Pressed for arrogance

Bahrija. Like I promised, my friend, I will write something about Bahrija. But expect to be disappointed, mon ami, since you have an aversion to conversion. For you like to buy a crow and expect it to sing like a song-bird.

Bahrija is next on the list after Kalkara, after the arrogant installation of beach concessions on various beaches and after so many other cases of "development". We shall hear arguments and discussions about positive popular development. It only boils down to capitalistic exploitation of the people's lungs and recreation areas. It is only the rape of our green and marine spots. But what did you expect?

You get excited about new eras for the people but you only see old grabbing by capitalistic claws. So what else is new? Keep hoping and dreaming, my friend, that development of the coast and of the countryside is a stone throw's away from a series of heavenly oases. I am sorry for you. But don't forget to go and clap when capitalism throws a feast. Don't throw up. Just wave the flag and enjoy the moment. The moment the flashing scissors cut the ribbon... and the oxygen source to your children's lungs.

French and Dutch vote. The European Constitution referendum results in these two countries were to be expected. Insipid comments by some correspondents were not to be expected; or were they? Some spoke of French wine, the Can Can, the French presence in Malta hundreds of years ago and Dutch tulips and wooden shoes. What serious political discussion! What knowledge of European politics and socio-economic reasons related to the vote! One particular "journalist" deserves first prize for his jewel. He asked: "Will the French and the Dutch get a second chance?" This is like saying that the two nations failed some exam and it's not sure whether they deserve a resit. Some democratic attitude! Unless it is arrogant intolerance of popular democratic expression.

The artificial creation of eager nostalgic movements in Malta is always a good opportunity to hurl at the left's massive existence some pins intended to dent the armour strengthened by three indicative elections. It is also a chance to reduce the victorious march of the leaders of the real left. Pin pricks, of course, have never impressed the strong. What difference will a prick make, after all, when you are capable of wielding the club and striking with it? There are cases when one particular politician is selected by members of the Society for the Investigation of Cynical Kylins (Sick). These believe that, by drawing a caricature of a politician without a mouth, they are frustrating him or those who respect him. No, this only serves to bring to the surface the acidic hatred that cannot lie low and must be vomited. I pity such unhappy members of the Marquis de Sade prayer group.

Joseph Muscat takes no bull clover. I must say that I feel proud about having helped Mr Muscat in his campaign for the European Parliament election. In my speech a few days before the election, I had mentioned the impressive academic qualifications Mr Muscat has, his sense of leadership, his courage and his steady march towards his PhD. His prompt congratulations to me after obtaining my own doctorate shows he remains sensitive to others in spite of his commitment. I remember saying that in Europe we need people from the left, for these are not afraid to holler when they are unhappy about something affecting Malta negatively. And holler Mr Muscat did when the Maltese expression we were promised was unavailable. There is no middle ground here. Either you agree with what he did or else you don't mind being humiliated.

Malta's Eurovision song. The polemic about the votes Malta received for its obviously best song has not died down. I have heard some good arguments and some emotional ones. I believe that the matter can be settled by using statistics. A list of participating countries must be drawn up with the votes they received each year. One can find out how many votes each country received from each other country each year. This could indicate some prejudice or affinity. If neighbouring countries have many times given high votes to each other, this would be unfair to countries like Malta that have no voting neighbouring countries. If it can be statistically proved that there is some "friends of friends" hanky panky going on at the time of voting, then Malta can present its arguments to the organising committee, armed with geographical and diachronic statistics to prove its unfairly treated chances due to negative correlation in spite of merit.

The Faldetta trap. Most Maltese now understand that the hullaballoo raised about the possible entrenchment of anti-abortion laws in the Constitution was just a faldetta trap for the opposition. I have heard people with itchy ribs claim that if you are against this entrenchment you must be in favour of abortion. This warped logic is enough to give one a fit of intellectual euphoria - as an escapism. I strongly believe the government had nothing exciting to raise noise about and came up with this silly matter. If the opposition justly votes against this farcical mise en scène, the government and its fundamentalist cronies will raise hell (can a fundamentalist raise hell? Oh yes he/she can, since only they have a right to heaven!), then the government will produce the faldetta to catch the opposition in it, and say: "Gotcha. Now you have lost the anti-abortion voters". Clever? Yes, but very transparent and very pathetic.

Women, we will protect you. The debate in Parliament about domestic violence is necessary but sins through lack of recognition at its point of departure. This proposed law was born and developed during socialist times and the least one can do is to admit it. But let's put pride aside if the end result is good. It is obvious to most that conservative governments rarely come up with legislation that protects or promotes women. If one reads European and American political history, one comes across new legislation favouring women's rights drawn up and voted in Parliament mostly during socialist or social democratic legislatures. The same goes for socially committed writers of socialist inspiration who influenced this type of legislation.

I remember that a commission existed years ago which organised talks and seminars about family law. This was all very well. I had attended some of these activities. The only problem was that I was often surprised to see a man representing a women's organisation. The first time this happened I almost expected the male representative to have a woman's voice. When I asked why women's organisations can't have lady representatives, I was never given an answer. But now I know the answer.

A conservative government feels strange about promoting women. Thus it sits like a cuckoo in another administration's nest and sends men to purchase women's requirements.

Finally, and strangely enough, in debates of this nature, violence on television and at the cinema as a bad example and influence, is rarely mentioned in relation to domestic violence. Nor is violent sport like boxing and certain types of wrestling. It is not enough to legislate unless one supports legislation with prevention.