Posts
Listening to: Radio 1
As I type this little post up, millions of people in the Motherland are enjoying a half-day off at home after placing their votes. I witnessed a lot of election-related madness during my trip home, from the larger-than-life cut-outs of MR (someone's got serious ego issues, man!) to the baseless, irrelevant personal attacks on him from supposed SF supporters (does it really matter that he's not smiling in that video? It's an election campaign, not a L'Oreal ad!). But all that is pointless now.
In a way, I don't really get what the fuss is about. The election's been hyped as one of epic proportions, but is it really? Is this as big as Mrs. B vs JR? Chandrika vs Gamini's widow (after everyone else had been bumped off by the LTTE)? I don't know. But then again, maybe this is the first time during an election that I've been part of the 'political activism' generation. Maybe this is the first time during an election that social networking and the internet have been employed. Maybe we'll only know how 'epic' it was once it's over. I don't know.
What I do know is that for every corrupt official, there is a 'civilian' that corrupts him/her...the politicians we've seen so far may be monsters, but they are, in part, the monsters we have created. Every human being is corruptible, and corruption is as much the fault of the 'corruptor' as it is that of the 'corruptee'.
What I also know is that our success as human beings, a nation, a species...is determined not by what happens to us, but by how we deal with all that happens. So this is a message to those of you in Sri Lanka who are eligible to vote (seeing that as an ex-pat, I have effectively relinquished my birthright) - know that today you have played a part in the future of our country, and know that you will play a part in the future of our country tomorrow; your responsibility to the Motherland does not end with the cross on the ballot paper...indeed, the future of our country is in your hands - not just today or tomorrow, but every day.
May the Noble Triple Gem bless our country and all those who love her.
As I type this little post up, millions of people in the Motherland are enjoying a half-day off at home after placing their votes. I witnessed a lot of election-related madness during my trip home, from the larger-than-life cut-outs of MR (someone's got serious ego issues, man!) to the baseless, irrelevant personal attacks on him from supposed SF supporters (does it really matter that he's not smiling in that video? It's an election campaign, not a L'Oreal ad!). But all that is pointless now.
In a way, I don't really get what the fuss is about. The election's been hyped as one of epic proportions, but is it really? Is this as big as Mrs. B vs JR? Chandrika vs Gamini's widow (after everyone else had been bumped off by the LTTE)? I don't know. But then again, maybe this is the first time during an election that I've been part of the 'political activism' generation. Maybe this is the first time during an election that social networking and the internet have been employed. Maybe we'll only know how 'epic' it was once it's over. I don't know.
What I do know is that for every corrupt official, there is a 'civilian' that corrupts him/her...the politicians we've seen so far may be monsters, but they are, in part, the monsters we have created. Every human being is corruptible, and corruption is as much the fault of the 'corruptor' as it is that of the 'corruptee'.
What I also know is that our success as human beings, a nation, a species...is determined not by what happens to us, but by how we deal with all that happens. So this is a message to those of you in Sri Lanka who are eligible to vote (seeing that as an ex-pat, I have effectively relinquished my birthright) - know that today you have played a part in the future of our country, and know that you will play a part in the future of our country tomorrow; your responsibility to the Motherland does not end with the cross on the ballot paper...indeed, the future of our country is in your hands - not just today or tomorrow, but every day.
May the Noble Triple Gem bless our country and all those who love her.
"What I do know is that for every corrupt official, there is a 'civilian' that corrupts him/her."
ReplyDeleteSo true.
It's a shame that there aren't more people like you voting! :(
ReplyDeletedon't relinquish it... fight fight die for it! ;)
ReplyDeleteSeeing that I'm in an upset mood over SF being bundled up and carried away, I'll just say that you suck for not voting... :P
And the most pivotal election in the last 30 years has definitely got to be RW vs. MR, 2005. If the guy who I supported that time won, I shudder at where the country would be today... :/
So basically, my party sucks for being such idiots... :/ Sorry for the pointless comment... :(
lovely post!
ReplyDeleteSabby - Yup, too many of us take the easy way out of blaming politicians, without taking responsibility for our own actions that perpetuate the corruption.
ReplyDeleteScrumpy - hehe well it takes all types to make the world :-)
Chavie - lol :P Actually there is an initiative to enable expat voting, we'll see what happens.
I guess '05 was the most pivotal in the last 30 years, but overall I'd say '77 was the most crucial...33 years on we're still dealing with the mess JR & co made.
As for where the country would be today if Ranil had won in '05, I'd bet we'd be in about the same place, but missing two thirds of our coastline.
So yeah, your party sucks for being such idiots :P (your words, not mine :P )
Dee - thanks :-)
Ah, but if Mrs. B won we'd be like Cuba now! :P I think even Indonesia has expat voting. We're way behind in that regard...
ReplyDeleteWell I never said Mrs B should've won ;-). I think the problem was that we put all our faith in someone who promised change, and he completely screwed us over. Giving someone a landslide victory is a very dangerous thing.
ReplyDeleteAs for expat voting...I know of a few countries that don't. I remember the political parties used to give out airline tickets so that expat (Greek) Cypriots could fly back for elections. All it takes is for enough people to get the ball rolling, and then as long as there are no practical obstacles, it should happen.