Features
The Stretch Run – Election 2020
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
The final week before the most important election in the history of the United States started on Monday, October 26, with both campaigns gearing up for their final appeals to the electorate.
The big news on Monday was the swearing in of Trump nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, to the Supreme Court of the United States at a reception at the White House, shortly after her nomination was confirmed 52/48 by the Senate. Justice Barrett’s Constitutional Oath was administered by Justice Clarence Thomas at the White House event, and her Judicial Oath by Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday.
Justice Barrett is the third conservative Justice nominated to the Supreme Court by an impeached president elected to the presidency with the support of less than one-third of the electorate. A decision by an unpopular president, which will ensure a conservative dominance of the highest court in the land for decades to come.
While the pandemic remains the central issue of the presidential election, the White House of Science and Technology issued a statement on Wednesday listing “ending the Covid-19 pandemic” as one of Trump’s top achievements of his presidency. A spectacularly deceptive statement, even for this White House. The Covid-19 pandemic shows no sign of ending. In fact, the virus had reached a record daily total of over 81,000 cases on Thursday, and the number of fatalities have exceeded 228,000. Mark Meadows, White House Chief of Staff, admitted during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday that the administration had “lost control” of the pandemic. This startling admission means that Trump will continue to ignore the advice of the scientific community about face-masks, social distancing and avoiding crowds. He will take no substantive action to combat the virus, relying instead on therapeutic measures and vaccines, which are nowhere near the time frame falsely projected by Trump. Trump has been lying all along that the virus is “rounding the bend,” and that he is in complete control. A lie that is obvious to all except hard-core members of his cult.
The reality is that the Trump administration is going for “herd immunity” – the unrestricted infection, by taking no preventive measures to combat the virus, of at least 80% of the population which will ultimately provide immunity for all. The downside to this plan is that over two million Americans, especially the aged, the poor and minorities, will get infected by the virus and die. A minor consideration for Trump, as he is interested only in the welfare of himself, his family and his wealthy friends who will be able to take the necessary measures to avoid infection. Even if they do contract the virus, they will have access to the best medical treatment that money can buy, treatment not available to the vast majority of the American people.
Trump and Vice President Pence persist in holding numerous “super spreader” rallies during the final week, before audiences of tens of thousands of fans not wearing masks or practicing social distancing, evidence of their callous disregard for health of even their own supporters. As a contrast, Biden’s rallies are held less often and in strict accordance with scientific guidelines.
Trump, cognizant of the fact that his mishandling of the virus may cost him his re-election, has started to mock the virus at these rallies. He accuses the media of “over-covering” the virus, while “they remain silent if an airliner crashes, killing 500 people”. Trump chooses to forget that no airliner has crashed for the media to report, while twice the number of passengers in an airliner die every day from his incompetence in handling the virus.
Vice President Biden has given his plan to mitigate the virus from Day One of his presidency. He will act in accordance with scientific guidelines, mandate masks, social distancing and avoidance of crowds. He will give premier preference to the health of the people, and will re-open the economy when it is absolutely safe to do so.
An admirable and optimistic statistic has emerged during this last week, when over 80 million Americans had cast their votes by Thursday, October 29, either by standing in long lines or by mail-in votes. Remarkable for a nation which has been largely apathetic to elections – Americans have rarely reached voter participation of 60% in past elections. The early voting numbers represent more than 50% of the total votes cast in 2016, with five more voting days till Election Day. Generally, the great majority of voters turn out on Election Day, so the 2020 election seems to be well on the way to breaking all voting records.
The staggeringly high early voting numbers seem to be favoring the Biden campaign two to one, and put extreme pressure on Trump to have a big Republican turnout on Election Day. The election seems to depend on the ultimate result in Florida, which shows Biden with a razor-thin majority. Trump has to win Florida to have a realistic path to re-election, while a Biden loss in Florida will still leave him with many other alternatives to reach that magic number of 270 Electoral College votes.
Trump began the final week touting his Big Lie, that the greatest economy which he singlehandedly created was rocketing in spite of the pandemic. Wrong on both counts. He inherited a booming economy from the Obama administration, with 72 months of continuous economic growth and shrinking unemployment. The economy is in tatters today because of his incompetent handling of the Coronavirus. Over 20 million people are unemployed, with no hope of government help in the way of a second stimulus payment due two months ago. Millions are facing homelessness and over 20 million more will lose their health insurance, when Trump’s new-found majority in the Supreme Court is scheduled to repeal Obamacare on November 10. All this in the face of a long, dark winter.
Biden is currently enjoying a healthy lead in national polls of 12 percentage points. More to the point, Biden has slender leads in battleground states like Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio, which Trump won with small margins in 2016, and cannot afford to lose on Tuesday. Translated into Electoral College votes, these numbers project that Biden will garner at least 300 electoral votes; the magic number of electoral votes needed to win the presidency is 270.
Tuesday saw the continuation racial unrest with the murder of another young black man, Walter Wallace Jnr., 27-years-old, in Philadelphia. Wallace, who had a history of mental disease and a criminal record, was brandishing a knife during a manic episode, and his mother was trying to restrain him when the Philadelphia cops arrived on the scene. His mother pleaded with the cops that her son was suffering from an episode, but the cops, when Wallace did not drop the knife as instructed, fatally shot him. There is no doubt that Wallace had to be stopped before he caused any harm; but it is sad that he was executed in front of his mother who was begging for restraint. The cops could have restrained him and taken him alive with less than lethal means, like a Taser or rubber bullets. There is no doubt that a white man would have been taken alive, given similar circumstances.
Biden’s campaign brought out the big guns in the final week, with President Obama campaigning for his Vice President of eight years. Obama slammed Trump for lying about ending the virus and belittling it, and for whining that the media was giving the virus too much coverage.
Melania Trump and the Trump children continued on the Trump campaign trail, though their efforts provided no new strategies, and were hollow echoes of hatred and fear, the hallmarks of the Trump strategy.
There is only one certain consequence of the 2020 presidential election. A close election will be disputed by Trump, who will refuse to surrender the White House. And he will use his suppliant Supreme Court and, worse, post-election violence instigated mainly by the Trump militia, to steal the presidency.
Winston Churchill once famously said, “Americans will always do the right thing, only after they have tried everything else”. Americans have now tried the extreme option of four years of a captive and sycophantic administration run by a malignant, ignorant, lying sociopath. Hopefully they will wake up from this nightmare, realize how their choice of 2016 has nearly destroyed their democracy, finally come to their senses on November 3 and do the right thing. If, however, the American voter chooses, either by ballot or bullet, to continue on the slippery slope they embarked on four years ago, I can do no better than echo the condescending warning issued to Sri Lanka by Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, in a statement before his one-day visit to the island on Wednesday.
Pompeo has stated that the US “will ask Sri Lanka to make ‘difficult’ choices on its growing relationship with China amid criticism that the island is sliding toward authoritarianism.” Sri Lanka will make “difficult” choices, those which will best help meet her socio-economic needs, within the framework of her fledgling democracy. Sri Lanka needs no warnings as to the friends she should choose; that is her sovereign privilege.
However, the administration of the United States of America, the greatest democracy in the world, the vaunted cradle of freedom which Secretary Pompeo represents, would do well to recognize the slide towards authoritarianism they have embarked on since 2016, on a slope much more slippery than the one faced by Sri Lanka. Notably, its own strangely servile relationship with its main adversary, Russia, while throwing long-standing friends and allies under the bus; its flouting of the First Amendment by condemning an independent media, which its president has called the “enemy of the people”; its state sponsored racist violence against minorities; its partisan politicization of the judiciary; its government-sponsored voter suppression and election rigging; the rise of extra-military cadres of armed goons ready “to stand back and stand by” to act on Trump’s command. Secretary Pompeo would do well to be aware of “slide toward authoritarianism” of the world’s most powerful nation before handing out gratuitous and sanctimonious advice/warnings to a small, developing, sovereign nation.
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There’s an ill more dangerous and pervasive than the Coronavirus that’s currently sweeping Sri Lanka. That is the fear to express one’s convictions. Across the public sector of the country in particular many persons holding high office are stringently regulating and controlling the voices of their consciences and this bodes ill for all and the country.
The corrupting impact of fear was discussed in this column a couple of weeks ago when dealing with the military coup in Myanmar. It stands to the enduring credit of ousted Myanmarese Head of Government Aung San Suu Kyi that she, perhaps for the first time in the history of modern political thought, singled out fear, and not power, as the principal cause of corruption within the individual; powerful or otherwise.
To be sure, power corrupts but the corrupting impact of fear is graver and more devastating. For instance, the fear in a person holding ministerial office or in a senior public sector official, that he would lose position and power as a result of speaking out his convictions and sincere beliefs on matters of the first importance, would lead to a country’s ills going unaddressed and uncorrected.
Besides, the individual concerned would be devaluing himself in the eyes of all irrevocably and revealing himself to be a person who would be willing to compromise his moral integrity for petty worldly gain or a ‘mess of pottage’. This happens all the while in Lankan public life. Some of those who have wielded and are wielding immense power in Sri Lanka leave very much to be desired from these standards.
It could be said that fear has prevented Sri Lanka from growing in every vital respect over the decades and has earned for itself the notoriety of being a directionless country.
All these ills and more are contained in the current controversy in Sri Lanka over the disposal of the bodies of Covid victims, for example. The Sri Lankan polity has no choice but to abide by scientific advice on this question. Since authorities of the standing of even the WHO have declared that the burial of the bodies of those dying of Covid could not prove to be injurious to the wider public, the Sri Lankan health authorities could go ahead and sanction the burying of the bodies concerned. What’s preventing the local authorities from taking this course since they claim to be on the side of science? Who or what are they fearing? This is the issue that’s crying out to be probed and answered.
Considering the need for absolute truthfulness and honesty on the part of all relevant persons and quarters in matters such as these, the latter have no choice but to resign from their positions if they are prevented from following the dictates of their consciences. If they are firmly convinced that burials could bring no harm, they are obliged to take up the position that burials should be allowed.
If any ‘higher authority’ is preventing them from allowing burials, our ministers and officials are conscience-bound to renounce their positions in protest, rather than behave compromisingly and engage in ‘double think’ and ‘double talk’. By adopting the latter course they are helping none but keeping the country in a state of chronic uncertainty, which is a handy recipe for social instabiliy and division.
In the Sri Lankan context, the failure on the part of the quarters that matter to follow scientific advice on the burials question could result in the aggravation of Islamophobia, or hatred of the practitioners of Islam, in the country. Sri Lanka could do without this latter phobia and hatred on account of its implications for national stability and development. The 30 year war against separatist forces was all about the prevention by military means of ‘nation-breaking’. The disastrous results for Sri Lanka from this war are continuing to weigh it down and are part of the international offensive against Sri Lanka in the UNHCR.
However, Islamophobia is an almost world wide phenomenon. It was greatly strengthened during Donald Trump’s presidential tenure in the US. While in office Trump resorted to the divisive ruling strategy of quite a few populist authoritarian rulers of the South. Essentially, the manoeuvre is to divide and rule by pandering to the racial prejudices of majority communities.
It has happened continually in Sri Lanka. In the initial post-independence years and for several decades after, it was a case of some populist politicians of the South whipping-up anti-Tamil sentiments. Some Tamil politicians did likewise in respect of the majority community. No doubt, both such quarters have done Sri Lanka immeasurable harm. By failing to follow scientific advice on the burial question and by not doing what is right, Sri Lanka’s current authorities are opening themselves to the charge that they are pandering to religious extremists among the majority community.
The murderous, destructive course of action adopted by some extremist sections among Muslim communities world wide, including of course Sri Lanka, has not earned the condemnation it deserves from moderate Muslims who make-up the preponderant majority in the Muslim community. It is up to moderate opinion in the latter collectivity to come out more strongly and persuasively against religious extremists in their midst. It will prove to have a cementing and unifying impact among communities.
It is not sufficiently appreciated by governments in the global South in particular that by voicing for religious and racial unity and by working consistently towards it, they would be strengthening democratic development, which is an essential condition for a country’s growth in all senses.
A ‘divided house’ is doomed to fall; this is the lesson of history. ‘National security’ cannot be had without human security and peaceful living among communities is central to the latter. There cannot be any ‘double talk’ or ‘politically correct’ opinions on this question. Truth and falsehood are the only valid categories of thought and speech.
Those in authority everywhere claiming to be democratic need to adopt a scientific outlook on this issue as well. Studies conducted on plural societies in South Asia, for example, reveal that the promotion of friendly, cordial ties among communities invariably brings about healing among estranged groups and produces social peace. This is the truth that is waiting to be acted upon.
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By Sanjeewa Jayaweera
It was on 3rd January 1972 that our family arrived in Karachi from Moscow. Our departure from Moscow had been delayed for a few weeks due to the military confrontation between Pakistan and India. It ended on 16th December 1971. After that, international flights were not permitted for some time.
The contrast between Moscow and Karachi was unbelievable. First and foremost, Moscow’s temperature was near minus 40 degrees centigrade, while in Karachi, it was sunny and a warm 28 degrees centigrade. However, what struck us most was the extreme warmth with which the airport authorities greeted our family. As my father was a diplomat, we were quickly ushered to the airport’s VIP Lounge. We were in transit on our way to Rawalpindi, the airport serving the capital of Islamabad.
We quickly realized that the word “we are from Sri Lanka” opened all doors just as saying “open sesame” gained entry to Aladdin’s cave! The broad smile, extreme courtesy, and genuine warmth we received from the Pakistani people were unbelievable.
This was all to do with Mrs Sirima Bandaranaike’s decision to allow Pakistani aircraft to land in Colombo to refuel on the way to Dhaka in East Pakistan during the military confrontation between Pakistan and India. It was a brave decision by Mrs Bandaranaike (Mrs B), and the successive governments and Sri Lanka people are still enjoying the fruits of it. Pakistan has been a steadfast and loyal supporter of our country. They have come to our assistance time and again in times of great need when many have turned their back on us. They have indeed been an “all-weather” friend of our country.
Getting back to 1972, I was an early beneficiary of Pakistani people’s love for Sri Lankans. I failed the entrance exam to gain entry to the only English medium school in Islamabad! However, when I met the Principal, along with my father, he said, “Sanjeewa, although you failed the entrance exam, I will this time make an exception as Sri Lankans are our dear friends.” After that, the joke around the family dinner table was that I owed my education in Pakistan to Mrs B!
At school, my brother and I were extended a warm welcome and always greeted “our good friends from Sri Lanka.” I felt when playing cricket for our college; our runs were cheered more loudly than of others.
One particular incident that I remember well was when the Embassy received a telex from the Foreign inistry. It requested that our High Commissioner seek an immediate meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr Zulifikar Ali Bhutto (ZB), and convey a message from Mrs B. The message requested that an urgent shipment of rice be dispatched to Sri Lanka as there would be an imminent rice shortage. As the Ambassador was not in the station, the responsibility devolved on my father.
It usually takes about a week or more to get an audience with the Prime Minister (PM) of a foreign country due to their busy schedule. However, given the urgency, my father spoke to the Foreign Ministry’s Permanent Sectary, who fortunately was our neighbour and sought an urgent appointment. My father received a call from the PM’s secretary around 10 P.M asking him to come over to the PM’s residence. My father met ZB around midnight. ZB was about to retire to bed and, as such, was in his pyjamas and gown enjoying a cigar! He had greeted my father and had asked, “Mr Jayaweera, what can we do for great friend Madam Bandaranaike?. My father conveyed the message from Colombo and quietly mentioned that there would be riots in the country if there is no rice!
ZB had immediately got the Food Commissioner of Pakistan on the line and said, “I want a shipload of rice to be in Colombo within the next 72 hours!” The Food Commissioner reverted within a few minutes, saying that nothing was available and the last export shipment had left the port only a few hours ago to another country. ZB had instructed to turn the ship around and send it to Colombo. This despite protests from the Food Commissioner about terms and conditions of the Letter of Credit prohibiting non-delivery. Sri Lanka got its delivery of rice!
The next was the visit of Mrs B to Pakistan. On arrival in Rawalpindi airport, she was given a hero’s welcome, which Pakistan had previously only offered to President Gaddafi of Libya, who financially backed Pakistan with his oil money. That day, I missed school and accompanied my parents to the airport. On our way, we witnessed thousands of people had gathered by the roadside to welcome Mrs B.
When we walked to the airport’s tarmac, thousands of people were standing in temporary stands waving Sri Lanka and Pakistan flags and chanting “Sri Lanka Pakistan Zindabad.” The noise emanating from the crowd was as loud and passionate as the cheering that the Pakistani cricket team received during a test match. It was electric!
I believe she was only the second head of state given the privilege of addressing both assemblies of Parliament. The other being Gaddafi. There was genuine affection from Mrs B amongst the people of Pakistan.
I always remember the indefatigable efforts of Mr Abdul Haffez Kardar, a cabinet minister and the President of the Pakistan Cricket Board. From around 1973 onwards, he passionately championed Sri Lanka’s cause to be admitted as a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and granted test status. Every year, he would propose at the ICC’s annual meeting, but England and Australia’s veto kept us out until 1981.
I always felt that our Cricket Board made a mistake by not inviting Pakistan to play our inaugural test match. We should have appreciated Mr Kardar and Pakistan’s efforts. In 1974 the Pakistan board invited our team for a tour involving three test matches and a few first-class games. Most of those who played in our first test match was part of that tour, and no doubt gained significant exposure playing against a highly talented Pakistani team.
Several Pakistani greats were part of the Pakistan and India team that played a match soon after the Central Bank bomb in Colombo to prove that it was safe to play cricket in Colombo. It was a magnificent gesture by both Pakistan and India. Our greatest cricket triumph was in Pakistan when we won the World Cup in 1996. I am sure the players and those who watched the match on TV will remember the passionate support our team received that night from the Pakistani crowd. It was like playing at home!
I also recall reading about how the Pakistani government air freighted several Multi Barrell artillery guns and ammunition to Sri Lanka when the A rmy camp in Jaffna was under severe threat from the LTTE. This was even more important than the shipload of rice that ZB sent. This was crucial as most other countries refused to sell arms to our country during the war.
Time and again, Pakistan has steadfastly supported our country’s cause at the UNHCR. No doubt this year, too, their diplomats will work tirelessly to assist our country.
We extend a warm welcome to Mr Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He is a truly inspirational individual who was undoubtedly an excellent cricketer. Since retirement from cricket, he has decided to get involved in politics, and after several years of patiently building up his support base, he won the last parliamentary elections. I hope that just as much as he galvanized Sri Lankan cricketers, his political journey would act as a catalyst for people like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene to get involved in politics. Cricket has been called a “gentleman’s game.” Whilst politics is far from it!.
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Believe me, seeing certain videos, on social media, depicting action, on the dance floor, at some of these entertainment venues, got me wondering whether this Coronavirus pandemic is REAL!
To those having a good time, at these particular venues, and, I guess, the management, as well, what the world is experiencing now doesn’t seem to be their concerned.
Obviously, such irresponsible behaviour could create more problems for those who are battling to halt the spread of Covid-19, and the new viriant of Covid, in our part of the world.
The videos, on display, on social media, show certain venues, packed to capacity – with hardly anyone wearing a mask, and social distancing…only a dream..
How can one think of social distancing while gyrating, on a dance floor, that is over crowded!
If this trend continues, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Coronavirus makes its presence felt…at such venues.
And, then, what happens to the entertainment scene, and those involved in this field, especially the musicians? No work, whatsoever!
Lots of countries have closed nightclubs, and venues, where people gather, in order to curtail the spread of this deadly virus that has already claimed the lives of thousands.
Thailand did it and the country is still having lots of restrictions, where entertainment is concerned, and that is probably the reason why Thailand has been able to control the spread of the Coronavirus.
With a population of over 69 million, they have had (so far), a little over 25,000 cases, and 83 deaths, while we, with a population of around 21 million, have over 80,000 cases, and more than 450 deaths.
I’m not saying we should do away with entertainment – totally – but we need to follow a format, connected with the ‘new normal,’ where masks and social distancing are mandatory requirements at these venues. And, dancing, I believe, should be banned, at least temporarily, as one can’t maintain the required social distance, while on the dance floor, especially after drinks.
Police spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana keeps emphasising, on TV, radio, and in the newspapers, the need to adhere to the health regulations, now in force, and that those who fail to do so would be penalised.
He has also stated that plainclothes officers would move around to apprehend such offenders.
Perhaps, he should instruct his officers to pay surprise visits to some of these entertainment venues.
He would certainly have more than a bus load of offenders to be whisked off for PCR/Rapid Antigen tests!
I need to quote what Dr. H.T. Wickremasinghe said in his article, published in The Island of Tuesday, February 16th, 2021:
“…let me conclude, while emphasising the need to continue our general public health measures, such as wearing masks, social distancing, and avoiding crowded gatherings, to reduce the risk of contact with an infected person.
“There is no science to beat common sense.”
But…do some of our folks have this thing called COMMON SENSE!
