Francis Saliba, Mellieħa
Violence and Labour
I agree completely with Salvu Felice Pace (July 17) for more printed letters to the editor to counterbalance the campaign by some feature writers to downplay the authenticated institutionalised serious violence of the 1960s and 1970s and to try to excuse it by the false pretence that it was somehow provoked or that the Nationalist Party was just as guilty.
The use of violence in pursuance of political success is still vivid in the memory of whoever looks back to the 1970s from an objective standpoint. The legitimising of political violence was one of the "six points" insisted on by Dom Mintoff. Controlling Malta "from the streets" was one of its more extreme slogans. Sustained criminal violence was glossed over at best; at worst it was praised to the skies as the accomplishment of the "aristocracy of the labour movement".
This barefaced attempt to distort our recent history, within our living memory, is the local equivalent of the attempt attributed to the British socialist politician Peter Mandelson to "create the truth". He occupied a Cabinet post twice but Tony Blair had the good sense to do away with his services when his shenanigans were harming that party.
It is about time that the new leadership of the MLP silenced those who are harming the party by flying in the face of the truth by denying or excusing its proven violent record. This ridiculous campaign only raises legitimate fears about the country's future if there is a change of government.
It would be better for the MLP to admit the obvious truth, express genuine regret for it and to convince the electorate that there will be no recurrence.
That will be good not only for the MLP but for the country as a whole.
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Dr Francis Saliba
Jul 28th 2008, 10:12
@Daniel Cauchi and apgrech.
Political violence disappeared with the election of the PN government and this was due solely to the fact that the criminally violent mobs of the Mintoff - KMB eras lost the protection of the state police who should have been maintaining law and order.
Apgrech contradicts you incorrectly when he pretends that "Violence was eradicated by Alfred Sant". I am not aware of Joseph Muscat's apology "for the horrible events of the past". I am only aware of a vague admission of MLP past mistakes (which mistakes?).
I am living in the present but I am very anxious that the violence of the past will not be resumed if and when the MLP is elected to power. Neither Alfred Sant nor Joseph Muscat have so far succeeded in reassuring the voting public on that score. That is their funeral.
emanuel fenech
Jul 24th 2008, 17:01
The MLP apologists must decide which one it is:
1)Alfed Sant stopped all the violence. (One can only stop that which one has a control on)
OR
2) Violence came to an end in1987, with PN in Government. (Since the violence was institutionalised, then it stands to reason that with a change of Governmnet violence will stop)
They cannot have both. So which one is it?
Salvu Felice Pace
Jul 24th 2008, 11:23
First of all thank you to Francis Saliba of Mellieha for supporting my letter of July 17. The truth about Labour's violent past is an irrefutable fact. References to Nationalist Party imagined provocation to violence remain at the best, conjectures. Fenech Adami would have had every reason to call on his supporters to demand the rights they won through the 1981 election result. But he preferred to wait and use the legitimate means of the democratic process to achieve this aim.
True, Alfred Sant got rid of the hotheads. But wasn't Alfred Sant MLP President when the worst acts of violence occurred?
As to what's going on now in the MLP, it has to be said that Joseph Muscat, like Alfred Sant is not working towards marginalising those whose past is tainted by violence or by vile legislation such as the Foreign Interference Act, but he's hugging them and promoting them.
He is giving different messages to the electorate and he will regret it.
apgrech
Jul 23rd 2008, 19:56
Violence was eradicated by Alfred Sant.
For that alone, he is in the golden page of our history.
Daniel Cauchi
Jul 23rd 2008, 17:47
Ironically all forms of violence came to an end in 1987 with the election of the PN in Government.
It takes two to tango Mr Francis Saliba.
Charles DeMicoli
Jul 23rd 2008, 16:55
All violence is deplorable, provoked or not, but especially when it leads to murder, as in the case of the STILL unsolved murder of Karin Grech.
laurence schembri
Jul 23rd 2008, 13:42
Totally agree, it goes both ways.
J.Buhagiar
Jul 23rd 2008, 12:24
I supported EFA completely. When he made himself president, I decided to search and read for myself rather than just listen to Net TV.
AGIS - Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl (Daritama) with financial support AGIS Programme European Commission - Directorate-General Justice, Freedom And Security
UNIVERSITY OF MALTA 2007
(Available greater detail on the internet)
Extract Para 1.3. Hate culture
During the early ’60s a battle of ideologies occurred...the conservative reactionary forces, mainly the Catholic Church and the Nationalist Party (PN; conservative) and the progressive liberal forces, mainly Malta Labour Party.
While Mintoff was frantically transforming backward Malta into a significant, modern industrialised country, he was ferociously opposed on all fronts by the defenders of the status quo. This gave the new PN leadership, headed by Edward Fenech Adami, a convenient excuse to whip up an odium that brought about terrifying consequences.
The two opposing sides had, by now, settled into their trenches, but the war tactics of Fenech Adami were tinged with a malevolence that made their opponents play in their hands. These tactics included the ploy of playing the victim while callously provoking bloodshed; and the socialists were inconsiderate enough to fall headlong for the trick.
Malta remains divided to date.
d.attard
Jul 23rd 2008, 12:21
As Malta seeks to take positive steps forward to become a truly free, democratic and European country, some insist on staying marooned on the backwaters of this conservative isle. The breath of fresh air brought to Maltese politics by Joseph seems to upset certain mindsets. We can give these lonely souls a supply of bully beef and tap water and good riddance to you as Malta finally moves ahead onto truly modern times.
apgrech
Jul 23rd 2008, 10:43
Mr Francis Saliba seems to want to live in the past. Violence occured in the past - violence was caused by members from both parties so please don't make it look like the Labourites are the only villains. Consider also incitement as dangerious and there has been lots of it from the PN side.
Joseph Muscat has apologized for the horrible events of the past - haven't heard anyone from the PN apologising yet.
If you think the PN people are saints, just go through the vents and check the truth.
History has taught us a lesson: VIOLENCE IS UGLY AND DESTRUCTIVE no matter where it comes from.
Best now is to stop moaning about it.