Educating Lawrence

There may have only been hundreds and not thousands of people last Thursday at the protest march, however the spanner is temporarily stymieing the building project and we have been assured that, as things stand, the damage caused by the works in progress at Baħrija is not irreversible... at least not yet.

I would have been there, however, I was in nearby Sicily at the time having a relaxing couple of days in a delightful agriturismo called Masseria degli Ulivi out in the wilds near Noto Antica, that was so idyllic that I cannot resist recommending it. I was in touch with many friends by SMS who took to the streets on Thursday.

I could not help comparing the Sicilian countryside to the Maltese and concluded that the only difference between the two is sheer size. Like Malta, Sicily is subject to so many infractions and infringements of ODZs. There are abominations galore. The difference is that, up to now, most of it is easily absorbed in the sheer size of the landscape. In Malta, because if our size, the minutest carbuncle stands out a mile.

I can well understand the frustration of landowners like Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Victor Scerri. These gentlemen probably feel that because of who they are whatever they do is subject to public scrutiny and criticism. I am sure they both knew that such interference comes with the job and that, hence, like Caesar's wife they must be above suspicion. Doing what they have done is like trying to have your cake and eating it.

As we were reminded by Dr Scerri himself there are plenty of other potential abominations by other people in Baħrija Valley that deserve no less hoo-hah than his bid to create a lovely country retreat wherefrom he can contemplate and study the mating habits of the protected freshwater crab from the comfort of his bedroom window just as if he were David Attenborough. Imagine; all he has to do is peer down at the stream at the bottom of the valley as it flows past his walls!

As for Dr Pullicino Orlando, partying for the masses in Mistra Valley will become the rage as you know and I know that in the end there is a limit to how long a pathetically small minority of people can go on fighting the juggernauts of so-called progress no matter how determined and intrepid they are.

There are many other natural beauty spots under threat: Ta' Ċenċ, Ħondoq ir-Rummien and even Dwejra, where huge tracts of virgin territory will be sacrificed to the jackhammers sooner or later all in the name of prosperity and progress. It seems as if the credit crunch has actually fuelled the voraciousness of this hunger to exploit and despoil what remains of our land. How long can people go on fighting the power of money?

The Prime Minister swore he would take Mepa in hand when he reassumed power just over a year ago in a wave of euphoria that dissipated as the new government proved to be petrified by their own success. There is a positive aspect to this. Had Alfred Sant been elected in March 2008 the doom and gloom would have been so profound that we would have ground to a halt long ago.

I sorely miss the upbeat attitudes of Finance Ministers like George Bonello du Puis who managed to instill confidence in ourselves and in this way generated and galvanised the economy. Who says that good PR does not work?

So, as all about us are losing their heads, and unemployment throughout the civilised world soars, we in Malta are contemplating the erection of a grandiose building or buildings at the entrance to our capital city, and our private sector headed by our new political aristocracy are acting like the 18th century tycoons who built country retreats like Villa Gomerino or Villa Bologna. Nothing much changes under the sun. Had anyone tried to do what FAA & Co. are doing to the barone Pietro Cassia or the uditore Fabrizio Grech they would have probably been hanged, drawn, quartered and then thrown to the mako sharks off Filfla.

Thankfully we live in a democracy where these things do not happen and freedom of expression is enshrined in our Constitution and way of life. There are a great many people who are upset by the lack of husbandry that successive governments have shown towards the preservation of our heritage whether it is architectural, historical or natural. Renzo Piano's plans for Valletta have been prematurely revealed by the Prime Minister thereby gazumphing Austin Gatt who informed us that they would be made public on the 27th.

Listening to the people is something that after losing the EP elections by 35,000 votes would be sheer folly not to do unless the government is determined to self-destruct. I sometimes wonder. The open air theatre has a very limited usage; what with our strong winds and heavy rains this is simply not acceptable. Once we are at it why not make Parliament roofless too?

kzt@onvol.net