The DEMOCKERY Continues

By Rajitha Ratwatte

fromoutsidethepearl@gmail.com

So, Trump is making a last stand, reminds one of another blond bloke in Americas history. That guy had genuine blond locks that made a handy scalping trophy, General Custer, ring a bell anyone? The White House has become Little big horn and I fear the end of both those stands are going to be similar. Similar in more ways than one.

Both these ill-fated stands will go down in the History of America as a black day (pun intended) and a black time! If one accepts the rules of a contest at the onset and then participates, one has to abide by those self-same rules. That is logical, isn’t it? If one goes out to bat in a game of cricket (of course the Americans will never understand this game, they prefer the simplified version, suitable for the mentally challenged, BASEBALL) and one is given out LBW, one cannot suddenly say that the LBW rule is not valid. This is basically what Trump is doing and while doing so he is making a MOCKERY out of Democracy that “treasured” value of America, that they keep shoving down other people’s throats, all over the world.

How many regimes have been destabilised and even toppled in the name of Democracy? Of course, there have been assorted and multiple other reasons, ranging from non-existent nuclear weapons to black gold, thrown in. Regimes that were doing very nicely thank you, under DICTATORS and not democratically elected presidents. Regimes that are now in shambles and disarray with people starving and destitute, all in the name of American democracy!

So, America is getting a taste of its own medicine. I firmly believe that the media is making a feeding frenzy of it and rumours like Trump’s team putting infra-red stickers on ballots, that no one except they had any knowledge of and the recounts are being checked for these invisible markings, are from bad science fiction novels, aren’t they? How can Trumps team put a mark on ballot papers without the rest of America knowing? Trump’s team had the right to put a mark on each and every ballot paper that went out in America? Even the Grimm brothers would have taken their fairy tales to include such rubbish. Stories like these belong in the back of the pickup trucks, along with the shotguns and Rottweilers, that Trump supporters seem to favour.

Some of Americas’ (I refrain from saying the United States or using the acronym USA, as they are at the time of writing not united) enemies are twisting the knife in the wound. China says that they will not congratulate the newly elected President until the matter is legalised. Wow, did China write the book on democracy by any chance? In fact, do they even know the first thing about legally ratified presidents?! When the boot is on the other foot, it really hurts, doesn’t it? A deafening silence emanates from the Russian bear. Maybe they wrote the preface to the book on democracy and they are shocked by the rape and carnage created by Trump! Britain’s Trump look-alike, has raised a feeble voice of congratulations to the person elected by the system but, one fears that this is only an attempt at damage control and made under orders to try and reduce the impact of this demockery. Funnily enough the chief advisor to the British PM has made an abrupt departure from Downing Street, soon after this message, closely followed by the communications advisor. The last straw….?

I still maintain my position that the situation will resolve itself. The President cannot do anything he wants, he is not supported by the 20th Amendment to the constitution like in some countries we know of! He also doesn’t have a sycophantic chorus who have no principles or morals clapping his every move. If he tries to be silly he will be escorted out of the White House by his own security detail. Members of Congress are all not mindless morons. They will stand for good sense and the rule of law when the time comes.

Democracy has its flaws. It is not my place to analyse democracy as I do not have the qualifications or the knowledge. It is very evident that a more foolproof and less debatable system, in keeping with modern technology, should be used when people express their preference. The system should also be tailored to each individual Country. The cultural values and nuances should be taken into consideration. Feudal cultures, such as the Pearl, do not know how to handle democracy and it is now proven that even highly educated, free societies, like America, can’t handle it either.

Stepping back rather gingerly, to the ex-pearl of the Indian ocean, we need a grocery delivery service, don’t we? Why doesn’t my good friend, TOMBA, use his taxi service to deliver groceries that are pre-paid for, to homes. This can be done, I am told with a minor adjustment to his existing programme on the Pick–Me service and, maybe, a tie up with his former mates at Keells? This type of service is making a huge comeback in other countries. Remember a time when your fresh milk used to be delivered by bicycle or even the Elephant House milk trucks, every morning, O Senior citizens of the Pearl? Why not extend to bread and vegetables and even frozen meats and fish? Not to mention, of course, that staple of the Sri Lankan male, Arrack! Of course, mini safes may have to be constructed at the entrance to your homes, to safe guard the products after delivery. It seems to have gone a full circle and a quick intervention by the private sector should be better than the ham handed, imaginationless (another new word?!), unthinking methods employed by the present Government and their one and only fall-back, the armed forces.

Speaking of time, there is plenty of time, until the middle of January 2021, for Trump to call it a day. Fears created by the media that the outgoing president will behave like a spoilt child and wreak havoc all over the world, cannot be logically accepted, can they? If the man shows signs of turning his filibustering into real actions, necessary steps will be taken, and Donald Trump will find out the real meaning of being FIRED. Meanwhile, of course, everyone will watch the news channels and advertise on them. Win – win for media Moghuls again!