Is Patriotism the last refuge of the Scoundrel?
Posted on December 6th, 2015
R Chandrasoma
In an impassioned address to Parliament recently the President MS concluded his speech by quoting the words of that illustrious statesman Jawaharlal Nehru – that ‘Politics is the last refuge of the Scoundrel’. It was Samuel Johnson who first made this quip to his famous buddy Boswell and it was said facetiously. Whether Nehru took it seriously is a matter for debate but in the context of what is happening right now in Sri Lanka it is singularly inappropriate – if not downright diabolical, The need of the hour is patriotism – of the kind that deems it an honour to speak against those plotting to destroy the Sinhala Nation. There is a curious imbalance in this respect – that racism is flaunted openly as a right and a duty by the Tamils and Muslims of Sri Lanka with not a murmur of protest by the President and his Ministers. Indeed, these worthies speak tirelessly of the ‘injustice’ done to these group as a direct consequence of the decisive military defeat of the Terrorist Prabhakaran . No word of exculpation for those who took patriotism seriously and spoke brave words in defence of our forces when traitors within and enemies outside conspired to derail the war-effort of our heroic forces. If traitorism is the opposite of patriotism, is not the former that was the ‘refuge’ of the loud-talking defenders of human rights for the enemy while looking away when their own nation was in great peril due to the depredations of a racist monster?
That the present leadership was at the forefront of those who gave covert support to the separatist enemy is known to all. That they acted to weaken our nation at a critical moment in our history on the initiative and behest of Western Powers hell-bent on defeating the stout nationalist MR is also well known. It is the patriotism of a resolute few in the leadership of that time that saved our nation from the fast road to political oblivion. When the current President of our land mocks the patriotic spirit by declaring to a full Parliament that it is the last refuge of scoundrels, the entire nation must weep that we have reached such a sorry pass in our political affairs.
December 6th, 2015 at 6:17 pm
The patriotism this foolish leader thinks is singing along with the great Amaradewa.
This Hopper traitor has spoiled the great show!!
Grama Sevaka Mind!!
Hope the nation’s fools brought him in to power will realise their folly and gather to reverse it!!
December 7th, 2015 at 3:37 am
IGNORAMUSES AND SCOUNDRELS ALL THE WAY —- Whoever wrote his speech for him was #1 Scoundrel, AND THE PRESIDENT REVEALED HIS OWN IGNORANCE BY READING IT!
NOR DID HE HAVE THE SENSE TO HAVE IT CHECKED FOR ACCURACY/AUTHENTICITY BEFORE HE MADE OF FOOL OF HIMSELF IN PARLIAMENT! ….
December 7th, 2015 at 3:48 pm
Please visit Maru Sira’s FACEBOOK PAGE and read his FRIENDS’ comments.
They BLAST Maru Sira in FILTH in Singhala, English, Tamil and even Arabic. Many Tamils CURSE him too. I feel sorry for the idiot.
(Some of his friends blasting him are yours truely!!)
Defeating the FACEBOOK president through facebook itself has begun.
Backstabber backstabbed!!!
AYYO SIRISENA!
December 8th, 2015 at 3:11 am
I beg to differ. Last refuge of our politician Scoundrel is the main religion and the so called culture of ours but they secretly live a double standard. This phenomenon had infiltrated in to the people where in disgust had to sack dozens and closed down three business outlets in SL where I couldn’t take it anymore.All employee if they were Christians,Muslims,Budhists were using their religion either to stay away from work, not turning up in time and in many cases not giving attention to the job.
It happened to me here in UK too. Out of the three business outlets, easier to run out let run by the Sri Lankan made a terrible loss and even damage to the equipment due to utter neglect and careless ness where the main person we trained to take care and guide the others set a bad precedence by going to church daily, sometimes earlier than the schedule time off costing me thousands in damage and loss of business.
While the other two business run by the suddas tried to impress on me by increasing the out put by 10% by devising methods to attract customers and they will be generously given a bonus for the festive season while I will make sure our people who let me down will be shown the door.
Unless you know me well and come to know what I do will never believe me.
December 8th, 2015 at 6:22 am
Nimal,
We must give appoint 20 Suddas to run the country and close down the parliament, pallath sabhas, kudu sabhas , Gon sabhas and all other sabhsa run by Sinhalase , tamils and Muslims for 5 years.
I am sure we can increase GDP by 5 fold, exports by 10 folds and imports by 3 folds.
December 9th, 2015 at 5:40 am
Nanda
Suddas haven’t got the time for us.
December 9th, 2015 at 1:38 pm
Nimal,
I mean advertise and recruit 20 Suddas to run the country. “Suddas” means law abiding foreigners.
December 10th, 2015 at 9:04 pm
Nada
I doubt it will work or allow it to work.We got down person to be the principal of Trinity collage where he did a very good job,even fighting corruption with a on going court case against some crooks with political connection who tried to grab collage grounds, but his visa was terminated and had to leave the country. No amount of appealing to MR personally helped.That goes also for CEO of SL,where he was punished for not finding seats for president’s circus to get back to SL after CHOGM at London.MR lot should have prearranged it without off loading innocent passengers bringing their kids for annual holidays in Dec.
Bad precedence is set by CBK when she commandeered the SL plane to get to Jammaica,again offloading many innocent pre paid passengers.
Atmosphere in our culture is not too friendly for a well disciplined sudda to work in SL,unless one is desperate for work. My foreign relatives come here on short term basis and so will I. Driving on the roads drives you mad for a start.I think the private sector is doing their best to have our own thinking like them but sadly they are being nicknamed Colombians. Things were bad as far as from 1958 where I experienced that drove me out of the country.When Thilak wrote an article about Mr Sivali Ratwatte I wanted to put my two cents but was too busy where I worked for him,ECC doing a dam in Kandy.Thanks to the Danish sudda learned a lot, sadly he was getting a bit fed up and left the country. Until one live and work with them one will never understand what I am saying. More I think about this I feel awful. These are subjects one must discus on the web and not absurd topics with respect to religion, history and culture which are not relevant but a deception that his relevant to the topic on this article. We are one of the few failed countries that seems to play with religion, culture and history. One only have to see what is now happening in the Middle east and do we want to follow them or follow progressive countries like UK where everyone wants to settle?It’s4 AM here…..zzzzz