INTL Sri Lanka down to last day of petrol, PM tells crisis-hit nation (Updated, #221)

[jward]

Project Failure
@censorshipUSA
24m

If you’ve been paying attention, this doesn’t surprise ya If you haven’t been and are more concerned about grooming children, you better brace yourselves. What you see happening in Sri Lanka is only the beginning. Global chaos is about to erupt. Thank Biden when it hits the US

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[URL='https://twitter.com/RW_UNP'] Ranil Wickremesinghe @RW_UNP

Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and Leader of the United National Party (UNP)

Ranil Wickremesinghe
@RW_UNP[/URL]

1. The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives. I have no desire to hide the truth and to lie to the public. Although these facts are unpleasant and terrifying, this is the true situation.
2. • Govt. Revenue: SLR 1.6 Trillion. • Govt. Expenditure: SLR 2.4 Trillion. • Budget Deficit: SLR 2.4 Trillion (13% of GDP)
3. • Debt Ceiling: SLR 1950 Billion out of the approved debt ceiling of SLR 3200 Billion by the 2nd week of May • Foreign Reserves: They were at USD 7.5 Billion in Nov. 2019. However, today it is a challenge for the treasury to find USD 1 Million.
4. Fuel Stocks: • Problem: In order ease the queues, we need approx. USD 75 million. We only have petrol stocks for a single day.
5. Fuel Stocks: • Solution: We managed to bring in a diesel shipment yesterday. Two more diesel shipments under the Indian credit line due on 18/5 and 1/6. Two petrol shipments due on 18/5 and 29/5. We are working to obtain dollars in the open market to pay for these shipments
6. Electricity: • Problem: As quarter of electricity is generated through oil, there is a possibility that the power outages will increase to 15 hours a day.
7. Electricity: • Solution: For over 40 days 3 ships with crude oil and furnace oil have been anchored within the maritime zone of SL. We have already obtained money to avert this crisis.
8. Gas: • Problem: We urgently require USD 20 million to provide gas to consumers • Solution: We are working towards making a payment for the gas shipment that is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday (17).
9. Medicine: • Problem: Severe shortage of medicine and surgical equipment. Payments amounting to SLR 34 Billion due for 4 months to suppliers of medicine, medical equipment, and food for patients. • Solution: In the process of exploring solutions to address these shortages.
10. We will face considerable challenges and adversity. However, this will not be for long. In the coming months, our foreign allies will assist us. They have already pledged their support.
11. Last Thursday when I accepted office as the Prime Minister, I did not do so only as a Political Leader but also as a National Leader who has benefited from free education at the Faculty of Law of the University of Colombo.
12. I will fulfill my duty towards our nation. That is my promise to you.

 

[jward]

New Sri Lanka PM to Sell Airline, Print Money to Pay Salaries

• Wickremesinghe warns of difficulties in months ahead
• Seeks to buy dollars from open market to pay for crude oil

Photographer: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
By
Anusha Ondaatjie
May 16, 2022, 8:25 AM CDTUpdated onMay 16, 2022, 7:04 PM CDT
Listen to this article

3:17


Sri Lanka’s new government plans to sell its national airline to stem losses, part of efforts to stabilize the nation’s finances even as authorities are forced to print money to pay government salaries.
The new administration plans to privatize Sri Lankan Airlines, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a televised address to the nation Monday. The carrier lost 45 billion rupees ($124 million) in the year ending March 2021, he said just days before the nation is set to formally default on foreign debt.

“It should not be that this loss has to be borne by the poorest of the poor who have not set foot in an aircraft,” Wickremesinghe said.
Wickremesinghe -- less than a week into the job -- said he was forced to print money to pay salaries, which will pressure the nation’s currency. The nation has only one day’s stock of gasoline and the government is working to obtain dollars in the open market to pay for three ships with crude oil and furnace oil that have been anchored in Sri Lankan waters, Wickremesinghe said.
“The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives,” Wickremesinghe said. “We must immediately establish a national assembly or political body with the participation of all political parties to find solutions for the present crisis.”

The premier pledged to announce a new “relief” budget to replace President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s “development” budget that helped stoke Asia’s fastest inflation rate. The cabinet will propose that parliament increase the treasury bill issuance limit to 4 trillion rupees from 3 trillion rupees, Wickremesinghe said, forecasting a budget deficit of 13% of gross domestic product for the year ending December 2022.

Read More:
A Powerful Dynasty Bankrupted Sri Lanka in Just 30 Months Sri Lanka Stumbles Toward Its First Default on Foreign Debt How Sri Lanka Landed in a Crisis and What It Means: QuickTake

Wickremesinghe’s appointment last week followed violent clashes between government supporters and protesters demanding Rajapaksa’s resignation. He has yet to appoint a finance minister to lead bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund, and is seeking bridge loans from nations including India and China. But it’s unclear if the government will get the cash in the absence of a full cabinet.
Sri Lanka is sliding into a default as the grace period on two unpaid foreign bonds ends on Wednesday, the latest blow to a country rattled by economic pain and social unrest.

Sri Lanka Stumbles Toward Its First Default on Foreign Debt (2)
The nation’s dollar bonds edged higher on Monday, though they remained deep in distressed territory. The extra yield investors demand to hold the sovereign notes over US Treasuries narrowed 22 basis points to 37.29 percentage points, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. data.
In 2010, the government in Colombo bought back a stake in Sri Lankan Airlines from Dubai’s Emirates. The national carrier, which has a fleet of 25 Airbus SE planes, flies to destinations in Europe, the Middle East as well as South and Southeast Asia, according to FlightRadar24.
Key points from speech:

• Revenue in 2022 likely to be 1.6 trillion rupees versus budget estimate of 2.3 trillion
• Need $75 million “within the next couple of days”
• “There is a possibility that inflation will increase further”; government can no longer bear subsidies on gasoline and diesel

— With assistance by Asantha Sirimanne, Sydney Maki, and Siddharth Vikram Philip

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

www.bloomberg.com

 

[pauldingbabe]

10. We will face considerable challenges and adversity. However, this will not be for long. In the coming months, our foreign allies will assist us. They have already pledged their support.

And whom are their allies?

 

[naegling62]

Humanity better figure out how to stop this in Sri Lanka before it spreads. This is equivalent to the wolds largest buffet fiasco China let happen in Wuhan in December 2019.

 

[West]

They just need to fine, mandate and tax their private businesses who have employees with higher payroll liabilities.

Like we do.

Spit...

 

[jward]

I guess they got 30 months with some really adept corrupt criminals in office, and this is the aftermath : (
..been seeing lots of mobs with torches in the twitter feed lately, not just around this issue.

They just need to fine, mandate and tax their private businesses who have employees with higher payroll liabilities.

Like we do.

Spit...

 

[jward]

Travelworx
@travelworxaero
38m

The growing economic crisis in Sri Lanka has led to protests and riots at major airports. International carriers are reviewing or have already suspended flight operations.

 

[hiwall]

I personally know nothing about Sri Lanka.
Many years ago when that country was hit by a large tsunami, a friend went over there to help them rebuild. He was very excited to do so.
When he returned he had a very different view of that country. He said he would never set foot there again and would actively try to discourage anyone from sending them any kind of aid. When many US citizens were there to help them, none of the locals would lift a finger to help themselves. They only wanted others to help them and give them money.

 

[Sneaker 11]

hiwall..........your friend nailed it. Tragedy is that it is pandemic here in this nation. I experienced it first hand living near indian reservations, now in every facet of our society. The common denominator is socialism and it is being fueled by .gov. Almost every business around us has help wanted signs or has been forced to shorten hours. Yet our state government brags of the lowest unemployment numbers in the country. Makes you wonder doesn't it?

11

 

[KFhunter]

I personally know nothing about Sri Lanka.
Many years ago when that country was hit by a large tsunami, a friend went over there to help them rebuild. He was very excited to do so.
When he returned he had a very different view of that country. He said he would never set foot there again and would actively try to discourage anyone from sending them any kind of aid. When many US citizens were there to help them, none of the locals would lift a finger to help themselves. They only wanted others to help them and give them money.

Puerto Rico, same thing.

 

[Abe Froman]

Perhaps that's why there've been so many mass shootings lately as well. Gotta push that gun control.

That ship has sailed. Making laws is easy. Enforcing laws is something totally different

 

[Blacknarwhal]

That ship has sailed. Making laws is easy. Enforcing laws is something totally different

With the military diminished, trannified, and shot full of barely-tested murder fluid you can pretty much forget the notion of door-to-door searches, anyway.

 

[Jackalope]

A case could be made that Sri Lanka is of some strategic interest and we have reason to tip the scales if/when/where we can to insure she goes towards India's sphere of influence.
..if there was ever any pretense that rose to that standard with Ukraine's justification, I musta been skippin class the day they presented it.

Strategically, Sri Lanka is well situated. The Chinese have already got their foot in the door by financing a deep water port in the country. The Chinese also financed the one major divided highway in the country. They also financed an international airport, that isn't used, as it's in a remote location, one of those pork barrel projects. And part of the reason that the Sri Lankan Airlines failed is because the Rajapaskas were using their aircraft as their personal transportation, for "official" purposes.

The new PM is a longtime associate of the Rajapaskas, so nothing is going to change in the country. The populace is hungry and frightened. Fuel is still available, as my brother-in-law waited over an hour to get gas yesterday, and there were no limitations. Some employers are providing their employees with transportation using vans.

Some of the news being reported is media hype. There are rallies occurring throughout the country, but unlike antifa rallies, they really are mostly peaceful. However, in Columbo, the center of government, the crowds are rioting, because they are pissed and hungry, and they see how the wealthy politicians live. The price of food is becoming an issue, for example, my step-son has stopped drinking milk daily, because he can't afford it.

Sri Lanka is about the size of West Virginia. The Sri Lankans that I've encountered have all been hard working individuals, who value self reliance. I'm sure some Sri Lankans can be lazy, but they don't have social support network like the U.S., i.e. EBT and welfare programs. If they want to eat, they have to work, but now even after working, it's getting difficult to afford food. As others have mentioned, it sucks being stuck on an island during a crisis.

 

[jward]

Thanks for this post, it gives an amazing look into the situation that we'd not otherwise have... I wish your family, and the other good people there, the best. One of the reasons I posted the story is because I'm afraid we will see these "hungry and frightened" groups spring up all over the globe.

Even though that is kind of what this site has always expected, and tried to prepare us for, it still boggles the mind, and hurts the heart, to see it begin to unfold.

Strategically, Sri Lanka is well situated. The Chinese have already got their foot in the door by financing a deep water port in the country. The Chinese also financed the one major divided highway in the country. They also financed an international airport, that isn't used, as it's in a remote location, one of those pork barrel projects. And part of the reason that the Sri Lankan Airlines failed is because the Rajapaskas were using their aircraft as their personal transportation, for "official" purposes.

The new PM is a longtime associate of the Rajapaskas, so nothing is going to change in the country. The populace is hungry and frightened. Fuel is still available, as my brother-in-law waited over an hour to get gas yesterday, and there were no limitations. Some employers are providing their employees with transportation using vans.

Some of the news being reported is media hype. There are rallies occurring throughout the country, but unlike antifa rallies, they really are mostly peaceful. However, in Columbo, the center of government, the crowds are rioting, because they are pissed and hungry, and they see how the wealthy politicians live. The price of food is becoming an issue, for example, my step-son has stopped drinking milk daily, because he can't afford it.

Sri Lanka is about the size of West Virginia. The Sri Lankans that I've encountered have all been hard working individuals, who value self reliance. I'm sure some Sri Lankans can be lazy, but they don't have social support network like the U.S., i.e. EBT and welfare programs. If they want to eat, they have to work, but now even after working, it's getting difficult to afford food. As others have mentioned, it sucks being stuck on an island during a crisis.

 

[jward]

These kinds of riots are also unfolding in Tajakestan (?) in recent days...

Thomas cavin
@Thomascavin
3h

Food riots: Violent protests erupt in Sri Lanka and Iran as prices of everyday goods soar

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1526702597028995072

View: https://twitter.com/Thomascavin/status/1526702597028995072?s=20&t=de06W_xn2BYx3UHs50uaNA



Food riots: Violent protests erupt in Sri Lanka and Iran as prices of everyday goods soar
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 by: Ramon Tomey
Tags: big government, chaos, civil unrest, Collapse, famine, food collapse, food inflation, food prices, food riots, hunger, Inflation, Iran, national security, panic, protest, rationing, riots, scarcity, Sri Lanka, starvation, uprising, violence

This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author


Bypass censorship by sharing this link:

Food riots: Violent protests erupt in Sri Lanka and Iran as prices of everyday goods soar

Food riots: Violent protests erupt in Sri Lanka and Iran as prices of everyday goods soar

citizens.news

(Natural News) Protests in Sri Lanka caused by rising food prices have escalated from bad to worse as angry protesters clashed with law enforcement.

Sri Lankans incensed by the rapidly rising prices of food and other commodities burned down homes belonging to 38 politicians. The Sri Lanka Police said on May 10 that demonstrators have also burned down 75 other houses. At least nine people have been killed and more than 200 injured during the civil unrest, which sparked as Colombo allegedly mishandled the country’s worse economic crisis since 1948.
On the same day, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense ordered soldiers to shoot anyone found damaging state property or assaulting officials. Armed troops were also deployed to disperse violent demonstrators. They assisted police officers, who were firing tear gas and water cannons, in quelling angry Sri Lankans.
Soldiers were called in after protesters twice attempted to breach former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahindra Rajapaksa’s Temple Trees residence. While the rioters were unsuccessful, they managed to burn down his ancestral home at the town of Hambantota in the country’s southernmost tip. Soldiers were also tapped to evacuate Rajapaksa and his immediate family during an early morning operation after the Sri Lankan leader stepped down from his post. (Related: Inflation riots have begun: Sri Lankan Cabinet offers to resign as widespread unrest over price spikes boils over.)
Rajapaksa’s resignation followed the emergence of television footage on May 9 that showed government supporters inflicting violence on demonstrators in several locations across the capital. The prime minister’s supporters beat protesters with sticks, tore down their tents and set them on fire.


Home to 22 million people, the South Asian island has been experiencing rising food prices alongside widespread electricity shortages. Since March, thousands of Sri Lankans have taken to the streets and called for the resignation of Rajapaksa due to his mishandling of the economic crisis. This vitriol has extended to the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, brother of the former prime minister, who has not shown any hint of stepping down.

Protests break out as Iran cuts food subsidies
Protests also broke out in Iran on May 12 after the government cut food subsidies. The subsidy cut caused prices for a variety of staples including cooking oil, chicken and eggs to increase threefold. Before the price hikes took effect, Iranians cleared out supermarket shelves and hoarded bundles of food.
Those unable to get food took to the streets to voice out their displeasure.
The demonstrators directed their anger toward Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi. Elected in 2021, Raisi had promised to rescue the Iranian economy. Footage on social media showed protesters in the cities of Dezful and Mahshahr, both located in the country’s southwestern Khuzestan province, chanting “Death to Khamenei! Death to Raisi!”
Some protesters took it a step further. Footage from the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) showed incensed Iranians setting fire to a military base owned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij division. The Basij facility the protesters attacked was based at Jooneghan county in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, located east of Khuzestan.
In response, Tehran has promised to pay every Iranian citizen around $14 a month to tide them over the price hikes. It has also cut off internet service in cities across Khuzestan province, according to pro-freedom group Article 19.
Foreign Desk Editor-In-Chief Lisa Daftari said of the protests in Iran: “Every so often, we see these types of protests in Iran. Each time, it is under a different premise – the price of eggs, the price of gas, the price of bread. But the underlining message, supported by the slogans heard throughout the demonstrations, is the same: They are protesting the entirety of a brutal regime.”
She added that the protests are no longer limited to the capital Tehran and other urban areas. “We are seeing protests throughout the country in urban and rural areas and throughout the very vast and diverse Iranian population.”
FoodRiots.news has more stories about protests due to rising food prices across the globe.
Watch the footage below showing the protests in Sri Lanka.

This video is from the In Search Of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:
On the heels of Russia’s dollar bond default, Sri Lanka defaults on its dollar debt – who is next to destabilize just so its people can eat?
Governments on road to collapse as global supply chain crisis, inflation worsen; Sri Lanka now suspending foreign debt payments.
FOOD HYPERINFLATION begins in Germany… RIOTS in Sri Lanka… currency collapse and STARVATION coming worldwide.
The REAL price of fuel: Reports of deaths and violence plague Sri Lanka as people queue to buy expensive fuel.
Violent fuel shortage protests have begun in Sri Lanka.

Please see source for additional documentation, video and photos
Posted for fair use

Food riots: Violent protests erupt in Sri Lanka and Iran as prices of everyday goods soar – NaturalNews.com

Protests in Sri Lanka caused by rising food prices have escalated from bad to worse as angry protesters clashed with law enforcement. Sri Lankans incensed by the rapidly rising prices of food and other commodities burned down homes belonging to 38 politicians. The Sri Lanka Police said on May 10...

www.naturalnews.com

 

[Tristan]

How long before this spreads...?


Wittgenstein
@backtolife_2022

Sri Lanka is in real chaos. Hungry residents are literally preying on wealthy residents and officials, burning their homes and cars. The police open fire to kill. More than 200 people have already been killed.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1526202406316523520

View: https://twitter.com/backtolife_2022/status/1526202406316523520?s=20&t=Zmn18S-KVDo_DlPxRwQZtw

Nah, that'll never happen here!

This is America, people!


(*choke*snort*)

 

[ainitfunny]

The percentage of people in the world who buy their food or meal DAILY is VERY, VERY,
HIGH, EVEN IN FIRST WORLD NATIONS! Those people live in the moment and don't plan or even think about tomorrow.
Which leaves them most subject to passing perils as well as longer interruptions in expected social support systems, such as food supply, water, electric, gas, etc.

Immediate riots are there ONLY recourse
as a great percentage of them don't even have ONE DAY'S FOOD on hand.

When I lived in Italy, i had a neighbor like that that insisted all her food had to be FRESH ...Todays baked bread, todays harvested vegetables and greens, fresh made spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes. She shopped Daily for her evening meal.
Same thing with an American TEACHER who had ABSOLUTELY nothing in the house to eat. ( or Read!)

I dont know how humans can be so different from each other.

 

[Tristan]

The percentage of people in the world who buy their food or meal DAILY is VERY, VERY,
HIGH, EVEN IN FIRST WORLD NATIONS! Those people live in the moment and don't plan or even think about tomorrow.
Which leaves them most subject to passing perils as well as longer interruptions in expected social support systems, such as food supply, water, electric, gas, etc.

Immediate riots are there ONLY recourse
as a great percentage of them don't even have ONE DAY'S FOOD on hand.

When I lived in Italy, i had a neighbor like that that insisted all her food hsd to be FRESH ...Todays baked bread, todays harvested vegetables and greens, fresh made spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes. She shopped Daily for her evening meal.
Same thing with an American TEACHER who had ABSOLUTELY nothing in the house to eat. ( or Read!)

I dont know how humans can be so different from each other.

Da-vers-i-tay!

 

[mecoastie]

Twilight of Abundance David Archibald

 

[Jackalope]

What's not being mentioned is a shortage of propane for cooking. Most homes in Sri Lanka have propane gas stoves which use a small refillable cylinder, I'm not sure of the size but it's probably equivalent to a 5 lb. cylinder here in the U.S. Anyways, propane gas in those small cylinders has become unobtainium.

The alternative is a small clay stove which uses biofuels, i.e., chunks of wood, coconut shells etc. The food has to be prepared outdoors which is a minor inconvenience. I don't recall ever seeing an electric stove, probably because electricity is so expensive, and power interruptions are frequent. The last time I visited, the power went out multiple times, and there was no obvious cause, as the weather was sunny and warm. Also, air conditioners are a rare, luxury item, usually only found in high end hotels and restaurants.

If the U.S. goes down a similar path, it will make for a frightening scenario. Sri Lanka is a tropical country, so they don't experience winter. Imagine if there are fuel shortages or long term power interruptions next winter here in the U.S.

 

[Jeff Allen]

Soooo....did they run out of fuel yesterday??? Should still be dry today, or??

Anyone hear anything? Are/have they obtained resupply or are millions preparing to starve?

J

 

[jward]

Many are in fact really going hungry- relying on a meal a day. I've not looked to see how things are going today, but as we know, it takes even if situation improved dramatically today, it will take a while, if ever, for the relief to trickle down to the regular folk.

 

[Jeff Allen]

Many are in fact really going hungry- relying on a meal a day. I've not looked to see how things are going today, but as we know, it takes even if situation improved dramatically today, it will take a while, if ever, for the relief to trickle down to the regular folk.

I'm sure you are correct. Especially in the "relief trickling down to regular folks"...yeah...all the animals are equal...but some animals are more equal...

J

 

[Intestinal Fortitude]

Nah, that'll never happen here!

This is America, people!


(*choke*snort*)

the Land of Plenty . . .

 

[Bones]

The Sri Lankans must not have gotten the memo.

No petrol? Nooo problems! Go buy an electric hoopty and all your troubles shall be cast to the winds.

 

[summerthyme]

Project Failure
@censorshipUSA
24m

If you’ve been paying attention, this doesn’t surprise ya If you haven’t been and are more concerned about grooming children, you better brace yourselves. What you see happening in Sri Lanka is only the beginning. Global chaos is about to erupt. Thank Biden when it hits the US

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranil Wickremesinghe @RW_UNP

Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and Leader of the United National Party (UNP)

Ranil Wickremesinghe
@RW_UNP

1. The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives. I have no desire to hide the truth and to lie to the public. Although these facts are unpleasant and terrifying, this is the true situation.
2. • Govt. Revenue: SLR 1.6 Trillion. • Govt. Expenditure: SLR 2.4 Trillion. • Budget Deficit: SLR 2.4 Trillion (13% of GDP)
3. • Debt Ceiling: SLR 1950 Billion out of the approved debt ceiling of SLR 3200 Billion by the 2nd week of May • Foreign Reserves: They were at USD 7.5 Billion in Nov. 2019. However, today it is a challenge for the treasury to find USD 1 Million.
4. Fuel Stocks: • Problem: In order ease the queues, we need approx. USD 75 million. We only have petrol stocks for a single day.
5. Fuel Stocks: • Solution: We managed to bring in a diesel shipment yesterday. Two more diesel shipments under the Indian credit line due on 18/5 and 1/6. Two petrol shipments due on 18/5 and 29/5. We are working to obtain dollars in the open market to pay for these shipments
6. Electricity: • Problem: As quarter of electricity is generated through oil, there is a possibility that the power outages will increase to 15 hours a day.
7. Electricity: • Solution: For over 40 days 3 ships with crude oil and furnace oil have been anchored within the maritime zone of SL. We have already obtained money to avert this crisis.
8. Gas: • Problem: We urgently require USD 20 million to provide gas to consumers • Solution: We are working towards making a payment for the gas shipment that is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday (17).
9. Medicine: • Problem: Severe shortage of medicine and surgical equipment. Payments amounting to SLR 34 Billion due for 4 months to suppliers of medicine, medical equipment, and food for patients. • Solution: In the process of exploring solutions to address these shortages.
10. We will face considerable challenges and adversity. However, this will not be for long. In the coming months, our foreign allies will assist us. They have already pledged their support.
11. Last Thursday when I accepted office as the Prime Minister, I did not do so only as a Political Leader but also as a National Leader who has benefited from free education at the Faculty of Law of the University of Colombo.
12. I will fulfill my duty towards our nation. That is my promise to you.

I don't see anything addressing the agriculture/ food issues...

Summerthyme

 

[summerthyme]

What's not being mentioned is a shortage of propane for cooking. Most homes in Sri Lanka have propane gas stoves which use a small refillable cylinder, I'm not sure of the size but it's probably equivalent to a 5 lb. cylinder here in the U.S. Anyways, propane gas in those small cylinders has become unobtainium.

The alternative is a small clay stove which uses biofuels, i.e., chunks of wood, coconut shells etc. The food has to be prepared outdoors which is a minor inconvenience. I don't recall ever seeing an electric stove, probably because electricity is so expensive, and power interruptions are frequent. The last time I visited, the power went out multiple times, and there was no obvious cause, as the weather was sunny and warm. Also, air conditioners are a rare, luxury item, usually only found in high end hotels and restaurants.

If the U.S. goes down a similar path, it will make for a frightening scenario. Sri Lanka is a tropical country, so they don't experience winter. Imagine if there are fuel shortages or long term power interruptions next winter here in the U.S.

It's going to be disastrous enough if heating oil is over $6 a gallon next winter!

Summerthyme

 

[jward]

Socialist Sri Lanka Imposes 10-Hour ‘Water Cuts’ on Top of Daily Power Cuts, Gas Shortages
6

Ishara S. Kodikara / AFP / Getty Images
John Hayward18 May 20227

5:16


The disintegrating government of Sri Lanka on Wednesday announced a ten-hour “water cut” for parts of the commercial capital of Colombo, beginning Saturday at 10:00 p.m.
The water cut will be piled atop daily power outages and fuel shortages as the corrupt socialist government defaults on its debts.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa continued to defy calls for his resignation as huge protests rolled through the streets. On Tuesday, Rajapaksa’s allies in Parliament managed to delay an opposition motion to condemn him. It was the first parliamentary session convened since the protests turned violent last week.
Rajapaksa’s family members, who formerly held almost every important post in his administration, have all resigned. The last to go was his brother Mahinda, who stood down as prime minister last week. The new prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, gave a televised address on Monday in which he warned Sri Lankans to face the “unpleasant and terrifying facts” of shortages and financial collapse.
“At the moment, we only have petrol stocks for a single day. The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives,” Wickremesinghe said. “For a short period, our future will be even more difficult than the tough times that we have passed.”

The prime minister said the Sri Lankan central bank would begin printing money to pay government wages, worsening an already severe inflation crisis. He suggested that the state-owned national airline could be privatized as the first step toward emergency reforms.
“Against my own wishes, I am compelled to permit printing money in order to pay state-sector employees and to pay for essential goods and services. However, we must remember that printing money leads to the depreciation of the rupee,” he said.

A Colombo resident told the BBC on Tuesday that most of the city’s gas stations are closed, except for a few stations that provide fuel for government vehicles. Lines at those stations quickly grew to over a mile in length.
“I’m working from home now to try and save fuel because who knows when I’ll get a full tank again,” the Sri Lankan said.
Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera told Parliament on Wednesday that the government has no dollar reserves to pay for fuel shipments, leaving a petrol tanker marooned at the port of Colombo since late March.
“We are working to find funds but petrol will not be available at least until the weekend. The very small reserve stock of petrol is being released for essential services like ambulances,” Wijesekera said.

Al Jazeera News on Wednesday warned the next hardship heading at Sri Lanka could be a “man-made food crisis,” since a government ban on chemical fertilizers caused entire crops of rice and bananas to be lost.
One farmer said the forced switch to organic agriculture cut his vegetable yield during the March harvest season from 882 pounds to 110 pounds. Others said they could no longer afford to grow produce for sale and would have to focus on feeding their families, which will be grim news for Sri Lankan city dwellers.
Sri Lanka passed the last-ditch coupon payment date for two of its sovereign bonds on Wednesday, throwing the government into technical default. It was the first sovereign debt default since Sri Lanka gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1948.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka has obtained $160 million in “bridge financing” from the World Bank, but he was not certain if any of the money could be used to pay for fuel. JPMorgan, at least, was willing to back more Sri Lankan government bonds on Wednesday, predicting “political stability” would gradually return to the island.
More pessimistic analysts predicted a string of Third World defaults as economies hollowed out by irresponsible government spending, corruption, and the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic are hit by shockwaves from events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“I’m deeply concerned about developing countries. They are facing sudden price increases for energy, fertilizer and food, and the likelihood of interest rate increases. Each one hits them hard,” World Bank President David Malpass warned last month.

Sri Lanka finds itself crushed by decades of madcap socialist spending, its treasury squandered on bloated and mismanaged state enterprises like the above-mentioned national airline or pocketed by its nepotistic political elite. Easy money from China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) propped up the Rajapaksa regime, leaving Sri Lanka deeply in hock to Chinese banks. When the BRI money ran out, the ruling family was completely unprepared to meet the tougher standards demanded by lenders like the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

That sounds like a story that could play out in any number of other developing countries, especially those hooked on China’s BRI money. BRI projects tend to be money-losers that rack up huge amounts of debt to Chinese banks, which Beijing can leverage for political influence over its client states – a process demonstrated all too clearly in Sri Lanka.


AsiaEconomyNational SecurityBelt and Road Initiativefood insecurityfuel shortage

Socialist Sri Lanka Imposes 10-Hour ‘Water Cuts’ on Top of Daily Power Cuts, Gas Shortages

The disintegrating government of Sri Lanka on Wednesday announced a 10-hour “water cut” for parts of the commercial capital of Colombo.

www.breitbart.com

 

[jward]

JPMorgan backs Sri Lanka bonds on bets that crippling crisis to ease
Reuters

1 minute read

1/2
A vendor prepares Sri Lankan notes to bundle them at a shop in Colombo July 3, 2013. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte/Files


LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - U.S. investment bank JPMorgan backed Sri Lanka's crisis-hit government bonds on Wednesday, saying recent political changes in the country should gradually improve its strains and help its talks with the International Monetary Fund.
Adding an 'overweight' - effectively a buy recommendation - JPMorgan analysts said: "political stability should pave the way for bonds to move higher from near all-time lows".

Sri Lanka is officially now in default as a so-called "grace period" to make some already-overdue bond interest payments expired on Wednesday.
"We think this stability should result in both IMF discussions and the process of appointing legal and financial advisors moving forward," JPMorgan added.
Reporting by Marc Jones, editing by Karin Strohecker
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

JPMorgan backs Sri Lanka bonds on bets that crippling crisis to ease

U.S. investment bank JPMorgan backed Sri Lanka's crisis-hit government bonds on Wednesday, saying recent political changes in the country should gradually improve its strains and help its talks with the International Monetary Fund.

www.reuters.com

 

[AlfaMan]

What happens when China pulls up with a couple of supertankers full of fuel and says: "We'd like to trade you fuel for open access to your ports and airfields by our navy and air force." Look for that before you see Joe and the clowns do anything.

And just like that, China established major bases to choke off access to the Indian Ocean by the US while also placing a knife to the throat of India itself. With the Chinese now dominant in the Indian Ocean, US influence in the region vanished overnight.

China already has a Belt and Road agreement with Sri Lanka. Expect China to step in and provide fuel support for the Sri Lankans-at a price of course. And guess where that fuel is going to come from-yep, Russia.

Belt and Road projects are essentially national indentured servitude programs. Chinese upgrade a nation's port; then mandate it to only handling Chinese ships looting the country of natural resources (rare earth metals especially) and food. Then the loan payment comes due-at a high rate of interest the country can't pay.

That's how China is gaining supporters in the southeast and southwest Asia regions.

 

[jward]

India likely to extend credit line to Sri Lanka for essential medicines
The quantum of the line of credit to be extended is not yet known
Topics
sri lanka | Medicines | Ministry of External Affairs
Sohini Das | Mumbai Last Updated at May 19, 2022 00:53 IST


India is likely to extend a line of credit for essential medicines to Sri Lanka, in a bid to bail out its southern neighbour. A meeting was convened on Tuesday evening, which was attended by some pharma exporters, representatives from the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil), representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), among others, to discuss the modalities.
The quantum of the line of credit to be extended is not yet known. At the moment, exporters are awaiting clearances from banks on currency-related issues, and consignments will be shipped soon, ...

rest beyond pay wall
posted for fair use
India likely to extend credit line to Sri Lanka for essential medicines | Business Standard News (business-standard.com)

 

[jward]

India seeks to win public trust in crisis-hit Sri Lanka
By Nitin Srivastava

7-9 minutes


By Nitin Srivastava
BBC Hindi, Colombo

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
India is emerging as one of the biggest providers of aid to cash-strapped Sri Lanka

For the past 15 years, India and China have vied for favourable diplomatic and trade relations with Sri Lanka thanks to its strategic location in the Indian ocean.
While popular perception indicated China had outpaced India, the recent economic and political turmoil in Sri Lanka seems to have given India's foreign policy a fresh lease of life in the island nation.
Sri Lanka is in the middle of its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948. The country has been rocked by protests as people seethe with anger over soaring prices and shortages of food and fuel.
Last week, Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as prime minister after his supporters clashed with peaceful protesters, sparking a deadly night of violence on 9 May.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over as PM, said the country's economic problems would get worse before getting better.
He appealed for outside financial help, including from India.
India has never been a major lender to Sri Lanka, unlike China which by the end of 2019 owned a little over 10% of Sri Lanka's outstanding foreign debt stock.
In early 2021, with the economic crisis looming, the Sri Lankan government had also obtained a 10bn yuan ($148m; £119m) currency swap facility from China to tackle its foreign exchange shortage.
But now, India is slowly emerging as one of the biggest providers of aid to Sri Lanka.
Colombo has racked up $51bn (£39bn) in foreign debt. This year, it will be required to pay $7bn (£5.4bn) to service these debts, with similar amounts for years to come.

The country is also seeking emergency loans of $3bn to pay for essential imports such as fuel.
While the World Bank has agreed to lend it $600m, India has committed $1.9bn and may lend an additional $1.5bn for imports.
Delhi has also sent 65,000 tonnes of fertiliser and 400,000 tonnes of fuel, with more fuel shipments expected later in May. It has committed to sending more medical supplies too.
In return, India has clinched an agreement which allows the Indian Oil Corporation access to the British-built Trincomalee oil tank farm.
India also aims to develop a 100MW power plant near Trincomalee.

Mixed feelings over Indian help
Many in Sri Lanka feel that India's growing presence in Colombo could mean a "dilution of sovereignty".
"For the past year and a half, there has been a crisis in Sri Lanka and we believe India has used this to serve its own interests. Yes, they gave some credit, some medicines and food but [they are] not being a friend. There is a hidden political agenda," said Pabuda Jayagoda of the Frontline Socialist Party.

Image source, Nitin Srivastava
Image caption,

Pabuda Jayagoda of the Frontline Socialist Party sees a hidden political agenda in India's aid for Sri Lanka
But others are more accepting of Indian help.
"Let's not blame India for our woes," says V Ratnasingham, an onion importer in Colombo. "We are still getting onions from India at a decent price and they are giving us credit in times of crisis. It's the Sri Lankan government's failure that onion prices have trebled."

The suspicion over India's intentions right now comes against the backdrop of Sri Lanka's ties to China.
After Mahinda Rajapaksa took charge as president in 2005, Sri Lanka's drift towards China was believed to be a preference for a "more reliable partner enabling domestic economic development".
More and more infrastructure projects - including the multi-billion dollar Hambantota port and the Colombo-Galle expressway - were awarded to China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's maiden visit to Colombo in 2014 was also a clear diplomatic signal to Delhi.
Hambantota is nowadays commonly referred to as a "white elephant" which bled Sri Lanka's economy. So are several other expensive projects which led Sri Lanka into a huge Chinese debt-cycle.
Many anti-government protesters at Colombo's Galle Face Green are convinced that this push to modernise fast led Sri Lanka to its current situation.

The country owes China $6.5bn and talks are being held on restructuring the debt.
While China had earlier agreed to bolster Sri Lanka's foreign currency reserves by swapping the rupee for the yuan, it has since signalled displeasure over Colombo approaching the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for help.
Noora Noor, 44, has been camping at Galle Face along with her family, demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the younger brother of Mahinda, resign.

"All Chinese money that came in was never accounted for, right? Why else would my country have defaulted on payments? Now all supplies are coming from India, so my question is who should we trust - China or India?" she asks.
Still, there are some optimists who feel diplomacy will help.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Many anti-government protesters are convinced that the push to modernise fast led Sri Lanka to its current situation
"Is Sri Lanka being placed on a collision course with China? If so, we need to avoid such an eventuality due to other negative situations that may arise. Balancing relationships is a must," Austin Fernando, Sri Lanka's former high commissioner to India, wrote in The Island newspaper.
India has tried hard to match up to the growing Chinese clout in what it sees as its neighbourhood.
After President Xi's visit in 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only visited Colombo the next year but also claimed to be "the best of friends" while addressing the Sri Lankan parliament.
Arjuna Ranatunga, a former Sri Lankan cricketer who went on to become a cabinet minister, recalls India being generous when he was in office.

"I was handling both the petroleum and port ministries in 2015 and we were struggling to construct the Jaffna airport for a lack of funds. I went to Delhi seeking help. PM Modi's government offered a subsidised loan and later converted it into a grant. What else do you want from a neighbour?"
The return of the Rajapaksas to power in 2019, this time with Gotabaya president and Mahinda prime minister, also made India realign its foreign policy options and new agreements over oil and food commodities were signed hastily.
State visits followed between Colombo and Delhi without eliciting much response from China.
The question of Sri Lanka's Tamil minorities and their demand for rights has been at the forefront of the diplomatic negotiations with India.

After the civil war ended in 2009, India extended support to the Sri Lankan government.
Sri Lanka is, however, yet to implement the 1987 India-Sri Lanka Peace Accord which promised to devolve powers to all provinces, including where the Tamils were in a majority.
The current economic crisis, however, has certainly leapfrogged over any other political concerns between the two nations.
There has been a shift in public perception in Sri Lanka - which was seen as anti-India and pro-China - thanks to consistent supplies from India of essential commodities.

"India did lose out to China about 15 years ago but is trying hard to make a decent comeback," says Bhavani Fonseka, a senior researcher at the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo.
"Ethnic minorities in Sri Lanka have always looked up to India to champion their demands for equal rights, whereas the Sinhalese majority still has a mixed perception," she says. "Some also worry over India's interference in internal matters. But I feel the last few weeks have changed this completely."

India seeks to win public trust in crisis-hit Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's giant neighbour is emerging as one of its biggest providers of aid, after years of mistrust.

www.bbc.com

 

[Cacheman]

Socialist Sri Lanka Imposes 10-Hour ‘Water Cuts’ on Top of Daily Power Cuts, Gas Shortages

The disintegrating government of Sri Lanka on Wednesday announced a 10-hour “water cut” for parts of the commercial capital of Colombo.

www.breitbart.com

Socialist Sri Lanka Imposes 10-Hour ‘Water Cuts’ on Top of Daily Power Cuts, Gas Shortages
John Hayward

5-6 minutes



The disintegrating government of Sri Lanka on Wednesday announced a ten-hour “water cut” for parts of the commercial capital of Colombo, beginning Saturday at 10:00 p.m.

The water cut will be piled atop daily power outages and fuel shortages as the corrupt socialist government defaults on its debts.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa continued to defy calls for his resignation as huge protests rolled through the streets. On Tuesday, Rajapaksa’s allies in Parliament managed to delay an opposition motion to condemn him. It was the first parliamentary session convened since the protests turned violent last week.

Rajapaksa’s family members, who formerly held almost every important post in his administration, have all resigned. The last to go was his brother Mahinda, who stood down as prime minister last week. The new prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, gave a televised address on Monday in which he warned Sri Lankans to face the “unpleasant and terrifying facts” of shortages and financial collapse.

“At the moment, we only have petrol stocks for a single day. The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives,” Wickremesinghe said. “For a short period, our future will be even more difficult than the tough times that we have passed.”

The prime minister said the Sri Lankan central bank would begin printing money to pay government wages, worsening an already severe inflation crisis. He suggested that the state-owned national airline could be privatized as the first step toward emergency reforms.

“Against my own wishes, I am compelled to permit printing money in order to pay state-sector employees and to pay for essential goods and services. However, we must remember that printing money leads to the depreciation of the rupee,” he said.

A Colombo resident told the BBC on Tuesday that most of the city’s gas stations are closed, except for a few stations that provide fuel for government vehicles. Lines at those stations quickly grew to over a mile in length.

“I’m working from home now to try and save fuel because who knows when I’ll get a full tank again,” the Sri Lankan said.
Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera told Parliament on Wednesday that the government has no dollar reserves to pay for fuel shipments, leaving a petrol tanker marooned at the port of Colombo since late March.

“We are working to find funds but petrol will not be available at least until the weekend. The very small reserve stock of petrol is being released for essential services like ambulances,” Wijesekera said.

Al Jazeera News on Wednesday warned the next hardship heading at Sri Lanka could be a “man-made food crisis,” since a government ban on chemical fertilizers caused entire crops of rice and bananas to be lost.

One farmer said the forced switch to organic agriculture cut his vegetable yield during the March harvest season from 882 pounds to 110 pounds. Others said they could no longer afford to grow produce for sale and would have to focus on feeding their families, which will be grim news for Sri Lankan city dwellers.

Sri Lanka passed the last-ditch coupon payment date for two of its sovereign bonds on Wednesday, throwing the government into technical default. It was the first sovereign debt default since Sri Lanka gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1948.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka has obtained $160 million in “bridge financing” from the World Bank, but he was not certain if any of the money could be used to pay for fuel. JPMorgan, at least, was willing to back more Sri Lankan government bonds on Wednesday, predicting “political stability” would gradually return to the island.

More pessimistic analysts predicted a string of Third World defaults as economies hollowed out by irresponsible government spending, corruption, and the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic are hit by shockwaves from events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“I’m deeply concerned about developing countries. They are facing sudden price increases for energy, fertilizer and food, and the likelihood of interest rate increases. Each one hits them hard,” World Bank President David Malpass warned last month.

Sri Lanka finds itself crushed by decades of madcap socialist spending, its treasury squandered on bloated and mismanaged state enterprises like the above-mentioned national airline or pocketed by its nepotistic political elite. Easy money from China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) propped up the Rajapaksa regime, leaving Sri Lanka deeply in hock to Chinese banks. When the BRI money ran out, the ruling family was completely unprepared to meet the tougher standards demanded by lenders like the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

That sounds like a story that could play out in any number of other developing countries, especially those hooked on China’s BRI money. BRI projects tend to be money-losers that rack up huge amounts of debt to Chinese banks, which Beijing can leverage for political influence over its client states – a process demonstrated all too clearly in Sri Lanka.

 

[Tristan]

China already has a Belt and Road agreement with Sri Lanka. Expect China to step in and provide fuel support for the Sri Lankans-at a price of course. And guess where that fuel is going to come from-yep, Russia.

Belt and Road projects are essentially national indentured servitude programs. Chinese upgrade a nation's port; then mandate it to only handling Chinese ships looting the country of natural resources (rare earth metals especially) and food. Then the loan payment comes due-at a high rate of interest the country can't pay.

That's how China is gaining supporters in the southeast and southwest Asia regions.

And as long as the 'Leaders' at the top of the indentured Countries get their "10%" (whatever is negotiated), all is well (in their minds...)

 

[Sneaker 11]

That sounds like a story that could play out in any number of other developing countries, especially those hooked on China’s BRI money. BRI projects tend to be money-losers that rack up huge amounts of debt to Chinese banks, which Beijing can leverage for political influence over its client states – a process demonstrated all too clearly in Sri Lanka.

Does this statement also include US?

11

 

[Jackalope]

The fuel situation is indeed becoming more serious in Sri Lanka. My grandchildren, one's a young teen and the other just 6 years old, had to walk several miles to get home today from school. Buses have stopped running their routes mid-day due to the fuel shortage. I imagine that effected many workers, who will need to walk home from work.

 

[night driver]

Grab milspecMonkey's "5-20-2022" sitrep. He believes based on shipping that SriLanka is being starved out, or squeezed.

(131) SITREP 5.20.22 - The Fourth Turning - History Repeats Itself - YouTube

 

[20Gauge]

New Sri Lanka PM to Sell Airline, Print Money to Pay Salaries

• Wickremesinghe warns of difficulties in months ahead
• Seeks to buy dollars from open market to pay for crude oil

Photographer: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
By
Anusha Ondaatjie
May 16, 2022, 8:25 AM CDTUpdated onMay 16, 2022, 7:04 PM CDT
Listen to this article

3:17


Sri Lanka’s new government plans to sell its national airline to stem losses, part of efforts to stabilize the nation’s finances even as authorities are forced to print money to pay government salaries.
The new administration plans to privatize Sri Lankan Airlines, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a televised address to the nation Monday. The carrier lost 45 billion rupees ($124 million) in the year ending March 2021, he said just days before the nation is set to formally default on foreign debt.

“It should not be that this loss has to be borne by the poorest of the poor who have not set foot in an aircraft,” Wickremesinghe said.
Wickremesinghe -- less than a week into the job -- said he was forced to print money to pay salaries, which will pressure the nation’s currency. The nation has only one day’s stock of gasoline and the government is working to obtain dollars in the open market to pay for three ships with crude oil and furnace oil that have been anchored in Sri Lankan waters, Wickremesinghe said.
“The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives,” Wickremesinghe said. “We must immediately establish a national assembly or political body with the participation of all political parties to find solutions for the present crisis.”

The premier pledged to announce a new “relief” budget to replace President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s “development” budget that helped stoke Asia’s fastest inflation rate. The cabinet will propose that parliament increase the treasury bill issuance limit to 4 trillion rupees from 3 trillion rupees, Wickremesinghe said, forecasting a budget deficit of 13% of gross domestic product for the year ending December 2022.

Read More:
A Powerful Dynasty Bankrupted Sri Lanka in Just 30 Months Sri Lanka Stumbles Toward Its First Default on Foreign Debt How Sri Lanka Landed in a Crisis and What It Means: QuickTake

Wickremesinghe’s appointment last week followed violent clashes between government supporters and protesters demanding Rajapaksa’s resignation. He has yet to appoint a finance minister to lead bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund, and is seeking bridge loans from nations including India and China. But it’s unclear if the government will get the cash in the absence of a full cabinet.
Sri Lanka is sliding into a default as the grace period on two unpaid foreign bonds ends on Wednesday, the latest blow to a country rattled by economic pain and social unrest.

Sri Lanka Stumbles Toward Its First Default on Foreign Debt (2)
The nation’s dollar bonds edged higher on Monday, though they remained deep in distressed territory. The extra yield investors demand to hold the sovereign notes over US Treasuries narrowed 22 basis points to 37.29 percentage points, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. data.
In 2010, the government in Colombo bought back a stake in Sri Lankan Airlines from Dubai’s Emirates. The national carrier, which has a fleet of 25 Airbus SE planes, flies to destinations in Europe, the Middle East as well as South and Southeast Asia, according to FlightRadar24.
Key points from speech:

• Revenue in 2022 likely to be 1.6 trillion rupees versus budget estimate of 2.3 trillion
• Need $75 million “within the next couple of days”
• “There is a possibility that inflation will increase further”; government can no longer bear subsidies on gasoline and diesel

— With assistance by Asantha Sirimanne, Sydney Maki, and Siddharth Vikram Philip

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

www.bloomberg.com

This is why more than anything why the most nations hate us.

1) Everything must be done in US Dollars
2) They don't control the printing of US Dollars
3) They export squat of value, but expect their money to have value and it doesn't
4) They still have nothing of value but borrow money that has value (for the moment)

 

[hiwall]

Why does Ukraine get $40 billion+ while Sri Lanka gets nothing?

Obviously the Democrats want the USA to have the exact same situation as Sri Lanka has now.
And I expect they will get their wish.

 

[Bubble Head]

They make an excellent charcoal water filter. It is made from burned coconut husks. Primarily for refrigerators. Only export I know of. Must have an abundance of coconuts which can feed you and some farm animals. Other than that they slip below 4th world.