“Budget adds burden on public” – JVP

By Chamodi Gunawardana-Tuesday, 24 November 2015

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday claimed the Government expect to run the economy by adding burdens of taxation and loans on the public.
Revealing its opinions over the recent budget, JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath charged that the Government doesn’t have a proper plan to reduce the burden of taxation by increasing production.
“The Government has estimated to spend Rs. 3000 million to reduce the prices of essential goods including gas and milk powder. It expects to recollect that amount by raising tax revenue up to Rs. 1584 billion. That’s why the Government proposed to increase some taxes such as port and airport tax and taxes applicable for IDD calls,” he claimed.
“The Government has planned to have a gross income of Rs. 2047 billion by the end of the next year. The annual expenditure is estimated at Rs. 2787 billion. It will create a Rs. 740 billion budget deficit which is higher than last year’s deficit of Rs. 675 billion,” Herath added.
Commenting on the export drop which happened during the past regime’s tenure, he alleged, “the so-called good governance doesn’t different from the prior administration.”  
“The export revenue contributed 29% for the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before 2004, but at the end of the Rajapaksa regime it dropped down to 14.9%. During last eight months the Good Governance export income has declined to $ 7147 million. It caused an expanding in the balance of trade by 5%,” Herath charged.
Criticising Government borrowings, he claimed that for an administration of eight months, the Government has taken Rs. 600 billion worth in loans on 6.85% high interest.
“The past Government borrowed Rs. 6783.2 billion from foreign markets in 2014. When the Yahapalana Government took over, the state the borrowings were in Rs. 7390.9 billion. The current economic policies have expanded the limit of borrowings without controlling it properly,” Herath alleged.

Ravi Can’t Pronounce English Either

By Helasingha Bandara –November 23, 2015

“I guess I should have paid more attention during Sinhala class when I was in school. Oh, well. But it would absolutely stupendous, dear Speaker, if someone in Parliament sponsors me to improve my Sinhala; both writing and pronunciation. Or we could come to terms with me reading the Budget in English, which is easier for me, next year.” – Ravi Karunanayake (Ceylon Today, 22 November 2015)

First, let us look at his claim that he cannot pronounce Sinhala words, at least some of them. This leaves him in the category of incapable, inefficient, untalented, unsuitable, incompetent people because he cannot pronounce English either, obvious isn’t it?

Wikipedia information

“Born to Tissa Anuruddha Mahanama Karunanayake and Carmaleka Karunanayake, daughter of former DIG Cyril Dissanayake. He is the eldest son in a family of two. Educated at S. Thomas’ Preparatory School, Kollupitiya up to his GCE Ordinary Level, after which he proceeded to Royal College Colombo for his Advanced Level examinations. He became a management accountant and worked for Delmege Group before heading up several directorships of new ventures in the travel industry”.

Wikipedia states that he is a Roman Catholic although his father’s name is very Buddhist. His maternal grandfather is a Dissanayaka, a typical Singhalese name. There is no mention of Ravi’s higher education at University level, local or foreign, if there is any. That leaves us with the billion Dollar question that how he cannot pronounce Sinhala words. Ravi was not born to native English speaking parents, he has not migrated to an English speaking country at a tender age, he has no education at a recognized educational institute in an English speaking country and he has not lived a considerable length of time in an English speaking country ( meaning over 20 years minimum). Linguists agree, if someone does not fulfill any of the above criteria he/she cannot speak English in the manner a native speaker would. In other words he/she will have a different pronunciation or an accent that is foreign to native speakers of English. Therefore in the context of his claim that he cannot pronounce Singhalese well he cannot pronounce English well either. I do not mean that he cannot speak English. He speaks our own brand of English. So our own brand of Singhalese would do for the reading of the budget.

                                                                        Read More

Maithri and younger bro ban news websites ! whither media freedom ?

(Lanka-e-News -23.Nov.2015, 11.30PM) It is an unequivocal fact that the erstwhile corrupt Rajapakse regime banned the websites which exposed their robberies , perfidies and villainies. Now when the right to information bill is to be tabled in parliament shortly by the government of good governance (installed in power by the rainbow revolution) ,  after lifting the bans , and when seeking  to restore Democracy in the country, strangely , Maithripala Sirisena who was most viciously vociferous against the corrupt and criminal  Rajapakse regime, has within just ten months forgotten all his promises and undertakings he gave to the people of the country.

Maithripala along with his younger brother who is demanding a most unreasonable monthly salary of Rs. Ten million from SLT Mobitel Co., have  introduced a ban on Lanka e news website and another  within their Institutions. 

It was only recently  Lanka e news exposed  the illegal action of handing  over  of the ownership of a private Co. to the Navy by Maithripala Sirisena , and his high handed action taking the law into the hands ., Maithripala despite  announcing loudly and proudly that he would not stifle the media , however   as the defense minister had acted brazenly against his pronouncements and announcements by banning  access to the Lanka e  news website  within the Navy which comes under his purview. He has taken this step simply because the news website conveyed the true picture pertaining to the controversial Avant Garde Co. openly.

Naval crew have complained to us that not only Lanka e news , but even ‘Gossip Lanka’ and Hiru Gossip’ had been banned from access .What is most reprehensible and irksome   about this ban is , even when Mahinda Rajapakse a byword for lawlessness  banned the websites  Island wide , within the Navy accessing the website was not disallowed . Hence it is most crucial question today , who pushed the Navy to this lowliest level ?

Maithripala’s younger brother who is demanding Rs. Ten million as salary per month is also struck by Maithri’s contagion . He has also banned the Lanka e news website within his  SLT. He had deprived the 8000 employees in the Institution of the right to access Lanka e news website. Kumarasinghe Sirisena has himself directly instructed SLT chief IT officer  Rohana Wijeweera another notorious racketeer to implement this ban.

The public must know who this Rohana Wijeweera is...

The SLT for its  customer relation management got down a computer ‘Customer Relation Management program.’ 

It was this notorious Wijeweera as IT chief who arranged this . The SLT spent nearly Rs. 1000 million towards this .However because that was not suitable for the  program the entire project  had to be discarded, and the  entire expenditure of nearly Rs. 1000 million went down the drain. 

Now plans are afoot to get down another ‘program.’ Believe it or not , this program has also been entrusted to the same culprit , Wijeweera who was the sole cause of the Rs. 1000 million loss. In addition this Wijeweera the inefficient incompetent scoundrel has been given an extension in service , even after reaching 55 years, by none other than Maithri’s younger  brother Kumarasinghe Sirisena.

It is an acknowledged fact that it is only an employee who can plough  in profit for the establishment , and not the one engendering loss to it who should be given an extension. Maithri’s younger brother is one who is  unconcerned about those losses to the government Institution and the country . His only obsession is  lining his own extraordinarily large  pocket . Hence Wijeweera who nods at everything Kumarasinghe requests has been given extension.

No matter what , the news website bans imposed on these two Institutions are a foretaste of what are to come . Maithri and his crooked brother have sampled what despotic trends are in store for the people who elected Maithripala with the hope of  restoring  and reinforcing  Democracy. In the not too distant future extending this ban Island wide is not a matter for surprise , because these two nitwits  don’t seem to have the grey matter to learn a lesson – from the fate that befell the Rajapakses who met their Waterloo by trying these same  scheming tricks and despotic treacheries.
 
A letter sent by the crew of the SL navy pertaining to the ban imposed by Maithri on the websites is appended .

The right to information and the SL Navy

A majority of the SL  Navy officers and the crew use the Navy internal website to access the internet , but during the last two weeks access to the Lanka e news ,Gossip Lanka and Hiru Gossip websites have been obstructed. 

During the era of Mahinda Rajapakse , even when the Telecom Mobitel Dialog ,the providers of internet service to Lanka e news website was denied access  ,the Navy internal website that was used by lankaenews.com was not obstructed from being accessed  .During that time it was Lanka com that supplied the internet service to the SL Navy.

Yet a group of buffoons now who know nothing except tomfoolery of the Navy Technical division , and absolutely ignorant of what is right to information and expression have taken this decision and imposed the ban. No grounds had been cited to support this decision except that decision was based on an order from the top.   

While the government of good governance has allowed the access of these websites which were banned by the Mahinda Rajapakse administration, this (mis)conduct  on the part of a few is an index they are still buffaloes and only can grunt – the only thing they can do well. .

- SL Navy officers and some   Navy crew-

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by     (2015-11-23 23:03:31)

Sunday leader mix up ITN with SLBC

Nov 23, 2015

Yesterday the 22nd the Sunday Leader newspaper revealed that the Independent Television Network (ITN) has to pay a sum of Rs. 80 million tax arrears. The newspaper further revealed that ITN is suffering an financial crisis and all its bank accounts has been ceased by the Inland Revenue.

According to news reaching us the news published is false and the reporter who published this news has mixed up SLBC with the ITN.
 
A director board member of the ITN told us that their institution is not faced with any financial crisis. He further said there is no problem in paying the wages to its employees and they don’t have any necessity to take help from any other government institutions. He said that his institution has paid the required taxes and apart the wages the institution is capable of paying a Rs. 75,000 bonus to its employees.
 
According to information reaching us although ITN is currently stable the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) and the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) are currently going through a serious financial crisis.

Govt. vows to unearth Rajapaksas’ hidden $ billions

*Will take time, not as easy as nabbing common pickpockets - Mangala 

by Zacki Jabbar-November 21, 2015, 8:21 pm 

The government says it would find the billions of dollars that the Rajapaksas had allegedly hidden in  many foreign countries, no matter how long it took.

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera addressing a news conference in Colombo last week said he was speaking with responsibility about "the billions of dollars that the Rajapaksas including the birthday boy had stashed away in foreign lands."

"They know what we are talking about. Catching big time professional crooks who have covered their tracks very well takes time. It’s not as easy as nabbing common pickpockets.

But we are determined to find every dollar regardless of how long it takes because the rightful owners are the people." 

The authorities are probing 25 out of 725 serious cases involving not only massive corruption and violation of general and exchange control laws but also murder. In each of them the Rajapaksas are either directly or indirectly involved, the Minister alleged.

"The people are questioning us as to why we have allowed the rogues in the last UPFA regime to go Scot free and what we have been doing for the last eight months. Some even talk as if we have been in power for eight years. We . request the masses to be patient because  it takes time when you have to probe intelligent crooks.

"In connection with just one case, investigators have  had to to visit many countries including Seychelles, British Virgin Islands , Dubai and Singapore. The Bribery and Corruption Commission has just 29 investigating officers. Just imagine how much manpower and time would be required to inquire into 725 serious cases.

The Police is also involved in the various investigations. But they cannot allocate all their personnel to probe  just one family and their cronies ", he observed.

Samaraweera said that  countries such as Libya , Egypt and Tunisa had been able to recover only a tiny fraction of  the over hundreds of billions of dollars that their former leaders Gaddafi, Hosni  Mubarak and Bin Ali are alleged to have swindled even though many years had lapsed since their ouster.

Charges against the Rajapaksas and their cronies  included floating  front companies and  acquiring  hotels and companies both in Sri Lanka, with ill-gotten wealth he noted.

" Broadly speaking they had virtually robbed entire banks," he alleged.

Progress – Towards What? For Whom?

By Sarath De Alwis –November 17, 2015

Sarath de Alwis

“People are tired of what they have gone through – they seek genuine, real time change. That’s why they elected us to power – to make that anticipated change a reality. They believe that we can make changes for the better and through social economic modifications, we can make their lives better.” – Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe – 5th November 2015

Ninety one years earlier in 1924 , Rabindranath Tagore in a lecture on civilization and progress told his audience “We have for over a century been dragged by the prosperous West behind its chariot, choked by the dust, deafened by the noise, humbled by our own helplessness, and overwhelmed by the speed. We agreed to acknowledge that this chariot-drive was progress, and the progress was civilisation. If we ever ventured to ask, ‘progress towards what, and progress for whom’, it was considered to be peculiarly and ridiculously oriental to entertain such ideas about the absoluteness of progress. Of late a voice has come to us to take count not only of the scientific perfection of the chariot but the depth of the ditches lying on its path.” That was in 1924.

Can we say today that a new voice came to us on 8th January 2015? So we thought. So we continue to think. So we continue to hope. Please read my story.

This happened on Monday 16th November, nine months after the success of the National Movement for a Just Society made a former Minister of Health our new President. This story is about health care provided by the state.

It was the prescriptions processing counter of the busiest Pharmacy located in the vicinity of the Colombo’s general hospital around Lipton’s circus.

She was past seventy. Her wrinkled face mirrored her suffering. She was confused. She was broken. She was resolutely lonely in the maddening confusion where everyone was anxious to finish their business. That was forgivable. No one visits a pharmacy on a Monday around noon unless it was unavoidable.

There she was holding a cellophane bag full of papers, thrusting a tiny piece of paper at the girl behind the counter. The young Pharmacy staffer was kind, patient but firm. “No you cannot just get three strips. You have to get a pack of twenty five. May be when you go back to the hospital there will be others who may want it. So you can sell them the other pieces.”                              Read More

Incredible but true ! Kappam Champika and Namal Baba’s ‘kudu baba’ together have cleared 48 containers of drugs!

(Lanka-e-News -23.Nov.2015, 11.30PM) Following the arrest of Champika Karunaratne alias Kappam (extortion) Champika , the crony and close sidekick of Namal Rajapakse ( son of Alibaba - ex president  Mahinda Rajapakse) who extorted a sum of Rs. 20 million from Deshamanya Lalith Kotalawela , the CID has been able to unearth copious information pertaining to Ifran Deen, alias “Kudu Baba” another close associate of Namal baba  (son of Alibaba) 

According to Kappam Champika’s confession , during  the last five years , he has cleared 48 container  loads of Kudu Baba’s Cocaine and ecstasy drugs without any inspection being carried out on them . These containers have been released as containing goods of high value, and Kudu baba has paid Rs. 15 million to Kappam Champika to get each container released.
 
Why is the secretary in charge of the police still not taken into custody even after Kappam Champika ‘s confession ?

Kappam Champika has got these contraband released without inspection by saying  these are Namal’s goods .The former Customs Director Jagath Premalal Wijeweera was paid Rs. 20 million in cash and goods  as bribe from time to  time. Whether Wijeweera knew it were contraband or not , is not known. However when he was informed these are ‘Namal’s goods’, they have been released sans inspection. 

The most serious issue revolving around this crime  is , this same Wijeweera is now the secretary to the ministry of law  and order. Consequently , he has become the biggest obstacle to the CID in these on going investigations.

Based on the confession  of Kappam Champika , the secretary to the ministry of law and order should be immediately arrested, but so far nothing of that sort has happened. Might we recall , when Lanka e news earlier on inquired from Wijeweera about this racket , he said he knows no one by the name of Champika Karunaratne or Kappam Champika.

Based on Kappam Champika’s confession , Irfan Deen alias kudu baba has paid 60 % of the earning on this drug business to Namal Rajapakse, son of ‘Alibaba.‘

Assets of Kudu Baba 

Kudu baba Irfan Deen has befriended Namal baba during the 2010 presidential elections by donating 10,000 keytags with Mahinda Rajapakse’s photo.

At that time he was residing  in a small house at Wellawatte , and owned a Corolla 121 car only.But now, he is the owner of three super luxury vehicles at Wellawatte , an Audi A 6 car , Prado jeep, Toyota Allion car , and a BMW  X5 car.

The other details revealed by Kappam Champika is : Janaka Sri Warnasinghe another bosom pal of Namal  who was appointed as working Director to National lotteries board has illicitly collected Rs. 35 million of National lotteries board funds in collusion with Kappam Champika . This sum has been taken piecemeal in sums of Rs. 3 million and  4 million each  time by saying those funds were for Namal’s publicity campaign. Though such a large sum of money was illegally collected , most of it was not spent . The remaining money was divided between Namal and Kappam Champika.

In addition Kappam Champika has collected a sum of Rs. 4 million per month on a contract to print lottery  tickets .Part of that sum had been given to Namal Rajapakse.

Can you beat this !  It was kappam Champika of all people who became the most trusted crony of Namal Rajapakse and the family of Rajapakse ( ex president of SL). He was trusted so much so that he was made the intermediary to sceretly sell in Japan 40 tons of  gold collected by the Rajapakses from the north following the war , and from illicit treasure mining.

This 40 tons of gold were sold to Japuga , a company in Japan.It was Kappam Champika who was sent to Japan to conclude the transaction.(In the photograph is Kappam Champika. To identify the other two in the photograph we expect  the assistance of the readers)

On top of all these criminal activities, Kappam Champika the bosom pal of SL’s ex president’s family has two separate rape charges which have been suppressed  by the Rajapakses.

The photographs of  evidence in relation to the information furnished in the above paragraphs can be accessed by clicking hereunder  . They can be read after magnification.

By a special reporter of Lanka e news inside information division. 
Translated by Jeff 

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by     (2015-11-23 22:33:21)

Ex-NDDCB chief asks for asylum

By Chamindra Silva-November 22, 2015, 10:06 pm 

Former Chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Control Board of Sri Lanka, Dr. Nilanga Samarasinghe, is planning to leave the country, claiming his life is in danger.

Dr. Samarasinghe told The Island that he had recently written to the British, Norwegian, Canadian, Australian and American diplomatic missions in Colombo, seeking asylum. The former top official said that he had decided to leave the country due to threats from politicians and their henchmen involved in the heroin trade.

The government recently replaced Dr. Samarasinghe with Prof. Ravindra Fernando as Chairman of NDDCB.

Dr. Samarasinghe has claimed that he has a list of politicians including parliamentarians involved in narcotics trade, but he has declined to hand it over to relevant agencies for action.

The former NDDCB chief said in a recent TV interviews that the list had been prepared on the basis of a survey.

A rape case against SC Judge Abrew

MONDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2015

It is reported that Supreme Court Judge Sarath de Abrew has been indicted in Colombo High Court on a directive by Attorney General under 365 B in penal code on a charge filed at Mt. Lavinia Police by his 39 year old  domestic servant stating that she was raped by him.

This is the first instance a sitting Supreme Court Justice has been indicted in High Court on a criminal charge.

The Attorney General has also instructed police to file another case against the Judge on a charge of assaulting a domestic servant.

The media had reported that Sarath de Abrew had sent his retirement papers in October to be effective from January, next year.

The Bar Association has made a request from Chief Justice not to allow Sarath de Abrew to engage in duties.

Lesson Sri Lanka should learn from Paris attacks

ast week, terrorists of the Islamic State butchered 130 men and women in Paris while they were - as one newspaper put it - indulging in life’s innocent pleasures: watching a concert, a football friendly and drinking beer by the roadside. Those terrorists - at least five of them - were identified as French Muslims. A week before that incident, Sri Lankan Muslim organizations, led by Jamiathul Ulama came together to demand that the government in Colombo denied visa to one rabid Islamist preacher, Jainul Abideen, the founder of Tamil 


Nadu Thawheed Jamaat. Abideen was invited by Sri Lanka Thawheed Jamaat, a fringe group of Wahhabis awash with Gulf money. The government conceded. Abideen was refused a visa for a second time. In 2005, the government denied him an entry visa on the same grounds. 

Lesson Sri Lanka Should Learn From Paris Attacks by Thavam Ratna

Life of limbo for Palestinians denied IDs by Israel

Artist Dima Shashaa’s career has been severely curtailed because she can’t get a Palestinian ID.

Ashraf AmraAPA images

The Electronic Intifada

Isra Saleh el-Namey-23 November 2015

Reem Hajjaj finds it almost impossible to take an elective medical course outside the Gaza Strip. Unlike her fellow students in the Islamic University of Gaza’s medical school, she does not have a Palestinian Authorityidentity card.

Life of Limbo for Palestinians Denied IDs by Israel by Thavam Ratna

EXCLUSIVE: Yanis Varoufakis - Only solution is to starve IS of cash 

In an exclusive interview with MEE, the former Greek finance minister gives his opinion on the economics of war, terror and refugees 


Charles B. Anthony-Monday 23 November 2015

Only by cutting off alleged financial support for the Islamic State group from Gulf states can the violence that has spread from Syria and Iraq to Europe since the Paris attacks be halted, warns former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis in an exclusive interview for Middle East Eye. 

Varoufakis, who was catapulted from academia to international fame after taking up the post of finance minister in the newly elected left-wing Greek government of Syriza, said that the US and France were running out of military targets for their bombing campaign. After the Paris attacks on 13 November, President Francois Holland “had to show he was doing something, but they didn’t know what to bomb,” said Varoufakis.

Watch the full interview here:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/XR8V0l7BSBI

 

He offered rare praise for his former nemesis Angela Merkel for her decision to allow hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria's war to come to Germany, but said that "Europe has lost its capacity to respond rationally to common problems" over the refugee crisis. Merkel had done more than any other leader to open doors to refugees, but he was quick to forewarn that the political classes in Germany, and some sections of German society, are turning against her because of it.

He warned that the main beneficiaries of the recent attacks in Paris would be the defence and security companies, and those “people with terrible agendas” who will now “utilise the pain and the grief, the rage that most people feel, in order to push those agendas that have nothing to do with security” and in fact endanger it.

He said the actions of IS in Paris will only feed into Islamophobia which is “the greatest gift” to the group and “extremists everywhere”.

The oustpoken finance minister became a darling of the left for standing up to the EU and Troika against imposed austerity. He later resigned from the Greek government when it became clear that it would be accepting EU terms of austerity. Middle East Eye caught up with Varoufakis at his London hotel where we asked him about the economics of war, terror and refugees.

Solidarity among the weak

Varoufakis juxtaposed the disparity between Greece’s response, with thousands of refugees arriving every day, to that of Britain where a few hundred potential refugees have caused a “moral panic”. Why do poor country’s shoulder the burden more than rich ones? He paraphrases a passage from Bertole Brecht’s The Three Penny Opera: “If you are a beggar and you want to make money you don’t go to a rich suburb, you go to a poor suburb. Solidarity among the weak.”

What caused the crisis?

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw3wLSbT9Wc

 

“Every time we [the West] intervene, mindlessly, either in order to prop up some dictatorship… Or when we invade in order to pretend we are doing something about the ill effects of previous interventions, we make a bad thing worse.” The Syrian war is a perfect example and “direct consequence of Western imperialism”. The refugee crisis is all these “chickens coming home to roost”.

Schengen

In the wake of the Paris attacks the EU states have agreed to tighten checks on travellers at Schengen borders. He was quick to point out that Britain and the United States are not part of Schengen yet both countries have experienced major terrorist attacks, despite ramped up security and tight border controls. “When we raise borders and fences all we are doing is creating a greater division, mainly amongst our own people and between the good people on the other side of the fence and us.”

Paris attacks

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2RgEO5XLCg

 

Varoufakis's initial response to the Paris Attacks was, like many people, for the safety and wellbeing of friends and family. Seconds later “desperation set in,” because the actions of ISIS will only feed into Islamophobia which is “the greatest gift” to ISIS and “extremists everywhere”.

“We have been here before:” the “good people” of Europe and the Middle East are now “going to have to face another wave of irrationality and misanthropy”.

Who benefits from terrorism?

Firstly the defence industry and security industry: “There’s a lot of money to be made every time there is a bomb that goes up… the shares of companies that produce equipment for security purposes go through the roof.”

Secondly, and more importantly, the “people with terrible agendas” who will now “utilise the pain and the grief, the rage that most people feel, in order to push those agendas that have nothing to do with security.” Agendas that ultimately violate and undermine security.

The only solution is to starve ISIS

YouTube

https://youtu.be/8gEaBcWg4fk

 

The United States has been trying for months to bombard ISIS to no avail and it is a “well known secret” that the United States have since “run out of military targets”. French President Francis Holland “had to show he was doing something, but they didn’t know what to bomb.”

So if bombing isn’t working, what’s his solution? “The only solution is to starve ISIS.” The only way to do that is “by tackling Saudi Arabia and the Emirates that are supporting them”. 

Declarations of war

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rombxJiTvQ

 

The declarations of war in response to the Paris attacks is a “19-century, early 20th-century, mid 20th-century” solution to a 21st century problem. In today’s world “there are no frontlines”.

The West must not “allow fear to conquer everything…  fear is not a good guide to good policy, either domestic policy or foreign policy”.

War, what is it good for?

Capitalism in short, which “finds itself producing a lot more staff than the masses can consume”. This over supply or under consumption “gives rise to a need to boost expenditure”. Varoufakis would rather such surplus was boosted by providing health and education, but it is far easier of convincing a conservative parliament “to throw a few more bombs” onto the fire.

Rise of the far right

The combination of a world in economic turmoil, embroiled in a cycle of war, terrorism and the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War ensures far-right forces “rise up from within the rubble”.

He blames the failure of liberal democrats and the left to come to terms with “the crisis of capitalism” as a major contributing factor feeding “bigotry, ultra-nationalism and Nazism”. A historical theme of recurrence that will “only carry on as long as we continue to fail in precisely the same manner”. 

- See more at: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/interview-yanis-varoufakis-only-solution-starve-isis-180907257#sthash.mENvvBy2.dpuf

The Bosnian War Cables

The 20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords is a time to reflect on the power of American diplomacy. But it is also a time for a reckoning of America’s dismal diplomatic response to genocide in the heart of Europe.

BY COLUM LYNCH-NOVEMBER 22, 2015

Twenty years on, the Dayton Peace Accords continue to be invoked as a triumph of American diplomacy, a bold display of superpower knuckle-busting that imposed a political settlement on the Balkan’s bitterest of enemies.

The Bosnian War Cables by Thavam Ratna

Argentina president-elect pledges radical policy changes in shift to right

Mauricio Macri announces plans to end memorandum of understanding with Iran and push Venezuela out of trade group: ‘We need to be in the world’

 Argentina’s President elect Mauricio Macri waves to journalists after a press conference in Buenos Aires Monday. Photograph: Ricardo Mazalan/AP

Jonathan Watts and Uki Goñi in Buenos Aires-Monday 23 November 2015

Hours after Argentina’s political landscape underwent a tectonic rightward shift, president-elect Mauricio Macri announced a series of radical changes that will realign his country’s place in the world.

Following Sunday night’s narrow election victory that marked the first change of government in 12 years, Macri said he would tear up Argentina’s memorandum of understanding with Iran, seek Venezuela’s exclusion from the regional free trade association Mercosur and ease away from a fixed exchange rate with the dollar. 

This is the “change of an era”, he declared at a press conference that was itself a sign of greater openness compared to the largely one-way media approach of his leftist predecessor Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. “We need to be in the world.”

Not seen as a serious contender during the first round of the campaign, Macri ultimately forced a runoff against Fernández’s hand-picked candidate Daniel Scioli and then won Sunday’s decider with 51.4% of the vote – less than three points ahead of his rival.

That small margin of victory could hamper his ability to push through political changes, particularly because Macri does not have a majority in either house of congress.

But the president-elect – who has previously proven his political and managerial nous as Buenos Aires mayor and president of Boca Juniors football club – said he would try to bridge the ideological divide by recruiting talents from all sides into his administration.

“We are going to call on the best,” he said. “We need to search for space for dialogue.”

His fortunes may yet depend on the outgoing president, who remains influential due to her popularity among rank-and-file Peronists, union members and supporters in congress. 

Macri said Fernández called to congratulate him on his victory and invited him to the Casa Rosada presidential palace to discuss the transition, which must be completed by 10 December.

But the incoming and outgoing presidents have very different political outlooks. Fernández focused on social programs to address inequality, conducted a centralised economic policy, sought closer trade ties to China and Iran, and aligned herself regionally with like-minded leftist leaders in Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia.

Macri, by contrast, has a more global market-orientated stance and looks likely to strengthen links with the United States.

He said his priority would be economic rejuvenation, tackling inflation – currently at around 30% – and encouraging investment.

“For four years, this country has been standing still,” he said. “We have to see where investment will come from.”

He said he would establish an economic cabinet of six ministers and reassess the country’s much-maligned official statistics. Indicating other changes on the cards, he also said the fixed exchange rate with the dollar was an “error” and complained that the central bank lacks independence.

But perhaps the most dramatic shift could be in foreign affairs, where Macri has threatened to shake up regional alliances. Asked if he still planned to seek the exclusion of Venezuela from the Mercusor trade bloc, Macri confirmed that he would raise the issue of that country’s “human rights abuses”.

“The allegations against Venezuela are clear. They are not invented,” he said.

This could put him at odds with other centre-left governments in the region, which have tended to show solidarity with Venezuela despite concerns about its deteriorating economy and political unrest. But Macri appeared ready to lobby for change.

“We must build relations in Latin America,” he said. His first foreign visit, he announced, would be to Brazil – Argentina’s neighbour and most important trade partner. He has also spoken by phone to the leaders of Uruguay, Chile and Colombia.

Foreign policy changes are likely to encompass a wider area. During the campaign, Macri said he would review a deal with China to build a nuclear power plant in Argentina. And he has rejected Fernández’s 2013 memorandum of understanding with Iran.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two countries agreed to establish a truth commission on the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires.

Earlier this year, prosecutor Alberto Nisman accused Fernández of signing the deal to cover up Iran’s involvement in the bombing in return for commercial deals. Nisman was later found dead in still unexplained circumstances. 

Fernández denied the allegation, but Nisman’s mysterious death cast a shadowover the final months of her presidency.

At his press conference on Monday, Macri was categorical: “We propose the repeal of the memorandum with Iran,” he said.

His outlook is less clear on the territorial dispute with the UK over the Falkland Islands, which are known in Argentina as the Malvinas. While he is expected to take a less strident position than his predecessor, residents of the islands are cautious about the prospects for change.

“Congratulations @mauriciomacri – Be smart. Work with us, not against,” said one Falkland Islands Twitter account. 

But another resident of the disputed islands said he was not optimistic about a rapprochement.

“Whilst (Macri) may not attempt the ludicrous Kirchner approach to us, we should be aware that his approach – whilst undoubtedly more subtle – would doubtless have the same aim in sight,” wrote Dick Swale in an email. “I seriously doubt that Falkland Islanders would ever trust Argentine politicians, whoever they might be.”