Features
Shocking White House bullying; more shocking local expenditure on foreign jaunts; advice on FP stance
Trump, as usual, badgered his way by repeating himself. You’re not in a good position (many times); You’ve done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble. You’re not winning this, (repeated). You don’t have the cards now. Right now, you don’t – yeah, you’re playing cards. This after Zelensky managed to say: I’m not here to play cards. Trump: You’re playing cards. You’re gambling, you’re gambling with World War III.
Vance accused Zelensky of not being grateful to the US and thanking the US and more so the Prez not once at the meeting.
Another lowest and unredeemable incident was when Trump commented on Zelensky’s attire as he greeted the Ukrainian President and within the Oval Office, a media person also commented that the visitor should be more formally dressed to be in the holy of holies in the presence of the Boss of the World! They forget how Elon Musk now comes into the Oval Office dressed casually with a cap on, and his young son draped on his shoulders.
Watching many news items on this incident, Cass’ strongest feeling was repugnance at the bullying and utter surprise that such a man as Trump is US Prez. She felt sympathetic to Zelensky, who later said he had travelled 11 hours by train and longer by plane to get to the Oval Office. Cass watched an American TV news half hour where the host revealed the lies Trump has been spilling of late like how much the US spent on Ukraine and how America will get rich by tariffs imposed on foreign goods, which actually have to be borne by American consumers.
Cass also imagined how such a meeting would have proceeded if Kamala Harris had been seated in the seat occupied by Trump. What a golden chance America missed through their being swayed by big money, white supremacy, gender bias and all that balderdash.
The silver lining in the pathetic, nay scandalous diplomatic disaster and the belittling of a visiting President of a country by two big American bullies occupying the White House, is the hastily arranged meeting of European leaders with the British Prime Minister hosting a gathering of solidarity and sense in Lancaster House. Of course, they have to be diplomatic and extremely cautious in what they announce but the right-thinking Americans may cheer. Cassandra’s prognosis is that the meeting and its meaning will be lost on President Trump.
Our VVIP’s globe trotting
Cartoonist Jeffrey of the Sunday Island captured the euphoric gallivanting of past presidents Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, M Sirisena and Ranil W in the newspaper of March 2. He depicted them as almost salivating as they slouched forward to enplane on luxurious global travel while their fellow citizens were starving, many of them and others struggling to exist. Cass uses the term ‘fellow citizens’ incorrectly here since when the aforementioned were safely ensconced in their presidential seat, they forgot Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans: minds were totally engaged with themselves and their cohorts; Mahinda had his family as co-benefactors of the Treasury of Sri Lanka, which they reduced to nothing with their profligacy.
A genteel man in our circle of friends opined it was not necessary to reveal amounts spent. He was shouted down with “Of course, we need to know. All should be made privy to how much of tax money that should go to development of the country was spent by these ex-presidents. Worst: while the country was tottering on the edge of the abyss of bankruptcy and people were suffering dire privation, they were globe-trotting extravagantly.”
Even for this one reason of eliminating selfish spending by presidents and prime ministers of this country, the present government must be given an uninterrupted five-year term in office and an extension at the next presidential and general elections. Maybe by the time the next time is here, the position of president may be abolished. However, Cass for one approves strongly of AKD continuing to be prez.
Rumours float there is a sinister move propelling the supposed shortage of petrol; i.e. destabilisation of the country. There definitely are politicians who will not mind a mite to send the country into catastrophe just to save their skins: one person willing to sacrifice 22 million Sri Lankans to save himself from the noose that moves closer as true justice takes over. Maybe the thought is that eliminating the Prez or PM or both is not sufficient to totally destabilise the country, so choose a more drastic method. Cass most definitely does not put this beyond many politicians alive, kicking vigorously and pontificating in public.
Sound advice
Cassandra’s final segment of title reads: advice on FP stand. What she means is that very good advice has been given on how Sri Lanka’s foreign policy should proceed with the world in somewhat of turmoil and two wars still waging. The advice appeared in The Island of Monday March 3; given by Ali Sabry, PC. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from July 2022 to September 2024 and previously Minister of Finance in the SLPP government. He was an appointed MP on SLPP national list. All would agree he was an able and just Minister and a Sri Lankan to be proud of who held his own internationally.
The article in which he advises the government of Sri Lanka to move forwards is titled: Lessons from Ukrainian Debacle with elucidation: Why Sri Lanka must continue to pursue a Non-Aligned, yet Multi-Aligned Foreign Policy. Foreign policy even to a novice like me, ignoramus in fact, seems to need to be so carefully policy-drawn and followed. Treading among the giant countries with their shifts and slants, for a small nation like ours, but with geopolitical strategic importance, is a veritable treading on eggshells. Advice from sensible persons is welcome and one thing is sure: this government hearkens unto advice.