An International Government for Sri Lanka! Now!

An International Government for Sri Lanka! Now!

“It’s all a bloody circus mates and the clowns are in control!”[1]

Amateurs make revolutions and professionals make Coup d’état! Yes? Well then what about the revolutions that did not fail, who made them? We are all amateurs in some field and citizens make up for what professional politicians are unable to do. Something new comes out of the simple clay of people.

What have we here? All kinds of things Sri Lankan it seems. Leaders of the past, professional politicians, citizen groups, people who have been on the hot seat and on the not so hot seat, all of them are planning and nudging this land away from some place unwholesome to a better place, or so we think. Can all be in on it? What is this “it” of governing, is it all, workers, intellectuals, politicians, mothers, fathers youth. Yes, but there has to be some design, some order. All cannot sit at one table. Many tables are needed; some tables may be larger or smaller than others.   But the tables should not be like troughs for pigs to feed on.   Where does subsidiarity come in, for all a suitable table, surely not for all one table the same table for all?

Two party or one party, some countries we know had Institutional Revolutionary Parties! Oh, a one party system for us, to rule, to help and govern together taking away the mess of changes and elections that are hotly contested. First two a party system, these coalitions are tiresome and small groups gain undue power. Then roll it into one bag and stuff it, and we run the whole show. We need strong leadership, as if the other kind is highly desired. Where are the clowns? Bring in the Clowns!

Why not an international government for Sri Lanka?

National Government, pooh! Any Podunk country can have a national government if the political parties get adequate incentive to form one. Of course that country must have political parties to begin with. When the need actually arises for a national government is not written down in some diagnostic manual for good government. This is unfortunate for the Handbooks-R-us crowd who can rush anywhere anytime, read the manual and start dispensing good government, largesse or justice or whatever. Look at Iraq, there is a handbook nation gone to rubble. Pakistan? Yemen, don’t look into the sky please!

But this national government, in the nationalist cause, for the people, of the people, by the people, is it enough? No? No! Then why not have an international government? Bring in the best and brightest or the fastest moving ones to set ourselves right.   Isn’t that what we have? Aren’t we aligned with the “international community”, that part of humanity that we should listen to, acquiesce and follow? Didn’t we make a clear statement on the 8^th of January regarding our allegiance to The International Community? Didn’t the congratulations come pouring in to our brave people from the capitals of the civilized world, London, Paris, Washington DC, Tokyo, Berlin? Weren’t we congratulated for going to vote and voting in a new President and removing from office the recalcitrant, obstreperous, family dynastic ambitioned, corrupt, maybe a war criminal, MR? Where is his loot by the way?

Countries that the international community wishes to redeem always get international governments, or so it seems. The international community wants “our type” of national leader, actually their type most often men in dresses are anathema to them, even if they don’t knot their ties! Hold it, did not Europe have empires ruled by the men in dresses. That was then, this is now! No men in dresses, SkinnyG was bad enough and he did not even wear a dress!

So, we need internationalists, people who have been in the international halls of decision-making, worked for multinational companies, for multi-national agencies; the Bretton Woods system, or the UN we need them at the helm, in the government, in the parliament, making policy, making speeches, making progress. We do? Yes we do!

We do have problems that are global in scope. They are part of a chain of links that connect many countries and governments to us. As we hear often enough we need to be globally competitive, i.e. open more fast food outlets, be a preferred tourist destination, i.e. have more exclusive spas and villas with helipads and armed security to keep riff-raff out including those Pradeshiya Sabha representatives or any others who cannot control themselves in the vicinity of Ukrainian damsels.

But this international government, what will it be like? Will internationalists identify themselves with some distinguishing mark or feature? Will they be foreign citizens? Will they be fast tracked to Sri Lankan and or dual citizenship? All are important questions and not ones that we have not faced before. We have had people who were Sri Lankans then some other nationals, then dual citizens, then representing Sri Lanka and working for Sri Lanka. What is wrong with that? Sri Lanka for Sri Lankans now! Really? What about tourists, foreign experts? Yes what about them? We will use them as we need them? And who are these we? Yes, we! Us! Where?

But Sri Lanka for Sri Lankans, most of the time except when someone wants to make money? Money making means going international, trade and commerce, banks and communication linking us to other countries and of course many, many workers working internationally sending money and not voting even in the Pradeshiya Sabha election which repairs the road to their homes, provides the schools and health care to their families.

An international government, let everyone get their fair share to run the country, take responsibility not only the glory, “oh, we helped Sri Lanka change its despotic, kleptodynasitic regime”. But also “It’s a shame that they seem to be mired in political machinations ”.  Do something then regime change does not come cheap does it? Remember after the Tsunami in 2004? Foreign flags, foreigners rushing about helping. Well, now it is time to govern.

Yes, an International Government for Sri Lanka, now!  Or will be not even a national government, ever?

“It’s time for truth the barker said and poured his self a beer
Oh yeah forsooth said Ben the Geek but who’ll be left to hear
They’ve driven off the fools and saints and now they’ve stole the show
It’s all a bloody circus mates and clowns are in control.”[2]

Is it so? Naw, never! Not for Sri Lanka! Hmmm..

“Isn’t it rich?
Are we a pair?
Me here at last on the ground,
You in mid-air..
Where are the clowns?”[3]

[1] Kris Kristofferson, “Slouching Towards the Millennium” From the album, A Moment Forever. 1995

[2] ibid.

[3] Stephen Sondheim “Send in the Clowns” from the musical “A Little Night Music” 1973.