This is where the water comes from for 30 families in Kitulgoda, near Achchi’s house

This is an intemperate rant, but here goes. I’ve been going easy on the swears but whatever. Fuck the IMF, fuck the international community, fuck donors, co-chairs, special envoys, committees, whatever. None of these people are going to save you. I don’t see any of these people in my neighborhood. You know who I see? That bookie Thilanga Sumathipala. Coming home at 1 am yesterday his office still had a guy in it. It’s blood money, but I can still theoretically contact that man. Who’s the IMF got on my street? Does the IMF know where my street is? Seriously, forget all that. Nobody is going to help you until you help yourself.

In some liberal Colombo circles the next Great White Hope is IMF conditions on the bailout they’re giving the Rajapakse pirate ship. By the same token of arrogant irrelevance, I read TamilNet for amusement and all these protesters are collecting signatures from US congressmen, British MPs, foreign lawyers, whatever. I’m just like, what? How can you sit in Brampton, Ontario and ask for a separate state on the other side of the globe? I mean, OK, come here and organize on the street. Why are you appealing to some foreign body? For people here, I don’t get why we’re appealing to DC or London like they really give a fuck. Why would they even help someone that won’t meet them halfway? Why don’t you pick up the phone and call your local government representatives? I know it’s hard but it’s also hard to find, like, a decent bas mason and we do that fine. Why don’t you vote?

You know why thugs like Sumathipala and Duminda Silva win? Mainly because they’re sopping wet with blood money, but also because these guys actually do go to the slums. I mean, they impoverish more people than they empower but they at least go there. They go, they hand out stuff, they give them a meal, talk to them, bullshit whatever. And then they take their money through gambling or corrupt the entire economy through the underworld, but whatever.

At least they show up, and that’s 90% percent of life. The Colombo elite is calling for the IMF to impose some conditions which will theoretically trickle down and do something somewhere, I don’t know. And then we call the masses stupid and act like some macroeconomic adjustments are going to somehow enlighten them. Man, if you think the masses are stupid why don’t you go into a watta and give them some schoolbags and pencils. I mean, you know why that lady is cleaning your freaking toilets? To make a better life for her kids, to put her kids thru school. If you think these people vote stupid then you can start by making that kid smarter.

There is no macro level solution to our problems. Jesus ain’t coming back here and both the Buddha and Muhammad were pretty clear about the need to get your own mind right. The IMF, co-chairs and whoever are far lesser gods. Getting press coverage in the BBC or Al Jazeera or some Australian TV station is great but it is no substitute for like, talking to your neighbor. Or buying some freaking colored pencils for a little kid in the hospital. People remember that stuff. They don’t remember newspaper articles or draft amendments or unanimous resolutions, but they do remember the time you put in. That’s all I’m saying. Fuck the IMF. I don’t really care if there’s conditions or not. In case you didn’t notice the whole global economy is cratering and these masters of the universe didn’t see those conditions coming. We need to bail out this country ourselves.

Note: When I rant I feel bad cause I often don’t do everything I’m saying. I haven’t bought schoolbags for anyone actually. However, I found this program from SOS Children’s Villages Of Sri Lanka, which is a reputed charity from my knowledge. Please correct if not. You can sponsor a child for Rs. 400 or their education for Rs. 100 per month. Which is nothing, for something.

For more info call 421 0501, 421 3934 or send a mail to P.O. Box 5, Kesbawa, Piliyandala. They have, uh, outlets in Piliyandala, Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya, Malpotha, Batticaloa, Monaragala, Katubedda, Colombo and Galle. I’m filling the thing out for Rs. 400. It’s on the credit card, why not.

Posted on Friday, March 20th, 2009 in economics, International, Photography, Sri Lanka.