R Chandrasoma

While hammering away at a few overworked themes is a cardinal feature of the ‘discourses’ of politicians in general, it is surely a sign of intellectual vapidity when a political leader acts like a ‘repeating groove’ in an old-fashioned phonograph.

Let’s take some of his (RW’s) favourite themes that are repeated ‘ad nauseam’ in his political addresses. The first is the ‘enormity of the debt crisis – we owe the world ‘millions, billions, trillions of dollars – the great national challenge is the annulment of this fantabulous debt which will descend on the heads of future generation unless we act now’.

It is OK if this dangerous wisdom is proffered to financial experts but – its repetition at every vulgar political gathering is an indication of a rule-based mind – a failure to be innovative – resulting in what psychologists call ‘perseveration’ in thinking.

Another favourite theme is ‘the horrendous state of Sri Lanka  under MR’ and the ‘Herculean task’ facing him (RW) and the New Government  to set things right.

With this hallucinatory mind-set, he believes that his anointed task is to prove that what was earlier regarded as a National Asset  is really a burden passed on by an incompetent government.

Thus, an Airport is dismissed as a Domain of Peacocks until the Magician RW touches it. Men were routinely kidnapped on roads and hauled in White Vans until he came to power – when such outrages ceased.

A harbor is dismissed as a glorified swimming pool until the Magic Wand of RW touches it.

There is no need to go on. Let us conclude with a reference to a strange ideological  ‘fixation’ of RW – ‘we were only second to Japan at the time of the granting of Idependence’ .

As in his earlier prophetic announcements, this astonishing fact is repeated  ad nauseam. He believes that Pre-Independence Sri Lanka  – under the heel of the Colonial Overlord, ridden with Malaria, TB and sickly infections, where the poor natives had no rights while a Pariah-Class of Kalu-suddhas establish enclaves in the city that (supposedly) won the admiration of Lee Kwan Yu.

That a political leader of power and stature can make such idiotic statements is surely evidence of the terminal political decline of this ancient country.