Thought Control In A Failed Democracy
By Baron A Kumara -November 19, 2013
Will the people vote for Rajapaksa again? Will he be able to take the country forward into a globalized modernity and further the values of democracy, justice and equality? If your answer is yes, then it may be that you are subject to modes of government control that you are as of yet unaware of.
Sri Lanka has no free press, and as demonstrated by the impeachment this January, no independent judiciary.[1] The last standing pillar of our democracy lies in our ability to vote and elect our leaders. Nation-wide elections have been on the tip of many tongues, and according to informed speculation are likely to occur in the near future. If a government’s ascension to power hinges on performance at elections, and if those elections are fair and free, it might seem sensible to argue that democracy is in full stride. It may seem plausible that the government is dependent on the people for their power, and not the people on their government.
However, although elections may be a symbol of expression of free will, there are ways that a government may exercise control that are extremely powerful and unethical during and prior to elections. Having no free press and no independent judiciary means that at its disposal, the government has the key instruments through which consent is manufactured. In effect Rajapaksa’s popularity has been meticulously and unethically fashioned in ways most ordinary citizens are unaware of.
Controlling the Media
