Recently, I was referred to in a social media post with a word I hadn't heard of. It turned out to be an awfully violent one aimed at Indians. I am not Indian, but I guess that shows how much local racists know about South Asia.
What I found more worrying was the permissive environment on social media for sharing racist discourse, with no discernible pushback. That worry, in turn, is anchored to my home country, its present condition and how it got there.
Many in Sri Lanka today can now afford to eat just one meal a day. People have died in the huge queues for gas, petrol or diesel. Schools are closed. Hospitals have run out of essential medicines. The economy has completely disintegrated. The resulting impact will be intergenerational.
Covid-19 saw the collapse of Sri Lanka's tourist trade - one of its biggest foreign currency earners - although it had already started to trail off following the Easter 2019 bombings. But economic mismanagement and corruption are also to blame for the country's debt-driven dilemma. It's no surprise that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country before resigning and losing his immunity from prosecution.
All of this is a Google search away, and it is heartbreaking.
Denne historien er fra August 6 - 12, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra August 6 - 12, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
