Archive for 2008

Elitist Jerks

By | Published Tuesday, December 16, 2008

It's been over a month since my last post here. The din that followed Obama's victory as President was, unfortunately, hastily silenced due to academic commitments and admittedly to my rekindled infatuation with a game called World of Warcraft. The balance between work and play however did not burden my intentions to write down a few words once in a while. Nonetheless its been quite a busy month on these little islands, at least on the political level. A series of events, all inter-connected in one way or another, has sparked talks of trade-union coalition only to be shot down again (most unfortunately) and a scandal-hit government is doing all in its power to alienate the populace.


Which brings me to Renzo Piano and the Mystical Gateway to New Parliament. They say he is the best in the world. They say 65 years is too long to continue dwelling on the prospective future of the Old Theater in Valletta, and its ruins must be transformed to a new Parliament building immediately. They say 60 to 80 million Euros is a noble investment in Valletta's infrastructure (tell it to the workers who are forced to work overtime to make ends meet and the mothers who cannot afford to work because they have no other choice but to tend to their children). They say that Parliament is a people's building and not exclusively made for politicians (yeah, right).


But my message is not to these people.


Others have braved the storm and protested. The ruined theatre should be restored to its splendid grandeur and not to some state of the art Parliament. Some have also suggested that it should be transformed into a great library. For what is theatre and literature if not the apex of human development? No other man or woman can depart from the genius that is Shakespeare, Mozart and Dostoyevsky. Maybe we should transform it into Debono's Palace of Thinking while we're at it; a grand edifice for the contemprary intellectual. Let's make Paris and Rome look trivial when compared to our beloved Valletta.


My sarcasm may be misleading. I have absolutely nothing against cultural innovation and expression. On the contrary I am four-square for it. It would be ideal to bring back humanism for it is a mighty weapon when ignorance for the most part reigns supreme. But I can never see eye to eye with those who want me to believe that culture begins and ends solely with the Great Works. I think that those that know me from the metal scene can infer that what we do is also a cultural expression. They know what devotion goes in to the music we compose. They know that it is a great achievement to create something you can call your own, though loud and extreme as it may be. They know that we get no coupons and that for the most part it's a very expensive business which reaps more losses than profits. For some it may be a way of life, others a temporary but beautiful dream. But it is there and you cannot neglect its existence.


So my friends keep up your efforts to bring Eco & Chomsky closer to home but do not be so blinded as to become an elitist jerk.

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Change we can believe in

By | Published Tuesday, November 4, 2008

If there is one thing today that the USA can be commended for it is the democratic electoral process that it pursues. Granted that it is not as smooth and transparent as one would wish we have still witnessed a long and significant journey that has led to the cross-roads of my generation.


It is a journey that has seen the rise of a new and formidable movement of hope and change; of a world that can be built upon solidarity, freedom and the progressive ideal. It is a movement that destroys the divide based on race and religion and sexual orientations. It is a movement that holds mankind to be equal wherein the weak are given all the incentives to prosper and the strong are willing to help out whilst remaining fundamentally strong. It is a movement that holds diplomacy and peace to be far stronger than the thunderous roar of destructive warfare. It is a movement that is willing to jointly work for a better future together with peoples who do not necessarily agree with it. It is a movement that realizes the fundamental significance of safeguarding our environment and battles its ruin and exploitation. It is a movement that pursues civil rights with vigor including the fundamental right to affordable healthcare and education for all.


It has also been a journey that has seen a call for the maintenance of the status-quo; the maintenance of warfare; the maintenance of divide and inequality; the maintenance of corporate greed; the maintenance of fear mongering and fact twisting; the maintenance of robbing earth of its wealth and its people of their dignity; the maintenance of ignorance and robbing people of their political, economic and social power in pursuance of undignified totalitarian power; the maintenance of robbing people of inalienable human and civil rights. It is a call that fears change and champions conservatism and disparaging traditional principles in the name of patriotism and nationalism.


Today the world has come to the cross-roads of its future. Americans have been given the choice to continue pursuing the decline and destruction of our earth. They have also seen the bold vision of a man which has shown us that hope still exists for a brighter future and which has instilled us with a sense of change that we can believe in.


America, it's time for the world to change. Vote for hope, vote for change, vote for freedom, vote for equality, vote for justice, vote for human and civil rights, vote for economic and social prosperity, vote for peace and diplomacy, vote for a better environment. Vote for Barack Obama.


Obama '08 - Vote For Hope from MC Yogi on Vimeo.

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The Opposite

By | Published Wednesday, October 22, 2008





"jekk xi hadd jghidli ghaddi minn dit-triq
jien nimxi n-naha l-ohra
b'dispett
naghzel il-lvant
u minghajr skrupli
nghodd is-soldi
meta haddiehor jghodd il-liri
dak li jhobb haddiehor jiena noboghod
dak li jobghod jien inhobb
u ma tigini l-edba ghira
jekk nisfa wahdi fuq gzirti


ghalhekk twelidt jien."

My father had written these few words some 40 years ago. Some may interpret it as an expression of solitude. Yet I prefer to interpret it as the revolutionary spirit of a young man who is disgusted with the status quo; a non-conformist who is not afraid of doing things differently even if he has to walk such paths alone. One should know (or perhaps remember) that at the time (we are talking about 1968/69) things weren't so great under what was largely a theocratic Malta. At least for a considerable portion of the Maltese population it wasn't.


Incidentally, the honorable Government is today also infused with a revolutionary spirit and certainly goes about issues differently. How? People may be afraid to say it or to face reality but we are currently undergoing an economic recession. When other governments around the world, for good or for bad, are doing all they can to stimulate the economy the government here seems content to do the opposite and create larger burdens through infamous water and electricity tariffs. When other governments (unfortunately not all of them) hold true to the virtues of transperancy and accountability the government here is content with what seem to be vast immunities from any wrong-doings and so-called 'scandals'. The concept of ministerial responsibility seems to be dead and buried. The concept of ministerial machoism is however healthy.


I am glad that the government is slowly changing its opinion on the first point. I am certain that it will not even consider the second. But some things never change, revolutionary spirit or not. The old tricks are still the same, the old rhetoric still in place. Create fear now, instill hope later. Then divide and conquer. We always fall for it, don't we?


When we should be marching for our welfare, civil rights and government transparency we march instead to vent our frustration at other races and cultures who have done nothing to hurt us in any way. When we should actively be calling for change in the way things are done we sit down, tight-lipped, without much ado save the odd moan and whine.


We love doing things in the opposite. But for the wrong reason it seems.




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The cycle

By | Published Sunday, October 5, 2008


Has the golden age for right-leaning capitalist politics come to an end or has it merely become a little less golden and a lot more tarnished? The recent downfall of a once steady global economy almost single-handedly brought down by big businesses themselves may suggest that thirty years of laissez-faire capitalism is writing its final chapter in the political cycle.


It is said that history repeats itself. Particularly, what is known as a 'zeitgeist' or 'spirit of the age and its society' goes through cycles. Capitalism was born during the early Renaissance when mercantilism was the order of the day for prospering nation states and became a formidable order in the industrial revolution of the 18th/19th centuries when vast amounts of capital were amassed by factory owners. It then saw a steep decline in power during the Great Depression of the 1930's and in the post-war era, only to rise once more as the brainchild of none other than Ronald Reagan in the US and Margret Thatcher in the UK in the early 80's. Parallels can also be drawn in the Maltese scenario with the decline of the socialists (MLP) and the rise of the christian democrats (NP) during this period (1987).


The surge of right-wing populism has seen little to no resistance in Europe, give or take a few member states, leaving moderate and far left-wing parties doing a lot of soul searching for the past two decades. Again parallels can be seen in the Maltese political system where the MLP has been confined to the opposition benches for approximately twenty years. Yet the recent economic disaster, the worst of its kind since the 30's, has left laissez-faire capitalist advocates doing some soul searching of their own and low to middle income earners fearing the worst.


Could this be the transition point between one cycle and another? Has the capitalist-dominated zeitgesit become stagnant and out of date? Is it now the turn for socialists and progressives to take over the reins and end the greed that has led to the self destruction of the global economy? I am fairly optimistic that will eventually happen but it is not all that rosy for the left. Next month could see Obama elected as US president and I believe that this would be the prologue of the new cycle which would set the wheels in motion. One can even argue that in actual fact the first steps where actually taken in South America which has seen a huge resurgence of socialism.


But in Europe things are still bleak. I strongly suspect that the British Labour party will suffer a heavy defeat in the next election and will remain in opposition for at least a decade. Things are also looking considerably dreary for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). They say that the European's Peoples Party (EPP) is set to make further gains in the next MEP elections whilst the Barroso Comission, which has made Europe less and less social, is strong. Other factors, such as the immigration phenomenon, has seen far-right parties and coalitions set the agenda by directly confronting the situation (and using racist sentiments to their advantage) leaving social democrats and conservatives questioing their next move or even sublty following in the footsteps of the far right.


But if the cards are played right hope remains for Europe and indeed the rest of the world which is yearning for a new cycle to begin. The life-blood of the global economy has been sucked dry and it must be replenished. That the left wins just to change the cycle is not enough, refreshing as it may be. It is very important for social democrats and progressives to find new, efficient and also attractive solutions to the current economic and social policy problems whilst placing the environment equally high on the agenda.

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Patriot no more

By | Published Monday, September 29, 2008



patriot, n. and adj.

A person who loves his or her country, esp. one who is ready to support its freedoms and rights and to defend it against enemies or detractors.

nationalism, n.

Advocacy of or support for the interests of one's own nation, esp. to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations. Also: advocacy of or support for national independence or self-determination

fascism, n.

A social and political ideology with the primary guiding principle that the state or nation is the highest priority, rather than personal or individual freedoms.


I used to be a patriot. The epic tales of courageous victory over foreign aggressors; the blood that was spilled by my ancestors in the name of love and freedom; the unlikely powers of courage, loyalty and compassion in all their simplicity being far stronger than a menacing foe; the rise of the mother tongue no longer being considered vulgar or lowly but the official language pertaining to society in its entirety.


Now...what was once noble about patriotism seems to have dissipated. For if patriotism means unconditional love for one's country to the detriment of other human beings; declaring oneself as supreme and looking down upon others because they are not white and Catholic; extreme fear of and physical/verbal resistance to a culture that is not your own; being forced to believe in one righteous creed alone; and worst of all, when the hunted but brave victor becomes the ruthless hunter then I must solemnly declare that I am patriot no more.


This is what patriotism has come to mean today and I deplore it.

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Digital Christ

By | Published Sunday, September 28, 2008

"Let he who is without sin press the first key," so (sort of) said the Archdiocese of Malta. In a concerted effort to respond to what the Church perceives as continuous attacks against it on the internet there shall now cometh the 'digital face of Christ'. Is there anything wrong in this? Absolutely not. Indeed the Church has realized that perhaps the most prominent form of media and communications today is the internet. Well, it is where those nasty liberal bloggers of the world unite...and take the Church to task.


But I think the ultimate mission the Church should undertake is in asking itself: why? Why are there growing voices of dissent? Why are people talking so openly about issues such as cohabitation, divorce and today even abortion? Most importantly, why does the Church perceive such issues as a threat to the collective good of society?


I guess that the answer to these questions which the Church has come up with was that its public voice (which includes church sermons, a radio station, a newspaper -including great sympathy from other independent newspapers-, magazines and/or leaflets, church schools, catechism, TV programs and interviews and a vast array of other things) was not effective. A lacuna exists, this being the internet, where public discussion is in full swing on a multitude of issues, wherein the Digital Christ must now penetrate.


To this day I cannot understand why the Church has to embark upon this crusade. Why it has to reinforce its hegemony, its dominant status, its will on what should be a free society. Why it is given Constitutional powers to teach society what is right and what is wrong and why it keeps treating us all like infants that need to be kept in place. The Church says that it is obliged to spread the Christian message. There is nothing wrong with that at all. But I also believe that it has a lot to do with political power which the Church has enjoyed for hundreds of years but is suddenly waning. It seems that religion for the Church is not primarily a personal endeavor which people choose to live by out of choice but a dominating social institution endowed with great political power. And that is where all the conflict begins, where the dissent grows and where the voice of freedom turns from whispers to loud reverberations.


People have every right to believe in a Creator. They have every right to believe that they were born in sin. They have every right to seek guidance and ask for forgiveness from such divine authority. Likewise. a collective body known as the Church has every right to exist, to teach and to council and to participate in society.


But people also have a right to believe they are born free, that they are free to shape their own morality and rules with which to live by and that the rules of today should not be imposed upon their children and their children's children.


My message to the Digital Christ is this: If you refuse to accept this and persists in believing that anybody who believes so is attacking it and destroying society then there is bound to be conflict. A secular society is not a threat to religion and the Church in any way. Because religion shouldn't be about political power but a personal way of living. On the other hand I can only envision a society based upon respect for one another irrespective of different beliefs or the lack of. A society whose people are truly liberated.


I'm not really one for cheesy romantic ideals but I think there is a lot of sense in stating that if you truly love something - you set it free.

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Setting the record straight on the Constitution

By | Published Wednesday, September 17, 2008

I remember it like it was yesterday. During my first lectures in constitutional law I was constantly brain-washed with the following mantra:

The Constitution of a state is the basic system of laws, customs and conventions which define (build) the composition and powers of organs of the state, and regulate the relations of the various state organs to one another and to the private citizen
 Yes, the Constitution is also that legal document in which the most basic fundamental human rights and freedoms are made law. The Constitution is not, however, a mere complaint report in which to file a grievance which may or may not happen in the future. Neither is it a green card in which fundamentalists can legalize their moralistic obsessions at will. This is what a certain radical group of anti-abortionists are setting out to do in a bid to ban abortion permanently through the Constitution. That abortion is a criminal offence, punishable by up to three years imprisonment is not enough.

Abortion is for the greater part, a moral issue. You either believe that the embryo is a human being biologically, morally and legally or that it is simply a mass of cells. But this issue has got nothing to do with being pro-life or pro-choice. That is but an an unending philosophical debate. The issue here is that it would set a dangerous precedent to impose one's purely personal moral beliefs into the Constitution and forever bind future generations due to the Constitution's rigidity. On the other side of the coin, it is equally idiotic, in my opinion to give women the right to terminate their pregnancy through the Constitution. The Constitution is not the place for this.


But isn't this an illogical statement given the fact that most fundamental rights, such as the right to life and the right to a fair trial can be called moral issues? I think not. I believe that certain rights are inherently, logically and objectively necessary in order to sustain a democracy. The right to life, i.e. the right of living persons to literally continue living without interference by the State unless by Court sentence (although capital punishment is outlawed in Malta) is absolutely necessary for democracy. I do not see how banning abortions is absolutely necessary for democracy to function. And that is what the Constitution really is. It is a legal framework which sets up the most basic political status of the state, its organs, their functions and how they relate to one another and the private citizen.

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Rainbow Coalition

By

As I have stated before and shall state I again I believe that a coalition in the strict political sense between socialists (MLP) and greens (AD) should not take place now - it is still to early. In this regard I am in full agreement with Arnold Cassola's comments on today's (17/09/2008) issue of maltatoday midweek.


However, I am somewhat incensed by Carmel Cacopardo's comments on the same article. Possibly, for the first time you had a particular politician, being Evarist Bartolo, who by forsaking political partisanship, proposed something unique for this island. Cacopardo maintains that "it's only now that Labour is talking on issues that for years were AD's exclusive political agenda" - does he mean to say that progressive issues should be at the sole discretion of AD? He further states that "Labour never said a word, fearing it would lose votes" (I agree with him on this point) but what I deem to be questionable or rather close-minded is his belief that this call for an alliance is "a matter of pure political convenience."


To me this instills a sense of hopelessness and a morbid sense of joy in destroying this discussion before it even properly begins. Yes, for too long Labour has been mum on issues of social liberties, civil rights, greater political freedoms and the environment. For too long have they hid behind the facade of mainstream party populism at times even politically straying towards the center-right.


I would like to mince two phrases, not my own, to make a point - you may say I'm a dreamer but I believe in the audacity of hope. I believe that things can change. Ultimately I believe that Labour can change and is changing regardless of recent internal blunders. I would not be progressive if I do not believe in change and that change can happen. The conservative/populist forces in the MLP may have the upper hand but believe me when I say it's not all doom and gloom. Not everyone in the MLP is a political dinosaur. Thus I completely disagree that Labour should be entirely stripped of this hope and I cannot fathom how such an open-minded party such as AD, for which I have great respect, can come up with such close-minded remarks.


I would like to say that Evarist Bartolo's voice is not alone and that he should continue believing in such an alliance which in my opinion should also stretch to other progressive/leftist organizations who share the same ideals.


See: Unite the Clans!

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Fascism very much alive in Europe

By | Published Monday, August 18, 2008


Who ever thought that the extremist right-wing political ideology termed as 'fascism' would be alive in Europe after the grave horrors witnessed during the Second World War and the eventual downfall of Hitler and Mussolini? Think again. What should be a dead and buried political extremity for the very sake of human dignity and social justice is still very much alive in Europe. It may not be there on paper but events are happening around us that are brutally shocking to say the least.


One need only take a look at what has and is happening in the vibrant, beautiful and passionate country - Italia.

Date: 21 - 07 - 2001
Prime Minister: Silvio Berlusconi
Deputy Prime Minister: Gianfranco Fini
Subject: The Police State

Genoa is hosting the G8 Summit held at each calendar year. For those who are not exactly what a G8 summit is, it is an international forum of eight major industrialized countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK, USA) which discuss global concerns such as the environment, health, economy so on and so forth. It is therefore quite common that these summits are met by significantly large protests by people who perceive that these country are only meeting to pursue their own hegemony and interests over the entire world through multi-national corporations, the international bankers and serious political machinery.

Around 200,000 of these anti-globalization protesters amassed at Genoa, a handful of which were radical anarchists known as the 'black bloc' who caused mayhem. The rest were ordinary citizens who exercised their right to protest peacefully. Amongst these protesters was the international press exercising their right to gather information. A protest of this caliber is naturally met by riot police, simply to keep law and order, whilst allowing people to protest peacefully. But the Italian riot police under the control of the deputy PM, Gianfranco Fini who was the former national secretary of the neo-fascist MSI-DN (Movimento Sociale Italiano–Destra Nazionale) party were not there to simply keep law and order.

The riot police entered a school were other non-radical protesters were permitted to stay and amongst whom were members of the press. 'Black Bloc, we're coming for you' they said. And then it began. These innocent human beings were subjected to brutal punishment, rape and torture, literally being treated worse than pigs in a slaughter house. "Uno, due, tre, viva Pinochet!" they were forced to sing after there bones were broken and were beaten to a blood pulp. "Who is your government?" they asked. "La polizia" they were made to reply.

Prime Minister Berlusconi, who was happily dosing in luxury whilst this brutal behavior was being adopted by Italian riot police, is currently making political maneuvers to delay court cases dealing with issues that happened prior to 2002.

Date: 17 - 07 - 2008
Prime Minister: Silvio Berlusconi
Deputy Prime Minister: Franco Frattini
Subject: Ethnic Profiling and Cleansing

It is a sunny July day at the beach in Naples. Men and women are basking in the sun, catching up on their tan. A couple is enjoying a quiet picnic. Beside them lay the bodies of two dead Romani (gypsy) sisters, Cristina and Violetta, covered with towels. They have unfortunately drowned. Yet the couple keep enjoying their wine and treats as if nothing is the matter. It took 3 hours for them to be collected by the authorities.

Meanwhile the Italian government goes on with its policy of racial and ethnic profiling of the Romani people by compiling a fingerprint database. They have been singled out as Italy's main source of crime. Italy was shocked that a gypsy was caught stealing a baby earlier in May. But according to Interor Minister Roberto Maroni this is ample justification for Mafia thugs to destroy and burn their camps in an orgy of violence. The Romani people who are spread around Europe live to this day below the poverty line.

Umberto Bossi, the leader of Lega Nord, a fascist party and Minister for Institutional Reform in Berlusconi's cabinet. is one of the masterminds behind this racial discrimination.

This is what is happening in Italy today, a prime member of the European Union.

I am glad that this is not the case with Malta and I hope that it shall never come to be. But I dread that we are slowly moving in this direction. The racial hatred overtones amongst the public is very strong against migrants as witnessed on online journals. Not to mention recent allegations of police brutality against an African migrant (see my article below). Admittedly such a small country cannot possibly handle such a great influx of migrants single-handedly. We need help. But yet there are many who overlook this fact and simply attack migrants. Little do they know that many of these people are suffering great injustice, opression and abuse of human rights in their homeland. Little do they know that they are being detained in shoddy army barracks for several months, living in fear and anxiety literally to the point of insanity. How do I know this? Because I have been there for a brief period of time giving legal aid voluntarily with the NGO - JRS.

I sincerely hope that our people open their eyes as to what is happening around us.


Sources:

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May the Force be...diluted

By | Published Sunday, August 17, 2008


The recent allegations of excessive police aggression against an African immigrant and a Dutch convict do not augur well for our country's democracy and respect for fundamental human rights. The police force is rightfully endowed with legal power to uphold law and order and to deter crime. However, they are not afforded the power to punish those that break the law through brute force. Unfortunately, these allegations - which seem to be well founded - may give rise to the fact that there is a grave abuse of power in our police force. Also shocking is another revelation by Fr. Mark Montebello who sincerely believes that an innocent immigrant is being kept in jail for a crime that he possibly could not commit for biological reasons.

  • The police force may enjoy the benefits of a union that represent their interests in working conditions and rights to afford better conditions to the police force. Better conditions can only give rise to less frustration and perhaps a slight mitigation to these problems. Check out this particular police union based in Queensland Australia as an example: Queensland Police Union of Employees
  • I believe that a solid shakeup of our police force is needed; a parliamentary committee should be appointed to analyze the issues through tabled discussions, seeking domestic and foreign expertise on the matter and implementing harsher rules aimed at deterring police brutality.
  • This committee should also draft other legislation aimed at improving the judicial system and the workings of the police force. For instance, I think it is a great shame that suspects are not afforded the right to an attorney during police interrogations. Such interrogations should also be taped and filmed in the interest of transparency because the police should have nothing to hide during interrogations.
  • The legislators should consider the shift to a civil law or inquistorial system where the Magistrate is afforded with more power to administer and enforce the law. Instead of being summoned/authorised by the Attorney General to start criminal investigations, a magistrate should enjoy his own investigatory power. The reason for this shift is obvious in that it makes the State more accountable to the public at large.
  • Another interesting suggestion is that judges should no longer be appointed by the State after having served for a minimum of 12 years as an advocate - rather they should undertake special further courses after obtaining their law doctorate. This makes it a career choice and not a political appointment - in this way, judges are better trained and more importantly do not have any political ties and favors with the State that appointed them.




These flaws in our judicial system may give rise to the fact that racial equality is being given a blind eye by the State and that noble articles of Law on our Constitution that should safeguard fundamental human rights are merely fancy words to keep everybody smiling.


The police force may not have it all and understandably poor working conditions may give rise to flared tempers. But still, this is no justification for any excessive force and brutality. Faced with these grave problems, one must seek solutions. One should not bury his head in the sand and acknowledge this as a world-wide problem with no effective solution. Even more perturbing are those who actively seek to justify brute force in the so-called "interests of our great nation." Perhaps, our parliamentarians should consider the following:
This issues should not be taken for granted and should be included with other initiatives for strengthening democracy such as the FoI Act and party financing.

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On Hold

By | Published Friday, May 16, 2008

I will be absent from this blog for the time being until my exams are over and done with. See you all in June.

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Thought Control Machine

By | Published Monday, May 12, 2008

War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength


The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them . . . . To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies — all this is indispensably necessary. Even in using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For by using the word one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of doublethink one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely, with the lie always one leap ahead of the truth.


George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty Four


In Malta evolution is in reverse. The more countries progress socially the more backward and conservative Malta becomes. We are not 30 years behind everyone else. That means there is some form of linear progress albeit delayed. Even Texas may become more socially progressive than Malta. Thats saying something. Wikipedia says: "Every nation except Malta and the Philippines has legal divorce." Divorce is a difficult word, let alone a difficult concept, for the Maltese vocabulary. Mention the word and you're branded a Church hater. A corrupt human being that needs to be fixed, controlled and put in place. Room 101. Your thoughts manipulated and made to conform. Programmed to appease. Submission. Docile servant dog.


Gay marriage? Off to the gallows with you, pathetic scoundrel. Shame on you and your unchristian, unnatural thoughts. Homosexuality merits no existence. Shackled, beaten and broken. Destroy, erase, improve.


Less brutality and more transparency by the police forces? Don't you even dare discuss any ongoing investigation you pathetic, untrustworthy fool. The police force is the purest public entity of them all.


An environment free from the control and manipulation of construction lobbyists? No. Thats bad for the economy. Don't you want more discotheques, hotels, yacht marinas, shopping malls, supermarkets, villas and information technology centers you idiot? This rock will be the pinnacle of perfect human technology and no tree is going to get in its way.


More civic freedoms, a more free and unbiased press, the right to free speech? What's that please? I don't understand those words.


A State that will continue refusing participation in any military alliance? Neutrality is a dying concept. Globalism dictates the need for war. Peace is War. War is Peace. Partnership for Peace. Partnership for War.


Abortion? F**k you.


Behold Malta. A sacrificial race. A land of prophets and teachers who teach you to fight yourself. A land of censorship. A land of thought control and manipulation.


Compromise. Conformity. Assimilation. Submission. Ignorance. Hypocrisy. Brutality. The Elite.


All of which are Maltese dreams.

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Please Help

By | Published Sunday, May 11, 2008

I just donated $50 to Unicef in order to aid homeless children in Myanmar. I urge you to follow suit. Any little will do.

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Our Common Future

By | Published Saturday, May 10, 2008

In 1983, the Brundtland Commission addressed to the UN the growing concern "about the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and natural resources and the consequences of that deterioration for economic and social development." It is this same Commission that coined what has become the most often-quoted definition of sustainable development as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."


The issue of sustainable development does not only fall within the scope of the environment but, rather, to the independent and mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable development as economic development, social development and environmental protection. Environmental sustainability is defined as the ability of the environment to continue to function properly indefinitely. This involves meeting the present needs of humans without endangering the welfare of future generations. The goal of environmental sustainability is to halt environmental degradation.


The issue of sustainable development is an issue of moderation and of balance. No state can afford to focus solely on the economy much to the detriment of a neglected working society and a diminishing environment. No state can afford to focus solely on society and social issues much to the detriment of the market and the environment. No state can afford to focus solely on 'green' issues without considering the needs of society and the economy. Therefore, a state which seeks to implement sustainable development needs to truly balance the economic, social, and environmental well-being of all, now, without compromising future generations.


It has emerged, that sustainable development is at the core of the Maltese government's program. This is commendable. Therefore, one hopes, that the government lives up to its promise much to the benefit of our common future. Malta is waiting. Malta is watching.

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Bound and Gagged

By | Published Friday, May 9, 2008


The mere and simple inspection of social networking domains and online journal blogs can reveal surprising realities in regard to the parochial and ever-present divide between Left and Right discourse.


When the left, most notably the MLP, speaks in terms of equality and respect between the two great political parties of this nation, especially in the light that it has the backing of half the people, the right is quick to quash such argument stating that no matter the electoral outcome, their party has won and in no way should the two parties be regarded as equals. Moreover, when the opposition performs its given duty to scrutinize the government in sectors where it has inadequately performed or where it has failed to deliver, or where it is turning its back on the people, or when it breaks a promise; the right is quick to depict such duty as inconsiderate, negative and unworthy. Basically, their premise is simple. The Left has no right to be considered equal, has no right to be consulted, has no right to criticize the government. The Left should not exist, or as things now seem, it is better if the Right dictates what the Left ought to be.


Ironically the government declared it will be a government for all the people and its apologists (the same people who are quick to dispose of and to ridicule anything the opposition says) are also quick in declaring their desires for a strong Opposition in the interest of democracy.


This ridicule and demonization does not stop at the MLP. It is also extended to other parties, NGO's and trade unions such as Moviment Graffitti; Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar; the General Workers Union; Alternativa Demokratika - The Green Party.


Thus, one cannot but argue that the rightist movement (or center-right to be more precise) seem to desire a voiceless opposition, one that is bound and gagged - a great infringement of the entire notion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

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Of Primaries and Super Delegates

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Today, the Malta Labour Party delegates, convened in an Extraordinary General Conference, will decide whether to ammend Article 1 of Chapter VI of the Party statute dealing with the manner in which the party leader is elected. The current method of electing a leader is simply at the discretion of the party delegates (approximately 900 - 920). The proposal that has been brought forward, however, suggests that all paid-up party members should be able to vote (approximately 19,000). This is the first time in the history of the Malta Labour Party that a motion like this has been called.


Let me say that I agree with the proposal but that I have some reservations. I agree with the proposal because it has more democratic impetus; the wider the voting base, the more democratic the election. It is a proposal of direct democracy (the people vote) over representative democracy (representatives of the people vote), which is admirable.


This is a radical change, the first of its kind in the history of Maltese party politics, should the motion be passed. You may say I'm a radical person by nature, speaking about divorce and abortion, and what not. Yes I believe that these issues need to be discussed but discussion takes time. Despite my 'radical' nature I believe that lengthy open discussions and debates for these issues, although heated at times, will lead to more rational conclusions. Therefore, one of my reservations, as you may have already guessed, is that the MLP and its delegates should take more time in discussing the matter rather than a mere 1 hour and a half.


I also suggest that ones studies the position of Primary Elections like those held in the USA. A primary election is an election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for a subsequent election. In other words, primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the following general election. The Democratic Party of the USA also uses the system of Super-Delegates which will act as a check on ideologically extreme candidates and the general voters (in the USA they don't even have to be party affiliated) for the leadership election. In the USA If there is no clear winner after state primaries and caucuses, then the super-delegates -- who are bound only by their consciences -- will decide the nominee. In this way, both members of the party and both the delegates have a role to play.

One must wait and see what the future has in store for the MLP.

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Critical Situation: Myanmar

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Many of you may already know that Myanmar (aka Burma) was devastated by a strong tropical cyclone. Many of you may already know that it has caused catastrophic destruction and up to 100,000 people may be feared dead.

However not many of you may know that the Military Junta of Myanmar, a military regime accused of brutal persecutions of minority ethnic groups, opposition groups, students and human-rights activists, is denying foreign aid into the country, or to be more precise, it is doing a terrible job. In a situation like this any country should have the urgent response measures in force. The UN says that an estimated 1.5 million people have been affected by this cyclone and swift aid is of the essence. But the junta are not responding to foreign aid. Red Cross have at last started to fly in some emergency relief but for many it may already be too late.
Fact:


In a landmark legal case, some human rights groups have sued the Unocal Corporation, previously known as Union Oil of California and now part of the Chevron Corporation They charge that since the early 1990s, Unocal has joined hands with dictators in Myanmar to turn thousands of citizens there into virtual slaves under brutality. Unocal, before being purchased, stated that they had no knowledge or connection to these alleged actions although it continued working in Myanmar. This was a landmark case as this might be the first time that anybody has sued an American corporation in a U.S. court on the grounds that the company violated human rights in another country.

Another Fact:

Evidence has been gathered suggesting that the Burmese regime has marked certain ethnic minorities such as the Karen for extermination or 'Burmisation'. This has received little attention from the international community, however, since it has been more subtle and indirect than the mass killings in places like Rwanda.
Myanmar needs a regime change. Not through warfare, not through violence. The same response and heart-felt emotion the world had and still has for a free Tibet should now also be shown for Myanmar and its people.

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Hear no Evil. Speak no Evil. See no Evil: Maltese Television

By | Published Thursday, May 8, 2008


Upon reading a local journal it has come to my knowledge that curse words are not appropriate for Maltese television even though these are bleeped and that the show in question is aired at approximately 11:30PM and is certified age 18. The Paladins of Virtue and Righteousness at the Broadcasting Authority have won the battle. Congratulations. The comedy series 'Teletubi' has been stopped by the producers because they were losing money in fines. They have made this statement:

"Peress li ghad hawn persuni li jridu jiddeciedu ghalikom x'taraw u x'ma tarawx fuq it-televizjoni, hassejna li jkun ahjar jekk il-programm jieqaf hawn minflok nibqghu nhallsu l-multi"
What happened to the viewer's choice to simply change the channel with a click of a button if they do not like what they see? What happens now in the attempt to formulate Maltese entertainment albeit shocking and "in-your-face"? I wonder how many Maltese people watch foreign comedy series such as South Park, Family Guy or The Simpsons. Yet they are disgusted by the same attempt at comedy made by Maltese people. What happens to the freedom of expression? This satirical show makes fun of people, yes, perhaps in bad taste but not in bad faith. But in Malta it seems perfectly all right to embrace people in bad faith as long as you don't say a naughty word! Hush now, don't disturb the public peace and the good moral order of the family. It is very fragile indeed.

When will we grow up? When will the mentality change? Here is a clip for your viewing pleasure:

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WANTED: Transperancy! Two Acts that will Save the Country

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Didn't you ever dream about knowing all the cunning and mischievous doings of your government or your employer? Didn't you ever dream about publicly telling them off and exposing their nasty little deeds without fear and hesitation? Without losing your job and your social integrity? My friends, this is possible with the immediate enactment of the Freedom of Information Act and the Whistleblower Protection Act.


What is a Freedom of Information Act?


Freedom of Information legislation are laws that define a legal process by which government information is required to be available to the public. In some countries this freedom to access information is a Constitutional guarantee but it requires other law to support it. The very first article of the UK's Freedom of Information Act 2000 states:
(1) Any person making a request for information to a public authority is entitled—
(a) to be informed in writing by the public authority whether it holds information of the description specified in the request, and
(b) if that is the case, to have that information communicated to him.
The U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law ensuring public access to U.S. government records. FOIA carries a presumption of disclosure; the burden is on the government - not the public - to substantiate why information may not be released. Upon written request, agencies of the United States government are required to disclose those records, unless they can be lawfully withheld from disclosure under one of nine specific exemptions in the FOIA. This right of access is ultimately enforceable in federal court.

 Enacted in 1966, The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal law that establishes the public's right to obtain information from federal government agencies. The FOIA is codified at 5 U.S.C. Section 552. "Any person" can file a FOIA request, including U.S. citizens, foreign nationals, organizations, associations, and universities. In 1974, after the Watergate scandal, the Act was amended to force greater agency compliance. It was also amended in 1996 to allow for greater access to electronic information.
FACT: Albania, Armenia, Belize, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Georgia, Pakistan Trinidad & Tobago and last but not least...Zimbabwe ALL have a Freedom of Information Act! Malta does not.
What is a Whistleblower?


The whistleblower typically is an employee or former employee or a member of an organization such as a government agency who reports misconduct to the appropriate entities that have the power to take corrective action. Generally such misconduct is a violation of the law or a threat to the public interest such as fraud, health and saftey violations and corruption. With a Whistleblower Protection Act, such persons that expose misconduct are guaranteed protection from victimization and dismissal. The whistleblower DOES NOT have to be involved in the misconduct.
FACT: Paul van Buitenen was a Dutch whistleblower that led to the collapse of Jacques Santer's Commission (European Commission) after he revealed to a Member of the European Parliament the irregularities, fraud and mismanagement within the Commission in 1998
. These two acts are sorely needed in this country if we are in want to boast of having a transperant public administration. Without the necessary legislation and protection the alert public cannot scrutinize the administration's misconduct and this will remain unhindered. Fraud and Corruption will be the order of the day without our knowing or without it being punished. We don't want to keep a watchful eye on the government simply for making its life harder but to ensure that the public interest, our interest, is given the greatest protection.



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Two Questions: Why? and When?

By | Published Wednesday, May 7, 2008


In 2006 a measure was introduced by the government that encouraged families and business to purchase energy efficient appliances whereby a rebate of €116.50 (Lm50) was given to them. This was a good initiative on behalf of the government that, at the end of the day, was environment-friendly. But as of the 31st of May 2008 this rebate shall, in all effect cease, in light of a notice on the Government Gazette despite the government's electoral promise (#159 on the electoral manifest) to maintain this rebate:
"159. Jissoktaw ukoll l-iskemi ta' rebates fuq xiri ta' appliances li jahlu inqas energija."
The government also promised a drastic reformation on the workings of MEPA so that these will be made more transperant and less corrupt. We imagined, at the time, that all illegitimate development would cease under the careful control and responsibility of the Prime Minister himself. Yet, it has already emerged that the Prime Minister and his government made a secret deal on election eve promising to legalize the illegal boathouses of the Armier squatters. Moreover it has quite recently emerged, thanks to the NGO Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, that several applications have been approved which ignored regulations on the scheduling of buildings and went against MEPA policy. EDIT (8:51PM) MEPA denied these claims saying a house in Amery Street was not scheduled and that development at Windsor Terrace had been rebutted. However, no other claims made by FAA were denied.

So I cannot but ask:
Why remove the rebate on energy saving appliances and When is MEPA truly going to be reformed?

For more information visit
  1. GonziPN's Secret Deal on Election Eve
  2. NGO Claims 'Irregularities' at MEPA - MEPA denies
  3. End of Energy Subsidy Scheme Draws Criticism
  4. PN Dumps Electoral Promise

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Unite the Clans!

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There seems to be a genuine plea for a Joint Leftist Movement by certain organizations and individuals. This revelation has come to light when I read certain comments on Labour in Labour and a press release made by Zmienijietna


“Malta requires a united left movement which aspires for governance in order to bring about the necessary changes so that Malta will be more equal, socially just and ecologically sustainable. We therefore urge political parties and NGOs on the left-side of the political spectrum to increase their collaboration and form alliances. We also urge Malta’s trade unions to bridge their differences with the hope of forming a Trade Union Council”


I personally believe this is a very interesting proposal and one which should seriously be considered. Of course, not all political parties and NGO's on the Left of Maltese politics coherently agree on all matters. But in diversity I believe that we all have a set of common goals. Unity is strength and the stronger we are, the more success there is in bringing about much needed change for this country.

How such an alliance can take place, if at all, is certainly food for thought. But attempting to build bridges and to openly discuss the matter, in my book, is a a step in the right direction.

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Progressive Malta: The Beginning

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The purpose of this blog is simple as it is complex. In the wake of the Malta Labour Party's third electoral defeat or, rather, the Nationalist Party's third successive win since 1998, there seems to be a growing need for a new kind of politics in Malta. The serious revelations that Malta is becoming more corrupt and that freedom of expression and press is dwindling is alarming. The political ploy of consigning oneself to the rules of the game, i.e. to constrain what the politician(s) truly believes in due to the fear of damaging his party or of losing votes does not auger well. This leaves a considerable amount of people who desire change unrepresented. This blog is therefore the antithesis of the current rules of the game. Here liberal thought and expression are not only allowed but highly welcomed as long as they do not trample on the rights of others. That is my only restriction. Eugene Ionesco once said:
"Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together."
And who are we if we are void of all hope and dreams? As a progressive I dream about the following changes for Malta:
  • A secular State where the Freedom of Religion is endorsed and whereby it is wrongful to have a particular belief imposed on the citizen.
  • A radical division between State and Party
  • A free and inclusive society where citizens, by working together, are able to determine their own lives.
  • A nondiscriminatory society of equals regardless of being black or white; male or female; straight or gay; Christian or atheist; pro-choice or pro-life; young or old; of sound mind or mentally infirm; working class or middle class; and the list goes on.
  • A society which promotes peace and combats injustice and oppression of freedom and civil liberties
  • A State and society that oppose the destruction of nature at all costs and highly promotes the use of alternative and clean sources of energy
  • A State where the best Health care and Education are free for all
  • A State based on meritocracy; which rewards hard work and guarantees job security
  • A society where women are more involved with work and have a higher representation and participation in the political sphere
John Lennon once said:
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you will join us and the world will live as One."
Welcome to Progressive Malta!


NOTE: 'Progressive Malta' was the original name of my blog. Youthful delusions of grandeur aside, I ultimately personalised the name because it was not my intention to blog about progressive politics alone. 

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