Insight

Insight
The meaning of insight in medical terms is  powerful.
In psychiatric terminology one who has lost insight to his or her predicament is actually has a major psychiatric disorder.
 

It is the marker of insanity.
 

Most of the other disorders with insight into the plight of an individual in a given stressful situation are minor psychiatric disorders.
In depressive illnesses, one who has lost insight to the given predicament is said to have Endogenous Depression.

One who has insight into the predicament is called Reactive Depression.
 

Insight into a scientific problem is what propels the science forward.
 

What it means is given a certain scientific problem, one has to delve into its core and bring out a meaningful explanation for the occurrence of a particular phenomenon.
Often there are no measurements or data.
A hypothesis is developed to explain the phenomenon and thereafter it is tested for its validity.
 

Insight by its nature predates the hypothesis.
 
Insight can be of used outside the scientific arena and may herald clever resolution of complicated conflicts, especially political. 

We could say Nelson Mandela’s approach to apartheid showed his mature political insight.

International Labour Organization

 This is just a reminder to NPP how ILO works in global sphere.

Some guys are talking about disbanding Worker Unions.

Remember the American contribution, in early stages of Labour Movement.

Read the piece "England, the Labour Stalwarts and the Decline of Labour Principles" in this blog site.

International Labour Organization

As the ILO celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2019, it is timely to reflect on the many life-changing events which are linked to the ten decades of ILO History.
The Organization has played a role at key historical junctures – the Great Depression, decolonization, the creation of Solidarność in Poland, the victory over apartheid in South Africa – and today in the building of an ethical and productive framework for a fair globalization.
 

It was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles  that ended World War I, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice.

 
The Constitution of the ILO was drafted in early 1919 by the Labour Commission, chaired by Samuel Gompers, Head of the American Federation of Labour (AFL) in the United States. 

It was composed of representatives from nine countries: Belgium, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The process resulted in a tripartite organization, the only one of its kind, bringing together representatives of governments, employers and workers in its executive bodies.
The driving forces for the ILO's creation arose from security, humanitarian, political and economic considerations. The founders of the ILO recognized the importance of social justice in securing peace, against a background of the exploitation of workers in the industrializing nations of that time.

There was also increasing understanding of the world's economic interdependence and the need for cooperation to obtain similarity of working conditions in countries competing for markets.

 
Reflecting these ideas, the Preamble of the ILO Constitution states:
Whereas universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice.
And whereas conditions of labour exist involving such injustice, hardship and privation to large numbers of people as to produce unrest so great that the peace and harmony of the world are imperiled; and an improvement of those conditions is urgently required.
Whereas also the failure of any nation to adopt humane conditions of labour is an obstacle in the way of other nations which desire to improve the conditions in their own countries.
The areas of improvement listed in the Preamble remain relevant today, including the regulation of working time and labour supply, the prevention of unemployment and the provision of an adequate living wage, social protection of workers, children, young persons and women. 

The Preamble also recognizes a number of key principles, for example equal remuneration for work of equal value and freedom of association, and highlights, among others, the importance of vocational and technical education.

 
Early years
The ILO moved to Geneva in the summer of 1920, with France's Albert Thomas as its first Director. 

Nine International Labour Conventions and 10 Recommendations were adopted in less than two years. 

These standards covered key issues, including
 

hours of work,
 

unemployment,
 

maternity protection,
 

night work for women,
 

minimum age and
 

night work for young persons


ILOSTAT 2023 global estimate

Global labour figures at a glance
1. Labour force participation rate                60.8%
2. Unemployment rate                                       5.1%
3. Working poverty                                            6.4%

Labour statistics play an essential role in the efforts of member States to achieve decent work for all and for the ILO's support of these efforts.
These statistics are needed for the development and evaluation of policies towards this goal and for assessing progress towards decent work. They are also an important tool for information and analysis, helping to increase understanding of common problems, explain actions and mobilize interest.

 

Reproduction

 

 

Queensland of Australia had local elections and the winning party had four themes.

 

Youth crime

Health

Housing

Cost of Living

 

I followed Australian politics for long time and I am a down to earth  Labour supporter but Labour lost but it has 45% of the voter base. 

But the Federal Government is Labour.

Australia has many problems and they do not address them.

1. Obesity

 

2. Alcoholism (major cause of traffic accidents and youth crimes)

 

Ceylon has an alcohol crisis, a guy asking money for quarter bottle from Ranajan Ramnayake is genuine.

 

Bottom line is Ranjan Ramanayke did not know the price of a quarter bottle and dispensed Rs.500/= to the guy. 

It used to be Rs.550/= and one has to give an empty bottle to get Rs.50/= rebate. 

That is long time ago well before elections.

It must be much more, now.

This is what happens one become a film star cum politician, they forget grassroots.

 

I used to buy a quarter bottle for one of my alcoholic friends and last time I bought a Free Quarter Bottle, I told him, if the price goes up, I will not be his friend any more.

I wanted to wean him off and I miserably failed. 

I was planning a send off and invited a few friends for drink at Silverdale Hotel, in Kandy. 

One guy came late, probably wife had told him not to join us. I sensed it (I was not short of cash) and we had a good cup of Mesna Tea. 

In fact, it was Mesna Tea Pot.

 

There is no Mesna Tea in Australia and I really miss Mesna Tea.

I promote Ceylon Tea for many many years. 

I have stopped carrying Ceylon Spices away (except cinnamon) and only carry Ceylon Tea as a gift. 

 

I have forgotten how much Tea in Kg one is allowed at the Airport.

 

I am off alcohol thanks to late Mangala Samaraweera, the day he raised TAXES, I had my last Wine (usually two pegs but 4 on that day and bar attendant also had one) Peg. 

 

Never Pol Arrack (I hate its smell) but  VSOA was my favourite.

 

Gin and Tonic was my favourite over a game of billiards or snooker.

 

Luckily, I had published my book on "Joys of Alcohol" on Amazon   (it is selling well) but I did not include these real life stories.

 

3. Immigration, especially Chinese taking over of, not  only restaurants but small businesses.

 

4. If one looks at the Universities the percentage of Chinese students (Universities do not have money, so they encourage paid students from aboard) is increasing at an alarming rate.

 

These Chinese guys have more rights than Australian Aborigines.

 

That is my bone of contention.

What is the States of Aborigines?

5. In heavy machinery, Australia still depends on United Kingdom and American Amazon for technological stuff.

 

Less I talk about technology in Ceylon better it is.

6. How to solve the Debt crisis.

Nobody has a solution.

America has a big Debt Crisis going into trillions.

 

Australia is also heading for Financial crisis.

Human Dimension, Open Inquiry and Quality of Information

Human Dimension, Open Inquiry and Quality of Information

This piece is based on Open Inquiry envisaged by Kalama Sutta of Lord Buddha. 

Lord Buddha when asked by Kalama "Who is telling the Truth", of course Kalama having listened to many opinions in circulation, gave him several qualifications, before accepting something as plausible. 

Buddhist monks of yesteryear had expanded the qualifications to 10 but I say unlike monks Buddha never counted his fingers when dispensing a valid question. 

He was brief and precise. 

Buddha was very good at counter questioning, too. 

I have a longer piece here in this blog, on Kalama Sutta and you are free visit. 

Before validating Quality of Information, healthy dose of skepticism and a liberal sprinkle of satire are fundamental in this cyberspace.

In a scientific sense, Data become garbage and statistical analysis becomes random manipulation, as required by the corporate needs.

Coronavirus and Big Pharma are current examples.

My book, "Coronavirus Who  cheated us Locally and Globally" was published with that sense of skepticism and satire.

It took sometime for the global community to be aware and wide awake with current events.

If the sale of the book was an indicator of "Open Inquiry" my humble attempt was a success.

The Human Dimension was tragic reminder of the insensitivity of the CDC hierarchy of the American Scientific System wrapped in corruption.

Death due to vaccine far exceeded the number of death due to virus itself.
That is a human tragedy.

It will take sometime for the scientific community to gather any form of credibility in the minds of average citizens.

The role of media was bizarre.

No point crying over proverbial spilled milk.

It is now sour anyway.

The premise here is that American Administration does not want it citizens to be Free Inquiring. 

Free Inquiry is not in the American genes. 

Americans should always swallow what the government is saying as the gullible truth. 

1. Ukraine is winning. 

2. We are a democracy. 

3. Russia is no military power. 

4. Zelensky is clean and he never smoked stuff. 

5. We do not employ "Truth Embargo". 

6. Alien visitation was simple imagination. 

7. Bob Lazar was a fictional guy and was clueless in physics. 

This list is endless and I will leave at lucky number 7.

England, the Labour Stalwarts and the Decline of Labour Principles

 Reproduction

England, the Labour Stalwarts and the Decline of Labour Principles

Before I forget I have to jot down three names.

Not in order of preference or priorities.

Mind you I was a Labour sympathizer, then.

Not any longer.
No politics of conviction.
No religious affiliation not even academic conviction having not-registered as a practitioner in Ceylon over 20 years.

1. Arthur Scargill was a coal miner who became the Labour Union Leader.

He was personally persecuted by Mrs.Thather whom I disliked very much.

He disappeared from the scene with the money and came back to fight legal battles both within and outside the Labour Party.

He lives in recluse now rarely appearing in public.

2. Ken Livingstone was a labour union leader who became the Mayor of London.

He started as a Council Member of Greater London and became the Mayor of London when that institution was formed.

3. Tony Benn was a labour activist and an excellent orator who imparted some religious favour to his convictions.

4. In this category Neil Kinnock was almost a total failure and lost 4 times to conservatives and remained as an amiable opposition leader to the liking of the conservatives.

5. Tony Blair who remained as a PM for 10 years tried to modernize the party and his "look like conservative party" has ruined it to the core.

6. Jerome Corbyn who inherited this legacy could not reform it to the current needs of the middle class and shifted towards the left and immigrants instead of the British Base.
Less I talk of current Mayor of London, Khan is better for British Labour enthusiasts. 

He is hanging on doing nothing of substance but he would be ousted by a real Labour guy (like what Ken Livingstone did decades ago).

7. Keir Starmer is the ideal choice for the labour party to come out of the wood and lead a possible victory within a short time. 

 

I have to revise my opinion below and he is a War Monger (against Labour Policies) and supporting War in Ukraine. 

He is an American stooge now.

He is smart.
He is intelligent.
He is not eloquent (unlike the oratory of the past without tangible actions).

He has the first hand experience in prosecution and should expose (no need to prosecute and an average intelligent British citizen would do that for him when the time is right)  the current wheeler dealer goons around the Conservative Party.

In fact, Conservative party members are already doing that for him.

Why waste energy but activate the young grass root level enthusiasts.

He has to extract the intent, purpose and  how the corruption insinuate even at health institutions dealing with Coronavirus.

Be patient but onslaught should be targeted and the conservative are corrupt to the core by nature unlike real labour activists.

I do not like the word socialists.

People are not equal but different at all levels but bringing them together with a common bond (every life young or old deserves dignity) is what an astute politician should do.

He should shun the paedophiliacs and sexually disoriented guys hiding behind the political garbs.

One caveat here in this country people appoint the most corrupt to the highest office and the parliament and they scratch their backs within 24 of declaration of the poll count.

There are lot of Asians including Ceylonese who have come to UK with their trade marks of "absolute corruption is the only way forward".

That will be the path (absolute corruption) for UK, if Conservatives remain any longer.

Do not take this as a wishful political thinking but a common sense approach to any human endeavour including mitigating the pandemic and it's effect on an average guy.

They have no money in their hands and living on "hand to mouth existence'.

I saw this in 1970s in Ceylon and history repeats itself with only a little difference, democracy is shutdown totally and a dictatorship has come to stay with the blessing of corrupt Sangha, for 5 years at least.

He is not answerable even to the Almighty.

People are STUPID after all, all the time!

How to use a dead soldier's cellphone

How to use a dead soldier's cellphone 

This is not in any way to help Russian War machine.

They may already have a solution up their sleeves. 

 

I have not yet, figured out how to use a dead man's email. 
This is on the same line.

After all CIA manufactured cellphone to snooze the entire world.

Dead man is dead but his cellphone needs only recharging (if the cellphone is destroyed, get Google to activate, another on his name. Google cannot verify one is dead or not) and if a SMS is sent stating     "I am not dead yet but fighting from heaven " .

Americans have to upgrade the dead list using OPEN AI, in a new" neither dead nor living category ".

Americans can be fooled just by a simple SMS.

If the Russians are crafty they can place the dead cellphones in an ideal locations to luver Ukrainians but really Polish soldiers to rein in to the designated locations and the Russians can smash them with a simple strategic artillery and thereby saving big pieces for the winter onslaught.

Ukrainians will have only winter clothing but no ammunition made in Americas, come deep into winter.

Reflection on Death Squads

Reflection on Death Squads

It started with saving our elephants from political goons that include Buddhist monks.

I am totally against parading elephants on Kandy streets.

It is inhumane.

Elephants belong to the jungle, not the temples.

When vehicles were hard to come by the elephants were the beast of burden.

Now that we have huge vehicles belonging to politicians and tuition masters, Buddhist relics could be transported and paraded by the official vehicles of the parliamentarians.

Poor wild beast can be spared.

What is called the "New Culture" is the invention of Buddhist radicals!

By the way, "Old Culture' has disappeared leaving only the remnant of its artifacts, for the archaeologists.

Easily 250 vehicles could be paraded every year in Kandy displaying Buddhist relics. 

Now that Sirasa is almost banned what is left of  Indian Maharaja Organization can sponsor this event.
 

They can even sponsor some Indian Bollywood guys to chaperon the Diya Wadana Nilme, on either side, instead of elephants.

That would be an instant crowd puller.

By the way, all high priests of big temples have their own luxury vehicles (quite against, Lord Buddha's teaching) to boast about.

Monks ideally should parade streets on foot, for a single meal, but not on vehicles!

Giving a vehicle to a monk is a political bribe.

Instead of allowing sons of political heavy weights practicing road races in Kandy, poor citizens would be rejoiced to see, the politicians who did not have a push bike before entering the parliament drive their own cars, as a public display of their gratitude to the STUPID Voters who rocketed them to parliament and to sky high places.

No Sri-Lankan elephant should be gifted to any world zoo for public display.

Our hashish (ganja) growers have invaded their habitat.

Wild elephants going rampage on border villages was inevitable.

We should stop these "Elephant Death Squads".

I do not mind having "two legged" elephant death squads, come next round of elections.

This preamble is to illustrate I was against any form killing from my childhood.

Having spent few cockroaches and frogs and toads for A Level practicals, I vouched not to kill any including snakes of many kinds.

By the way, the name Anaconda is derived from a snake named Ana Konda (means broken backbone) a large species gone extinct  whose attacks were vicious according to British explorers of early 1800s before eventual capture of Kandy or Senkadagala.

Kandy comes from Kanda or hill city.

Having encountered a few cobras in very close encounters, I fear cobras a lot.

In fact, I have grown a few "Spirit Plants" to deter them who come for water during the dry season.

I am not sure how effective the "Spirit Plant" is?

In a different note,  I was 4th on the List of Deaths of the DJVP created by RAW of India and financed by none other than CIA.

I was in the death list for no valid reason.

I was working to save life when DJVP declared all hospitals should be closed.

I did not close our hospital run by IIMI.

I moved out of sight, secretly the day before the probable attack on me.

Family was sent home, weeks before.

By the way, I treated many DJVP guys without charge, fleeing from army cordon and search operations with barbed wire injuries on their backs.

One day, I walked 7 kilometers from Kandy city to our home, in the darkness of the night.

Having returned home from Colombo, I used to walk home nearly 2 kilometers, since all the local buses were not plying then and there were no three wheeler vehicles.

Even though, I was cautious, I never feared anybody.

I never trusted police.

One day, I walked home from the Faculty of Medicine and noticed an unusual gathering near the petrol station.

I doubled down and walked quickly home.

Minutes after I returned home, I got a telephone message that an army guy protecting the petrol station was shot down by the JVP (Galkatas guy).

I was able to make a small team of civilian informers to get vital information on both sides to avoid any confrontation.

Of course. I  had direct confrontation of over 80 armed DJVP guys surrounding my residence from the front entrance.

I did not know the whole village was hiding behind my residence on the same night thinking DJVP guys would not come to my house.

They told me when I inquired them the next morning.

What a coincidence?

Immediately foreign staff was sent Hotel Galadhari and our operations were halted abruptly.

I stayed behind until all the computers were transferred  to Colombo safety.

One day, wife and I went to Colombo for some VISA formalities. 

At the bus stand I had the premonition that something is going to happen.

I chased a Kandy bound bus taking off and for our luck the driver slowed down for us to alright.

The driver too, wanted to get out of Colombo as soon as he could.

Minutes later LTTE bomb blasted, at Borella Junction.

We heard the bomb blast in the background, and we were minutes away from the bus stand.

I did not have any fear but traveling by any mode of vehicle was a risk, since orders were to "open shoot" any suspicious moving object.

The "Counter Death Squad" of Senior Premadasa amounted to 138 bodies (in one day) in the locality where I was posted.

I saw 15 of them scattered on a major junction for public display.

Some bodies were dumped to the Mahaweli River.

The rotten bodies were visible.

Later they dumped a few crocodiles from downstream of Mahiyanganaya  to devour them.

I do not believe they came up the river for dead bodies.

One cannot raw dinghies on this stretch of the river Mahaweli.

These crocodile are man eaters.

By the way, Mahiyanganaya is the first place Buddha visited according to folklore.

These are not hearsay but real events.

During Sirima's time over 6000 undergraduates were rounded up.

I am not sure how many were killed.

If one studies, the absentee list of undergraduates in all the universities, one can have a rough estimate of the total killed.

Lionel Bopage who is now in Australia may have some revealing statistics.

Unknown to me JVP hid their explosives on the ceiling of our room 11.
They also, tipped off the army to my room.
Sure enough they came and tapped the door of our room.
They found the explosives.

Luckily for me lieutenant who lead the team was one of my colleague mates.

He wanted some names.

In private, I  told him (I knew the JVP boys), I do not want to take that risk.

He understood and none from Arunachellum was rounded up.

I never met him again and I heard he retired as a brigadier.

Not only Tamil boys but Sinhala boys were taken in by the army, only on suspicion.

I lost respect for armed forces early in my life.

History repeats they say.

Black Cats, Yellow Cats and Green Cats with different NEW brand names would emerge in Ceylon, yet again.

But in Ukraine it would be All AI and no humans.

The soldiers are going to be fodder for the laser focused AI guns and artillery.

What an IRONY?

EPF and ETF Contributions

The EPF (15) and ETF (4) are very important monetary instruments created by late T.B. Illangaratne. 

 

His insight to problems of working class was monumental. 

 

He created the Ceylon Insurance Corporation,too.

When I was attached to the University, my contribution was about 10% (total with University contribution was 25%). 

My time in the university was very short but I had reasonably good amount at the time of retirement. 

 

Unlike in the private sector, a guy who leaves the university could withdraw this money before the age of 55 years.

This peace is about the ordinary guys and girls who work in the private sector. 

Private Sector guys (Navaloka Hospital for example) do not fill the B form and discharge workers after one year in service

He or she cannot obtain it until the age of 55 years.

This money until then is invested and managed by an efficient team in the past.

The employer contribution is 13.5% currently. 

I do not know about the workers contribution.

Under MJ/GR a certain portion of this money was invested on their shoddy private projects. 

In other words, these guys stole the money belonged to the poor workers.

I believe some of these institutions have already gone bankrupt.

The present government under RW is trying to destroy these assets by investing on shoddy projects without protection from the Central Bank.

When they go bankrupt, I believe the employers get a cut and those workers, under 55 get nothing.

The money or contribution of the worker is gobbled by some political guy or girl as a loan facility which is never paid pack.

Big investors are protected by default but the ignorant worker is invariably swindled.

This is where trade unions are important. 

Trade Unions should place a collateral investment against its member and should take over the money belonging to the worker under 55 (institution going bankrupt) on his or her behalf as long as he or she has contributed the annual membership fee.

They should intervene on behalf of the worker and the money should be saved in wirker's name. 

Like what we had in the university the member should have the right to withdraw money in case of collapse or bankrupt.

These political guys are crooks,

My daughter's money  in a saving bank account was stolen by Chandrika for her election campaign, (election second time round).

Unfortunately Central Bank is on the side of the crooks.

BEWARE!