Sarath Fonseka and the Role of the Opposition: Will Sanity Prevail?
Repost This ArticleSri Lanka is a small miracle, and miraculous things happen here. Not only did it defeat terrorism. It is just about to witness another battle. Something grotesque, gruesome. We are playing into the hands of the separatists. We are creating more problems for ourselves, at a time when we should have been resolving them. Much of this could still be avoided. Much of this would have been avoided – if only this country had a more responsible and concerned Opposition.
Politics, General Fonseka and the Opposition
Politics was not General Sarath Fonseka’s theatre. He belonged to a profession that was more loved, and respected, by a majority of the people in this country. But towards the end of the war, he began sounding like a politician, while he was still the Army Commander; saying things that politicians said; talking about things politicians talked about. About the generosity of the Sinhalese majority. About the war and the ‘Indian/Tamil Nadu factor’.
People wondered then whether General Fonseka harboured political ambitions. Today, there’s nothing much to think about. The Opposition is, quite disturbingly, proud to claim that the Common Candidate at the next Presidential Election is going to be General Fonseka. Much has been written, and much will be written, about Sarath Fonseka the CC. However at this moment, it is necessary to ask the question: is Sarath Fonseka the best you’ve got? If so, the Opposition is not only sad, but pathetic, too.
The letter
If the Opposition did not know very clearly the ambitions and aspirations of General Fonseka, it only needs to read the letter written by him, as Chief of Defence Staff, dated 12 November 2009, to his Commander-in-Chief, President Mahinda Rajapaksa; wherein the factors which affected his retirement are set out clearly (in Annex A to the letter). Some preliminary issues need to be raised. Some questions need to be asked.
Power and ‘Executive Presidency’ – a duped Opposition?
Kusal Perera, in his article (The Unwritten Revelations of Sarath Fonseka’s Letter) very correctly refers to the notion of ‘power’, and what one can expect from General Fonseka. It should be quite clear that it is power that General Fonseka had, what he doesn’t have, and what he needs. He had enough of it when he needed it to defeat the LTTE; unbridled, unrestrained, power. Not only to finish the war, but to issue statements which, unfortunately, embarrassed the government. Yes, because given the tone and tenor of General Fonseka’s letter, and his grievances which reference nothing more than ‘authority’ ‘command responsibility’ and power, it is quite clear that the Government had little control over what he said or did. Was President Rajapaksa indeed helpless? How much power did General Fonseka wield during the time of the war? Could the President have done anything as long as General Fonseka was in control of the Army? And how much power does he want, tomorrow?
If then, could the Opposition still believe that General Fonseka is in this to abolish the Executive Presidency, hand over power to Ranil Wickremasinghe, and leave for the US of A? This is pure nonsense, and the Opposition should know better. As Malinda Seneviratne had argued recently: ‘pick a ruthless fighter and you can say goodbye to any kind of compassion’ (Elections: deciding with what we prefer to be stung, The Daily Mirror). And is it compassion that persons such as Ranil Wickremasinghe (Thoppigala is simply a jungle), Mangala Samaraweera (SF not fit to lead the Salvation Army), Ravi Karunanayaka (Medawachchi instead of Kilinochchi, Paamankada instead of Alimankada), and Lakshman Kiriella (any donkey can wage war) et al expect from ‘President Sarath Fonseka’? Please!
War crimes and other accusations – the Opposition’s stance?
There are other issues involved, too. I refer, in particular, to an interview that the Irida Lankadeepa is carrying today. This is with Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka. He states that the most damaging accusations thrown at General Fonseka were by politicians in the Opposition. Accusations concerning attacks on media personnel, human rights violations, killings in Muttur, white-van abductions. The Minister does not claim that General Fonseka committed them.
But one needs to be mindful of the Opposition’s take on these accusations, today. So what is the Opposition’s take on Lasantha Wickrematunga’s killing, for instance? Was it the Rajapaksas or was it done by elements more closer to Sarath Fonseka? What of white-van abductions? Was it a creation of the Rajapaksas, or that of Fonseka? Muttur – Rajapaksa’s orders or Fonseka’s orders? How about the Channel 4 clip? If you think it’s authentic (I don’t, by the way), was the execution carried out due to Rajapaksa’s orders or Fonseka’s orders? Or is the Opposition now saying it was carried out by an innocent Fonseka under the orders of Rajapaksa? What would human rights activists such as Nimalka Fernando say about all this? Is there freedom to cry out on these issues on the Platform for Freedom?
And, more importantly, is it because of Sarath Fonseka that the Opposition is silent today on the issue of ‘war crimes’? A responsible Opposition would answer.
Militarization of the North – desire of the Opposition?
Another serious accusation leveled against President Rajapaksa was that of ‘militarization’. Too many soldiers – too much security in the North, they said. Unprecedented recruitment – proof of militarization or an intention to do so, it was claimed. The Army is too powerful – it is nothing but a military State, it was said. Rajapaksa is a brute-Gotabaya is worse, they shouted.
Firstly, what is General Fonseka’s intention, one might very well ask. Well, it’s quite clear. General Fonseka considers Defence Sec. Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s statement – to the effect that granting operation control of all three services to the Chief of Defence Staff (i.e. Gen. Fonseka) would be dangerous – unethical. General Fonseka claims that President Rajapaksa’s statement that ‘no further recruitment would be necessary’ was surprising, disgusting, insulting. So what is needed was not only control of the armed forces, but greater recruitment. Is that not what would lead to a possible militarization of the North? Is that not what would lead to the presence of armed personnel in numbers exceeding more than what is required for purposes of defence and maintenance of national security?
And has not General Fonseka, by raising these concerns, helped President Rajapaksa alleviate all fears that the Tamil people, in particular, harboured over the past few months, even years? To the Tamil voter, then, who looks more moderate? To the Tamil voter, who looks less threatening? Is it not Mahinda Rajapaksa? Under these circumstances, one could even claim that the Tamil voter in the North would only have choices: either boycott the election, or vote in favour of Mahinda Rajapaksa. And what has the Opposition gained by trying to endorse General Sarath Fonseka?
Coup – was the Opposition waiting to benefit from one?
General Fonseka claims that there was a ‘fear psychosis of a coup’, and that various agencies had misled President Rajapaksa into believing that there was going to be a coup. He states that placing the Indian Troops on high alert over suspicion of a possible coup tarnished the image and reputation of the Sri Lankan Army. But before going into the question of tarnishing the image of the country’s Army, the following needs to be asked: if General Fonseka is to believe that he should be the next President, is it correct to claim that President Rajapaksa was ‘misled’ on the issue of the coup? Should not President Rajapaksa have done what he did to General Fonseka, for the greater security and stability of the country? And is the Opposition unable to consider this issue in some perspective? Is it not clear then that the Opposition was waiting things to happen to benefit from it?
Conclusion – is there really an Opposition?
There are many other issues that need to be discussed. For that, there is time. President Rajapaksa, it is said, might announce the date of the next election soon. General Fonseka has not expressly stated that he IS the common candidate. But the Opposition claims that he WILL be the common candidate, in case President Rajapaksa decides to go for an early Presidential Election.
So, the Opposition needs to give serious thought to some of the issues directly relating to General Fonseka. It needs to revisit the accusations that were leveled against him, and consider more seriously, whether it is ethical and morally justifiable to put forward General Fonseka as their common candidate. Could a responsible Opposition seriously endorse General Fonseka’s candidature? It is also perhaps the duty of responsible actors in civil society to come out more clearly on the question of whether or not the Opposition should endorse General Fonseka.
Perhaps the following too needs to be answered: is the Opposition asking us to re-elect President Rajapaksa, and thereby dump the Opposition in the political dustbin for good? I do not know what the more responsible politicians such as Karu Jayasuriya and Sajith Premadasa think about it, but as to what Ranil Wickremasinghe thinks about this, there can be no doubt.
So let us be mindful of what is happening here, for the moment. Just when one thought that Mahinda Rajapaksa would not find it overly easy to win a Presidential Election, just when one thought President Rajapaksa was ‘messing it up’, and just when one thought that all hope is lost under a regime led by President Rajapaksa – the Opposition goes and campaigns for General Sarath Fonseka!Â
Sanity ????? but this is Sri Lanka … where ambition rules!
why do we think we are separate from this sad and pathetic opposition?
Are we all not equally sad and pathetic?
We have a military victory and 101 failures that are glossed over ….
let us stop judging the past – and look to the future
can we all unite to end the executive presidency?
the way we united to end the LTTE?
dont look at the CV’s too much …
we are all very human
dont kill the dreamer
just pick these worn out tools
and make it real
Miracles did not happen!!! India won the war and Sri Lankans are fighting over who gets the credit!!! This is the reality!!!Unfortunately Tamil civilians suffered and nobody cares about how many innocents were killed. Kalana Senaratne is only worried about whether MR is going to be re-elected. He is not one bit worried about the human rights violations heaped on the Tamils or of their future!!!!
It has been proved several times in olden days and recently that Sri Lankans are not fit to govern. It may be a good idea just to give up the whole country to India, and sit and relax. Atleast this way we can prevent more deaths by war, white van, torture, extra judicial killings, thuggery etc. etc. Politicians need not cross the Indian Ocean at the expense of the tax payers money to worship at the feet of Indian politicians and bribe the Hindu Gods!!!! (It is a different story, once they are in Sri Lanka they turn a blind eye to the destruction of Hindu temples by their pampered security forces!!!!)
Excellent opinion piece by Kalana, proving that he is among the brightest — perhaps even the brightest and most incisive — of our younger analyst/commentators. I disagree though, with his sense that the punch-up is wholly negative ( “grotesque, gruesome”). Surely the very questions and issues he raises are safer brought out into the light, debated and democratically voted upon? All in all, I consider this a cathartic exercise. Jehan Perera has pointed to another positive spin-off, in a good commentary today.
The BEST PLACE for Sarath Fonseka is the JVP+SLFP coalition government. The Sandhanaya of 2004.
So this coalition MUST decide WHO they should nominate as the Presidential candidate.
If the SLFP members and the JVP members the majority, should they think that Sarath Fonseka can win the Presidential Elections and that under him the SLFP and the JVP can obtain 2/3 rds majority in the Parliament THEN they have to have the confidence in declaring Sarath Fonseka as their presidential candidate and ask him to become a member of the SLFP or the JVP.
Otherwise, what will happen is that UNF +…other collection will USE Sarath Fonseka’s popularity to come to power and discard him once in office.
The reasons for the change in constitution and what are the changes MUST be debated in PUBLIC before any changes are done to the constitution.
@ Dr. Jayatilleka
I agree that the issues I have raised are safer brought out, debated and voted upon. But by ‘grotesque/gruesome’, what I was referring to was the ultimate outcome – i.e. what happens IF the actual announcement of the Pres. Elec. is made, IF the conclusive endorsement of SF as CC takes place and the actual ‘Mahinda vs Sarath’ battle begins. The battle has not yet begun, and yet we do hear reports: of attacks on Sarath F’s relatives, cutting down of security etc. ‘Can’t this develop into something grotesque and even gruesome’ – was the point I was trying to raise.
And then, the candidates would certainly have to engage in an argument, very simply, as to why one is better than the other. Given our crass political culture, this debate will not, I believe, be conducted in any sober manner. Well, the two candidates will try to maintain some decency (Sarath thanking MR for his leadership, and MR saying Sarath played a valuable role etc!). But the cronies around them will not. All this, I fear, looks very ugly on SL – because the world is watching and it’s watching how a Commander-in-Chief and his former Army Commander, in a country that called itself (soon after the war) the ‘Small Miracle’, battle it out for the post of Head of State, just 6 months after defeating the LTTE!
Thank You KS.
…For summarising the current political/ democratic dilemma we are going to be placed in. It is indeed a crass political culture. The choice of SF demolishes any belief in the Opposition caring genuinely for the nation. It also demolishes their own political credibility.
But then again, does Sri Lanka not do its “democracy” by just such immoral liasons?
I wonder how we resolve the dilemma we will soon face. We are going to be asked, soon – if the relevant contestants survive the interim period of ugly pre-election chaos – to choose between these options.
Between the various maniacal governments and the crass political shindigs that we have seen, we have been reduced to a farcical democracy.
Is there any hope of some decent, genuine, moral, ethical, intelligent leaders making an attempt to help our country through this madness? Or are we going to leave it to the kleptocrats, autocrats, dictators, monomaniacal tyrants to turn the nation into a desert as they have the nation as “dessert” to their main courses?
I am at a loss to see how the nation can move forward really. If the choices we have for good governance and moral, ethical leadership are literally nil what do we do? Do you have any thoughts on this? Is there any hope for us to move towards any form of democracy and recovery if our political parties drunk on the possibilities of power and riches are playing charades with the voting public.
In essence, it will be an election between two war criminals. Those who thought the war will bring about democracy ought to think again.
Smoulderingjin,
Thank you.
You raise an interesting question: ‘Is there any hope of some decent, genuine, moral, ethical, intelligent leaders making an attempt to help our country through this madness?’ Before talking about the ‘attempt’ to help the country, one needs to ask as to ‘who’ can be considered a leader who has got all those qualities you just mentioned. There will always be questions raised about morality, ethics and intelligence – and we can’t find the perfect individual. But since we can’t ‘import’ leaders from outside, we are stuck with what we have. What are the names? SLFP, to my mind, has got very few (even if you consider the present Cabinet, all of the major Ministries are handled by the UNPers). After Mahinda (who will win the election, if held), ‘Basil’ might be uppermost in the minds of MR et al (and do you know that Basil too was in the UNP during JRJ’s era, albeit briefly!) Beyond Basil, who else?
UNP? Well, there is Karu, but do people trust him any more? There is Sajith. But why does he look so non-commital, silent on many critical issues?Has he got the energy, the will, to lead? How about SB? Well, we might need to re-define ‘morality’ and ‘ethics’ then! Ranil? – forget it!
So who are the leaders we actually have? That’s one of the serious questions we face, I guess – and I think it’s time that we came out openly on these issues, without being ‘diplomatic’, and name those we think are suitable for the post. Until we find one, we will plod along, just like we have done for so long, at the pace of a snail. Would we not?
Ranil is the only uncorrupted and incorruptible leader we have. He is ‘dismissed’ as ‘no good’ only because he lost many times. If Chandrika had not dissloved parliament, he would have carried on. He is also ‘dismissed’ due to the infamous CFA he signed with Prabakaran. At that time is was the only feasible solution.
MR’s government is propped up by despicabl,unprincipled turncoats from the UNP. This, everyone forgets. MR formed this government around them at great expense to the nation, with extensive election malpractices, to prop up the expensive 112 member cabinet who have now burdened the naton with massive debt due to wastage, inefficiency and corruption. MR thought that there was noone to contest him. Now Fonseka is a threat.MR has militarised the northeast, turned the rest of the country into a Police State, and politicised all state institutions. This is how he plans to rule for a second term. We will wait and see.
Earlier the opposition claimed that HE the president MR is taking advantage of the war for his gains.Now opposition is doing the same by jumping into the General SF’s boots.What a shame.
Justitia,
Thanks. You say that Ranil is dismissed as no good because he lost many times. I agree. But also, to lose so many times, isn’t there something inherently wrong in the man, is the question. It’s like saying that a batsman is no good and is a failure only because he didn’t score runs. If he was a good batsman in the first place, would he not have scored runs for the team? But yes, technicaly, Ranil would have remained in power had Chandrika not dissolved Parliament. If then, who knows, he even would have been President, because he would have contested the Presidential Election in 2005 as PM.
On the issue of Ranil being ‘uncorrupted’ and incorruptible’: I wouldn’t agree wholeheartedly. He had a whole bunch of corrupt guys around him – and don’t forget he came to power only because SB(!) and the whole lot crossed over. Welcoming the corrupt, benefiting from the actions of the corrupt, are also not signs of an ‘uncorrupted’ and ‘incorruptible’ leader. And in this regard, you prove my point when you say that the present MR government is made up of “despicabl,unprincipled turncoats from the UNP”.
@ ED Upali: ‘what a shame’ – very true.
MR will probably rig the ballot boxes and “win” the election. It is not that difficult for him to do. The man is a lawyer by training. He is therefore cunning by nature. Look at how he fought the war by “proxy”, letting others do the dirty work and declaring himself a saint. Why should the election be any different? Is there any institution in the country that can vouch for the integrity of the election?
Heshan,
My personal take on the rigging issue is this: If Ranil is MR’s opponent, there will be no great need for rigging to take place. IF SF is the opponent, it will be different, bcs SF is the greatest challenge MR could face at this juncture.
But Heshan, don’t be so harsh on lawyers!! Also, to rig, one does not need to be a lawyer. Chandrika wasn’t! Btw, Ranil too is a lawyer – hence ‘cunning by nature’! The thing with lawyers is that they know to break the law, legally!
“The man is a lawyer by training. He is therefore cunning by nature.”
Hot on the heels of his last gaffe, Heshan gives us yet another puzzler. I very nearly spilt my tea over my keyboard reading this.
p.s. You’re a good sport though Heshan. There aren’t many strangers on the internet who I can take the piss out on and not feel too bad about doing so…
Describing it as “miracle” where thousands of innocent civilians killed by bombing, starvation, depriving medicine and wanton destruction of billions worth of property, hope and livelihood is sickening!!!! As if this is not enough men,women and children are held in concentration camps without education, livelihood and freedom and made to beg for their food and clothing!!!
This shows the callous regard for suffering of the Tamils held by the majority of the people!!! They are more worried about which war criminal is going to win the election!!!!
May be the author should have said “grotesque, gruesome” to describe the war on the innocents!!!! Grotesque and Gruesome is nothing new to Sri Lanka!!! It happend several times since independence affecting all the communities in Sri Lanka!!!
Dear Venkai,
Please read Dr P. Jeganathan’s writings to enlighten yourself
Venkai,
Thanks for the comment, even though I don’t agree with much of what you’ve said. But on the issue of IDPs placed in the camps (according to you, in ‘concentration camps’), I would suggest that it may be useful to follow the views expressed by Sir John Holmes and the TNA MPs who visited certain camps, recently.
Yes – any type of war is always a grotesque, gruesome, affair. Just like terrorism, for instance. This I have never denied, and never will.
Heshan;
What is your opinion about Prabakaran & Pottu Amman? Do you consider them also as war criminals?
Venkai;
“Describing it as “miracle” where thousands of innocent civilians killed by bombing, starvation, depriving medicine and wanton destruction of billions worth of property, hope and livelihood is sickening!!!! As if this is not enough men,women and children are held in concentration camps without education, livelihood and freedom and made to beg for their food and clothing!!!
This shows the callous regard for suffering of the Tamils held by the majority of the people!!! They are more worried about which war criminal is going to win the election!!!!
May be the author should have said “grotesque, gruesome” to describe the war on the innocents!!!! Grotesque and Gruesome is nothing new to Sri Lanka!!! It happend several times since independence affecting all the communities in Sri Lanka!!!”
An excellent description of what happened to the Tamil people under Prabakaran. He kept the Tamil people as decribed above untill end of the war.
Kalana Senaratne,
We don’t know what John Holmes said in private!! May be he does not want to be called a “white tiger” and refused entry at the airport!!!! He has subtly told that the people need freedom of movement. It is a well known fact that IDPs are being transferred from Menik farm to other camps away from the eyes of the world in order to avoid pressure from EU, UN and other organizations!!! They are taken only to the selected camps. Even though they know the Govt’s duplicity they cannot do much as the Govt. has the standard claim that they are “infringing on their sovereignity”
If the govt. has nothing to hide, why did they not allow TNA MPs all this time? After all they are the elected representatives of these people.. Is there any explanation for allowing politicians from India to visit the camps?
For the TNA MPs there is also the fear of their lives. It is not a secret how several Tamil MPs and prominent Tamils and Sinhalese met their death in Sri Lanka!!!!
Most of these people in the camps are well to do, who had their houses and farms and some are professionals. Some of them have their siblings, parents, children who were prepared to take care of them. It is wrong to keep them in this condition and forced to beg for their food and essentials.
It is almost 6 months since the war ended. There is no talk about a political solution. Politicians are more worried about remaining in power than solving the problem. There is no leadership quality in any of the politicians in Sri Lanka. Common people have paid the price for this, but politicians have amassed wealth at the expense of the sufferings of the people!!!! There is no hope for Sri Lanka unless we get a leader who puts the welfare of the country above his/her personal gain!!!!!
Yapa,
“grotesque, gruesome” incidents surfaced in Sri Lanka long before the LTTE came into the scene!!!! Infact LTTE is the by-product of the organized pogroms against the Tamils in 1956, 1958, 1977, 1983 and there after that it became every day affair in Jaffna and other places where Tamils lived. Laws were enacted so that the security forces who were doing all the atrocities were committing them under the guise of PTA!!!! No punishment, no investigations. Even if they had investigations, it was sham investigations and nothing came out of it.
Yapa:
Prabhakaran is dead and gone. Whether he deserves punishment is a question of personal taste. Do you want to punish his ghost now?
Dear Venkai,
Probably you have not heard about the statement made by the TNA in Parliament thanking the Govt
You seem to be propagating LTTE propaganda, whats your purpose? Why did you not have this sympathy for the Vanni Tamils when Prabhakaran was chopping off their limbs and shooting them in the back as stated by Anna Marie Loos of Medicine Sans Frontiers?
Do you now that 2000 Kg of C4 was discovered just a couple of weeks ago?
Trying to get the Murderers hiding behind the Tamil civilians out before the 1 st of December when the camps become open camps?
Dear KS,
“…The thing with lawyers is that they know to break the law, legally!..”
I don’t agree on this statement.
There is no legal way of breaking the law.
They, probably, know how to tip the balance in favor of them.
Venkai:
Tamils are innocent as saints. Sinhalese are prawn to do wrong things by birth.
I think anybody with some brains will accept this marvelous theory! Ha!Ha!!
Heshan;
Some evidence show that still there are some iving ghosts of Prabakaran who are still plotting the same destruction to the Tamil people by trying to misguide them. Gods sake please let the people of this country live peacefully, keeping your distructive intelligence aside.
Dear Yapa:
You can fight the ghost forever, or let him rest in peace and move on. People need to imagine that life is possible without checkpoints, suicide bombers, soldiers everywhere, barbed wire, identity cards, and high security zones. Fear is for those with weak minds. One of my cousins held his & breath for 20 seconds & climbed out of the window of a flooded train during the tsunami – 1000 other people were not so lucky. There is NOTHING you can’t face without a strong mind.
Dear SomeOne,
True, and am aware of it, coming from a legal background! What I meant, of course, was what you have said. Sorry for the confusion.
@ Venkai,
The fact that there needs to be freedom of movement is understood. It need not have come from Sir JH’s mouth for the people to realise the importance of the freedom of movement anyway.
But on the issue of people begging for food and essential items etc. (as you claim) and what TNA thinks about it, one cannot raise the argument any further that the TNA MPs are making certain ‘govt-friendly’ statements simply due to security reasons. If then, you reach the point where you will have to agree with someone who claims that TNA MPs are a bunch of politicians not fit enough to represent the Tamil people anymore. So it is well to assess the public statements issued by TNA or others (such as JH) more rationally. And no one has claimed that things are perfect, now. There is ‘improvement’. And JH was in Sri Lanka not under the best of circumstances – only under ‘more positive circumstances’. So there is so much room for improvement, Venkai. But there is some progress.
I do agree, however, with the point you’ve raised about politicians in general – which I too raised in one of my comments above.
“The man is a lawyer by training. He is therefore cunning by nature.”
“…I very nearly spilt my tea over my keyboard reading this…”
Dear SomeWhatDisgusted,
Don’t run down Heshan like this.
I can tell you a story to illustrate this fact.
One day, a lawyer and a doctor met with an accident on the road.
Doctor started shivering.
Lawyer offered a drink to doctor and said “take this drink and you will be fine.”
Doctor accepted it and asked “why didn’t you take this drink?”
The lawyer replied “police will come in a minute. I’ll take after police come”
The moral of the story is that how hard for the doctor to tip the balance in favor of him, in case, if this case goes to the court.
Ps: Remember, the big judge is watching us all from above. Take it easy and have a nice day.
Dear SomeOne and SomewhatDisgusted:
I suppose you are rather limited in your knowledge of the English language. The fact that it is imprecise does not help products of standardization.
cun·ning (knng)
adj.
2. Executed with or exhibiting ingenuity.
2. Skill or adeptness in execution or performance; dexterity.
2 clever
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cunning
Dear Heshan,
Thank you for your comments.
The semantics of the statements and words is context sensitive.
You have come out with only 3 lines of descriptions.
However, you could find thousands of dictionaries on the web.
Unfortunately, we got only handful of knowledge.
No wonder why we are unable to come to a common ground.
Dear Someone, Heshan,
Someone, you have a point. Judgement from above does not concern me, but the truth does, and I do no like to see baseless assertions and invalid generalizations go unchallenged. But in that context, I agree that my last reply was pretty pointless (it was only meant in jest). My apologies to Heshan.
Dear SomeWhatDisgusted,
“…it was only meant in jest….” I knew it straight away.
We should have sense of humor.
We all need it (sense of humor) badly these days, I reckon.
This joke is not that harsh as you think.
Hope that Heshan will read the responses in good spirit.
I wish to reinforce what I said in my previous reply.
Language is only a medium which we use to convey the message across to one another.
Discussion of linguistic meaning of words and sentences which are taken out of context is not worth the time and effort.
In short, when we put any words (with similar meaning) to a context all those words mean one thing which is the message.
One the other hand, when we take a word out of a context it (one word) means many things which are useless.
Hope that you will catch what I am throwing.