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

Countrymouse

Countrymouse

Country exile in the city
CaryC said:
Could the fall of Sri Lanka signal that weak, heavily indebted countries worldwide are about to fall like dominos?
Click to expand...

Maybe time to trot out the old David Wiklerson prophecy again?

Sri Lanka certainly qualifies as an "eastern" country..............



As most of you know, other than the prophecy below, which was recorded in an audience during a David Wilkerson speech and given to us, the other economic prophecy by David Wilkerson mentions Germany as the beginning of the collapse but mentions different countries following it in collapse. We fully expect this will ultimately be a world collapse. Read David Wilkerson Prophecy and Germany (below).

One of our UBM brothers was in the audience and recorded this prophecy below.

Key points to remember about this vision:

  1. From the time the first country goes down, you'll have two weeks to get your money out of the bank.
  2. America will come through this crisis---there will be a restoration.
  3. But the nation will never be like it was before...
  4. God is saying: Get our lives straight...Get rid of the idols...Seek the face of God in holiness...
  5. God will be a wall of fire about you...And the glory in the midst of you!
It's about to happen---very soon, one nation, and I'm speaking prophetically--if I've ever heard anything from God in my life, I heard it. Very soon a European or North African or Eastern nation is going to default on its international loan and when that happens, within two weeks, Mexico is going to default-- and here's what is going to happen: about two weeks after the first country goes bankrupt, (we're going to survive that, because most of that (money of the first country) is owed to European banks---German, Swiss and French banks) but a second country is going to go down, probably Argentina or Brazil, and we'll kind of live that down and say: "Well, maybe it's not going to hurt", but two weeks after the first country goes down, Mexico's going to default on $100 billion.

And when the banks open the next day at 9 in the morning, $15 billion an hour is going to be withdrawn from our American banks -they're going to be running our banks---the Arabs---all the Latin American countries, they're going to be running our banks--and before the day is over, the USA is going to have to declare a "bank holiday".

​
SIX MONTHS OF HORROR:​

And we're going into six months of the worst hell America has ever seen---there's going to be chaos---not even the National Guard's going to be able to quiet it down---we're going to have to call out the whole U.S. Army.

Now I've had visions recently, for I've been in New York City and I was in Macy's in a vision, and I saw people walking around stunned because they couldn't get their money out of the bank.

Now I'm going to give you a word of advice, the first country goes bankrupt---I've documented this and I've got it sealed in an envelope, and I'm going to call all my friends and I'm telling you---this is the first time I've said it in a public meeting like this---but the first country that bellies up, you go get every dime you have---church get your money out of the bank--because there's going to be a 'bank holiday' and you won't be able to get a dime for six months. Now, of course, there's going to be -restored, but the nation will never be like it is again.

There's going to be fear like we've never known---judgment at the door. When I was at Macy's Dept. store in a vision and I watched people walking around stunned, they didn't know what to do, they didn't know what was happening; then a bunch of people walked into Macy's and suddenly went wild and began to steal and within an hour everybody---I saw the spirit of everybody in the store---they were robbing and stealing---they raped Macy's and destroyed five floors---Macy's was raped and ruined in a period of an hour or two.

That's just the beginning. Folks it's all in this book (the bible) ---we've been warned and warned and warned---you can't tell me God hasn't warned us. You can't tell me God isn't saying something awesome here tonight in this church...we better get our prayer life straightened up, our lives straightened up, get rid of the idols, as Paul writes, and seeking the face of God in holiness or you're not going to be ready for what's coming. God's warning, get ready and you'll not fear these things that come onto you and you'll start rejoicing, you'll not be afraid because your hands will be clean. You've been praying and God's building a wall of fire around you to keep you".

We'd like to teach you a song about God's protection. It goes like this.: "There's a wall of fire around me...There's a wall of fire between my soul and the enemy. There's a wall of fire that you can't see...Between my soul and the enemy. There's a wall of fire around me. May it be so with us all"...

From: David Wilkerson's Economic Vision - UBM [David Eells]
 
CaryC

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Scrapman said:
A days food for a day's wages.
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Not getting into a Bible study here, but most of the commentaries say the context is a quart of flour (enough for about a single loaf) for a days wage.

Like I said not a Bible Study, but just noting THAT IF THAT IS TRUE, then the hyperinflation is much worse than people think.

I wonder what Sri Lanka would think of that. Maybe they are wishing it was that way, then at least it would be available.
 
20Gauge

20Gauge

TB Fanatic
CaryC said:
Not getting into a Bible study here, but most of the commentaries say the context is a quart of flour (enough for about a single loaf) for a days wage.

Like I said not a Bible Study, but just noting THAT IF THAT IS TRUE, then the hyperinflation is much worse than people think.

I wonder what Sri Lanka would think of that. Maybe they are wishing it was that way, then at least it would be available.
Click to expand...
If it is in demand, people will pay almost anything and often times anything to get it.
 
Griz3752

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
Saw a bit on CBS this AM about the Sri Lanken President and Prime Minister both 'stepping down' - that could mean they fled w/ their loot, the mob threw them out or anything in between.
 
Last edited:
Countrymouse

Countrymouse

Country exile in the city
CaryC said:
Don't lay awake at night because they will.
Click to expand...

It may be a bit "schadenfreude" of me to think it, but I picture the crowds rushing in to Pelosi's palace the way they did in that Quo Vadis clip I posted coming after Nero............
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
The Gloablist WEF Solution For Sri Lanka & Countries Globally Is The Circular Economy. UK Foundations Are Onboard (Dame Ellen McArthur)

threadsirish
7 hr ago





Within the last week the world has witnessed devastation in Sri Lanka, people starving, energy prices going through the roof and a Presidential palace being occupied. The people have had enough. It’s a far cry from an article penned in 2018 by the PM of Sri Lanka called “This Is How I Will Make My Country Rich By 2025”
Thanks for reading threadsirish! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.



This article appeared on the World Economic Forum web site only to be deleted within the last 24-48 hours. This seems to be a common occurrence with the WEF. They like to try and delete history.


Fortunately the article is saved in the archives in the WayBack Machine.

How we will make Sri Lanka rich by 2025

This isn’t the first time the WEF have deleted material and tweets which prove to be deeply unpopular. The best example of all is the removal of the video “You’ll own nothing. And you’ll be happy”

8 Predictions For The World In 2030 : World Economic Forum : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Rather than Sri Lanka becoming rich it seems like the WEF want to make Sri Lanka very poor. But how ? By something called The Circular Economy.

Back in March this year I began researching the Circular Economy. Then suddenly my Twitter account was shut down for a second time and I promptly forgot about it. Fortunately I had kept the research. It was only when I saw a tweet from Sikh For Truth @sikhfortruth that I returned to it.

Twitter avatar for @SikhForTruth Sikh For Truth @SikhForTruth
The World Economic Forum promotes "Circular Economies" as a means to rebuild Sri Lanka's economy. As a result of the Great Reset, all products will become services, so "you'll own nothing & be happy". How a circular economy could help tackle Sri Lanka’s economic crisisSri Lanka is in the grip of an economic crisis, with rising inflation and food shortages. A circular economy offers a sustainable alternative to aid recovery.weforum.org
July 11th 2022
100 Retweets111 Likes
Big thanks and shout out to Sihk For Truth for retweeting so much of my research.

As I have mentioned before UN Agenda 2030 is central to the World Economic Forum. This is evidenced by the fact that large swathes of their web site are dedicated to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals

Strategic Intelligence | World Economic Forum

In 2019 the WEF & UN officially signed a Strategic Partnership Framework to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The 2030 Agenda though had been actively promoted by the WEF for years prior to the agreement.

World Economic Forum and UN Sign Strategic Partnership Framework

Rather than look at all 17 SDG goals in one I want to zone in on something called the “Circular Economy” (If however you do need to get up to speed on Agenda 2030 I wrote this article a few months back)

threadsirish
What Are The Real Meanings Of The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) For Agenda 2030 ?
Many people have asked me to talk about the elephant in the room for the last 2 years. Namely the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Agenda 2030. What I’ve decided to do is to give an overview of all 17 goals and what they really mean. What the UN say they mean and what the real intention of them are 2 different things. A more accurate way of desc…
Read more
3 months ago · 27 likes · 7 comments · threadsirish
First though What is the “Circular Economy”

According to The Ellen MacArthur Foundation

“In our current economy, we take materials from the Earth, make products from them, and eventually throw them away as waste – the process is linear. In a circular economy, by contrast, we stop waste being produced in the first place.

The circular economy is a systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution”

Circular economy introduction

So what does the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have to do with any of this. A lot actually as her foundation is a WEF partner and one of the faces of The Circular Economy.


MacArthur has been actively sent out to push The Circular Economy in the media. She was given air time in October 2021 on Sky News to explain it. She was only afforded the air time as the media are complicit in setting and controlling the narrative that the global organisations want the public to hear.


One of the techniques the WEF uses to push their agenda is to get a famous person to front a foundation. In this particular instance for the “Circular Economy” it is the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Just in case some people don’t know who she is.

MacArthur is a successful solo long-distance yachtswoman. On 7 February 2005, she broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe. MacArthur was awarded the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2005.

There are similarities here to how the WEF chooses other celebrities or well known names to front campaigns or turns them into celebrities. They chose a young 16yr old Swedish activist by the name of Greta Thunberg to be the face of climate change.


They also chose the institution that is David Attenborough as well.


It’s very interesting that they chose someone so young and someone who is 90 and getting on in years. This was very intentional in my humble opinion. People are less likely to disagree with a teenage girl and the face and voice of wildlife as well as a world renowned sailor.

What is interesting about the MacArthur foundation is that Ellen MacArthur gave a talk to Young Global Leaders in 2011 about the circular economy.

Twitter avatar for @ellenmacarthur Ellen MacArthur @ellenmacarthur
Heading to London to speak at a WEF Young Global Leader event. Hoping I'll make it to the end of my speech as I lost my voice yesterday!
December 4th 2011
2 Retweets
It’s the funding for the Circular Economy however that gives the game away.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation receives funding from multiple sources including private foundations, and its global partners include organizations such as Blackrock, Google, Renault, Unilever and Philips.

All are in WEF


Who’s in our Network

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm, partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and created the BGF Circular Economy Fund in 2019. The fund, which was provided $20,000,000 in initial seed money by BlackRock, will invest in companies that set their own circular economy targets and provide solutions to accelerate the implementation of a circular economy.

BlackRock launches its first dedicated circular economy investment fund - edie

Google, another global partner, co-released a report with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation which focused on ways artificial intelligence can accelerate a circular economy. The report suggests artificial intelligence can exploit “real-time and historical data from products and users.”

Google and Ellen MacArthur Foundation with support from McKinsey & Company talk about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on circular economy | Packt Hub

So two of the biggest global companies are heavily invested in The Circular Economy who are in bed with the World Economic Forum.

And as we know foundations only ever do good!! You only have to look at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as the George Soros Foundation to know there is never any underlying agenda being pushed

The WEF even have large sections of their site dedicated to the Circular Economy. In the last few years they have upped the pace at which it is being rolled out.

“The Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE) was launched in 2017 by the Forum as a platform for public and private sector leaders to take commitments and accelerate collective action towards the Circular Economy”

Circular Economy

All WEF articles about The Circular Economy can be found here at this link below.

Circular Economy

It all sounds very admirable on the face of it but naturally there is an underlying green climate change agenda.

Now that you’ve read the WEF definition of the Circular Economy a brilliant article that I highly recommend reading which explains the underlying agenda really well is

The Great Reset Needs the Circular Economy to Advance the 'You'll Own Nothing & Be Happy' Agenda

What we have witnessed in Sri Lanka has been no accident. Naturally the WEF has part engineered the crisis in Sri Lanka and now has the solution. Problem Reaction Solution

Cue the Circular Economy


https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/circular-economy-tackle-economic-crisis-sri-lanka/

With the world falling into disarray and with food and energy crises being deliberately engineered it is only a case of time before other countries will be expected to implement Circular Economies. And don’t be surprised if foundations like the Ellen McArthur Foundation are used to be the front for the WEF policies.

The WEF expects the Netherlands to be the next domino to fall. Not if the farmers have anything to do with it….

threadsirish.substack.com

The Gloablist WEF Solution For Sri Lanka & Countries Globally Is The Circular Economy. UK Foundations Are Onboard (Dame Ellen McArthur)

Within the last week the world has witnessed devastation in Sri Lanka, people starving, energy prices going through the roof and a Presidential palace being occupied. The people have had enough. It’s a far cry from an article penned in 2018 by the PM of Sri Lanka called
threadsirish.substack.com threadsirish.substack.com
 
N

northern watch

TB Fanatic
As Sri Lanka's President Flees To Paradise Island, Embattled PM Appoints Generals To Restore Law & Order

BY TYLER DURDEN
ZERO HEDGE
WEDNESDAY, JUL 13, 2022 - 11:44 AM

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, just before he was expected to resign amid mass protests fueled by a crippling economic crisis, embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country on a military jet from Colombo, bound for the nearby Maldives.

Now the protesting masses have breached the prime minister's office as well, with the army appearing to stand down, days after storming the president's residence and essentially living there, including swimming in his pool - as now viral video showed - demanding that he must go. "President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his wife left aboard an air force plane bound for the Maldives — and he made his prime minister the acting president in his absence. That appeared to only further roil passions in the island nation," the AP reports.


Image: AP/Pixabay

And now acting president (and Rajapaksa's prior prime minister) Ranil Wickremesinghe is struggling to restore order on the island-nation of 22 million people, at first declaring a state of emergency and curfew on Wednesday, but then later canceling the orders under pressure as the protests set their sights on him.

Wickremesinghe has reportedly appointed a committee of top military generals and given them the charge to "restore law and order," according to CNN. The report further said, "The committee will be tasked with issuing commands to troops on the ground and police across the country as they try to maintain order throughout the country, said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss developments not yet publicly announced by the acting president."

But already, as AP observed, "Thousands of protesters — who had anticipated that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would be appointed acting president — rallied outside his office compound and some scaled the walls, as the crowd roared its support and tossed water bottles to those charging in."




Later it became clear protesters had breached the PM's offices as dozens were seen on the rooftop shouting from the removal of both the president and prime minister while waiving the national flag.

One protester among many others who spoke to the AP summarized the type of general despair fueling the anger in the streets amid economic collapse and widespread allegations of rampant government corruption and mismanagement among "insiders" ruling the country for their personal enrichment. The protester's words suggest the demonstrating masses could set their sights on parliament next:

"Not only Gotabaya and Ranil, all 225 members of Parliament should go home. Because for the last few decades, family politics have ruined our country," said Madusanka Perera, a laborer who came to Colombo from the outskirts the day protesters occupied the first government buildings. He lost his job, and his father, a driver, can’t do his because of fuel shortages.
"I’m 29 years old — I should be having the best time of life but instead I don’t have a job, no money and no life," he said.
Click to expand...

The words echo the widespread belief that not only the president who was once celebrated as a "war hero" was draining public coffers for years, but also a network of his relatives.

The debt-laden economy of the tiny South Asian nation has "completely collapsed" as it lacks foreign exchange reserves to import essential items such as food and fuel. Shortages have materialized as the government began rationing goods last month.

Even though the government has held talks with the IMF, India, China, and Japan for new credit lines and even spoke with Russia about purchasing heavily discounted crude, the country entered a terminal phase where social unrest is spiraling out of control.

But alas, at this moment at least, Rajapaksa and his family appear to be safe on a paradise island after arriving in the Maldives - able to watch Sri Lanka's further spiral into chaos from afar.

Meanwhile, there are already calls for the Maldives to reject his ability to find safe-haven there as his motorcade was briefly filmed speeding through the streets of the capital Malé.

As Sri Lanka's President Flees To Paradise Island, Embattled PM Appoints Generals To Restore Law & Order | ZeroHedge
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Sri Lankan president hands in resignation after fleeing to Singapore
By Uditha Jayasinghe
, Alasdair Pal and Chen Lin


  • Crowds celebrate in Colombo, defy curfew
  • Rajapaksa flies to Singapore from Maldives
  • Protesters hand back president, premier's residences
  • President ousted by unrest over economic meltdown
  • IMF says hopes to resume loan talks 'as soon as possible'
COLOMBO/SINGAPORE, July 14 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa submitted a letter of resignation on Thursday, a spokesperson for the parliament speaker said, hours after fleeing to Singapore following mass protests over an economic meltdown.

The announcement triggered jubilation in the commercial capital Colombo where protesters massed outside the presidential secretariat, defying a city-wide curfew.

Crowds set off firecrackers, shouted slogans and danced ecstatically at the Gota Go Gama protest site, named mockingly after Rajapaksa's first name.


"The whole country will celebrate today," Damitha Abeyrathne, an activist, said. "It's a big victory."

"We never thought we would get this country free from them," she added, referring to the Rajapaksa family who dominated the South Asian country's politics for two decades.

Rajapaksa submitted his resignation by email late on Thursday and it would become official on Friday, once the document had been legally verified, the speaker's spokesperson said.


Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on Wednesday then headed on to Singapore on Thursday on a Saudi Arabian airline flight, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The Maldives government confirmed late on Thursday that the country had granted diplomatic clearance for a Sri Lanka Air Force aircraft that carried President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his spouse, on a transit visit.

A passenger on the flight, who declined to be named, told Reuters that Rajapaksa was met by a group of security guards and was seen leaving the airport VIP area in a convoy of black vehicles.


Airline staff on the flight told Reuters the president, dressed in black, flew business class with his wife and two bodyguards, describing him as "quiet" and "friendly".

Singapore's foreign ministry said Rajapaksa had entered the country on a private visit, and had not sought or been granted asylum.

Rajapaksa's decision on Wednesday to make his ally Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe the acting president triggered more protests, with demonstrators storming parliament and the premier's office demanding that he quit too. read more

"We want Ranil to go home," Malik Perera, a 29-year-old rickshaw driver who took part in the parliament protests, said earlier on Thursday. "They have sold the country, we want a good person to take over, until then we won't stop."

IMF TALKS INTERRUPTED
Protests against the economic crisis have simmered for months and came to a head last weekend when hundreds of thousands of people took over government buildings in Colombo, blaming the Rajapaksa family and allies for runaway inflation, shortages of basic goods, and corruption.

Sri Lanka had begun preliminary discussions with the International Monetary Fund about a potential bailout loan, but these have ben interrupted by the latest government chaos.

Demonstrators gather outside the office of Sri Lanka's PM Wickremesinghe, in Colombo



1/9
People walk as a fire extinguisher blocks a way inside the President's house after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka July 14, 2022. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters on Thursday that Fund staff were still in contact with technical-level government officials but hoped to resume high-level dialogue "as soon as possible." read more

Inside the president's residence early on Thursday, ordinary Sri Lankans wandered the halls, taking in the building's extensive art collection, luxury cars and swimming pool.

"The fight is not over," said Terance Rodrigo, a 26-year-old student who said he had been inside the compound since it was taken over by protesters on Saturday.

"We have to make society better than this. The government is not solving people's problems."

Protest organisers handed back the president and prime minister's residences to the government on Thursday evening.

"With the president out of the country..., holding the captured places holds no symbolic value anymore," Chameera Dedduwage, one of the organisers, told Reuters.

Another organiser, Kalum Amaratunga, said a crackdown could be imminent after Wickremesinghe branded some protesters "fascists" in an address the previous evening.

The government imposed a curfew in Colombo from noon (0630 GMT) on Thursday to early morning on Friday in a bid to prevent further unrest. Local media showed armoured vehicles with soldiers atop patrolling the city's streets.

The military said troops were empowered to use force to protect people and public property.

ONE DEAD, 84 HURT IN CLASHES
Police said one person was killed and 84 injured in clashes between riot police and protesters on Wednesday near the parliament and prime minister's office, as people demanded the ouster of both Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe.

The army said two soldiers were seriously injured when they were attacked by protesters near parliament on Wednesday evening and that their weapons and magazines were snatched.

Police said the man who died was a 26-year-old protester who succumbed after he was injured near the premier's office.

Former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa, both brothers of the president, informed the Supreme Court through their lawyer that they would remain in the country until at least Friday.

They were responding to a petition filed by anti-corruption body Transparency International seeking action "against persons responsible for the current economic crisis".

Immigration officials had stopped Basil Rajapaksa from flying out of the country on Tuesday. read more

Parliament is expected to name a new full-time president on July 20 and a top ruling party source told Reuters that Wickremesinghe was the party's first choice, although no decision had been taken. The opposition's choice is their main leader, Sajith Premadasa, the son of a former president.

www.reuters.com

Sri Lankan president hands in resignation after fleeing to Singapore

Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa submitted a letter of resignation on Thursday, a spokesperson for the parliament speaker said, hours after fleeing to Singapore following mass protests over an economic meltdown.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Factbox: Three frontrunners in race to become Sri Lanka's next president
By Uditha Jayasinghe
and Devjyot Gho

COLOMBO, July 14 (Reuters) - A six-time prime minister, the leader of the main opposition party and a journalist-turned-politician from the ruling party are vying to become Sri Lanka's next president, after the incumbent Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country this week.

Sri Lanka's parliamentary speaker will convene the legislative body after receiving Rajapaksa's official resignation and its 225 members will vote to elect a new president, likely next week.


The winning candidate must secure a simple majority within parliament, but also gain the confidence of hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans who have participated in the protest movement - known as the "Aragalaya", or "struggle" in Sinhala - that led to Rajapaksa's ouster. read more

PRIME MINISTER
Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office as prime minister for the sixth time in May and has been appointed acting president, is among the aspirants for the top job, two political sources said.


Although Wickremesinghe's party holds only one seat in parliament, sections of Sri Lanka's ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), including the president's brother Basil Rajapaksa, are backing him, the sources said.

An SLPP official said that party members felt Wickremesinghe - who is also the country's finance minister - has a good handle on the economic challenges facing Sri Lanka.

Wickremesinghe was involved in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout package and a new budget.


But the 73-year-old politician remains deeply unpopular among many protesters, hundreds of whom clashed with security forces and occupied his office this week.

OPPOSITION LEADER
Sajith Premadasa, 55, leader of the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party, is another contender in the fray. But with only around 50 lawmakers in parliament, he will need to build bi-partisan support to stand a chance.

Premadasa studied at the London School of Economics and entered politics after his father, President Ranasinghe Premadasa, was assassinated in a suicide bombing in 1993.

He entered parliament in 2000, later serving as Sri Lanka's deputy health minister. In 2018, he was appointed minister of housing construction and cultural affairs.

"The SJB parliamentary group voted to nominate Sajith Premadasa because he understands the depth of the people's suffering and has always supported the call from them for change," said Eran Wickramaratne, a senior member of the SJB, which has also built links with the Aragalaya protest movement.

"This government has clearly lost its mandate and it is time we listen to the people," Wickramaratne said.

FORMER JOURNALIST
The third frontrunner and potential dark horse is Dullas Alahapperuma, a senior lawmaker from the SLPP who had gained traction among a section of his party colleagues.

The ruling party has about 117 votes that could be used to field a candidate like the 63-year-old former journalist and get him across the line, SLPP lawmaker Charitha Herath said.

Alahapperuma, who entered parliament in 1994, served as the minister of mass media and a cabinet spokesperson but resigned in April when President Rajapaksa dissolved the cabinet after protesters surrounded his private residence.

"I'm a pragmatist. We need a candidate who is acceptable to the Aragalaya and the larger public but someone who can also get parliamentarians' approval," said Herath.

"It is not easy to get such a person," he said. "Dullas would be a formidable and practical option."

www.reuters.com

Factbox: Three frontrunners in race to become Sri Lanka's next president

A six-time prime minister, the leader of the main opposition party and a journalist-turned-politician from the ruling party are vying to become Sri Lanka's next president, after the incumbent Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country this week.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
 
Jackalope

Jackalope

Irregular
My brother-in-law was able to purchase 5 liters of gas yesterday from the black market for the equivalent of $28.00 USD outside of Colombo, Sri Lanka. None of the normal gas stations are open. So, black market gas is almost $25.00 per gallon. It gives an idea how the economy may roll if the dominoes fall here in the U.S.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
How are your family members fairing these days, Jackalope?

Jackalope said:
My brother-in-law was able to purchase 5 liters of gas yesterday from the black market for the equivalent of $28.00 USD outside of Colombo, Sri Lanka. None of the normal gas stations are open. So, black market gas is almost $25.00 per gallon. It gives an idea how the economy may roll if the dominoes fall here in the U.S.
Click to expand...
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Another

: Widespread protests - food and gasoline shortages - July 20, 2022
Today, 01:07 PM
The Panama Canal is critical infrastructure for the world.


Widespread protests have broken out in Panama over fuel costs, unemployment and inflation. The government of Panama agreed to lower fuel prices but a day later protests resumed after the agreement fell apart. CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports.


--------------------------------------------------

fearful times living in Panama
RT 24m
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ2XIR0FPqI&t=14s

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

www.cnn.com

Panama protesters block highways and reject government deals. See CNN's report on the ground | CNN

Widespread protests have broken out in Panama over fuel costs, unemployment and inflation. The government of Panama agreed to lower fuel prices but a day later protests resumed after the agreement fell apart. CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports.
www.cnn.com www.cnn.com
 
Jackalope

Jackalope

Irregular
jward said:
How are your family members fairing these days, Jackalope?
Click to expand...
They are surviving, as all the happenings in Sri Lanka haven't had a major impact on family there yet. They're located far enough from the capital city, Colombo, that life is relatively normal. The lack of fuel has been the biggest impact, as it restricts travel. Apparently, there must be some fuel available, as my step-son and brother-in-law traveled to a southern city for a family member's funeral( old age death), and they took buses down to the funeral and then a train for the return home. I'm not sure if they took public or private buses, which does make a difference, as private buses would likely obtain their fuel via the black market. My step-son's employer is once again running a private van to pick up employees at their homes to bring them to work and returning them home in the evening. At one point the employer stopped the van service due to lack of fuel, but resumed it, probably because many employees just stopped going into work. Food is still an issue, and there will continue to be shortages throughout the country. The availability of meat is very limited, and eggs and milk are considered premium items. Power outages continue to plague the country. Cell service and internet are thankfully working well.

Ranil, a long time crony of the Rajapaskas, has been selected as the new Sri Lankan President today. So, it's a case of same old, same old. Major country-wide protests are already organized and scheduled for this coming Saturday. Because a major political change has not been implemented, there will be serious unrest over the next weeks. The populace is not happy, and today's election of Ranil will only serve to stoke national anger. I don't foresee any political changes in the near future, but living conditions will surely deteriorate.

Prayers for the folks in Sri Lanka would be most welcome.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Thank you very much for the update. I apologize, I was raised not to natter on about my prayers, but to keep them constant, sincere and between me and my lord- thus though I perhaps haven't mentioned it directly, your family and the rest of the innocents caught in this night mare have been on my mind, in my heart, and lifted up in prayer.

Jackalope said:
They are surviving, as all the happenings in Sri Lanka haven't had a major impact on family there yet. They're located far enough from the capital city, Colombo, that life is relatively normal. The lack of fuel has been the biggest impact, as it restricts travel. Apparently, there must be some fuel available, as my step-son and brother-in-law traveled to a southern city for a family member's funeral( old age death), and they took buses down to the funeral and then a train for the return home. I'm not sure if they took public or private buses, which does make a difference, as private buses would likely obtain their fuel via the black market. My step-son's employer is once again running a private van to pick up employees at their homes to bring them to work and returning them home in the evening. At one point the employer stopped the van service due to lack of fuel, but resumed it, probably because many employees just stopped going into work. Food is still an issue, and there will continue to be shortages throughout the country. The availability of meat is very limited, and eggs and milk are considered premium items. Power outages continue to plague the country. Cell service and internet are thankfully working well.

Ranil, a long time crony of the Rajapaskas, has been selected as the new Sri Lankan President today. So, it's a case of same old, same old. Major country-wide protests are already organized and scheduled for this coming Saturday. Because a major political change has not been implemented, there will be serious unrest over the next weeks. The populace is not happy, and today's election of Ranil will only serve to stoke national anger. I don't foresee any political changes in the near future, but living conditions will surely deteriorate.

Prayers for the folks in Sri Lanka would be most welcome.
Click to expand...
 
Jackalope

Jackalope

Irregular
A quick update - Gas stations are open again, though fuel is being rationed. The ration program is based upon the vehicle license plate, the total amount sold is also limited. I'm not sure where the fuel originated. The plan was implemented right after Ranil was sworn in as the "new" President. I imagine the fuel was already in place, the rationing plan was part of the "new" regime's plan. There was heavy protesting today, and the rumor is that the populace wants Ranil to resign by August 9th. I'm not sure of the significance of the date. But it sounds like mob rule is being implemented.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Thanks again, Jack. I would almost say that if we're not seeing mass deaths at this point, things are going along better than they might have gone. At least, like we saw in that article today about Venezuala, Sri Lanka has a good climate and is (I assume) benefiting from a long growing season and a lot of established food plots. Assuming the changes to fertilizing programs hasn't stripped away all those benefits already. : (
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Perhaps Machivellian, but I can't help think the potential tilt toward India from China's sphere o' Influence is a positive in this mess.

India gains on China in crisis-hit Sri Lanka
Ganeshan Wignaraja

6-7 minutes

Geopolitics are swirling with economic and financial crises in island nation Sri Lanka. Image: Screengrab / BBC

Sri Lanka’s pre-emptive default on its foreign debt obligations in mid-April 2022 and recently resigned president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s flight from Sri Lanka on 12 July provides India with an opportunity to match China in the foreign aid game.
The Indian government held an all-party meeting on the Sri Lankan crisis on July 19 and new President Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in on July 21.
The debt default and a shortage of US dollars in Sri Lanka has caused stagflation — high unemployment and little growth — in its economy. Inflation has spiraled to over 50%, leading to higher food and fuel prices. There is significant food insecurity in Sri Lanka and some 750,000 people have fallen into poverty. The economy could contract by more than 6% in 2022.

This economic crisis —Sri Lanka’s worst since gaining independence in 1948 — is due to a tepid recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia–Ukraine conflict shock and economic mismanagement under Rajapaksa’s administration.
Sri Lanka faces challenges in getting foreign aid. Some 60% of the world’s poorest countries are also experiencing debt distress, and the prospect of a second global recession in the next three years could dampen the rest of the world’s enthusiasm to support Sri Lanka.
Some perceive Sri Lanka’s economic crisis to be largely of its own making through mismanagement and corruption, and question why another country should have to bail out its economy.
India was the first to respond to Sri Lanka’s desperate calls for foreign aid to tackle its crippling debt and economic crisis.
Anti-Rajapaksa protests raging in Columbo before the president fled the country. Image: Screengrab / NDTV
India has been motivated by both the unfolding humanitarian crisis affecting the Sri Lankan people and political pressure from South India. In the first six months of 2022, Indian aid worth US$3.5–4 billion has flowed to Sri Lanka through credit lines, loans and grants. This is India’s largest bilateral aid program in recent times.

Supporting Sri Lanka could be in India’s best interest. Stabilizing Sri Lanka’s economy could be a major win for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s neighborhood-first policy. Once the Sri Lankan economy stabilizes, India could deepen its trade and investment linkages with Sri Lanka, transcending the current humanitarian aid relationship.
This could spur regional integration and prosperity. It could also help advance India’s long-held ambition of securing a seat on the United Nations Security Council. Meanwhile, an unstable Sri Lankan economy could pose security risks to India and lead to a flood of refugees across the Palk Strait.
India cemented its first mover advantage over China by leading an aid consortium for Sri Lanka, working closely with others like the United States, Japan, the European Union, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that Sri Lanka will require between US$20–25 billion over the next three years to provide essential imports of food, medicine and fuel for Sri Lankan people and to help stabilize the economy.
Despite benefitting from commercial loans for Belt and Road projects in Sri Lanka, which have fuelled a “debt trap” narrative, China faces a dilemma in bailing out Sri Lanka.

China worries that unilaterally restructuring Sri Lanka’s debt or giving it moratoria would set a new precedent in its lending practices and cause a queue of similarly distressed countries seeking debt relief from China. China, wanting to challenge the United States, does not want its reputation to be tarnished by bailing out a floundering economy.
There are many important issues facing the new administration. It must show it is serious about stabilizing the economy by concluding talks on an IMF program that will increase taxes and utility prices to raise revenue. It must also increase interest rates to control inflation while preserving social welfare expenditures to protect the poor.
The new government will have to implement structural reforms to make the economy more open to trade and investment and allow market forces to determine resource allocation.
A general view of the Chinese-managed terminal of the Colombo port is seen from the Galle Face promenade in Colombo.

This means reducing barriers to trade and investment and cutting large amounts of red tape. It will also have to build a national consensus on implementing the IMF program and reforms by explaining that this is the only solution to the crisis.
The rule of law needs to be restored and strong anti-corruption policies, including asset declarations for all parliamentarians and a strong anti-corruption office supported by the United Nations, need to be enforced. The executive presidency should also be abolished to prevent more corrupt leaders from gaining too much power.
The new government will also need to reset foreign policy toward a more neutral direction and away from the overly pro-China stance of Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

With political will and the right set of policies, Sri Lanka stands a sporting chance of achieving some economic normalcy in the next two to three years. India stands to gain by supporting Sri Lanka in its hour of need.
Ganeshan Wignaraja is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies of the National University of Singapore.
asiatimes.com

India gains on China in crisis-hit Sri Lanka - Asia Times

Sri Lanka’s pre-emptive default on its foreign debt obligations in mid-April 2022 and recently resigned president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s flight from Sri
asiatimes.com asiatimes.com
 
jward

jward

passin' thru




WLVN Analysis
@TheLegateIN
52s

India has sent a message to Sri Lanka: “Don’t let the Chinese vessel into a Sri Lankan Port. India has stood by Sri Lanka in times of crisis and is continuing to do so. Remember the last time a Chinese vessel called in a Sri Lankan port?” - Sri Lankan media.
 
1911user

1911user

Veteran Member
Jackalope said:
A quick update - Gas stations are open again, though fuel is being rationed. The ration program is based upon the vehicle license plate, the total amount sold is also limited. I'm not sure where the fuel originated. The plan was implemented right after Ranil was sworn in as the "new" President. I imagine the fuel was already in place, the rationing plan was part of the "new" regime's plan. There was heavy protesting today, and the rumor is that the populace wants Ranil to resign by August 9th. I'm not sure of the significance of the date. But it sounds like mob rule is being implemented.
Click to expand...
Based on this new information, is it time to adjust the thread title? It's been 2.5 months and they haven't ran out of gas.
 
N

northern watch

TB Fanatic
1911user said:
Based on this new information, is it time to adjust the thread title? It's been 2.5 months and they haven't ran out of gas.
Click to expand...
So the premise, Sri Lanka down to last day of petrol, PM tells crisis-hit nation was bs.

Who owns the gas stations? the government or privately owned?

This whole crisis was caused by a corrupt government that ran out of money and credit, in other words they kicked the can down the road until the can hit a wall and came back at them.

The government could or would not manage its finances.
 
Last edited:
pauldingbabe

pauldingbabe

The Great Cat
Tristan said:
Perhaps a "Strongly Worded Memo" will do the trick...
Click to expand...

I like it!

Then we need a committee to discuss further engagements with said top man.

Perhaps his conditioning is coming unwound. Well, that just won't do. Too much time and money down the drain to stop now.

I mean if these TOP MEN ever broke conditioning we would all hang. Certainly no?

Hypothetical of course. Just have to see how it washes out.

c'est la vie
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
..a bit o' an update on the sri lanka situation-the revolution which almost was- which probably still stands as one who's lessons we could stand to note.. meet the new boss, same as the old boss..

​

Why Sri Lanka’s Headline Grabbing Protests Failed​


By Thusiyan Nandakumar for The Diplomat​



Features | Politics | South Asia​


Yes, Sri Lankans drove President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from office – but did they accomplish any lasting change?

So much has happened and yet so little has changed in Sri Lanka. The last year was a period of unprecedented political turmoil on the South Asian island, as an economic crisis led to angry protests that captured headlines around the world. A strongman president, once dubbed “the Terminator” for his ruthlessness, was forced to flee as thousands of protesters raided his official residence. While Gotabaya Rajapaksa sought refuge in the Maldives and Singapore, demonstrators flooded into his home, swam in his private pool, and rifled through his underwear. The images played on screens across the globe, in what looked set to be a moment of much needed and radical change for the conflict-ridden island.

Just a few short months later, however, those hopes of change have been dashed. Rajapaksa soon returned to the island and was even welcomed by supporters at Colombo airport. Close allies have replaced him in office and his political party is currently plotting its next return to power, its reputation seemingly unscathed. Rajapaksa faces no investigations for any of his crimes, from his cronyism and corruption to the slaughter of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians more than a decade ago. Many of the protests have now been dispersed and public outrage with the Rajapsaksas quelled.
The so-called aragalaya, or “people’s protest,” which seemed to be on the brink of a spectacular revolution, has roundly failed.

For those looking to understand the crisis in Colombo, however, none of this should be a surprise. Sri Lanka’s protest movement was plagued with a host of problems from its inception.
The demonstrations began early last year as economic turmoil began to squeeze Sri Lanka. Prices of basic goods continued to rise and in March, fuel shortages in the south sparked a particularly vociferous wave of protests that targeted then-President Rajapaksa. It was a marked shift in popularity for the military man. Just over two years earlier, his extremist brand of Sinhala nationalism swept ballot boxes in the south and bore him into the island’s top job. But as the very same electorate that brought him to power started suffering economically, Rajapaksa was left to shoulder the blame.

The roots of the economic crisis, however, go deeper than the former Sri Lankan president. For decades, government expenditure had been exorbitant. From 2005 onward, during his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure as president, the Sri Lankan military rapidly expanded, with defense dominating spending as the state launched a genocidal campaign to defeat the LTTE.

In the wake of that offensive, which culminated in the killing of tens of thousands of Tamils, the Rajapaksas went on to take out costly international loans, financing massive projects that brought the country almost no financial benefit. Costly cricket stadiums and brand new airports remained empty.

The problem is also not entirely the responsibility of the Rajapaksas. The “unity” regime of Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe that replaced the siblings in 2015 brought little material change, continuing to bolster defense spending and pursuing the same policy of military occupation in the Tamil North-East.
Gotabaya’s continuation of such expensive policies, however, as well as the introduction of his own disastrous fertilizer bans and tax changes, combined with a global economic downturn, did indeed tip the island into disaster. The protest movement, though, failed to acknowledge the deeper roots of the island’s financial woes and instead chose to focus their fury solely on the younger Rajapaksa. There was little mention of the massive government expenditure on the bloated Sri Lankan armed forces, of the other political and military actors who had played a role in contributing to the current situation, or even of Rajapaksa’s role in the massacres of Tamils. Instead, the protests ignored Sri Lanka’s systemic issues and sought to blame one man under an overly simplistic slogan – “Go Home Gota.”

Failing to recognize the wider causes of the crisis, the movement also proposed no solutions for the island’s financial turmoil or an envisioned governance structure going forward. The movement coalesced around a singular demand, one that didn’t even call for Rajapaksa to be held accountable for his crimes. It was the lack of potency behind “Go Home Gota” that weakened it. It allowed a broad range of the Sinhala south, including military figures responsible for war crimes, notorious racists, and even former Rajapaksa supporters, to join the protest and wave flags knowing that a deeper, systemic change was not on the cards. It was a hollow call for revolution.

As Rajapaksa fled, protesters were left seemingly stumped on the next steps toward reform. While Tamils and human rights groups around the world demanded Rajapaksa’s arrest and a process of accountability that tackles the longstanding climate of impunity, the aragalaya was conspicuously silent.
Into that gap stepped Ranil Wickremesinghe – a former Rajapaksa rival turned ally. He quickly assumed office and forcefully dispelled the protesters with a familiar mix of police brutality and draconian arrests. Rajapaksa supporters regrouped and welcomed the strongman back, while Wickremesinghe continues to rule. Sri Lanka’s broken political system merely has a new head at the top of it.

The failure of the aragalaya will not come as a surprise to the island’s Tamils, particularly the mothers of the forcibly disappeared, whose continuous protest has lasted far longer, but attracted far less attention from the global press. They had repeatedly called on the southern protesters to build links and incorporate their demands in seeking justice for their forcibly disappeared loved ones. Though a token remembrance ceremony took place at the protest site as Tamils mourned their war dead, it failed even to mention the word genocide, let alone demand accountability for it.

Wider calls from Tamils demanding justice for Rajapaksa’s more egregious crimes, demilitarization, and a complete restructuring of the state also fell on deaf ears. Tamils who were skeptical about expecting change from a southern community that has repeatedly elected racists and catered to Sinhala Buddhist nationalism will stand vindicated.
Sri Lanka’s political system is incredibly resistant to reform. Since independence in 1948, an ethnocratic hegemony, which concentrates power in the hands of the ethnic Sinhalese, has been forged and stiffened through decades of violent repression. This illiberal rule has allowed crimes from massacres to financial misdemeanors remain unaccountable and buttressed by a massive military, one of the largest per capita in the world.

Solving Sri Lanka’s financial woes means dismantling that entire broken system, from the militarization of the state and its occupation of the North-East to tackling the climate of impunity. Without addressing those core issues, those who sit at the top of a rotten system will continue to simply rotate through the top posts, and the same cycles of illiberal and unaccountable rule will be doomed to repeat themselves.
thediplomat.com

Why Sri Lanka’s Headline Grabbing Protests Failed

Yes, Sri Lankans drove President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from office – but did they accomplish any lasting change?
thediplomat.com
 
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