Fair Dinkum,[1] an Aussie Academic with Far Eastern Connections, serves up a Set of Reflections on Dibbert’s Recent Essays
A = Taylor Dibbert maybe a freelance writer but I am sure he is selected because of the perspective he takes. As usual, everything portrays SL’s future as bleak and degenerate.
B = Freelance gives impression of independent writer, but the question is on what criteria do the Lowry Institute accept writings for their website. As a think-tank, the writings they publish are notable for being excessively right-wing, rather than a forum for balanced meaningful intellectual debate and so it should not be regarded as an academic institution. This “freelance” writer fits perfectly into their political agenda.
C = Very depressing reading……..the usual demonizing of Sri Lanka in the language used.
D = I am not sure what alternatives [Dibbert and his supporters] propose other than intervention and policing the SL government. I wonder what connections they have with Sri Lanka to assume so high and mighty position. These reports should be discarded in the trash bin.
E = These writings appear to be a deliberate attempt to interfere in Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and the democratic system. Academics don’t normally interfere to this extent which suggests the author has connections to some organization with an agenda or with a government – connections that he is not disclosing which suggests the “freelance” thing is a cover to hide it.
F = Very American thinking.
G = I would be interested to see whether Sri Lankan scholars or commentators agree with these views and consider them fair and balanced. They should also have a voice in the narrative.
The Dibbert articles promoting Fair Dinkum’s Appraisal
Dibbert, Taylor 2019 “in Sri Lanka the Rajapaksas will rule ruthlessly,” 26 November 2019, The Interpreter, pubd by The Lowy Institute, https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/sri-lanka-rajapaksas-will-rule-ruthlessly
Dibbert, Taylor 2019 25 November 2019 “Ruthless Rajapaksas back in power, they’’ll go after Sri Lankan NGOs, Tamils and institutions,” 25 November 2019,https://theprint.in/opinion/ruthless-rajapaksas-back-in-power-theyll-go-after-sri-lankan-ngos-tamils-institutions/325103/
BIO-DATA on Dibbert
- Taylor Dibbert is a freelance writer and an Adjunct Fellow at Pacific Forum. His writing has appeared in a variety of outlets, includingThe Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, The Boston Herald, Forbes, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy and Huffington Post …… https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/contributors/articles/taylor-dibbert
-
Adjunct Fellow at Pacific Forum …. Taylor Dibbert is a writer and human rights consultant. Previously, he worked for human rights organizations in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Before that, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala. His writing has appeared in a range of publications including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The National Interest and HuffPost. He has been interviewed by Voice of America, The Diplomat and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, among others. Dibbert holds degrees from Columbia University and the University of Georgia. ….. https://www.pacforum.org/people/taylor-dibbert
- He is based in the Washington, D.C. area.
- Taylor Dibbert is a freelance writer and human rights consultant based in the Washington, D.C. area. Follow him on Twitter @taylordibbert. tmd2126@columbia.edu
- Follow him on Twitter @taylordibbert.
Other ARTICLES relevant to this Item
Taylor Dibbert 2019 “On Lord Naseby’s Sri Lanka whitewash,” Daily Financial Times, 21 February 2019……. Also in https://thuppahis.com/2019/02/26/lord-naseby-knocks-out-taylor-dibbert-in-stoush-over-eelam-war-iv/
Michael Roberts 2019 “Beyond Sam Power. Dibberts’ solution from hell for Sri Lanka,” 21 March 2019, https://thuppahis.com/2019/03/21/beyond-sam-power-dibberts-solution-from-hell-for-sri-lanka/
Samantha Power 2003 A Problem from Hell, New York: Perennial, 2003.
Richard Gowan 2015 “A Hardline R2P Interventionist? An American Analyst’s Interpretation of Samantha Power,” 22 November 2015, https://thuppahis.com/2015/11/22/a-hardline-r2p-interventionist-an-american-analysts-assessment-of-samantha-power-in-april-2014/#more-18552
Stephen Wertheim 2010 “A solution from hell: the United States and the rise of humanitarian interventionism, 1991–2003,” Journal of Genocide Research (2010), 12(3–4),
September–December 2010, 149–172
Island Editorial 2015 “When will they ever learn, long time passing,” 16 November 2015, https://thuppahis.com/2015/11/16/when-will-they-ever-learn-long-time-passing-in-france-and-europe/
Greg Sheridan 2015 “No Sermons from the Ludicrous UNHCR Please,” 12 November 2015, https://thuppahis.com/2015/11/12/no-sermons-from-the-ludicrous-unhcr-please/
END NOTES
[1] “Fair Dinkum” is of British stock and resides in Australia. He has undertaken research on visits to China, Malaysia and Sri Lanka among Asian countries. His present line research is such that he does not wish to reveal his name now. His comments are significant because he is not a Sri Lankan.
A COMMENT from A SRI LANKAN FRIEND in Europe, 9 DECEMBER 2019:
“Taylor appears to have a serious case of Sri Lanka Derangement Syndrome. He’s meant to have worked in SL for a HR org… but he doesn’t say which one.”