Those who watched the Socialist Equality Party online election launch in Sri Lanka last Sunday sent enthusiastic comments to the WSWS.

Ruchira Madhawa, a contract teacher from Colombo, said: “Nothing can be solved on the basis of private property. That’s what this coronavirus pandemic has proven. In this devastating situation, the capitalist class has put all of its efforts into protecting the profit system.

“Why is the capitalist world unable to save the lives of the public even though it possesses such technology and more than sufficient wealth for that? It is because everything is decided according to the profit interests of the capitalist class. The WSWS has provided many articles explaining this. I joined the SEP election meeting today because I agree with its perspective.

“The media, which is aligned with the police-military crackdown, is pointing fingers at the people, but there’s no word about the difficulties that people are really facing. Instead of the masses being locked-up and confined, we must find a way to mount an effective struggle by building up the solidarity of the working class.”

Dineth Jayakody, a University of Colombo graduate, said: “This pandemic has proven that the nation-state system is not rational anymore. Separate national policies collide with globalisation and the money spent by all the countries in the world, under the pretext of national security, is more than enough to solve the problems of the people. This becomes very clear to us when we read the WSWS.

To cope with this epidemic we have to work in a scientific way and it has to be global. The problem is that every country is now trying to develop a failed national effort. Instead, according to the perspectives of the International Committee of the Fourth International, what is necessary is a World United Socialist Federation, which would serve for the betterment of the working class.”

Sameera Samarakoon, a quantity surveyor, commented: “Capitalist countries can boast about making enormous developments, but the coronavirus disaster shows that workers and the oppressed masses do not enjoy these developments.

“The government has called for the removal of the curfew from time to time so people can buy essential commodities, but how many families in the country don’t have enough money to buy food for even two days? All you need to do is give the people everything they need and conduct an island-wide test to identify infected people. The capitalist system, however, cannot even think of such a thing.

“Food, medicine, and all other essential goods are made by workers, who really should own them. But the capitalists, when they are in trouble, are not ready to give anything for free. That’s the irrationality of capitalism.”

Prasanthi, a housewife from Kandy, said: “I watched the SEP meeting because there’s no other movement that accurately describes the destruction that has taken place. The capitalist rulers are trying to get out of this viral crisis by sacrificing the lives of workers and the oppressed.

“The lives of the people are saved by the sacrifices made by doctors and other workers in health and other essential services. But what they don’t have is the power to use the wealth accumulated in the hands of the capitalists for the sake of social need. The working class must fight for that.”

Commenting on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse leaders’ summit on March 24, she said: “In this situation, every section of the bourgeois ruling class is afraid of the mounting opposition of the masses. As a result, the parties have come together to save the capitalist system.”

Sohan Tissera, a young worker who moved to Italy from Sri Lanka, is currently confined with five other workers in his apartment in Lombardy and faces serious dangers. He commented that he has experienced firsthand the enmity of the entire nation-state system to the working class.

“Switzerland, where the United Nations Human Rights Council is located, is the first country that closed its border. No help has been given to Italy from any country in the region. Neither the European Union, nor any other organisation in this area, has shown any interest in Italy. Workers are very angry about the situation and there are plans for big protests. There will be a lot of revolutionary upheavals in the future.”

S. Santhirapalan, from Vavuniya in northern Sri Lanka, wrote: “The speech by Wije Dias focused on the spread of the coronavirus. No other political party has put forward such a perspective. He explained that capitalism is waging war on society.

“World capitalism is spending large sums of money to fight war and strengthen the military, but it is not willing to allocate the necessary funds for health care. The result is the inability to control disasters such as the coronavirus. The bourgeois states are now attempting to exploit the situation. People are dying, but all the capitalists care about is profits.”