Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1259447
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 JUNE 2020 OPINION Ryan Callus is Opposition spokesperson for Energy and Water Management and immensely influential cul- tural phenomenon, that simply hasn't aged as well as some peo- ple out there might like (so natu- rally, it has to go). Admittedly, it is still a little un- clear whether UKTV decided to axe one particular episode – 'The Germans' – because it features scenes that openly lampoon Hit- ler, Nazism, and (by extension) the Holocaust… or because of its repeated use of 'the N-word'… or because of the undisguisedly xen- ophobic stereotyping associated with characters such as 'Manuel' (in which case, the ban should in theory be extended to all ep- isodes, not just 'The Germans'… if not all TV comedy shows made before 2020: eg, 'Allo, Allo', 'Mind Your Language', 'Dukes of Hazzard', etc.) Either way, it doesn't really make much difference. Remov- ing that episode remains an act of pre-emptive self-censorship – as was the case with HBO's deci- sion to de-schedule 'Gone With the Wind'… and indeed my own decision not to post that Archie Bunker clip - on the basis that someone, somewhere, might conceivably 'take offence' at the same sort of humour today. And quite frankly, that not only misses the point of that particu- lar episode of 'Fawlty Towers'… but also of the entire series; and with it, the entire genre of satir- ical comedy itself, from start to finish. To home in on just one detail: when Basil Fawlty goosesteps up and down in imitation of Adolf Hitler - or even when 'The Ma- jor' utters shocking, disgraceful epithets at the expense of ethnic minorities - the real satirical target was not 'The Germans'… or 'The Jews'… or 'The Blacks'… (or, to go back to Archie Bunker: "Hispanics, Commies, gays, hip- pies, Catholics, 'women's libbers', Polish–Americans, etc.") No: it was the British. What makes John Cleese's antics so memorable, in that particular scene, is not that they 'demean or trivialise the Holocaust' – or, even less, 'make fun of the Ger- mans'. What they actually spoof are all the cultural quirks and oddities that are uniquely, quin- tessentially associated with the ineffable quality of 'Britishness'. As such, 'Fawlty Towers' also cast a spotlight on the difficul- ties so many British people felt in the 1970s – and evidently still feel today – in adjusting to the new post-war realities: including, incidentally, membership in the European Union… alongside na- tions that the same British people had gone to war with just a few decades earlier. Likewise, the racist language used by the Major is clearly in- tended to come across as every bit as outdated, anachronistic and misplaced as the character of the Major himself: a relic of a forgotten British Empire, who (throughout the series) remains pitifully unaware that the world he once inhabited had by that time long ceased to even exist. So to just throw away 'Fawlty Towers', in its entirety, simply because it fails to meet today's increasingly obsessive standards of political correctness… that's not just 'stupid' (as John Cleese himself put it this week); it's also dangerous. Apart from robbing entire gen- erations of some excellent com- edy classics of yesteryear – and, admittedly, some not-so-excel- lent ones (I, for one, never real- ly found 'Little Britain' all that funny… though I still have deep misgivings about its recent cen- sorship, for all the same reasons) – it also robs us of the very lan- guage we need the most, if we are to truly to counter the very issues so many people are protesting about. For at the end of the day, cen- sorship also denies us the ability to laugh at our own failures and weaknesses as human beings. And as we should all know by now, after so many years of ex- posure to the same, rich legacy of satirical comedy that we sudden- ly seem so eager to get rid of… that which cannot be laughed at, can never hope to be defeated any other way. Ryan Callus A number of residents of Siggiewi have been sharing their concerns with me regarding housing projects being proposed by govern- ment in significant concentrations in Siggiewi. Before getting into the specifics, I would like to clarify that as an Opposition MP I am not against social accommodation. Rather, I take this opportunity to express criticism towards government, which during the past seven years, left aside those who are mostly in need for adequate housing. We have seen not one new apartment being complet- ed and given to those seeking a home – a fact which has been raised often my colleague Ivan Bartolo, the Opposition spokesperson for so- cial housing and poverty. Realistically, we need housing in every locality so that we support those really in need, either because of their family situation or because they cannot be- come a home owner. For the simple fact that government remained inactive for the past sev- en years, the waiting list degenerated and more than 3,000 families are now waiting for an apart- ment. Government is now in panic-mode, and as a result, it is increasing the density in its hous- ing projects. This style of vision-less politics will result in a concen- tration of people in one place, and in Siggiewi this will be the third case of high-density housing. If one were to place 3,000 people living in a hall, the waiting list could be reduced instantly, but that would not have solved the housing problem. This is what government is doing. Let me give a few examples. How can a block with 193 apartments, such as the one proposed near the Siggiewi football ground, have no open spaces? Can you imagine a building larger than three tumoli without a single metre of open space? I pity those who will live in such condi- tions. Not to mention the design of the facade which looks reminiscent of communist times rather than that of a European state in the 21st century. How is it possible, that after so many discussions in Parliament on the importance of architectural design, Labour wasn't even able to come out with something better? The proposed mediocre design has "housing" written all over it – which is a stereotype stamp that needs to be eliminated for the benefit of those who will be living in it. The integration of social housing communities ought to provide the necessary qualities and inspiration which is typically not associated with customary social housing. In this sense, government has failed to integrate this project with the rest of the buildings in the vicinity. Another serious shortcoming in this project of 193 apartments is the lack of a refuge area. You cannot make this stuff up. Can you im- agine 193 families taking out their garbage on the pavement? This will create an inconven- ience not just for nearby residents but also for those living in these same apartments. At the end of the day, all this demonstrates how such projects were the result of panic and lack of planning by government. The Housing Authority did not have the decency to provide the necessary parking spaces. All of these is- sues can be seen in other projects too. In another site in Siggiewi, this time in Triq it-Tank, the density of the apartments has in- creased in what now seems like a packaging factory for sardines, once again without providing enough parking spaces on site (35 apartments vs 16 garages). How can people in authority ev- er be taken seriously when forcing developers to create the necessary parking provisions on- site, only for government to do otherwise in its projects? In this despicable sce- nario, local councils have a duty to intervene to bring some sense to government policy. I ap- peal to the Siggiewi local council, to make away with partisan politics, and place country before political tribalism. Every elected official, be it on a national or lo- cal stature, takes the oath of office towards the Republic of Malta and therefore is loyal to the national interest not the political interest. I feel I am duty bound to thank the minority coun- cillors, Alessia Psaila Zammit, Julian Borg and Francine Farrugia, for it were not for them, the Siggiewi Council wouldn't even have objected with the Planning Authority. I genuinely appeal for reconsideration, now that we are still in time. Let's take partisanship out of such projects in Siggiewi or anywhere else. Let's not be remembered in history for having stood by and watched on as buildings without any style and design, devoid of the necessary quality of life were taking shape. I appeal to Minister Roderick Galdes to look for quality in housing projects, not only in Siggie- wi, but in all localities. Once again, I am not against social housing, absolutely. I am against buildings that do not create the necessary qual- ity of life to those that shall live in them. Social housing needs an overhaul I appeal to the Siggiewi local council, to make away with partisan politics, and place country before political tribalism