| Icing terrorism with human rights
We can quite appreciate the diplomats taking interest in Human Rights. At the same time they ought to be more concerned about the denial of fundamental human rights of Tamil people who vanquish under the Nazi rule of Prabhakaran. The security forces are conducting sporadic operations at various places. Sometimes they detect Tiger spies carrying claymore mines. When such persons are arrested, the human rights organisations get agitated. But when claymore mines are exploded killing innocent civilians there is nobody to talk about the human rights of the dead. Bombs exploded at Nittambuwa and Galle. Were not the human rights of those who were killed violated? But organisations like Amnesty International are not there to talk about them. A father and three mothers in the hamlet of Pandimerian in Mannar committed suicide by taking poison because of pain of mind following abduction of their four children by the tigers.
How blind can they be?
As our phony economy begins to unravel before our eyes, it is amazing how few people can actually see it. The collective wisdom of stock market pundits, economists, and Federal Reserve officials gives the impression that everything is just fine. Although some acknowledge that housing is slowing down a bit, that there are isolated problems with subprime mortgages, and that inflation is not moderating as quickly as they hoped it would (let's ignore surging oil prices), few can see any grave threats to continued economic expansion, or the bull market in stocks, bonds or real estate. Earlier this week a CNBC anchor asked a guest if the "economic baton" might now pass from housing to the consumer, much the same way it previously passed from the stock market to housing. I'm not exactly sure where the anchor believes that consumers will now be getting the money to lead us out of the economic morass.
Of war, taxes, and one angry woman
I had a friend once who lied to me several times. I confronted her, but she always had a mitigating circumstance that confused me and kept me in her life. Right before our ending, she wanted to borrow a sizable sum of money. I have a hard time saying no to people I care about, but this one request, I could not oblige. I knew she stretched the truth; so my hard-earned money needed to stay in my hands. She is no longer my friend, and my intuition was right. She has duped many more than me since our relationship ended. I rather feel that same discomfort when I am busily collecting money, checking every receipt and spending hours getting my business and personal income tax ready by April 15 each year. I just wish I knew for sure that my tax money would educate young people, feed the hungry and pay for honest endeavors.
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