Ministries For The Masses
New Parliament, and it’s inherent divide.
There are now literally Ministries for every member of the government. There are 105 government MPs, and there are 105 Ministers. Everyone in Parliament has been paid off with a Pajero. Or six. Mahinda recently passed a bill approving a 657 million rupee ($6.57 million) bribe for Karu Jaysuriya, Milinda Moragoda, GL Peiris, etc. There are now 105 Ministers. The bill passed with 107 votes. So there are two guys voting their, er, conscience. The other 105 are voting their paycheck. As a brief interlude, you corrupt fucking bastards I’m filling your jeep with every liter I buy. Ahem. Now, Sri Lanka is in a situation where almost half of its 225 MPs are Ministers. I think we’ve gone too far down this road to return to sane government. We need to just make everyone a Minister and get it over with.
Also know as the feeding trough of the well connected. There are 225 Members of Parliament. They’re generally divided into the Government and Opposition. The President picks a few to have close meetings and decide policy with. A Cabinet. Note that the word is ‘Cabinet’ and not ‘Walk In Closet’ or ‘Yala National Park’. The Sri Lankan Constitution just says that the Cabinet should be decided by the President, so of course he will appoint everyone he wants to keep loyal.
That’s why everyone in the government is now a Minister. It’s a natural decision for someone behaving in a pure economic sense and not as say, a man of integrity, leadership and respect in using the Peoples money. My money, your money, the money that drives your buses, buys you milk powder, and puts petrol in your bike, trishaw, or car. For every 100 Rs you pay in Tax – 54 goes to pay government salaries (LBO). Including the supposed public servants at the top.
Public servants should serve. A nation at war should save, control inflation, keep the economy going. Not pay off itself with titles, automobiles and cash. Or to put it in French, you corrupt, greedy pigs. We’re fighting a war, don’t have proper airplanes, and you’re recruiting 50,000 of our boys to sacrifice their youth (Daily Mirror)? This is how you lead? You’re asking the youth to eat Maggi noodles, man lonely checkpoints and leave their families while you shop for new cars? Lead by example, tighten your belts and take the fucking bus to work like everybody else. You’re like a mafia full of fucking captains. Get some foot soldiers and rob people in a decent manner.
No one is going to give up this power once they have it, so the only solution is to make everyone in Parliament a Minister. All 225 of them get a title – and they all get an across the board benefits cut. Give them a reconditioned Toyota Corolla, 150 Liters of Petrol and tell them take the bus if they come up short. And give them a living cash wage, like 75,000. Right now they’re drawing a nominal salary and bleeding us dry through corruption and official Mercedez Benzes. Just pay them a good private sector wage and audit the accounts and prosecute the corrupt ones.
So everyone gets a Ministry. Hell, everyone can get a Plus One for this party. A Ministry for you and your brother, or brothers if you’re high up enough. We’re running out of shit to pretend like we’re doing, but I can think of a Ministry of Abduction, Ministry of Apologies, Ministry of Accidentally Telling The Truth. Of course there’s the Ministry of Sound, Ministry of Nation Upkeep and a Ministry of Pol Sambol. 225 Ministers the President can ignore to simple run Sri Lanka as his family plantation. To speak French again, you guys are so dirty that I use my left hand to do any government business.
factual errors are growing by the post here, but then exaggerations cannot stand facts.
Fair points, you are voicing all our frustrations. The idiots are becoming greater idiots. Sittingnut, one can’t deny the corruption and the fact that this is an utterly stupid way to manage the war. The LTTE by their intransigence and flagrant violation of the CFA has given us a golden opportunity to get rid if VP. What is happening now is not the way to take it.
N “The LTTE by their intransigence and flagrant violation of the CFA”
The SL govt failed to negotiate the ISGA approved as reasonable by the US and International community. Second the SL govt failed to agree on Norwegian drafted post Tusnami aid sharing mechanism with the LTTE.
Third democratically elected Tamil MPs, Editors, journalists, with a pro LTTE stance have been assisinated by the SL govt and paramilitaries.
Fouth the SL govt and its army have captured large swathes of territory in the east from the LTTE in gross violation of CFA.
Whose intransigence and flagrant violation of the CFA?
The LTTE have only so far been involved in self defense ops and not land grab exercises. SL govt is pushing it to th brink of disaster for the whole island.
Jey I suggest you read up on what happened from 2002 up until the Mavil Aru incident a bit more thoroughly. You distorted view of history is amusing, sad but amusing. But then having your tongue stuck so far up VP’s arse that you occasionally tickle his tonsils must obscure your field of view.
Grow up.
good response.
Thanks. Just to add, the Mavilaru incident shouldn’t have been solved by military operation and the it was condemned by the IC and Norwegian led SLMM monitors.
Anyway the result of the recent Oslo meeting by the self styled “co chairs” are not to rosy for the Sri Lankan govt. Many of themhave decided to stop aid money to the SL govt (Well done).
The LTTE by holding back from land grabing exercises and making strategic withdrawls in the east have shown beyond doubt who the real aggressor is. Hence the well timed requets by Tamilchelvan through Tamilnet for ther IC to force SL govt back to CFA lines and to implement the CFA 100%. Looks lke IC can’t seem to control Mahinda.
If there are number or factual errors please point them out. I’ve tried to cite everything.
Indi gone mad – his blog turning out to be the mouth piece of UNP – Indi, no body trust you now.
Indi, for uptodate, reliable news on the country you need to check
http://www.crazylanka.com/polthel.htm
There is a news article relating to this post
while you are there, don’t forget to check the archives as well, they are worth looking at.
that site is hilarious
Indi this article should be translated to sinhala and posted on every paper in Sri Lanka.Good work.But don’t think if we vote UNP , they would be great…….fuck ,they would be the same,we tried several times…..those who came from UNP are running the government now,this bill is for them right?…….so our country needs a complete change from the roots,believe me….
To This Jay guy who cry about army violating CFA by capturing LTTE area…….fuck you, there was no LTTE area ,there was only Sri Lanka and LTTE captured it, and a guy name Ranil signed an agreement with LTTE saying those parts were theirs,nobody knew it,not even the president at that time,not even his gay friends or parliment…so technically there is no validity to CFA………….
even if it has LTTE violated it more than 6000 times
Technically, the Supreme Court ruled that the CFA was a valid agreement. Technically…
fucking right you are Indi.. This country is not yet fucked up.. but it very soon will be with uncle percy paksha and his merry men. either we need to get out of this soon to fester maggot hole of the paksha family or we need to get onto the roads and overthrow them!!
Overthrow them and put whom back? UNP ha ha ha ………….they would do the same thing……those corrupt bastards in UNP are supporting the GOV now (according to COPE report)……….If UNP comes back they will join Ranil again
[...] Indi.ca has a rather angry post, directed at the growing number of ministries to keep members of the Parliament loyal to the President, in a country torn by conflict. Share This [...]
At least this time I have to agree with indi, who never sees a good in anything unless its from UNP.
Again, I am concerned at the preoccupation of Party politics. I am not a big fan of the UNP and Ranil. Like Poojitha I myself think all these people are crooks. However, Indi’s stance as an individual, and his consistent support for the basic principles of democracy far outweigh his support in the past for the UNP.
Why are people in the country so preoccupied with party aliegences??
As a citizen it important to scrutinise a government and it’s policies regardless of your political aliances.
By doing this, polliticians on all sides will get a clear message from the people that this sort of conduct will not be tolerated.
As some people would say, we deserve the politicians we get. So to earn the right to better leaders, you need to join people like Indi and kick up a fuss.
I supported and worked for the UNP and Ranil during the last elections, as by far the lesser of two evils. I think he’s a smart man but the people around him suck. Working with the UNP is miserable and I think they’re disorganized and generally dumb, but at least better than the competition.
I don’t work with the party anymore and I was never trusted by people that matter there. Right now do I support the UNP? Not really, as they don’t really exist. I think the whole system is buggered, but I would vote for the UNP as the lesser of two evils. What I blog is what I blog and how I vote is how I vote. I don’t make any apologies for that. If it tastes bitter then I’d recommend a grain of salt.
when i read your articles sometimes i feel like that you are criticizing GOV just because its not UNP………this is the problem with Sri Lankans………they think that parties are like magical places which converts peoples minds when they join Political parties,political parties has become like a religions in sri lanka,all supporters busy protecting their parties which make them blind to their faults,thats why u say that if u vote u vote for UNP because u r brainwashed by UNP………if we need an improvement to this country we need people who decide their party to vote on the day of the election…….we need to get rid of these born UNP,born JVP people…………
We need an entirely new constitution that will satisfy the aspirations of all the people. The basic needs of the people is the eradiction or atleast reduction of bribery, corruption, injustice, discrimination, wastage of public funds, interference of the M.PP and other politicians in the day to day administration and preventing honest public servants from doing their duty, the chit system for employment, creating employment for their favourites and pave the way for a report like the presented by COPE etc., etc.,. That is to say pave the way for good govenance with transparency and accountability and allow the people to live in peace and RIP.
So instead of discussing the merits of the existing political parties (all of them are united in depriving the public of good governance) let us commence discussing on the future of the country based on a constitution that would satisfy the aspirations of the people. I would submit a draft once the program is started.
Respected Sir,
IN commenting on all the comments I would like to say that just running-down a person or party is not what the common-man requires. What he/she needs today is a happy living. For a happy living there must be CALMNESS in the country. For calmness, peace is a prereqiste. For peace, there should be a solution acceptable to the people. To be acceptable to the PEOPLE it must cater to the aspirations of everyone not any particular group.
Well I have such a solution which would be acceptable to ALL THE PEOPLE. Anyone interested in such a solution are kindly requested to contact me by email. My email address is
I want peace not at any cost but at the cost of the politicians because it it they who brought us to the present position we are in now. Anyone interested in real and sustainable peace may please contact me.
Sie.Kathieravelu
I would request you to publish my email address with my comment because I have a passion for peace and I want this country to be by its old name “Paradise Isle” and I want everyone to work on it for the sake of our future generations.
The Organization of Professional Associations (OPA) has alrerady started working on “Sri Lankans Awakening Sri Lanka” and they are preparing a big document which might become the manifesto of a political party if there is great support for the contents of the document from the people. Whem it becomes the manisfesto of a political party, people must first get a gurantee from the political party that they will implement ONLY what is said in that document and nothing else, before voting for that party. Contact: eskayvavuniya@yahoo.co.uk for further information.
SK, why not post your solution here so that it can be discussed in an open forum. You might even get some feedback.
Good. It can be done provided the permits since the solution runs into six pages, the reasons for such a solution is three pages and some benefits to the people is about two pages. My email address is available below. You may write to me directly. I will email them to you and others who want it. It can be discussed at length in this forum in a very polite mannr. The short-commings, if any, can be pointed-out for clarification, explanation or modification. Only request is that the suggestions must be read with an open mind. My eail address is given again for your information and it will be published because I am a person with a passion for peace. Lets make this island ‘Pradise Isle’ of the East once again. Feedback:
You can upload the document in onto a free server and then provide the link.
I am unable to manage by my subcrition on my own. Please help. My username and password are not to be found and I find difficulty in answering the various questions as I am not well versed with the networking.
You don’t need to have any technical knowledge. There are sites that will give you a small amount of free space. You just need to open an account. Similar to getting a free email account on Yahoo and Hotmail.
Here are some links.
http://www.freeservers.com/ (50MB free)
http://www.ukfreehosts.com/
http://www.aspin.com/home/hosting/freehost (This has a list of Free servers)
This also provides a link to sites that provide basic online file storage.
http://www.freewebspace.net/guide/diskstorage.shtml
You provide public access permission to the file and then get the link assigned to the document. Usually the file hosting service will provide you with simple instructions on how to do this.
As Indi suggested, you can start your own blog, provide the link to the file you uploaded in your blog, Or just cut and paste the whole thing into your blog. After that you can inform people here about your blog, so they can go over there and comment.
Mr. David Blacker,
I have done what you wanted. The ball is now in your court. I am awaiting comments from those interested in peace through negotiations. People must be made to understand that good governance with transparency and accountability is good for everyone in the long run.
The curse that befell this country was due to the manipulation of democracy byshrewed personalities to weaken it to such an extent as to allow dictatorial attitudes to creep in noiselessly.
The employer (the people) expected the employees (the party in power and other M.PP) to act with restrain, responsibility and with sincerity by being more transparent and accountable so as to avoid the creation of any conflict and to contain any conflict that is in the offing with the least possible delay and loss to the establishment (country). The employees have failed in their duty but are appropriating a high payment without the nconsent/concurrenc of the employer, and are adamant to continue with the same power or more power, but are reluctant to discharge their duties efficiently.
So the employer is compelled to dismiss the employees. But the laws in this country does not permit it. So the employer gets frustrated and is in a fury not knowing what to do. Wold someone help?
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do.
What I can do, I will do. And what I should do, by the Grace of God, I will do.
-Edward Everett Hale (1822 – 1909)
There is trouble afoot for MR, no doubt about it.
He has stepped on the CJ’s toes and the CJ is now taking every step he can to upset MR’s plans. Just look at some of the recent rulings and the comments he has made.
Mangy is a character I hated when he was with CBK, but I must admit he is smart and an effective grassroots politician. MR has made himself a dangerous enemy in Mangy. Sripathi is not as much a heavyweight as Mangy, but quite formidable as well.
The JVP are born opportunits but they dont like being sidelined for too long either. In the short term, they are out to give MR a hard time although they may stick with him when the chip are really down.
The question is, will the UNP seize the opportunity to unite these forces?
Benefits of the proposed system to be read with the documents termed “Necessity and Reasons†and “Some suggestions for an Alternative Democratic System of Governanceâ€
The suggestions for an Alternative Democratic System of Governance contained in the attached document have to be viewed from a humanitarian angle treating each and every area and individual equally. It is sincerely believed that the proposed system would usher in, peace and tranquility with prosperity and happiness to the entire country through curbing if not eradication of some of the root causes – bribery, corruption, discrimination, fraud, mismanagement, misuse, injustice etc – through greed benefiting a few but causing sufferings to many, and the continuance creates frustration which eventually culminates in violence – the crushed events of 1972 and 1989 which were also due to the same causes, with the present one, now being labeled as ‘terrorism’, which has escalated, causing concern to everyone including the international community.
[EDIT - this is way too long for a comment and it has nothing do to with the thread. Please start your own blog]
Rising expenditure on arms – Hindustan Times
Sri Lanka is the most militarised county in South Asia with the highest per capita expenditure on defence, according to a Mumbai based think tank. Expenditure on the non-productive defence sector has been growing by leaps and bounds and is set to grow faster. It will pinch the economy when repayment time comes.
According to Jane’s Defence Weekly, Sri Lanka has signed a $ 37.6 million deal with China’s Poly Technologies. This company would have to be paid a 25% advance, and the balance in ten quarterly instalments. Sri Lanka already owes $ 200 million to another Chinese arms company NORINCO.
Sri Lanka is to buy 3D radars for $ 5 million and five MIG 29s, including a UB trainer to replace the MIG 27s which were bought only in December last year. The manpower in the Security Forces, currently at 250,000, is to be increased by 50,000.
There is really no money to pay for all this. According to The Sunday Times the Secretary to the Treasury has been making this clear.
“The only option that remains is to call upon the public to tighten their belts even further,” the paper said. But this is going to betough, as inflation is already at 17%.
The MiG-29 deal is now in doubt.
Blacker, the interesting thing here is that they feel that all this massive influx of hitech stuff annd 250 000 SLA is not enough to defeat 16 000 TT that they now need 300 000 SLA. Yet 16 000 TT control a third of the island. Even more significantly SL propaganda states that most of the TT are “CHILD soldiers” and that in the last year of operstions alone they have cut down TT number by thousands. Plausible?
You are asking me whether propoganda is plausible? :)
“Blacker, the interesting thing here is that they feel that all this massive influx of hitech stuff annd 250 000 SLA is not enough to defeat 16 000 TT that they now need 300 000 SLA.”
I think you’re a bit confused, Jey. The SLA is currently just over 100,000 and with new recruits will possibly reach about 125,000. Of the current 100,000 only about 40% are in combat units — around 40,000. For a conventional army to fight a guerrilla one, it needs to ounumber it 10:1, so that’s about right. This isn’t anything to do with quality, but the facts of war, just as an attacking force needs to outnumber a defending one at least 3:1.
And who is this “they” you mention above?
Me confused? I think not.
I think the Hindustan Times is well informed.
The army may have been 100 000 strong when you were in the army battling 2000 LTTE.
I am sure now a days the current armed forces strength is 250 000 increasing to 300 000. They (SLA) are planning for a major incursion into Eelam.
My accusations were against SL propaganda in that paragraph, so Blacker are you finally accepting that the Defense.sl site is just propaganda bullshit?
Sorry for the earlier confusion but I meant SLA by “they”. Even the BBC has joked about the number of LTTE killed released by the army.
“I think the Hindustan Times is well informed. The army may have been 100 000 strong when you were in the army battling 2000 LTTE.”
:) Jey, I think you need to rearead whichever Hindustan article you’re quoting from. The Sri Lanka Army is currently just over 100,000 in strength. I understaand that you find militaary subjects a tad difficult, but I would appreciate at least a rudimentary knowledge of what you’re attempting to argue about. Do you have at least a link to this article you’re quoting? Or ANY source that will place the SLA at 250,000? Even Tamilnet gives the lower figure!
“Even the BBC has joked about the number of LTTE killed released by the army”
Yes, everone has a chuckle about the casuaalty figures released by both sides. But then given the difficulty you yourself seem to have with figures (as evidenced above), why are we surprised?
“We are also talking about the Sri Lankan army to be specific and the theory of 10:1 doesn’t apply here”
Yes, but we’re also talking about a terrorist group that has failed in its goals even after 25 years of fighting.
” I stress Tri now because they are globally unique.”
Actually, contrary to popular belief several guerrilla forces have had air arms before (like the VC), but there’s actually were effective.
Silly
You said “Yes, everone has a chuckle about the casuaalty figures released by both sides. But then given the difficulty you yourself seem to have with figures (as evidenced above), why are we surprised?”
Man I am an observer (so I can be excused) in this but the SLA and SL govt are being paid by tax payers (so need to be a bit more accountable) so considering you are EX-SLA your argument here is a bit pathetic. Anyway here is th elink you asked for ENJOY:
link
Blacker said “Actually, contrary to popular belief several guerrilla forces have had air arms before (like the VC), but there’s actually were effective.”
So TAF were not very effective when they caused night flights to stop at BIA and caused the SL govt to run helter skelter with the begging bowl to Pakistan, China Ukraine?
Come on man!
Anyway my knowledge of VC were that the only air strike was on the presi palace right at the end of the war by a renegade pilot from the south Vietnamese Air Force.
“Man I am an observer (so I can be excused) in this”
Actually, you can’t. Would you claim observer status rather than astronomer if you were to make the booboo of thinking the earth haas two moons? Surely you know to count? Does one have to be ex-SLA to do basic addition and subtraction?
“the SLA and SL govt are being paid by tax payers (so need to be a bit more accountable)”
So are the Tigers. The SL taxpayer pays for the civil administration, medical and educational structure in the NE. The LTTE is aalso funded by the contributions of Tamils (plus extortion, drug-running, etc), so shouldn’t they too be accountable. Not to mention capable?
” Anyway here is th elink you asked for ENJOY:”
I understand you have a bit of difficulty with figures, but looks like basic reading & comprehension seems to be a prob as well. It’s true that the war has resulted in a lot of illeteracy amongst the NE Tamils, as well as a drop in IQ due to malnutrition, but I think the Hindustani article’s pretty straightforward. Here is what it says: “The manpower in the Security Forces, currently at 250,000, is to be increased by 50,000.”
I trust you know the difference between the Security Forces and the SLA? Or are you going to say you’re just an observer again? :)
“So TAF were not very effective when they caused night flights to stop at BIA and caused the SL govt to run helter skelter with the begging bowl to Pakistan, China Ukraine?”
Actually they didn’t stop any flights. Good ol’ Gota did that by ordering it. And what exactly was the achievement in providing the GoSL with new weapons from Pakistan, etc? I assume you have a clue. Don’t disappoint me.
There are (and have been) many other separatist/terrorist/guerrilla groups in recent history which have “air forces” and “navies”:
1. The self-declared Pridnestrovian Moldovian Republic has an air arm of 29 aircraft.
2. Hizbollah in Lebanon has claimed it has an “air force” of several UAVs.
3. The seccessionist govt of Abkhazia has a navy of 23 vessels.
There are others.
You are playing with words.
I will just say that security forces or SLAor SLN or SLAF there are 250 000 armed pesonal confronting 16 000 LTTE and they think its not enough they are going to increase the armed forces number to 300 000. Thats all I wanted to point out in my initial post about this.
David you dumb cluck (what did they do to you in the army?)…why did Gota order it? NOT on the whim because his wife asked him to. It was because of TAF’s successful missions. Accept it.
“You are playing with words.”
Not really. I was using your inability to deferentiate between the three forces as an example of your lack of comprehension of the military in particular and the war in general. I’ve already explained to you the 10:1 and the 3:1 principles (which is pretty much basic knowledge to anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of military strategy & tactics, that a junior NCO on either side could’ve pointed out to you), to which your answer is juvenile rhetoric. I’ve already explained to you that 60% of the Army doesn’t have a combat role (in the SLAF & SLN the combat role is a smaller percentage), and that the LTTE doesn’t need admin, medical, and other RAMFs because those roles are filled by GoSL civil & public servants. Now you can pesist in running out a few more jingos that perhaps explain the war to you, but yoour lack of comprehension is just amusing. You always make my day; I come in switch on my Mac, go online, and there’s another joke by Jey. It’s quite a nice way to start the day. Thanks. :)
“why did Gota order it? NOT on the whim because his wife asked him to. It was because of TAF’s successful missions. Accept it.”
I would, if you could show me how the missions were successful. Since the target was not the Katu airport, but the airbase. The Tiger planes missed the SLAF jets, and in fact haave missed every single target they aimed at (probably the least successful air force in history, except maybe the Egyptians). Gota overreacted, because he’s not too good at deciding policy outside the NE, which should be left to politicians not civil servants. Under any other SecDef, the airport would be still open.
Whetever man. The facts speak for themselves. Anyway most people base the damages caused by TAF on what the armed forces prefer to tell them. Besides if the TAF was not successful at Katu air base then why did the SLA prevent journalists, or even the Scandinavian monitoring mission from entering and assessing the damage? No one was allowed in for over three weeks. What did they have to hide hey? Can’t have been a security issue cause they let them in later on.
Haven’t seen any Kfirs over Vanni since March. Waiting for servicing I presume?
“You always make my day; I come in switch on my Mac, go online, and there’s another joke by Jey. It’s quite a nice way to start the day. Thanks. :)”
You probably think the ethnic problem is also a joke, which is why you and the intransigent lot haven’t come up with anything sensible for the last 60 years.
Looks like Vanni is going to have the last laugh.
p.s We are also talking about the Sri Lankan army to be specific and the theory of 10:1 doesn’t apply here.
Furthermore Guerillas dont usually hold large swathes of territory with miles of heavily defended forward defense lines. At some point you are going to have to accept that they (LTTE) are a standing tri forces Tamil Eelam army. I stress Tri now because they are globally unique.
David you are trying very hard to hide the initial point I made, which is that the armed forces outnumber the LTTE 16:1 now and they are trying to increase that ratio to 19:1. The ratio 10:1 is theory, which is different from the actual ground situation in Sri Lanka. What is clear from all your facts, arguments and figures is that you are trying to hide or muddy the ground situation highlighted by the Hindustan Times. Are you sure you aren’t working for K. Ramukwella’s propaganda department?
“The facts speak for themselves.”
They do, and I’ve no probs with that, but we seem to disagree on which are the facts. However, since we are both civilians, you have to accept that maybe neither of us know the true facts.
“Anyway most people base the damages caused by TAF on what the armed forces prefer to tell them. ”
I’m no most people, and since you’re discussing this with me, it’s irrelevant what mmost people think.
“Besides if the TAF was not successful at Katu air base then why did the SLA prevent journalists, or even the Scandinavian monitoring mission from entering and assessing the damage?”
For the same reason that the LTTE doesn’t allow the SLMM or journalists to inspect the Tiger aircraft.
“Haven’t seen any Kfirs over Vanni since March”
Well, maybe you should visit and have a look.
“You probably think the ethnic problem is also a joke”
No, just you.
“which is that the armed forces outnumber the LTTE 16:1 now”
Still haaving those comprehension issues, aren’t you, my friend? I already told you that the combat strength of the Army is about 40% of the total strength, and that in the SLAF and Navy it’s even lower, so that’s about a total combat strength of between 70-80,000. That means, if you deduct a thousand or so from the LTTE for training roles, leaving their combat strength between 14-15,000 you’ll get a ratio of less than 6:1. Even with the new recruits. Given that the accepted equation ia 10:1 I think the military’s doing pretty well at kicking the Tigers’ arses.
Hindustan Times “The manpower in the Security Forces, currently at 250,000, is to be increased by 50,000.”
Every police man, homeguard, sailor, soldier, air force personnel carries a gun or operates an offensive ordefensive weapon against the 16000 LTTE male and female cadres.
looks like jey’s got you david… simple math
250,000/16,000= 15.625
rounded up that’s: 16:1
got it?
It’s always simple when you choose to ignore the inconvenient details. The fact is that the majority of soldiers, sailors and airmen do not carry a weapon of any sort, and are not in a combat role. Most are clerks, drivers, cooks, mechanics, technicians, etc. The actual fighting strength is 70,000-80,000 vs the LTTE’s 14,000-15,000 if you discount (training cadre), so it 6:1 as I already pointed out.
You two may persist in your comic-book view of the war if you wish, in which hundreds of thousands do battle, but you just look like what you are — little kids with no real knowledge of the real world.
david,
once again logic fails you…
as any military historian or expert (as opposed to someone who thinks they are because they were in the army for a bit) knows logistical support is as important as the fighting forces…
i don’t know why you’re arguing this…
the armed forces are the entire armed forces for both sides…
are you claiming that the GOSL forces have “clerks, drivers, cooks, mechanics, technicians” and that the LTTE doesn’t have clerks, drivers, cooks, mechanics, technicians etc…??? that the entire LTTE force is 14,000-15,000 fighters…
you’re really thick aren’t ya… i’d be interested to see the results of an IQ or logic exam on you…
let’s break down your numbers:
you say that of the 250,000 GOSL forces that 70,000-80,000 are the fighting forces…
that is 28-32% are the fighting forces
if we extrapolate this to the LTTE forces
14,000-15,000 LTTE members translates to 3,920-4,800 fighters (28% of 14,000 – 32% of 15,000)
so it is really:
70,000-80,000 GOSL fighters vs. 3,920-4,800 LTTE fighters….
so the REAL ratios are
18:1 (70,000:3,920)
or
17:1 (80,000:4,800)
moron…
“are you claiming that the GOSL forces have “clerks, drivers, cooks, mechanics, technicians†and that the LTTE doesn’t have clerks, drivers, cooks, mechanics, technicians etc…??? that the entire LTTE force is 14,000-15,000 fighters…”
The LTTE has a handful of the above (less than a hundred dedicated RAMFs) inside SL. The others are all civilians — GoSL medical staff, civil and public servants, attached civilians, cooks & bottle washers etc. Since Jey gave the LTTE total strength as 16,000 I deducted a couple of thousand for training personnel, leaving a fighting strength of 14,000. I have not counted LTTE personnel based overseas or the logistical staff that serve the LTTE in front groups, gathering and extorting funds from the diaspora, gun & drug-running, human traffickers etc. If all of these personnel are counted as full-time LTTEers the latter’s strength would be doubled or tripled. I have compared the fighting strengths of the two sides. If you disagree, pls provide the true statistics of LTTE fighting units vs RAMFs (inclusive of those overseas serving in both full- and part-time roles). The Army stats are a matter of public record, as are the SAF & SLN.
I was gonna ask you if you’re thick, or just from the NE, but that would be racist, wouldn’t it?
again you show your lack of any sense…
this argument is over and you lost…
sorry…
Ha ha ha. I belive Bush jr said something to the same effect baack in 2003. Everyone’s still laughing at him, too.
“again you show your lack of any sense… this argument is over and you lost… sorry…”
Ah yes the ol’ kindergarten manoeuvre, haven’t seen that since… well kindergarten really. Face it David you’ve been trumped by an argument that defies any logic whatsoever. For her next trick she’ll be arguing that a cat is a dog based on the logic of a limb count… her cunning plan to win the argument will include the stamping of feet and holding of breath until we agree – Genius.
Actually he’s a she, Tariq. This is the same loser who came on calling himself Vakarai, Nuts, Joke, Haha, etc. You probably remember him. Whenever he lost the argument he’d get personal, then disappear for a bit (the time it took him to think up a new name, I guess) and restart the argument.
Pretty cunning to throw in that doosra of a sex change… :)
Actually David I have a feeling it’s not the same person… Tamilgirl comes off way more immature than nuts/joker/vakarai (I know it’s hard to believe but bear with me). Her pre O’Level logic and insistence on treating numerical comparisons as absolutes and not as relative coupled with a general lack of awareness of what a properly structured argument looks like leads me to believe she’s probably… fuck it I think I’ve just described nuts/joker et al no?
btw finally got through re reading ‘a cause untrue’… got to say it’s very well written and (I mean this in the best possible sense) was a great airport novel in that it was fast paced, didn’t deviate from the central plot (which I took to be the SF team’s exploits) for too long, had a clear protagonist, several antagonists and tied up the loose ends pretty well – you know something you can sit down and finish in one go. A great read… good job
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. You’re the first person to tell me he’d read it twice.
Rushed through it the first time before I met you with Nihal De Silva’s sons at Bayleaf (I think Ameena and Taanya were there as well). Thought it bore a strong resemblance to ‘Vengence’ then but wanted to re read to give it a fair go.
Still think there’s a similar theme but then again there are similarities between SL and Isreal’s situation anyway… think your book stands up on it’s own right.
Ah, OK, I remember. The name didn’t click til you mentioned Bayleaf.
Actually, that’s a smart connection, machang. ‘Vengeance’ (by George Jonas, I think), which I read years ago, was what made me think what it would be like if SL did the same thing. It just didn’t seem realistic until 9/11.
hi david,
i loved your book too
are you ever coming to england?
i’d love to meet you and have you speak our sri lanka anti-terrorism support group
Thanks, Chiller. No, I’ve no plans to visit the UK at the moment, though I will be in Europe for a couple of weeks next month.
What exactly does your support group do?