Mahinda And The Dictator
I don’t think he’s a dictator, just a dick
I suppose all this Mahinda must be getting old, but it’s not like I’m doing it. I used to flick off Mahinda posters until it became impossible to put my hand down. Then Sarath came and I felt rebellious again, but that luster faded. Now I just try to go to my happy place, like an Elephant Soda commercial, where everyone is amazed at carbonation and entirely oblivious.
Mahinda has started his marketing blitz in full, and the man knows how to market. There are posters of him displaying his impressive wingspan throughout Colombo and the suburbs.
What’s funny, however, is that someone has also started postering for a play called ‘The Dictator’, which features a prominent image of Hitler. These are incongruously (congruously?) displayed next to Mahinda’s image. I heard that someone called the director and told him to stop the play, but this I hear second-hand.
I personally don’t think Mahinda’s a dictator, I just think he’s a dick. I’m even considering voting for him. All the postering, however, is symbolic (embolic?) of the waste which clots our body politic. It makes me more likely to recognize his brand, but I also now greet his image with synaptic dread. He is literally getting on my nerves.
I mean, the billboards don’t even have one Mahinda anymore. I saw one with literally five separate images of the man. The default seems to be one doing something and then a second headshot being like ‘damn, I’m cool’. More to the point, this stuff costs money. I think a hoarding rental is minimum Rs. 100,000 per month ( I don’t know) and in some areas much much more.
This is annoying because I just paid my taxes and it seems to be a donation to Mahinda’s electoral campaign. However, when I was in Cheddikulam Hospital the doctors were begging for stationery.
I wish there was something more creative or permanent, like a giant phallus that shoots lasers and can be seen for miles. But posters and hoardings it is. I wish I wasn’t paying for it, but such is the way of the world. We don’t have seasons in Sri Lanka, just this electoral monsoon. The walls turn red and white, fade and fall. Inshallah, it’ll all be over by spring.
Good post. Mis-placed funding really. Pathetic.
Oh and a 20X10 billboard will cost approx. Rs. 350,000 apparently. yippie!!
Rs.350k per year
what makes you think these use state funds?
@Jana
I suppose I don’t know. I know they use state buses and stuff for SLFP events, and there’s considerable seepage no matter who’s in power. These have the SLFP symbol so they may be campaign funds. The giant cutout at Horton Place doesn’t have overt election stuff, nor does his image on the 1000 Rupee notes. I suppose they all serve the same purpose, but I don’t fully know where state funds end.
1. Don’t say way of the world, say way of SL or Developing Countries’ political culture.
2. Knowing SL political culture I would expect state funds to have been used.
3. Let’s not forget, close to 9 million of state funds, from the youth affairs ministry, was used for a gymnastics display at the SLFP convention.
4. Keheliya Rambukkwela has used the SL Foreign Employment Agency’s funds (a state agency) to put out posters of himself during the central provincial council elections. Rambukkwela’s constituency is in the Central province.
5. SL’s governance structure needs an overhaul. Financial transparency and accountability is all the more needed.
@myil selvan
I have read your recent comments. It seems you have an axe to grind.
F.Y.I recently in Canada (The promise land for tamils) the provincial health minister of Ontario had to resign due to a scandal that wasted over 1 billion dollars.
Corruption is wide spread. Even in so called developed countries in the west.
But I suppose you think otherwise.
@ranukaz.. I think it is all about how big the cheese is, isn’t it? If mice eat five kilos out of ten kilos of cheese, people still have five kilos left to survive. But when the mouse eat 5g out of 10g of cheese, it hurts, even the percentage of corruption is the same or even less.
All parties misused public money on political propaganda. Even JVP did the same while pretending they are clean. They printed millions of Rs. worth posters, erected so many billboard during the very short period they held a few ministries under them. I know for sure UNP controlled CMC resources were heavily misused to help RW’s 2005 campaign events held in Colombo and suburbs . Everyone cries when they are in opposition but will do the same if they can.
This Dictator poster is for comeback of one of the Daramasiri Bandaranyake’s dramas. He didn’t have issues with cooperating with the men of Prabhakaran, spending the money received from them. He didn’t see Prabhakaran as a dictator. For him he was a freedom fighter. I understand why suddenly he is staging this drama again. For me this is bloody ironical because the first appearance of this stage drama was against the dictatorship of JR; the most ruthless dictator-like leader we had after independence. He had undated resignation letters of his ministers with them ! Whatelse you want to learn his style?
I lived in Sri Lanka for thirty long years and grew up with chaotic politics in Sri Lanka under the leaders like JR, Premadasa, DB, and Chandrika. But I never saw a bright future for me or my family under these rulers in Sri Lanka and finally decided to leave the country to get away from chaos. Thanks to the current president things have now changed for better and I am even thinking of going back to my country to give back something to the country that gave me everything.
My initial reaction after the war was over that this President will get a huge mandate at the next presidential election and at subsequent parliamentary elections he will win 2/3 majority, and will use that political capital to change the constitution to provide a just and equitable solution to the ethnic problem and also launch a massive development revolution. And once the proportional representation system is out Sri Lanka will always have majority governments from either political party for decades to come.
However, I can never come to terms with the thinking of Sri Lankans about their own country. Why on earth when they see a clear path to stability they want go back to chaos. I can understand the position of JVP as they need chaos to thrive. What about the others? Are we a nation driven by emotions than facts and reality. Follwing are few things that boggles my mind:
1) How is SF going to abolish the presidency in 180 days when there are so many constitutional hurdles to do that?
2) Why would SF even give up the presidency after 180 days ,especially after all these trouble he is going to go through the campaign -Is he an absolute idiot to do that??
3) How can SF get rid of corruption if he is not going to be the powerful president after 180 days?
4) How can SF get rid of corruption as a single person in a third world country like Sri Lanka that has a massive government bureaucracy and many layers of political structures?
5) How does he plan to govern with a coalition (even for a short time) that has JVP,UNP,TNA,MC as partners. What would be the public perception of such a coalition.
6) How can we believe that SF is not a racist after what he said about Sri Lanka belongs to Sinhalese only . Many people believe when someone spontaneously utter something under no pressure that person is telling the truth rather than subsequent justifications and corrections.
7) How can one believe SF when he himself contradicts so many times (I lost count)
8) And finally, why would people of Sri Lanka punish MR after everything he has done to his country in context of past leaders like JR, Chandrika and Ranil.
The billboards will work against MR. At best people will get immune to them at worst they will hate MR for wasting money while so many people are suffering. How can anybody justify the waste in a poor country like ours. Has anybody estimated how many people can be fed, housed, provided medicine and educated with this money?
But what really is that ‘Mawbima Wenuwen’ series ? It appears that they’ve hired every singer, actor and presenter to the ad. But worser than that, I am yet to see that little ‘Mudal gewa.. ‘ tag on any state media, esp Channel Eye where it’s played nonstop in between cricket match intervals.
WARNING
After reading this blog I started counting the number of images of the president on the billboards while driving and nearly met with an accident. Found one with 5 images.
Sri Lanka is one big shit whole, isn’t it? See how easy it is for the goverment to crush a man. I give you a scenario. You are walking down a street when Mervyn Silva stops his vehicle by you and says that his jeep has broken (they never do.those vehicles) and tell you to push it. Can you say no?
Sri Lanka’s not a shithole, it’s actually quite nice. I would help Mervyn Silva push his vehicle, or anybody really. I’ve had cars break down and people have stopped to help me.
Indi. It’s not a matter of whether you like it or not. I’m asking if you can say no if you want to. If Mervyn told you to wipe his ass with a piece of paper, can you say no? (unless you’re a Rajapakse) Don’t you think it’s so easy for the goverment to crush a man, a family, a company, in Sri Lanka? True it’s a nice place no matter how poor it is, if it isn’t for this shameless political barbarism.
Dude,
There are 3 kinds of people in the world: Dicks, Pussies and Assholes.
Now pussies (like Ranil) hate Dicks because Dicks fuck pussies. But, you have to understand, Dicks fuck Ass holes too.. Ass holes like Prabhakaran.
– Team America (the film)
Anyway, the moral of the story is, Dicks aren’t that bad. Now if you are a Ass hole, then you are a problem and need to be shut the fuck up.
But, if you are a pussy, well, its ok you want to whine about it. But, Dicks won’t care cos’ they can fuck you any time for joy. But, if you are getting in the way of a Dick fucking an Ass hole, then somebody needs to start shove a fist down you.
Hope you are enlightened.