US President Ronald Regan was considered the most powerful leader by many with the fall of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s. By 2023 a government shutdown in the USA was being discussed & some analysts were talking of a 90% chance. The Congress had to draw a line on midnight 30^th September to prevent nearly 3.5 million federal employees being sent on unpaid leave. In other words the US Senate on September 30^th approved a 45 day stopgap funding bill to prevent a federal government shutdown enabling federal agencies to function till November. This includes a USD $ 16 billion for disaster relief with nothing to fuel fights in Ukraine. Nearby on Canadian soil, public response to the Ukrainian leader also indicates the global human disliking of funding conflicts (Ref Media). If USA (at least) with the fall of USSR stopped funding global conflicts true to the meaning “global policeman”, present developments wouldn’t have occurred. USA should ask its citizens if they should take the Chinese approach of win – win cooperation to prevent a future government shutdown.

IMF Assistance

After dropping the Atom bombs to flatten rising Japan in Asia, US managed to end WWII & extended the Marshal plan to help Europe recover. According to analysts while fueling conflicts globally, US contributed to establish the International Monetary Fund (IMF) & the World Bank which is still used positively by the weaker with maturity to manage their finances. The US support to assembly the world to create the UN is also a noble act for global humanity. UN general assembly gathers in September each year in New York & late PM SWRD Bandaranaike was shot after he incapacitated himself by signing the letter handing power to W. Dahanayake to fly to NY to attend the session in September 1959.

1956 SWRDB administration introduced many management changes & mixed views still exist on increased wastage & inefficiency after nationalizing enterprises such as the port, transport & energy etc. The undecided may feel that some in robes tried slowing the process not since nationalizing reduced their income but since nationalizing wasn’t a practice even during the time of the Buddha (2550 years back). Those focusing on human resource development may think that 1956 policies would have been a great success if SL had a far sighted disciplined workforce. Nationalizing schools may have had an impact on producing such a workforce & SL is still with mixed feelings working hard to manage its income & expenditure.  Many migrate while others get angry when lenders advice on how to be efficient. Many who say NO to IMF don’t say yes when asked if they have alternatives. The public should not embrace shortsighted practices at this moment & learn from other success stories. SL should use tools such as the Belt & Road to make the safety net proposed by IMF to protect the vulnerable as the IMF is also positive about the dynamic economic developments in Asia lead by China, India & the ASIAN powers. Below proposals by IMF should be taken seriously. Such will help SL turnaround with or without IMF.

1. Strong social safety nets to protect poor.
2. Reform & increase state income channels.
3. Restructure loans.
4. Flexible exchange rates to increase investments.
5. Reduce corruption & reform governance to reduce wastage.

(Views expressed are personal).