Britain in the World Today: Two Lankans in Revealing Joust

Ivan Amarasinghe and Chandre Dharmawardana are Sri Lankan scientists who have chosen to live as migrants abroad. They participate in a lively chain email network which has been debating several political issues, including Brexit. The specific argie-bargie presented below [without their permission per se] certainly enlightened me.  I am  persuaded that it will promote thinking and debate. I encourage dinky-die Brits … well even dinky-die Aussies …. to comment on the issues raised here. Michael Roberts

Ivan Amarasinghe in UK about UK, 28 June 2016

What has been perceived as the arrogance and dictatorial attitudes of the EU Czars was the main cause for the British Exit (Brexit) from the EU. It is the very same attitude by these EU Czars towards countries like Sri Lanka. http://colombogazette.com/2016/06/29/eu-calls-for-international-participation-in-accountability-process/

Even though much is said on the pros and cons of the Brexit path taken by the majority British community, the following are perceived as the three main reasons for their decision to exit from the EU:

  1. the ordinary citizens of some of the powerful Member countries e.g. the UK, France, Netherlands etc., do not take kindly to the emergent phenomenon of dictatorial, all-powerful EU Czars/Mandarins whispering in the corridors in Brussels deciding on the administrative and legislative strictures for the “hoi polloi” of member countries;……………The brash and arrogant response of the President of the EU, on the morning after Brexit spoke volumes about the EU leadership. It was considered an open, disdainful challenge to “Queen and country” the supreme treasure of the average English psyche of the supremacy, independence and sovereignty;
  1. the gradual re-emergence of the war mongering dictats of the Rhineland and the surroundings for a WW3 after WW1 and WW2. For this they are getting in cahoots with the Americans for a future decisive conflict against Russian and Chinese confederates. This may be good for the leaders of the Germans, the French, the Dutch, the Belgians and of course the Americans. However, civil society in England know the signs of dark clouds of war gathering much earlier than before. They have been targeted by the very same “European cousins” historically.
  2. the influx of Muslim “refugees” by the millions scares the very existence and future survival of the essential cultural and religious fabric of the island. That is one, if not the most concerning fact of recent EU liberalism.

Chandre Dharmawardana in Canada responds sharply with some ire, 29 June 2016

Let me comment on the points made by Ivan A as they deserve our full attention. Ivan’s points are in yellow.

  1. the ordinary citizens of some of the powerful Member countries e.g. the UK, France, Netherlands etc., do not take kindly to the emergent phenomenon of dictatorial, all-powerful EU Czars/Mandarins whispering in the corridors in Brussels deciding on the administrative and legislative strictures for the “hoi polloi” of member countries;

Unfortunately, the ordinary citizen is ready to follow his innate racial prejudices as well as habits in dealing with questions that they don’t understand.

If a referendum were held in France about smoking it will probably support legalizing smoking in public places.

If a referendum were held in the US about people being allowed to carry automatic weapons, the answer will be “yes”.

If a referendum were held about agrochemicals being linked to chronic desease, the answer of the “ordinary people” will be that “agrochemicals’ cause all the diseases.

If a referendum were held to ask if cell-phones cause cancer, again the public will say “yes” and so on.

[by the way the European parliament has jut re-approved the use of Glyhosate in Europe. In UK it has never been questioned by the British parliament

EU-Kommission will Glyphosat weiter erlauben

EU-Kommission will Glyphosat weiter erlauben

Die EU-Staaten konnten sich nicht einigen, nun entscheidet die Kommission: Sie will den umstrittenen Unkrautvernichter Glyphosat für weitere 18 Monate erlauben – bi…

View on www.tagesschau.de Preview by Yahoo

 

In Feb 2016 the EU granted almost all the concessions asked for by Cameron. So who is the trantrum player in EU and who are the “czars”? The Fe. 20156 agreement was:

  • a seven-year term for the emergency brake to restrict EU migrants in the UK claiming in-work benefits.
  • child benefit payments indexed to the cost of living for children living outside the UK for all new arrivals to the UK, extending to all workers from 1 January 2020.
  • any single non-eurozone country able to force a debate among EU leaders about ‘problem’ eurozone laws – though they will not have a veto.
  • an unequivocal opt-out stating that EU treaty “references to ever-closer union do not apply to the United Kingdom”.
  1. the gradual re-emergence of the war mongering dictats of the Rhineland and the surroundings for a WW3 after WW1 and WW2. For this they are getting in cahoots with the Americans for a future decisive conflict against Russian and Chinese confederates. This may be good for the leaders of the Germans, the French, the Dutch, the Belgians and of course the Americans. However, civil society in England know the signs of dark clouds of war gathering much earlier than before. They have been targeted by the very same “European cousins” historically.

The war-monger in the EU is/was Britain. Ivan needs to support his claims with evidence. Britain joined George Bush in the Iraq adventure. It led the bombing raids in Syria and Libya, while Germany (the leader who sets the tone for most EU countries) declined to engage in the Bush war or in bombing Syria. Just recently the German foreign Minister criticized the the British for supporting  NATO war-games exercise along the south-western Russian border, pointing out that this escalates tensions between Russia and the West.

The War-monger is Britain; she is in bad economic straits, and she wants to sell arms. In fact, Cameron concluded a large arms sale to Saudi Arabia at the start of this year. Please see:  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36566422

  1. the influx of Muslim “refugees” by the millions scares the very existence and future survival of the essential cultural and religious fabric of the island. That is one, if not the most concerning fact of recent EU liberalism.

The UK agreed to take ONLY 30,00 Syrian refugees in a country which has a population of 60 million. That is, a 0.05 % increase!!!!!!!!  So 0.05% influx adding to the existing 4.5% of UK-Muslims  is claimed to destroy the “cultural … fabric” of the island?

The Sri Lankan ex-patriots in the UK are “more British” than the most race-conscious British, and I have seen many e-mail messages full of unjustified Islamophobia being circulated among the Sri Lankans, unsupported by any evidence!

Britain is a country which has bled the Middle-East since the 19th century, andcontrolled it using villains like Lawrence of Arabia and  puppets like King Farook who was overthrown by Najib and Nassar when the Suez canal was nationalized (an thenAnthony Eaden attacked Egypt). All of Middle-East oil was hijacked by Churchill via treaties (already since the first world war) for the benefit of UK, with only a tuppence for the middle eastern people. Then they deprived the Palestinians of their land and gave it to Israel who is their hound-dog in the middle east. And then, Cameron goes and bombs Syria, and now refuses to give some help to the people that were made homeless  byBritsh (and French) bombs. Angela merkel made the correct humanitarian gesture of accepting one million people into Germany (population 70 million). When that gesture was done i was visiting Berlin and Rostock. Every student at Rostock University that I could talk to supported Merkel  to the hilt. Most rstuarents had signs saying “Fluchtlinge Willcommen” and gave free meals to the incoming refugees. There was none of the hostile and selfish attitude shown by the rural British of the UK. Only one old German professor with well-known right-wing views that I knew criticized Merkel’s move.

Nigel Farage and other British Racists have gone about uttering lies and propaganda, that Britain is threatened by “millions of Islamic refugees”.

May be Ivan should get the immigration figures and see what they are, to justify this claim of a million Muslim refugees coming to UK.

  Ivan Amarasinghe’s Response 29 June 2016

  1. Unfortunately, the ordinary citizen is ready to follow his innate racial prejudices as well as habits in dealing with questions that they don’t understand.

If a referendum were held in France about smoking it will probably support legalizing smoking in public places.

If a referendum were held in the US about people being allowed to carry automatic weapons, the answer will be “yes”. 

If a referendum were held about agrochemicals being linked to chronic desease, the answer of the “ordinary people” will be that “agrochemicals’ cause all the diseases. 

If a referendum were held to ask if cell-phones cause cancer, again the public will say “yes” and so on.”

My response: These statements and inferences are all absolute presumptions by Chandre. You are welcome to hold your own views and continue such publications. If you have any proven facts to substantiate such inferences please include references. In the meantime, as you have requested for references on the Pros and Cons I have briefly mentioned, please refer to the following (more to be supplied on request):

http://www.betteroffout.net/the-case/10-reasons-wed-be-better-off-out/ http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-06-28/16-reasons-celebrate-brexits-win http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/06/28/exploding-uk-immigration-helped-drive-brexit-vote/86424670/ http://home.bt.com/news/uk-news/david-cameron-to-face-eu-leaders-for-first-time-since-brexit-vote-11364070372909 http://www.theweek.co.uk/brexit-0

  1. The war-monger in the EU is/was Britain. Ivan needs to support his claims with evidence. “

My response: Of course the European countries I have mentioned have been war mongers (and imperialist invaders) for the last few centuries. WW1 and WW2 are widely accepted as originated in the Rhineland. If the British (and the French) did not acquire that vast landmass and named it Canada would be as sparsely populated only with natives today? Would Chandre be a citizen of that land mass? Would Chandre bow to the Queen of England and sing “God Save Our Queen…” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Canada] during the next visit of Her Majesty as you are a subject of the ConstitutionalMonarch [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada].

May Chandre also present a public petition to Her Majesty about the disquiet created among her loyal subjects in Her far flung territories through this most heinous crime of Brexit instituted by the hoi polloi from mainly within the confines of England, that most beautiful heartland of Her Empire! May Her Majesty be reminded that in any future Referendum the voice and opinion of Her loyal subjects in far flung territories should not be ignored. May Her majesty also be reminded that the concerns of Her English subjects on a potential swamping effect of their hereditary lands by an unbearable influx of Muslim immigrants seeking refuge with dubious intentions of future hegemony over the Anglo-Saxon identity, religious and cultural values, are unfounded. If and when such an unfortunate eventuality occurs, Her Majesty may consider revival of the option used for convicts and prostitutes of the 17th, 18th and 19th century. Instead of shipping them Down Under, they may be flown to Up and Above to her vast and sparsely populated territory of Canada, the 02nd largest country in the world!

Who knows? But Her Majesty may listen to such advice from Mandarins in the historic sense!! Good Luck!!!

A Note from Chandre, 1 July 2016

I am sorry if my critical  review of Ivan’s three points in favour of the Brexit seemed sharply worded against Ivan.
Ivan’s three points are an accurate summary of what drove the British voters to Brexit, and in particular, these influenced the  Sri Lankan Expatriates in UK.
That is why I said,
“Let me comment on the points made by Ivan A as they deserve our full attention”
My  critique was addressed at those three points and it was  not specifically a jousting with  Ivan – in fact I appreciated that Ivan had summarized the three main issues of the Brexit vote accurately.

ALSO SEE 

Kathleen R. McNamara:Brexit’s False Democracy,” 28 June 2016,  https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://links.cfr.mkt5175.com/ctt?kn%3D45%26ms%3DNTE3MzIxNzIS1%26r%3DOTc3Mjg0OTIyMDgS1%26b%3D0%26j%3DOTYwMDYxMDY0S0%26mt%3D1%26rt%3D0&source=gmail&ust=1467433127629000&usg=AFQjCNFjEXzjFp1R-zIFBCnfLGN3mRaUvQ

The Economist: “What happens now that Britain has voted for Brexit” = http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2016/06/economist-explains-23

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