a long way down

sri lankan politicians are a pretty depressed lot these days. with the ruling party nominating mahinda rajapakse for president and anura bandaranaike ( no joke) as prime minister the possibility of a snap general election and the scheduled (date debated) presidential election means that politicians now have to commence the laborious task of pleasing the people. absolute bloody nuisance, men.

already, we are hearing pleasing noises about salary increases, removal of taxes on fuel and so on. this time around there is also all those handsome donations from overseas for tsunami aid, which can now be disbursed to the favored few. the papers are beginning to fill up with ad’s on how much government has done for the people and it is amazing how much can be written about so little. it a wee bit like that emperor chappie in the old story. actually, in his case, he had very little to be embarrassed about, if you get my drift.

i just completed an interview with a smart young girl. recently married. graduate. obtained a secondary professional qualification. reading for another. upwardly mobile and all that jazz - and with absolutely no intention of staying in sri lanka for more than two more years. i asked her why.

those of us ( she said) who want a better life for ourselves and our families, and are prepared to work for it, seem to be in a minority. nothing works. we have no system to fall back on. law and order is non existent. the independence of the judiciary is questionable. politicians are totally corrupt and in for what they can make. no one seems genuinely concerned about the peace process. there is no future here.

but (i asked), what makes you think it’s any better elsewhere. or that you will not be exchanging one set of problems with another?

maybe ( she said) but at least elsewhere i can take comfort in the fact that i and my family have a real chance at individual freedom and the pursuit of happiness. in sri lanka happiness depends on your political muscle and nothing else.

all of which makes for a very depressing start to my weekend. outside, it’s one of those bright and sunny blue sky mornings in colombo. i swear i can even hear birds twittering. sorry. no. it’s just the ups alarms going off. the power has just died on us.