Archive for February, 2011

Gonzi jħammar wiċċ Makjavelli

February 20, 2011

MakjaGonzi?

Illum Lawrence Gonzi mar sal-Kazin Nazzjonalista ta’ H’Attard kompla jikkonferma li mhux vera li huwa mexxej li jemmen f’stil gdid ta’ politika. Fis-soltu battibekki kretini bejn l-Labour u l-PN, Gonzi qalilna li ‘fiz-zmien opportun’ se jghidilna ghaliex il-mistoqsija ta’ referendum probabbli fuq id-divorzju m’ghandhiex tkun dwar il-ligi mressqa fil-Parlament minn Deputat Nazzjonalista. Ovvjament fil-glieda tribali ta’ pajjizna importanti hafna li jwahhal f’Muscat. M’inix interessat f’dan il-loghob tal-vavi li jiehu gost bihom hafna Lawrence Gonzi u l-akkolti tieghu, bhal ma jinteressanix mill-emails u messaggi minn xi erbgha Laburisti iffissati li kitbuli li jmissni nisthi nikkontradixxi lill-‘kbir u gharef mexxej’. Tiskanta kif ‘bicca’ blog iqajjem reazzjonijiet ta’ rabja fis-suldati tal-landa tal-partiti l-ohra.

L-ahjar haga kienet tkun li l-pozizzjoni ta’ kull partit dwar suggett li ilu gej u sejjer fuq l-agenda tal-pajjiz ghal dawn l-ahhar decennji, tkun cara u msemmija fil-manifesti rispettivi. Hlief AD, l-ohrajn qatt ma kellhom il-bajd li jaghmlu hekk. Dwar in-nuqqas ta’ sinsla tal-Partit Laburista, li qed jirriskja jaghti rebha f’referendum lill-konservattivi li ma jimpurthomx mill-wegghat tan-nies, diga ktibt. In-Nazzjonalisti min naha l-ohra ghamlu snin twal jilghabu biss ghall-gallarija. Fit-tmeninijiet saru moviment nazzjonali li gabar lil hafna nies taht l-umbrella taghhom kontra l-eccessi ta’ Mintoff. Ovvjament dan swielhom ta’ vantagg kbir elezzjoni wara ohra. It-tahwid fid-distretti u sistema elettorali zoppa kompliet tghinhom. Minn din il-kwestjoni tad-divorzju izda, iz-zejt tela’ f’wicc l-ilma: minkejja l-kitba tal-apologisti, minkejja t-teatrini ta’ xi zewg attivisti Nazzjonalisti, issa huwa car daqs il-kristall li l-Partit Nazzjonalista huwa l-partit tal-konservattivi, ta’ dawk li jridu jilhqu salib haddiehor. Min jghid li l-PN mhux konservattiv ghandu bzonn jqum mir-raqda.

 Ovvjament fl-istil konservattiv, fejn jidhlu l-flus jaghlqu ghajnejhom it-tnejn: jaghtu vantaggi finanzjarji lil-kumpaniji tal-loghob tal-azzard fuq l-internet, kandidat taghhom jirraprezenta kumpanija li tigbor il-flus tas-siti pornigrafici, hawdu tahwida meta hallew hwienet tal-loghob jinbtu bhal faqqiegh madwar il-pajjiz kollu, jimxu b’pass ta’ nemla fuq suggetti bhal childcare, tishih ta’ strutturi li jippromwovu l-fostering ta’ tfal li ghandhom bzonn familja li thobbhom ecc. Lawrence Gonzi gie H’Attard. Il-parti l-kbira tan-nies fil-kazin kienu l-entourage tieghu. Il-parti l-kbira tan-nies ta’ H’Attard huma nies li jahsbu b’mohhhom, ovvjament dawn ma kienux hemm.

Il-priedki tal-Prim, patronizzanti qiesu qed ikellem lit-tfal zghar huma insult – l-adulti jafu jahsbu b’rashom. Imma Lawrence jigi jaqa’ u jqum. Il-manuvri tieghu dwar id-divorzju ihammru wicc Makjavelli. Il-Maltatoday ikkwotat ukoll mid-diskors ta’ David Casa. Tant kien patetiku li lanqas haqq l-energija biex nikkritikah m’ghandi!

Fl-istess hin, waqt li ghaddej tat-tahwid kollu, il-Lawrence Gonzi u l-partit tieghu qed jahdmu fuq ligi tal-koabotazzjoni. L-ipokrezija ta’ dawn in-nies ma titwemminx. Fl-ahhar minn l-ahhar dawn it-tip ta’ politici iridu n-nies.

PLPN: Il-partiti konservattivi Maltin…

February 20, 2011

Id-divorzju, il-Partit L… u l-Partit N…

February 16, 2011

On again, off again. Kummenti ohra superfluwi…

Liliput and Chris Said’s tunnel…

February 13, 2011

It seems that we have entered a new phase in politics. Some are so desparate that they are resorting to promoting silly, ridiculous and Lilliputian ideas. Of course some will swallow empty promises line, hook and sinker. The latest and silliest of ideas is the Malta-Gozo tunnel. Chris Said, probably bending over backwards to unseat the current reigning monarch, Giovanna the first, queen of Gozo, has even put a price to the fantastic project, 150 million Euros. People in the know mention a billion Euros as a more likely price tag. Joseph Muscat, eager not to be outdone by the Nationalists reminds us that Labour was the frist to propose such a silly idea. He even resorts to Lilliputian nationalism, saying that ‘Gozitans will decide’. I had thought Malta and Gozo are one country, electing one parliament, with citizens paying taxes to one republic. Maybe KMB’s independence proposal has gone through without me realising it.

Comparisons to the Copenhagen-Malmo tunnel and bridge made by some are ridiculous given the millions of people and the fact that it is two countries which are connected, not to mention the vast distances of travel. A 25 minute ferry crossing does not justify the waste of money being proposed.

What is even more ridiculous in the proposal is that over the years the Nationalist government has failed to deliver on more realistic options for an improvement in Malta-Gozo links. Fast ferry services from Gozo to Sa Maison, just minutes away from Valletta, were discontinued; there is no adequate bus service from Cirkewwa to Valletta, the airport and other places, with passengers scrambling for buses at the rush hours. Public transport in Gozo in non-existent. What about combined bus-ferry services, with buses picking up people from Gozo, boarding the ferry and continuing the journey on the same bus to various localities in Malta and vice-versa? No, of course not, a tunnel is more feasible isn’t it?

Gozitan AD activists Michael Bajada and Victor Galea shared some down to earth proposals, which they have been making time and again over the years. They are not glitzy ideas, but they are serious and doable. I will share some of them with you. Gozo can get a significant percentage of its energy needs from renewable sources, with the added bonus of technical jobs such an investment would mean. What about developing the agro-tourism industry? Well, not sexy enough for PNPL, I suppose. The need for a proper public transport link – linking Gozitan villages and linking Gozo to commercial, industrial and office centres in Malta goes without saying. IT services would be another good option for providing jobs in Gozo. A food manufacturing company which seems to know how to run its business prides itself on the quality of its products and is now even marketing products as specifically ‘Gozitan’. The couple of kilometres of sea between the islands have not hampered its success.

It is useless wasting time on the tunnel proposal. The project will never happen. Chris Said knows this. All we are witnessing is jockeying for popularity to please the gullible. It is indeed sad to see people who should know better teaming up to sell pie-in-the-sky projects to people rather than come up with doable, realistic and simple proposals which would really and truly serve the population of Malta and Gozo, and the taxpayer better. The Giovanna-Chris popularity contest and Joseph Muscat’s rush not to be left behind in the rush to champion the silliest proposal of the year just shows the sorry state our political system is in.