Dada

Saw the Last King of Scotland a few weeks back. Forest Whittaker, playing Idi Amin, was brilliant. I had seen a documentary with original footage of Amin, and Whittaker managed to have the same mixture of maniacal-comical charisma. I wonder whether they added the white Scottish doctor to help western audiences identify with the situation. That’d be sad. The Last King reminded me of how valuable democratic space is, even the modicum available in Sri Lanka. It’s easy to take the machinery used to fight abuse of power (courts, enforceable rights, free media…) for granted, but life without it is sick, fearful and without dignity.

I feel a little uncomfortable with people who are very very confident about life. For some reason it makes me think that they haven’t yet seen how the world can burn you. No matter how well adjusted/clever/powerful you are there’s always the chance that you will one day be helpless, naked and screaming in the mud. Like the many victims of Amin’s regime. The best we can do is to fight for and protect the safeguards we are entitled to, and have some humility.