[hliyan]

Reminscient of Sri Lanka in 2022 (I was there). The lack of petrol and powercuts were the straw that broke the back of a camel that had been overburdend for several decades. Foreign "experts" and "analysts" trying to make sense of these events often sound either hilarious or condescending to locals who are living through them.

[graemep]

I was thinking exactly the same. I was not there at the time, but I have family there and have lived there.

It was amazing how many people who were not usually politically active joined the protests, and that they attracted support across racial divisions.

I think one of the problem with outside experts is that they try to reframe it in terms of the issues in their countries. For example, I have read articles trying to use Sri Lanka's excessive borrowing as a warning against modern monetary theory, which is either dishonest or incompetent - and I very much doubt the govt were even thinking in terms of MMT.

BTW I have probably met you at some point. I know Gehan from when i worked at Millennium (I was only there about an year).

[Yeul]

Sri Lanka was borrowing from China and as you know China is the big enemy of the West.

The fact that Western countries aren't investing in Sri Lanka is always conveniently ignored. The CCP aren't geniuses they just fill a vacuum.

[hliyan]

Here's another example of what I mentioend in the grandparent post. Geopolitical misconceptions about West vs. China aside, the debt proportion held by China vs. ISB holders could have been easily looked up online.