly beggars belief is that there are millions in the country who still believe that this corrupt rotten s–t show of a system can still be tweaked here and there and made to work.

It cannot and the saddest reality of all this is that millions of Sri Lankans will still cling to their delusional sense of self-importance and righteousness and even at this point where mass starvation is a real possibility, carry on repeating the same mistakes over and over again.

A country whose majority population follows the teachings of one of the greatest philosophers the world has known, is simply incapable of understanding some of the most basic lessons the great sage from Lumbini taught – honesty, integrity, introspection, reflection and truth !

If however, a NEW set of leaders with competence, honesty and integrity, whose primary purpose is to serve the people, can be found within parliament, within the Aragalaya movement , within the commercial sector or a combination of individuals from all three , there is still hope for Sri Lanka.

If however the same corrupt incompetent rotten thieves who still occupy positions of huge powers are allowed to maintain the status quo , the failed state that is Sri Lanka will descent into complete anarchy and bloodshed.

At the end of all that, arising out of the ashes, there will be a breakaway part of the country ………called Eelam !!!!!!!!

Charles Seevali Abeysekera, a semi-retired sales and marketing professional, has worked in the UK mailing industry for over 35 years. He also scribes a blog on current affairs as well as reflections and thoughts on his own life journey “

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Die neu gebildete estnische Regierung unter der Leitung von Premierministerin Kaja Kallas wurde am Montag (18. Juli) während einer Parlamentssitzung vereidigt und beginnt eine achtmonatige Amtszeit.

Le président émirati est en visite d’État en France lundi et mardi (18-19 juillet), afin de renforcer les liens entre France et Émirats arabes unis, sur fond de polémique quant au respect des droits de l’Homme dans la confédération.

Die Europäische Union wird absehbar unter großen Druck geraten. Russlands Angriff beschleunigt und verstärkt Prozesse, die ihren Niedergang einleiten können. Die Europäerinnen und Europäer sind dieser Gefahr aber nicht ohnmächtig ausgeliefert.

Einem neuen Bericht der Europäischen Kommission zufolge ist fast die Hälfte des EU-Gebiets von schweren und lang anhaltenden Dürreperioden bedroht. Gleichzeitig wird davor gewarnt, dass die beispiellose Hitzewelle die Fortschritte bei der Nahrungsmittelproduktion zunichtemachen könnte.

Le chef de la diplomatie européenne, Josep Borrell, a appelé lundi (18 juillet) les Européens à poursuivre les sanctions contre Moscou et à « tenir le coup » face à la flambée des prix de l'énergie et de l'alimentation, conséquences de la guerre en Ukraine.

US allies appear committed to following Washington's lead banning forced labor goods from China's Xinjiang region, a senior US official told Reuters on Monday (18 July), warning companies they could not maintain "deliberate ignorance" about their supply chains.

Die Aufhebung der Reisebeschränkungen an der finnisch-russischen Grenze hat zu einem Anstieg des Reiseverkehrs zwischen den beiden Ländern geführt, doch liegen die Zahlen weit unter dem Niveau vor der Pandemie.

Die russischen Gaslieferungen sind über die wichtigsten Routen zurückgegangen. Die einzige Route, die unberührt geblieben ist, befördert jetzt ausschließlich Gas zu Russlands europäischen Freunden - Serbien und Ungarn.

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about illegal migration through Slovenia increasing by 75%, Finland seeing the return of Russian tourism, and so much more.

Nordmazedonien und Bulgarien haben sich verpflichtet, Hassreden zu bekämpfen, wobei beide Länder ein spezifisches Verfahren für Maßnahmen gegen derartige Fälle erarbeiten müssen.

Legal scholar Sahar Aziz says people who identify as Muslim are often perceived in racial terms, like black and brown people, in white-dominated societies. That makes Muslims on both sides of the Atlantic the subject of similar forms of racism.

Gesunde und nachhaltige Ökosysteme in Europa sind der Schlüssel zur Gewährleistung der Lebensmittelsicherheit angesichts von Hitzewellen und der Instrumentalisierung von ukrainischen Getreideexporten, so EU-Umweltkommissar Virginijus Sinkevičius.

Trois mille médecins — soit la quasi-totalité du personnel hospitalier actuel — menacent de démissionner à la fin de l’été, les travailleurs hospitaliers réclamant des réformes des services de santé et une augmentation des salaires.

Die slowenische Polizei hat in der ersten Jahreshälfte 6.006 Fälle von illegaler Einreise bearbeitet, was einem Anstieg von 75 Prozent gegenüber dem Vorjahr entspricht.

Während sich die EU darauf vorbereitet, eine weitere Runde von Sanktionsmaßnahmen gegen Russland wegen der Ukraine zu verhängen, betonten die EU-Außenminister:innen am Montag (18. Juli), dass die bisherigen sechs Sanktionsrunden Wirkung gezeigt hätten.

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A januárban elfogott hét kábítószer-terjesztő jelenleg is letartóztatásban van, és csütörtökön a Budakörnyéki Járásbíróság a most elfogott S. Sándor letartóztatását is elrendelte – közölték. A nyomozás adatai szerint S. Sándor állt a drogterjesztő bűnszervezet élén, ő látta el a hálózat tagjait kábítószerrel – írták.

A férfit Budapest III. kerületében fogták el, lakásában a nyomozók többféle kábítószergyanús anyagot – többek között kokaint -, a kábítószer porciózásához használatos tárgyakat, digitális mérleget, mobiltelefont, valamint készpénzt foglaltak le. A férfit egyébként több hatóság is körözte elfogása, előállítása és tartózkodási helyének megállapítása érdekében.

A gyanúsított állandó IV. kerületi lakcímén tartott kutatáson a rendőrök egy kanapén fekvő, párnák mögött rejtőzködő férfit találtak. K. Mihályról kiderült, hogy a szentendrei kapitányság lopás miatt kereste, de a IX. kerületi kapitányság is körözte. A drogkereskedő bandáról a rendőrség januárban azt közölte: összehangolt akcióban fogták el őket, és hét helyszínen – Budapest több kerületében, Dunaharasztiban és Baján – végeztek kutatást, Tóalmáson pedig szemlét tartottak.

A bűnbanda egyik tagja, Cs. Ákos tóalmási lakóhelyének szomszédságában 582 tő, beltéren termesztett kábítószergyanús növényt és a gondozásukhoz szükséges anyagokat, eszközöket is találtak. Az akkori házkutatásokon több mint félkilogrammnyi zöld kábítószergyanús növényi anyagot, 85 gramm fehér, nedves állagú kábítószergyanús anyagot, a drogok csomagolásához, porciózásához használt tárgyakat, eszközöket és digitális mérleget, mobiltelefonokat, SIM-kártyákat, több mint 1,3 millió forintot és 4270 eurót foglaltak le a rendőrök.

Tatabányai kábítószer-kereskedők ellen emeltek vádat
Vádat emelt a Komárom-Esztergom Megyei Főügyészség kilenc ember ellen, akik a gyanú szerint több tízmillió forint értékben négyféle kábítószert értékesítettek Tatabányán és környékén – közölte a főügyészség. Tájékoztatásuk szerint a férfiak 2020 májusáig két év alatt jelentős mennyiségű speedet, marihuánát, kokaint és ecstasyt vásároltak. A kábítószert Bakonyszombathelyen, Tatabányán, és Szárligeten értékesítették. A főügyészség kilenc emberrel szemben kábítószer-kereskedelem, öt gyanúsított ellen pedig kábítószerbirtoklás miatt nyújtott be vádiratot a Tatabányai Törvényszékre. Indítványozták, hogy a kereskedőket végrehajtandó, a fogyasztókat pedig felfüggesztett szabadságvesztésre ítéljék.

 

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L'Europe se doit de soutenir la démocratie taïwanaise, a avancé la vice-présidente du Parlement européen en visite sur l'île, faisant référence à l'invasion de l'Ukraine par la Russie et à la reprise en main de Hong Kong par la Chine.