As the clock ticks down

 As the clock ticks down

 "..And so long as men die, liberty will never perish... Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle!... You are men! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.... let us use that power - let us all unite.”

We are proud individuals

Living for the city
But the flames
Couldn't go much higher

We find God and religions
To paint us with salvation
But no one, no nobody
Can give you the power

To rise
Over love
Over hate
Through this iron sky that's fast becoming our mind
Over fear and into freedom

Oh, that's life
That's dripping down the walls
Of a dream that cannot breathe
In this harsh reality
Mass confusion spoon fed to the blind
Serves now to define our cold society

From which we'll rise
Over love
Over hate
Through this iron sky that's fast becoming our mind
Over fear and into freedom

You've just got to hold on
You've just got to hold on

[Charlie Chaplin's speech from The Great Dictator]
“To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish... Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle!... You are men! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.... let us use that power - let us all unite.”

And we'll rise
Over love
Over hate
Through this iron sky that's fast becoming our mind
Over fear and into freedom
Into freedom

From which we'll rise
Over love
Over hate
Through this iron sky that's fast becoming our mind
Over fear and into freedom
Freedom, freedom

Oh, rain on me
Rain on me
Rain on me

The Logic of helping the lesser evil

 One thing is clear. For the Tamils, the upcoming elections are not about a boycott. It is about if Tamil leadership should actively endorse either of the two Sinhala nationalist candidates.  The lack of strategic thinking and inability to think outside the mainstream have been TNA leadership failures. It was evident in their very early positions on International Investigations, Failed endorsement of Fonseka, not using the NPC and EPC as the Palestinians have forced the PA to do, etc.

Telling the Tamils to “go with the flow”, "not to rock the boat”, and choose “lesser of the evil” are the cleverest things TNA has been able to come up with so far.  

Fielding a strong Tamil candidate to repeatedly and democratically show the Tamil position while still allow another opposition candidate to win would be the right strategy.   

A Tamil candidature would have unified and motivated a much larger Tamil turnout. If  the Tamil votes will make a difference, as it is being told, then the higher turnout and a 3rd front would have forced a recount to find the winner.  The 2ND CHOICE of the Tamils would be the winner. Tamil narrative would stay intact and progressed further.  Mr. Sampanthan could have been that candidate. This could have been the crowning moment of his career and his contribution to the Tamil cause: Setting a very good example on his way into retirement.  Mr.Sampanthan discounted such an idea in 2010 to the American ambassador and decided to endorse a “national” candidate. This time, it is the repeat of the same playbook.   

There has been reasonable amount of debate why actively endorsing Mythiripala is wrong.  

Mythiripala continues to demonstrate why he is a candidate for the Sinhala nationalists. Many among the Tamils ignore that as means to win the elections.  

Then what are Tamils being asked to contribute to?  An endorsement for the continuation of this ethno majoritarian mindset.

The tiring example of lesser of the two evils is used. Aren’t Tamils helping to move what the acceptable norm of the evil even lower?. Telling the world we will align, without any principles, with anyone. This slippery slope of a justification started first with the endorsement of Fonseka. This adds to the growing list of our own contradictions when we start to complain in a few years: Complaining  why things are not working out for us.  I can only assume, In a scenario of a family feud, if Gota had decided to run against Mahinda, we might be hearing similar arguments in support of Mahinda perhaps.  With this logic, Tamils should prepare themselves for such a future.

  As the Tamil Civil Society Forum reasoned well, the Sinhala constituency of the Island still refuses to recognize the violent nature of the state. The state is so because of their tolerance and endorsement of violence against the Tamils.  Until the larger Sinhala consciousness connects the dots, and asks for a genuine reform of the state, all else is a token exercise.  It is wrong to ask the Tamils to help provide a breathing space: knowing well Tamils won't get anything in return. It is wrong for the TNA leadership to do it on the backs of the Tamils.

Perhaps this cartoon captures the essence.

  I am biased against the parliamentary system of governance and support an executive presidential system with the judicial and legislative checks and balances.  This again is the failure of the Sinhala society that keeps electing the wrong leaders. 

Parliamentary system will shift some of the powers to various party leaders and MP’s. Prime Minister will be beholden to the whims and fancy of the same ineffective and corrupt party leaders. I am sure TNA leadership smells the same opportunity and thrives to feel important at  a “national” level.  Their logic will again revert to that of the NPC times that the Tamils should not let Douglas win.

At this rate, Sinhala voters need to find a bigger evil who can dwarf MR, Gota, MY3, etc so Tamils can make themselves feel better about endorsing these lesser evils.