Archive for January 10th, 2008
by Arvalan
‘No two countries that both had McDonald’s had fought a war against each other since each got its McDonald’s’-Thomas Friedman’s Golden Arches theory
[Thomas Friedman-pic:NYTimes.com]
The Lexus and the Olive Tree is a book by Thomas Friedman that portrays that the world is currently undergoing two struggles: the drive for prosperity and development, symbolized by the Lexus, and the desire to retain identity and traditions, symbolized by the olive tree. Friedman says he came to this realization while eating a sushi box lunch on a Japanese bullet train after visiting a Toyota factory and reading an article about conflict in the Middle East.
For the sake of analysing the Tamil nationalistic crisis in Sri Lanka let me replace the olive tree with the Palmyra tree, which symbiosis Tamil heritage and culture.
Young Palmyrah Tree Pic: Uppuvelli beach]
Let me make a wild guess that thalaivar Prabakaraan has read The Lexus and the Olive Tree book as I could discern the influence of the book in his recent marveerar narl speech.
He kicks off his speech by stating that “Many countries in our region have grown in leaps and bounds in social, economical and scientific fields”. He then laments the Sinhalese nation for “moving in exactly the opposite direction, on a path of destruction”. He accuses the Sinhalese nation for “trying to destroy the Tamil nation and, in the process, it is destroying itself. Thalaivar regrets and condoles with the Lexus oriented world for the beautiful island of Sri Lanka “continues to soak in blood”.
Hard to believe they were the words from the leader of a liberation movement which has been waging an armed struggle for over 25 years to secure the right to self determination for the Tamil and liberate the Tamil home land from the occupying Sinhalese armed forces. I believe thalaivar is a realist or (guessing) that he has been heavily influenced by Friedman’s book. Long shot, but within the range!
The origin of the conflict in Sri Lanka is discrimination (language, education and employment) and colonisation (of Sinhalese in Tamil areas). One would argue these original causes of the problem have been blown away with the globalisation of the world, as opportunities for education and employment is no longer restricted to a particular geographical location. Further in a competition driven world is chasing genuine talent and it does not give a hoot whether you are a Tamil or a Sinhalese. Migration of the population (formerly colonisation) is no longer driven by governments. They are determined by the population chasing prosperity. This movement of masses has gone beyond the national boundaries and has become an international phenomenon.
It has been observed the current core issue relating to the Tamil ethnic crisis is power sharing. The (freedom) struggle against discrimination has been transformed in to a battle to secure the rights for power sharing (self determination). The Tamil and Sinhalese nations are not facing off each other to secure control of any scarce economic resources in the Tamil homeland (North East of the Island). Tamils are waging an armed struggle to a secure power sharing arrangement (either an independent sovereign state or federalism) whilst the Sinhalese are reluctant to reach a power sharing arrangement. Complicated? What complication?
[McDonalds on Galle Road, Colombo 03-Photo: imagebang]
My Dear citizens of the Sinhalese nation,
May I try to understand your reluctance, refusal, rejection, fear or fright for reaching a power sharing arrangement with your neighboring peace & cricket loving, citizens of the Tamil nation?
* Is that because the Tamil nation will stretch their boundaries from Mannar to Wellawatta?
Globalization has eliminated ethnic or language centric barriers, starting from the fall of the Berlin wall. Why worry about boundaries and demarcations in an open and digitally connected world? It’s an era of integration not demarcation along geographical habitations.
* Is that because Tamil nation will prosper economically and you have to line up for jobs at the border?
So what? If you are prepared to take wings to Toronto and Melbourne in search of prosperity why not drive up to Palaly and Kilaly to earn wealth. Hope the exchange rate doesn’t kill you
* Is that because the Tamil national cricket team will become the best team in the world?
ICC (as instructed by BCCI) won’t sanction a new Tamil nation test cricket team. Why not reach an agreement as part of the power sharing deal that the Tamil nation groom and develop a successor for Murali?
Therefore, please reach a power sharing arrangement with your beloved (?) neighboring Tamil nation. As we the Tamil and Sinhalese nations reach this milestone to wipe out the scars from our “blood soaked island” we need to ask our benevolent international community to underwrite this agreement by assisting (direct and subsidize behind the scenes) the McDonalds corporation to open up outlets in each of the 25 districts in Sri Lanka.
Why McDonalds? Because according to Thomas Friedman’s Golden Arches theory (the famous symbol of McDonald’s outlets) “No two countries that both had McDonald’s had fought a war against each other since each got its McDonald’”
There are exceptions to the theory. For example, the 1989 U.S. intervention in Panama and the NATO bombing of Serbia in early nineties. “In both cases the war ended quickly, because the population did not want to lose their place in a global system “symbolized by McDonald’s” argues Friedman.
In 2006 McDonald’s hosting nations Israel and Lebanon were involved in a short war which could also be considered evidence against the Golden Arches theory (It is not clear whether the conflict was between Israel and Lebanon or just Hezbollah specifically, and if Hezbollah owned any McDonald’s franchises
PS: The delegations from the Tamil and Sinhalese nations should hold their deliberations in McDonald’s outlets at Bangkok, Geneva, Oslo and of course Jaffna.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Thomas L Friedman, 1990
January 10th, 2008
by Arvalan
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy”-Martin Luther King Jr.
2008 dawned with the news that another Tamil Member of Parliament (MP) has been assassinated at a Hindu temple in broad day light, ostensibly by the Sri Lankan government sponsored paramilitary group.
[T. Maheswaran]
That was Late Hon T. Maheswaran.
* The man who represented the interests of the Tamil people in and outside the Sri lankan parliament
* The man who was not afraid to vote against many anti Tamil bills and acts, defying his party orders, whilst the Tamil Nationalistic MP’s were “absent”.
* The man who was capable of articulating the plight of the Tamils in Sinhala, both inside and outside the parliament
* The man who was prepared to fight for the rights of the innocent Tamils detained by the defence authorities, in front of the detention centres and even prepared to march towards the presidential palace.
* The man who voted against the government in the recent budget debate, despite being threatened not to do so, unlike some of the Tamil Nationalistic MP’s who were “absent during the vote”.
* The man who was elected to parliament twice, once from the Tamil heartland of Jaffna and then from the capital Colombo. A unique achieve in Tamil political history.
To my astonishment the expatriate Tamil community, failed to publicly mourn and remember the life of Maheswaran in the same way they mourned and remembered Hon. Joseph Pararajasingham and Hon. Raviraj.
There was
* No memorial meetings held,
* No eulogies written,
* No special programs in radio or TV
* No petitions prepared
* No appeals made to the international community
* No Tamil MP’s rioting inside the parliament
Is that because
* Maheswaran was elected from the Sinhalese nationalist UNP not from the Tamil nationalist TNA?
It takes a brave heart to be elected from a UNP platform and be the voice of the long suffering Tamil people. How many former Tamil MP’s elected from UNP has been able to raise the voice for the Tamil people?
* Tigers didn’t bestow him with a marmanithar award and thaialvar didn’t write a eulogy?
Tigers have their own protocol in determining the awards. That shouldn’t stop the expatriate community from remembering an MP who served for the Tamil people.
* He was a wealthy businessman and not an “educated” professional?
Tamil community undervalues entrepreneurship. It is this attitude which is hampering our lobbying effort in the western world, as we do not have any significant financial muscle to financially support political campaigns.
* He didn’t take part in the Pongu Thamizh rallies?
At least he is not a Chandrasekaran who took the tigers and Tamil nationalism for a ride.
Hon T. Maheswaran is a true Tamil nationalist as he is a
* Supreme human, who stood up for the oppressed and sacrificed his comfortable life to serve the Tamil community
* Brave patriot who risked his life to give voice for the people of his occupied nation
Maheswaran’s life is a testimony that
* One doesn’t have to be in the tiger tribe to be a Tamil nationalist.
* The “problem of the other” (Barak Obama quote) in Sri Lanka is not just between the Tamils and Sinhalese, but between Tamils and Tamils as well.
May your soul rest in peace
January 10th, 2008
By Ven. Dr. Walpola Piyananda
Let us face life-realistically. The only way there will ever be peace in Sri Lanka is if all political factions accept the reality of living in the present. Here in the present, where life really takes place, we all have the opportunity of creating a better future based on our ability to let go of the past.
Yes, in the past wrongs have been committed–the wrongs committed by the LTTE and the wrongs committed by some of the Sinhalese. But let us learn from these errors in action. These misdeeds are a part of our history. We cannot undo them, even though some scholars try their best to re-write history; but we can pay attention to it and learn its lessons. The study of science teaches us that everything changes moment by moment – nothing ever stays the same. This is the Buddha’s primary teaching of Impermanence. Since nothing is permanent – why do we hold on to the past? Holding on to the past especially the unpleasant becomes a distortion of the event. The memory is not real and clouds our vision so that we cannot see the possibilities that exist today for peace.
Sri Lanka today has a great opportunity to rid the land of terrorists and make a new beginning in peace. When the north and east is free of the LTTE, we can acknowledge the wrongs of the past, make appropriate apologies, make the necessary amends, and move forward as one country. I have already spoken about our history in previous articles. Now I will appeal to your higher natures, and express my confidence in my fellow Sri Lankans – all of us – Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, and Burghers. When you think about it, every country in the world has a troubled past; there are no exceptions. At some point, however, each and every country either has the opportunity to come to terms with the troubles of the past, through addressing the grievances of all to seek a healing by letting go of the anger and hatred that revisiting past wrongs generates. I have lived in America for thirty-three years, and during this time I have witnessed a great deal of healing, and great strides toward building unity and harmony among the diverse peoples living there.
A perfect example is the African-American community. Until the early 1960’s this group was oppressed, disenfranchised, and victimized by racial prejudice. Now, this group can completely participate in mainstream America – and racial oppression is not only illegal, but these days mostly viewed as a relic from the past – an unfortunate mistake in the evolution of the U.S. America, I’m happy to say, it has moved on from its past in this regard, and a great deal of healing has taken place. The healing, of course, is not perfectly complete – not by any means – but it is farther along than it has ever been, and the process continues in a positive direction.
Sri Lanka must follow this example. We must begin to effect a healing if we are all to live together on this small island in peace. Healing begins with each and every one of us when we make the effort to let go of the anger that clouds our perception so that understanding and compassion can grow. Then we will be able to develop compassion for the other. Once we can have compassion for one another peace can begin to grow.
I make a strong appeal to the main opposition party: stop slinging mud at the government – learn to work with the government. Learn to put your priorities for the country as a whole – rather than on your party and special interests. We all want a peaceful country for our children. We must all work together to establish this.
To the Tamils around the world I say “Stop supporting the LTTE because by doing so you are killing your own people!” You may feel a strong desire for a Tamil homeland. You may strongly believe that an independent Tamil state in Sri Lanka is the answer. You give in to requests for financial donations to support this Idea. You send your money to LTTE-connected organizations thinking that you are helping to build a new country for your people. Please understand that every dollar that gets into the hands of the LTTE is a dollar spent on death. Death for Tamils, death for Sinhalese, death for peace.
In closing, I would like to remind you about the story of Aravinda Rupasinghe that appeared in the September 28, 2006 edition of the Divaina, a Sinhalese newspaper. Aravinda was a 14-year-old Sinhalese boy who woke up one day speaking fluent Tamil. He frgot his real identity and firmly believed that he was a Tamil girl who lived up north in Jaffna. That day he suddenly announced, “My father is a supporter of LTTE.”
After a few days of counselling and therapy Aravinda came to accept who he really was now, and to understand that the Tamil girl was someone whose life he had lived in a previous birth.
This story reveals how a Tamil girl who died in Jaffna was reborn as a Sinhalese boy in Katana, which is near Colombo. This story also demonstrates that we can be reborn into any religion, any race, or in any country; we are not necessarily reborn as we are in our present life. The Buddha mentioned that samsara is without discoverable beginning. It is not easy to find a being who in this long course has not previously been your mother or your father, your brother or your sister, your son or your daughter, therefore we should be compassionate toward all.
The point is, any of us, whether we are currently Sinhalese or Tamil, could easily have been-or will be in the future-born into the opposite group! So why hate and kill one another? We are all one people, one country, and we can have one peace.
Ven. Dr. Walpola Piyananda is the Chief Nayake Thera in the United States of America
January 10th, 2008