By Mario Perera, Kadawata

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I have just finished reading for the third time the masterly article of that erudite and eminent columnist of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”The IslandƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Mr. Eymard de Silva Wijeyeratne. Mr.Wijeyeratne writes: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-It is very likely that the Temple of Hypocrisy that is being built higher and higher like the Tower of Babel, by the US and the European Community, at the cost of the unbearable suffering of immiserated people in the Third World, will be sent tumbling down in a quake of cosmic indignationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

Indeed the harbinger signs are there for those with eyes to see. When one considers the billions and billions of tons of bombs of all types, nuclear and others, that these self proclaimed saviours of the planet and of humanity have dropped and continue to pour down on this earth, deciphering the causes of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the twist and rattle of tectonic platesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (Mr.Wijeyeratne) that is affecting Japan, among other countries, and making that mighty industrialized nation stretch out its begging bowl to the world at large, is childƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s play. The law of karma, no respecter of persons and nations, will give the perpetrators their due in its own time which would not seem too far away.

In a comment I made to a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”LankawebƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ article about Blake I mentioned that he is a mixture of Cassius of Shakespearean fame, and of Nero the bastard emperor of Rome. On the one hand his lean and hungry look seemingly in search of an easy prey, and on the other his cultivated aptitude of playing the lyre while wistfully wishing that Sri Lanka burn. The truth about Robert Blake is very probably that he is beset with qualms of conscience, not being unable to justify his job and his disproportionate salary.

Reflecting on what such individuals indulge in to bolster their flagging spirits. I recalled an experience of years long gone by when I knew a press attachƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚© who, having ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”nothing to doƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, for the simple reason that nothing of interest for her job was transpiring in Sri Lanka, spent her working hours smoking cigarette after cigarette, thus engaged in an ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”activityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ which gave her the impression of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”being in the thick of thingsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, and justifying first and foremost her salary which was quite thumping. The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”thick of thingsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ was naturally being enveloped in the smoky mists of her own creation, placing her in a state of self induced bliss of imaginarily conforming to the trust she hoped her superiors had in her. There was also that parish priest of a parish where nothing happened who indulged in a similar pass-time, this time with cigars. He sat in the parish verandah and smoked. When a close acquaintance told him: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Father, you always appear lost in deep thoughtƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, he nevertheless had the honesty to reply ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”no men, but I am happy I am giving that impressionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. So also Blake this Cassius and Nero mix earning his keep by continuing to do what he does best, preying on the weak and playing his lyre with his imagination always gutted with the flames he is trying to engulf Sri Lanka in, this little country straining on all its hinges to emerge from the throes of a murderous war, mainly created and maintained for the benefit of foreign concerns.

Such anecdotes can also be related of the American-Anglo-European self dubbed saviours of the planet and of humanity. Take that gentleman Sarkozy. He first grafted himself into the imagination of the French public with a famous phrase he uttered as Minister of the Interior. Breathing fire and brimstone against the poor delinquent Arabs and Blacks of the Parisian suburbs, he spat out the phrase; ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-When I come to power I will rid society of these rottersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. The French word he used in their regard is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”canailleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ which is very demeaning. Then he did come to power, but the first ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”thingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ he rid himself of was ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”his wifeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢! The lady, the mother of most of his children from whose eyes he caressingly wiped of the tears of joy on entering ceremoniously the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Palais de lƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ElyseeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ was dumped unceremoniously a very short while after for a long-legged photo model. One will also remember Sarkozy confronting the press after a head to head meeting with the man he termed his ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”friend PutinƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. They were supposed to be discussing ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”affairs of StateƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. But then Sarkozy emerged for the press conference drunk like a fish, bringing to mind the words of the song ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”The great pretenderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ sung by the Platters: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Yes IƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢m the great pretender, just laughing and gay like a clownƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. What does a man who has nothing to do precisely do when he has nothing to do? Well watch Sarkozy on television, always fidgety and messing about with his tie with uncanny impulsive tell-tale ticks desparately trying to cover the fact of being a non performer. What he did with Gaddafi was something akin to what he did with his first wife: he pressed him to his heart, benefited from the all the formerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s favours, and then was the first who decided to bomb him. The heads of super powers with nothing to do look to war to appear capable of doing something.

And then this Obama, Nobel Peace Prize winner. He came to power playing on anƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  amalgam of American sentiments, being a black, young and good looking in the Kennedy mould, behind a banner heralding ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”ChangeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Yes we canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, condemning all that Bush had stood forƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦especially war mongering, and promising heaven and earth to bring their soldiers back home. That was the Obama then. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And NOW? ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Yes we canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ but what? Living naturally according to the nature of American wielders of brute power who have nothing to do, which is bombing friends who have lost their utility out of the face of the earth. For such, no cause is better than the cause of war whatever that cause may be, be it even imaginary weapons of mass destruction!

The Roman emperors knew this a long time ago when they built the coliseum as a distraction for people who were always wondering what their rulers were doing, seeing them all the time in a state of stiff boredom. The coliseum was the killing field of the Roman emperors. As for the AmericanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”AngloƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”European coalition, their killing field has not only been nations with other ideologies but the planet itself. One recalls the film of Charlie Chaplin ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”the DictatorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ personifying Hitler playing about with the globe in his hands.

The Obama slogan was ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”ChangeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and indeed he did change. And what he changed was the sheepƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s clothing he donned during the election for that of the ravenous wolf congenitally his as being the American president. Obama in his oval office reminds me in turn of the lines of another singer, Paul Anka who crooned; ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-in my little room, IƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢m pining away and hoping to stay ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”cos IƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ve nothing to doƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Indeed idle minds are the devilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s workshop, and what can there be more devilish than large scale killings and destruction affecting the very ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”tectonic platesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of the earth under the guise of serving humanity.

As for Cameron the upstart novice, he is new to the game and time (in addition to Obama and Sarkozy) will be his teacher albeit a merciless one. But then there is the wedding of William and Kate when the thrill of the Libyan bombings recedes into the background. Indeed there is no biz like the show biz, and war is uppermost in the list of this savage coalition on the rampage, with its morbid attraction for death and destruction not only on a world scale but also of a planetary dimension.