Proletariat has to overcome lapses of liberalism
DR.Vickramabahu Karunaratne-2016-07-21
"COPE could conduct a probe and refer the matter to the Cabinet for action and can make some impact on pressurizing the government to take action against those who are responsible if a fraud had taken place," he said. Anura implied that this government too wants to protect corrupt officials and politicians and that is why proper methods are not used to conduct inquiries. It is well known that State-owned enterprises do not bring socialism or better management compared to the private sector enterprises. Within capitalism there are State capitalist enterprises and often dens of corruption
. Networks of mafia type organizations breed in these corporations, in particular to deal with MNCs. Thus they become sources for foreign vampires, while these local agents become the new rich local capitalists. The developing world needs huge sums of money to address its many problems with health, housing, education, and more. A new world report says corrupt practices by multinational companies, their government enablers, and others, are depriving people of a better life.
A financial watchdog group, Washington-based Global Financial Integrity [GFI], reports astounding sums of money are extracted every year from African, Asian, and Latin American nations. GFI's new report says that over thousand billion dollars was taken out of these countries through what it calls illicit capital outflows. "Over the decade from 2002 to 2011, we're talking about $5.9 trillion that have moved out of the developing countries. Nothing is as harmful as this loss of capital to the poorer countries of the world." Anura said appointing special committees would not make any sense. "If there were any allegations against any one during the previous regime, the former President used to gather all the files while the present government is appointing committees. Gathering files was Rajapaksa's way of handling corruption and appointing committees is the present government's way of handling it." However, there is qualitative change. In the first instance we do not know anything about the bleeding international vampires and local collaborators. In the second instance we are aware of these ruthless activities and know the actors in the corruption drama. Further, Anura said the committee that had been appointed by the government will not do any good as some of the members of it are involved in the deal. So, comrade you know a lot already!
Governments in Western Europe
Even in Western Europe and Eastern Europe there was nationalization throughout the 20th century, especially after World War II. Governments in Western Europe, both left and right of centre, saw State intervention as necessary to rebuild economies shattered by war. Government control over so-called natural monopolies like industry was the norm. This included telecommunications, power, petroleum, railways, airports, airlines, public transport, healthcare,
postal services and sometimes banks. Many large industrial corporations were also nationalized or created as government corporations, including among many British Steel Corporation, Statoil and Irish Sugar. However, starting in the late 1970s and accelerating through the 1980s and 1990s many of these corporations were privatized, though many still remain wholly or partially owned by the respective governments. Even in these corporations corruption was a serious problem. It was found that the short answer to curtailing the problem of corruption and illicit financial flows is transparency – greater transparency in the global financial system. This means getting rid of disguised corporations; this means exchanging tax information across borders; this means all organizations automatically reporting their sales and profits and taxes paid in every jurisdiction where they're in business.
But we are today stuck with the developing democratic revolution. What happened in the Jaffna University week ago shows that ruthless forces are hell bent on creating a Sinhala chauvinist upsurge. This main issue cannot be avoided by just harping on exploitation, plunder and corruption in the bourgeois society. All attempts to form undemocratic puritanical socialism whether in Russia, China or Cuba have not given us a proper answer. Hence, while it is essential to carry out a proper probe on the deal between corrupt elements, we have to give prime attention to the needs of the democratic revolution. In fact it is the proletariat that has to overcome the lapses of liberalism to carry out the tasks of democratic revolution. Unfortunately Anura and the JVP are pressed by the ultra left to abandon the responsibility towards the democratic mass movement.
