Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/306555
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 4 MAY 2014 18 Letters Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. Dr Tonio Borg, the bland, conservative deputy leader of the Nationalist party, has made some deleterious remarks against the Maltese Greens. They are not only unexpected but also ridiculous and deeply hypocritical. Yesterday, Dr Borg talked of the Greens wanting to increase taxes on the environment, forgetting that the EPP, the bloc that brings together a mixture of rightists, populists and euro sceptics, has a sentence in their manifesto about the need to introduce eco-taxes. His second remark was about abortion and divorce. Again Dr Borg referred to the Greens, pretending to forget that the political parties that are in the EPP were the ones who not only supported abortion and divorce, but in many cases introduced abortion and divorce in their own countries. Dr Borg is obviously panicking about the Green vote. And yes, the Nationalist party has always panicked about the Green vote, succeeding each time so far – but perhaps not this time? - in dissuading voters casting their vote for the Greens. Dr Borg's latest comment this Friday about the Greens was not only stupid but downright farcical. He said that the Greens are against 'nuclear deterrent'. Since when has nuclear deterrence been an issue in the European parliament? Is Dr Borg serious? Has he forgotten that his party agreed with Mr Mintoff for the inclusion of a neutrality clause in the Constitution? And what does one need nuclear deterrence for in today's world - to ward off the US, China or Israel perhaps? Isn't Dr Borg aware of the Europe-wide trend to phase out nuclear power generation? Dr Borg has either lost track, is in need of some serious updating or simply is looking for a dead horse to f log. It might be useful if he does what he is very good at doing, that is not saying anything at all, which is what he does best whenever the media ask him a question about Kordin hunger strikes, corrupt judges, sex-starved Police Commissioners and illegal immigrants. Two weights, two measures Why does the Curia never get it right? Yet again, it is launching a tirade against priests who take a public political stand, because, it says, this goes against its directives. Does it go against the gospel? Jesus never said priests shouldn't side with a party or with political candidates, but then again he never said they shouldn't marry either. It is also remarkable how selective the bishops are to speak about problems within the church – as if Fr Colin Apap is the greatest malaise right now. Worse than paedophile priests, it seems, judging by their immediate reaction to the news of his involvement, in contrast with their defensive attitude as regards child abuse by priests. The question we ask the Archbishop is: Is he uncomfortable with Fr Colin Apap (and with all the other priests who in the past declared their political viewpoint) just because he made his views public? What about Fr Peter Serracino Inglott's political manifestos for the PN? And his participation at the Convention on the Future of Europe? Manifestos can be written privately, away from public eye, but surely the Curia is not suggesting that matters relating to conscience are only relevant when they are out in the open? Puerile political campaigning and crass hypocrisy Editorial • May 09 2004 Perfect slander Can Chris Packham – the BBC Spring- watch presenter brought over by Birdlife Malta – explain how, with a voluntary crew of BBC freelancers, other than five illegally shot birds, he was not able to substantiate his "five days watching birds illegally shot down" by at least capturing one bird being shot down on film. On 29 April edition of the BBC Breakfast Show, in reply to my statement, he referred to "many birds in ditches, swifts and swal- lows used for target practice", and yet not one was documented. He was reported by the London Times as coming to Malta to film "thousands of Maltese hunters shooting millions of migratory birds". Yet after correcting this (blaming it upon a translation error) and after all the hype, not a single one was filmed being shot. Packham is fooling the Maltese and Brit- ish public and his allegations are totally slanderous and false. Packham came in support of Birdlife Malta who for years have been lobbying to end spring hunting. He rendered an impeccable service in support of this cause apart from generating €50,000 for Birdlife Malta thanks to his sweet talk. What he still needs to prove is the truth. Mark Mifsud Bonnici President St Hubert Hunters An earthly honour The canonization of two Popes is an occasion for the Catholic Church to f latter itself and its followers after a long series of shameful scandals and cover-ups. On the cover of its 1 April, 2002 issue, Time magazine depicted an illustration of Pope John Paul with his back turned to the viewer as he hid his face with his hands, in shame, after the full scale of the sex abuse scandals in the Church came to light. John Paul did not have the inner vision that saints and mystics allegedly have to be aware of the sexual abuse that was being perpetrated by Catholic priests during his pontificate. Or else he knew what was going on but chose to keep it secret in order to avoid scandal. In the meantime, abusive priests kept being transferred from one parish or diocese to another. John Paul did not perform any miracles while he was alive, not even to heal himself of a debili- tating illness. It was pathetic to watch him drooling at his Vatican window during his final illness. It's absurd to believe that he can heal the living now that he's dead! Neither did Pope John XIII per- form any miracles. The Church, in fact, waived the requirement of a miracle for his canonization. Canonization, with its dubious "miracles", is nowadays bestowed so often that it is nothing more than an earthly honour. John Guillaumier St Julian's A letter to the Prime Minister Hon. Prime Minister, whilst speaking at a Labour Party mass meeting in Cospicua on In- ternational Workers' Day, you have been quoted by some news media as asking "the soldiers of steel" (a phrase which was coined by Dom Min- toff referring to those Labour Party supporters who had defied the Catholic Church's interdic- tion against the Labour Party and voted for Mintoff and the MLP) to prove themselves. This, according to the same news media, was to vote for the Labour Party candidates contest- ing to become MEP's in the fast approaching European Parliament elec- tions, and to strive to con- vince others to do the same. Lest you have forgotten, let me remind you that Mintoff was against Malta joining the EU stating that "this was not in our best interest". Moreo- ver, Mintoff had referred to the countries of Western Eu- rope as pertaining to "Cain". You were also opposed to Malta joining EU at that time and had written newspaper articles to this effect. The golden years of Malta, during the 70's and early 80's when Dom Mintoff was Prime Minister (God rest his soul), Malta become rich both in assets and social services. From a state still subservient to the British crown, Malta be- come a Republic with its own head of state and prospered to such an extent that it even owned a profitable airline when many (including the Nationalist Party) contended that it would have "wings of lead". Telemalta, Sea Malta, Enemalta, Mid-Med Bank and Bank of Valletta were all parastatal/ national companies and although some of them sometimes faced financial difficulties, nothing compared to the current disastrous situation whereby, under a Nationalist administration, these were either liquidated or sold at a pittance (under the pretext of privatization as instructed by EU). At that time, Malta had minimal foreign and local debt, and held one of the highest per capita foreign reserves in the world. Presently, as inher- ited from a devastating Nationalist Party admin- istration in government for over two decades (whilst your party's parliamentarians slumbered on the opposition seats), Malta's local debt has reached over 73% of GDP, which amounts to the astronomical sum of over five billion Euros. As my hair is fast turning white, and I am quickly ap- proaching retiring age, I look back on the years with nostal- gic fervour. Although I have been a "Labourite" for most of my life, I do not consider myself as such any longer, but prefer to be considered as a "Mintoffian". Dom Mintoff would never have resorted to sell the Maltese nationality to rich foreigners and if he had still been alive, I would have been willing to die for him. I would have been proud to be referred to as a "Soldier of Steel" and would have defied any religion that would have instructed me not to do his bidding. With regards to your instructions to those who are already set to vote for Labour candidates in the forthcoming MEP elections to convince others to do the same, I will be doing the opposite - encouraging them not to vote at all. Hon. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, you are no Dom Mintoff. Raymond Sammut Mellieha Chris Packham Dom Mintoff Pope John Paul