By Admiral
Admiral's "Wake Up Call" - Now Exclusively Every Sunday in 'Hari Deshaya'!
Admiral delivers a scathing and unvarnished critique of the current political spectacle in this week's "Wake Up Call." In an era where the national economy is "taking selfies at the edge of a cliff," the focus of both the governing party and the opposition remains dangerously internal—a relentless game of musical chairs played out against a backdrop of public suffering.
The author highlights the profound cynicism underpinning the Nugegoda rally, from the baffling no-show of the alleged 'mastermind' to the farcical display of sworn rivals—who were recently screaming "crooks and thieves"—now embracing as 'national heroes.' Their singular, guiding principle, Admiral observes, is simple: the relentless pursuit of the spotlight, wherever the crowd may be.
With promises of jobs and opportunity having evaporated, the essay condemns the government's inertia and the opposition's disunity, describing the corruption investigations as a revolving door of delays and political comebacks. When the dollar laughs and the reserves melt, the ordinary citizen is left paying taxes for the investigations and bills for the rallies.
This is a government that has devolved into a circus where the clowns, sadly, now induce tears instead of laughter. To ensure the public is constantly alerted to this tragicomic reality, "Wake Up Call" by Admiral will be published every Sunday exclusively in 'Hari Deshaya.'
Welcome to another week in paradise, where the dollar climbs higher every day, our foreign reserves shake like a drunk uncle at a wedding, and the economy stands at the edge of a cliff taking selfies. But relax, our leaders have everything under control. They are very busy playing musical chairs with each other.
The opposition held their grand Nugegoda rally this week. Thousands came to see the big show. But here is the funny part. The man who planned everything, the mastermind behind it all, our former President, quietly flew to Tamil Nadu the day before. He said he would come, then he said maybe he would come, then he caught a flight. Brilliant strategy. It is like organizing your own birthday party and then going to watch a movie instead.
The rally itself was pure comedy. Politicians who spent years calling each other crooks and thieves sat together on stage holding hands and smiling. One fellow who was screaming about corruption last month was now praising the same corrupt people as national heroes. They all waited for their turn to sit in the front row like children waiting for teacher to call their names. The only principle these people follow is simple, wherever there is a crowd, we must be on that stage.
Meanwhile, back at the office, our government is running around like headless chickens. The Prime Minister looks completely lost, like someone trying to find their car in a massive parking lot. The cabinet ministers walk around with chests puffed out, talking big, delivering nothing. And our poor President is trying to do everything himself, sweating buckets, making all the decisions while everyone else is busy updating their Facebook pages.
The opposition keeps shouting that the government must resign. The government keeps shouting back that the opposition is useless. Everyone is shouting. Nobody is working. And while they shout, unemployment keeps growing. Where are the jobs they promised? Where are the opportunities? Our educated youth are polishing their English and their CVs, dreaming of foreign countries because this country is too busy with rallies to create actual jobs.
The new government promised they were different. They said they were clean, honest, revolutionary. One year later, we see the same old games. The old politicians stole with one hand, these ones are learning to steal with both hands. At least the old ones were experienced thieves. These new ones are amateurs making a mess while they rob us.
At local councils, they keep losing votes. They cannot manage a town budget but they want to manage the national economy. It is like failing your driving test but applying to be a pilot.
The corruption investigations are the best joke of all. Files keep getting thicker. Suspects keep getting sick. Court dates get postponed. Lawyers argue about commas and full stops. Five years pass, ten years pass, everyone retires, and the case is still at page one. Meanwhile, the accused are giving interviews on TV, attending rallies, and planning their next political comeback.
The opposition parties are not united, never will be. Everyone wants to be the king. Nobody wants to be the minister. They have separate rallies, separate meetings, separate astrologers. The only thing they agree on is that they deserve to be in power. Why? Because it is their turn to eat, obviously.
While they play these games, the dollar is laughing at us. Our reserves are melting faster than ice cream in Hambantota. Common people cannot afford rice, cannot afford milk, cannot afford medicine. But no problem, our leaders can afford everything. Their children study abroad, they travel in luxury vehicles, they eat in fancy hotels. And then they come on TV and tell us to be patient and patriotic.
We, the fools, keep watching. We pay taxes so they can investigate each other. We pay bills while they attend rallies. We struggle to find jobs while they struggle to find front row seats. We worry about tomorrow while they worry about which astrologer to visit.
This is not a government. This is a circus where the clowns forgot they are supposed to make us laugh, not cry. But they are making us cry, so maybe they are very good clowns after all.
The rally is over. The speeches are done. The dollar is still climbing. The jobs are still missing. And next week, there will be another rally in another town, with the same speeches, the same promises, the same games.
We are trapped in a comedy show that stopped being funny a long time ago.