Joe Borg, Mosta
The oh-so-enlightened Labour leadership
According to Mario Vella (June 6), the Nationalist Party and its present and past leaders are not enlightened because they do not agree with the introduction of divorce.
Let’s go back a few years when these unenlightened leaders and a multitude of others were farsighted enough to work hard so that Malta could one day be a member of the European Union. At the same time we had the previous enlightened leaders of the Labour Party, with the help of the present leader, working full blast against the government headed by Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami, who spearheaded the proposal for Malta to take its rightful place as a member of the European Union.
We all remember Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici telling us that with EU membership, Malta will be infested with AIDS. On the other hand Alfred Sant told us the Sicilians would take our jobs. Then we had the General Workers’ Union leadership in total agreement with the enlightened MLP leader working and using its funds against EU membership.
To cap it all we had the present enlightened PL leader who used to regale us poor souls with his daily anti-EU radio talks Direct From Brussels. He also advised the people of Iceland to follow Maltese voters in their sacred fight against EU membership. We all know what happened to Iceland two years ago when it went bankrupt. Not so Malta, because the unenlightened PN leaders weathered the storm and continued to attract more investment from all parts of the world.
We also all remember the enlightened opposition leader, after the publication of the EU referendum result, telling his supporters at a mass meeting held near Marsa Shipbuilding that there was an overwhelming majority for his partnership proposal because he added the no votes to those who abstained. Now we have the new leader, Joseph Muscat, telling us that he is no longer against EU membership. Shall we call this enlightenment or immaturity?
Finally, may I ask whether Dr Vella was enlightened years back when he formed part of the now defunct Communist Party? He might wish to regale us with another enlightened essay on this subject.
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Keith Pisani
Jun 11th 2011, 11:10
Mr Scicluna below says "What a knockout!!!" Not clear whose knockout. To reasonably intelligent mortals, Mr Joe Borg (Mosta) has only punched himself to the ground by avoiding the real issues and resorting to tired old village party politics cliches! On May 28, 2011, one hundred and twenty two thousand five hundred and forty seven Maltese citizens stood up and knocked out - no, not those that would not opt for divorce if they were ever to need and qualify for it, but - those that would rather we Maltese did not think for ourselves! In 2006, this newspaper carried an article by the late Ralf Dahrendorf entitled 'Today's Counter-Enlightenment', from which I quote: "The gains of enlightened discourse are too precious to be turned into negotiable values. Defending those gains is the task that we now face."
Mr Tony Camilleri
Jun 10th 2011, 14:30
Re aidsread the reports how aids and other exotic diseases which had never existed in Malta or were eradicated years and years ago have re-appeared with a vengeance.
Mr Tony Camilleri
Jun 10th 2011, 14:28
Joe Borg, Mosta the last workers who are enjoying the benefits of eu membership are the Selmun Palace and the GO workers together with thousands of other workers who have lost their jobs.
This is apart form all of us who are paying €186,000 every day to the eu just as a membership fee apart from so many other taxes, customs duties and levies etc., being inundated by foreign settlers and illegal immigrats etc etc.
Of course there are those who are on the gravy train for which the eu is renowned.
It is for those that the eu is the manna from heaven.
But for the others it is the biggest curse that could ever happen to them and to Malta.
Mr Victor Laiviera
Jun 10th 2011, 12:45
I see that Mr Borg is still repeating the old chestnut about KMB and aids - I would have thought that everybody know by now that is was just a spin dreamed up by the PN media machine.
Regarding the bit about "Sicilians taking our jobs", I invite Mt Borg to check some statistics and see how many secure, full-time jobs have been lost in favour of precarious jobs and part-time work. And how many breadwinners have a part-time job a their principal employment. If he is not aware of these things, he really should think twice about commenting here.
And as for the referendum - surely he is aware that our Prime Minister is refusing to commit himself and say how he will vote even though the result was a clear 54% "YES".
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Joseph Scicluna
Jun 10th 2011, 18:18
" the result was a clear 54% "YES". Is that according to Dr. Sant's interpretation of the result?
Mr Pat Hobson
Jun 10th 2011, 11:40
Excuse Me Mr. Borg. What part of history are you trying to criticise? Past or present? Because your letter based itself on what happened in the past. We're in 2011, and everybody and everything has changed. Today the PL has changed into a more progressive Party that is all-inclusive, while the PN has reverted back to its ultra-conservative party, using the Liberals for their votes and nothing else. The Divorce Referendum has shown us that. The PN is still hand-in-glove with the Church. As for the EU affair, that is now a settled affair. The PL has embraced the EU and is doing its best to make the most of it. Unlike what the PN is doing. We have already lost millions because of certain ministers' diligence. So please, spare us your sermons about enlightment. Wasn't it Labour that brought Malta out of the Middle Ages in the 70's. Wasn't it Labour that removed homosexuality from being a criminal act? Wasn't it Labour who brought the mentally, physically, handicapped literally from under the stairs? Wasn't it Labour who in 1975 introduced Civil Marriage and was a step away from introducing Divorce?
Joseph Scicluna
Jun 10th 2011, 16:35
Labour has been booted out of government for more than thirty years (except or a disastrous 22 months) and they never had to face one of the world's worst crisis ever. So............
Mr Wally Vella-Zarb
Jun 10th 2011, 09:27
The bankruptcy of Iceland had nothing to do with its staying out of the EU any more than the bankruptcy of Greece and the imminent collapse of Portugal were caused through their being members. Poor banking practices, sub-prime lending and lack of control on financing were more significant. Remember how the much vaunted “Irish Tiger” was soon to become a ‘paper tiger’? Did membership in the EU figure in that soap bubble? We avoided those situations partly due to the controlling legislation that was passed in Malts back in the seventies following the run on the National Bank, WAY before we became members.
Mentioning two facts together does not necessarily mean that there is a correlation between them. A minimal dose of ‘enlightenment’ would have helped you to realise that.
Joseph Scicluna
Jun 10th 2011, 08:54
What a knockout!!!