We don’t need colonial powers meddling in Asia

10 June 2023 04:30 am - 15 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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In the aftermath of the breakup of the Soviet Union, the US assumed the role of the world’s sole super power. However the US efforts of world domination were challenged by a resurgent Russia and the rising economic cum military power of China in Asia.

In an effort to contain Russia the NATO military pact countries led by the US expand into countries which were once part of the old Soviet Union. Warnings that the move could lead to a tragedy were ignored. A coup in Ukraine overthrew the pro-Kremlin government and brought into power a pro-US regime which attempted to join the NATO bloc.

Claiming NATO was attempting to encircle Russia, President Putin described Ukraine’s entry into NATO as a red line and invaded the country on 24 February 2022. Rather than attempting to defuse the crisis, the US and NATO countries poured arms into Ukraine leading to the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine.

The West also attempted to punish and isolate Russia in the world of finance via sanctioning Russian banks and sale of Russian oil and gas. The sanctions backfired spectacularly.

The sanctioning of Russian banks and currency led to major economies including India, China Turkiye, Cuba and other countries entering into agreements with Russia to use each others currency, by-passing the dollar in trade deals.

Again, rather than the sale of Russian oil dropping after the US-NATO sanctions, more countries are purchasing Russian oil and gas. The ‘Daily Sabah’ reported Russia’s oil export revenues rose by $1.7 billion to $15 billion in April.

Data compiled by Bloomberg showed Saudi Arabia imported 174,000 barrels a day of the diesel and gasoil from Russia in April, and even more since.

On the other side of the world -in Asia- has seen the emergence of China the fastest growing economy in the world with one of the largest military budgets. It also has nuclear weapons and disputes with its many of its neighbours.

For over a century the US has been the world’s leading economy, but the BBC reported UK-based CEBR think tank forecast China will overtake the US to become the world’s largest economy by 2028, five years earlier than previously forecast

In the meantime the US national debt this year stands at US $ 31, 857,000,000 (US$ 31.8 trillion)! In an earlier era the extent of the US debt did not matter much as the US$ was the standard currency of exchange.

As ‘Forbes’ points out, it’s because US debts are denominated in dollars. As the sole manufacturer of dollars, whose debt is denominated in dollars, the U.S. government can never become insolvent as it simply prints the dollars required to pay off its debts!

Because of its position of world domination the US could also pressurize ‘lesser’ countries to do its bidding. This situation, has also changed. Most recently Saudi Arabia one of the closest allies of the US in the Gulf rejected a US demand it (Saudi) increase oil production to help bring world oil prices down and damage the Russian economy.

Today especially in the aftermath of the Ukraine war and with countries moving away from using the US$ as the base currency for trade, the US can no longer afford to print money to bridge its deficit. If it continues, it stands in danger of falling into bankruptcy.

Having failed in its strategy to crush Russia through the Ukraine war, the US is now upping the ante and attempting to entangle China in disputes with its neighbours who have disputes with that country.

The US as in the case of Ukraine, attempting to use Taiwan as it’s cat’s paw to enter into a conflict with Taiwan’s huge neighbour -China. At the same time the US is trying to draw other Asian countries to buy into its conflict with China.

It is attempting to form a NATO-like combine in the Asia region to confront China. A prime target is India. Fortunately India is wise to these tactics and has long stressed that the Indo-Chinese problem has existed for a long time and both countries are capable of settling their problems without the intervention of third parties.

Our own president has continually stressed that the countries of Asia must never allow big-power politics spill into the Indian ocean.

Asia has long suffered under the yoke of colonialism. We are quite capable of settling our problems. We do not need ex-colonial powers entering or meddling in Asian problems.

Comments - 15

German Saturday, 10 June 2023 11:43 AM

But we need the US meddling in Europe to protect us from Russia. It was not a coup by the way: the anti - Kremlin regime in Ukraine was elected democratically by the Ukrainian people for the obvious reasons. Like you democratically elected for Gotabaja massively. So where is your president? Zelensky heroically defends sovereign Ukraine.

Jaffna Tamil Saturday, 10 June 2023 01:30 PM

Are you trying to fool us or fool yourself ? Democratically elected pro Russian government in Ukraine was chased out of the country by street mobs who created riots and set fire to government buildings. Do you dare to deny this ? Then when anti Russian elements took control of the government, Putin reacted !. If Russians finance an anti American group to chase away the democratically elected government in Mexico , which boarders America, and take control of the country, WHAT WOULD AMERICA DO ?

Sokrates Saturday, 10 June 2023 03:20 PM

Jaffna Tamil. You need history class. The protests were sparked by President Viktor Yanukovych's sudden decision not to sign the European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement, despite Ukraine's parliament having overwhelmingly approved of finalizing the Agreement with the EU, which was also the wish of the majority of the population. Russia got involved and put pressure on Ukraine to reject it. Transparency International named Yanukovych as the top example of corruption in the world. Similar to Gota in Sri Lanka. In February 2014, Yanukovich's party lost parliamentary majority due to the resignations and defections of party members. Parliament removed the President. In early 2019, a Ukrainian court found Yanukovych guilty of treason. Yanukovych was also charged with asking Vladimir Putin to send Russian troops to invade Ukraine after he had fled the country. In 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky was elected with a landslide victory in a free democratic election. (Not like Ranil)

Dieter Ulrich, born in DDR Saturday, 10 June 2023 05:04 PM

# Jaffna Tamil: here we have very bad experiences with Russia. Did you hear about the Berlin wall, the iron curtain? We were locked up in the USSR for God sake. There is no comparison because Russia is not a democratic country and it never was.

P G Saturday, 10 June 2023 05:52 PM

@ Sokrates(German, Buffalocitizen,European,etc ) What you have written as your own comment is already in the internet, I have read it ,you have simply copied it and presenting it as your own thinking. Don’t do this and try to be HONEST!!!!!

German Saturday, 10 June 2023 07:01 PM

P G: you are right. I got this information from the free transparant press here. I copied the facts.

Mano Saturday, 10 June 2023 10:48 PM

@ Sokrates the German the Buffalocitizen etc etc: This is what you are doing all the time. You got caught this time but again you lying that it is from newspapers , no you copy from different right wing websites/Wikipedia etc and present them as your knowledge . You are a dishonest and “ no educated “ Sri Lankan using multiple names and saturating the daily mirror comment sections 24/7. Unlike you all other people who comment on daily mirror are educated and cultured. You copy other websites and make presentations defending the White Man( because you are a Christian ) and defending India ( because you are a up country Indian Tamil born in our tea estates ) and you are destroying the INTERGRITY of the Daily Mirror. Only thing you know are LTTE and obscure and old Tamil actors and MPs. And then you use you real name and write weekly column in the Daily Mirror. You are a shameless untrustworthy individual.

Fred Sunday, 11 June 2023 11:26 AM

To be more specific we do not want anyone meddling in our affairs colonial or otherwise, they could be in our backyard or elsewhere.Having said genuine assistance from friendly nations is welcome.But SL is in a mess run by the same folk who created the mess.Ranil appears to have brought some kind of stability but who benefits and at what cost.The sooner we take control of our own affairs the better.The country has to turn to its patriots for help before it runs to outsiders it probably needs elections to show its democratic face.Saying this with the best intentions of the country in mind

Volker Metzger Sunday, 11 June 2023 03:54 PM

Sri Lanka has now been independent for 75 years and should be very aware of the dangers of new dependencies and "claims to power", this time from the Asian side! The big question remains: how can such an independent (!?) policy be developed and implemented given the current political and economic uncertainties!

Volker Metzger Sunday, 11 June 2023 08:31 PM

This article and the comments are a "good"(!?) contribution that shows how different historical events and processes that actually took place appear, are judged and evaluated in the subjective perception of people! This applies in the present case, especially as far as Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is concerned and what role the USA play and should play in world politics in the future! Our human subjectivity and bias, often paired with ideological delusion and bias, blocks the most objective possible approach and realistic assessment of what really happened! A brief comment on the colonial past of Asia by European continental powers and their predatory excesses should be made using the example of Sri Lanka. From today's perspective, 300 years of colonial history have significantly and often in a destructive way shaped and changed the country, its culture and its people up to the present!

Volker Metzger Sunday, 11 June 2023 08:32 PM

Sri Lanka has now been independent for 75 years and should be very aware of the dangers of new dependencies and "claims to power", this time from the Asian side! The big question remains: how can such an independent (!?) policy be developed and implemented given the current political and economic uncertainties!

Sokrates Monday, 12 June 2023 10:09 AM

Dear PG/Mano. How can you be so stubborn as to believe news from obscure social media and government agencies? How can you get brainwashed so easily? Just a little common sense is enough to uncover these lies. But it is normal for Sri Lankans to fall conspiracy theories, as the cases of Dr Shafi and the Muslim Hotel in Galle have shown. There are 140 news agencies worldwide, only 20 of which are independent of state influence. The 3 biggest free are AP, Reuters and AFP which bring verified news. On the other hand, the 3 biggest lying agencies are Xinhua, Rossiya Sevodnja and Al Jazeera. The Russian military spokesman Igor Evgenyevich Konashenkov is currently spreading the biggest lies. If you believe these sources, there is no help for you. If one bring a well-founded comment, it is necessary to research facts in order not to publish untruths or half-truths, as you do. I am German living 30 years in SL. Unlike you semi-educated people, I have completed university with a doctorate.

Rohini Monday, 12 June 2023 08:21 PM

@ Sokrates, you making comments using different aliases 24 hours in the daily mirror is not consistent with anyone with “ sound mind” let alone university doctorate. You are ill and a pathological liar. You are destroying the Daily Mirror by filling the 90% of the comment sections everyday with the defence of the western world and India. This is Sri Lanka and the Daily Mirror is our paper for the Buddhists , Hindus , and Muslims. If you are a German then I must be an Eskimo.

A westerner by adoption Thursday, 15 June 2023 06:56 PM

If you don’t want colonial powers meddling in Asia, then don’t ask any help from them please.

Punchi Friday, 16 June 2023 03:42 PM

Japan attempted to establish a colonial empire and committed a lot of atrocities including the massacre and rape of Chinese in Nanking. A Malaysian gentleman who lived through the Japanese colonialization of Malaysia told me that initially they welcomed the Japanese. After the Japanese started committing atrocities including beheading at check points for not bowing deep enough they wanted the British back. Now the Japanese want the British, US, Australians to be tied with them and meddle ? in Asia

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We don’t need colonial powers meddling in Asia

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