Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/437144
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 21 DECEMBER 2014 26 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. Ten years ago we voted in favour of joining the EU. It turned out to be the most corrupt and filthy institu- tion on earth. Little did we know at the time what the EU is really all about. They robbed us of our sovereignty, they are robbing us of our freedom, they robbed us of our freedom of speech, they are robbing us of our culture, they robbed us of our dignity, they robbed us of our pride in our nation, they robbed us of our identity and they want to rob us of our beliefs. They dumped their euro on most of the EU countries. It was a complete failure and will surely be dissolved in a few years. For now we are getting some money from the EU and some projects were and are being done, even if they are always overdue and over budget. In a few years' time Malta will be a net con- tributor. At least 95% of the Maltese population never saw one red cent of EU money! The money is going in the pockets of a very few people. Greed for money and power has made the EU and its politicians, incoherent to what is really happen- ing around us. The EU can no longer ignore their own people's feelings and concerns. The EU together with the US destabilised several countries, triggering this complete insanity of mass migration. Their so-called political correctness is going to bring western civilization to an end. It is an artificial, centralized government that thinks it is God. Local citizens are shoved aside and deliberately replaced by people who will never assimilate and will never integrate. How long will they rank the chains of the dog? The dog will eventually bite! These foreign nationals will only ever be a drain on any European country and on all the hard work- ing people. Anyone who opens his mouth is labelled a racist. This is not a race issue, it is a survival issue! However if they are ready to assimilate and integrate and be productive, law-abiding citizens and contribute to the local economy, they are welcome. Unfortunately local MPs, MEPs and every single NGO refuse to hear the cries of their own people. Ours and their own children will have to pay for their political correctness and sins! Do they have any patriotic blood running through their veins? Millions in the EU live in poverty. Malta is no exception with about 21% of its population living below the poverty line, yet they are more focused on letting illegal migrants live off the taxpayer with hand-outs, at times almost as much as a local pensioner who spent his whole life contributing to the local economy. Handouts are no incentive for anyone to better his life in any way, shape or form and be a productive member of society. Unfortunately, pretty much all western countries built and fought for their freedom through our ancestors and are now being led by a bunch of hypocritical, butt licking cowards who are serving as a door mat to the EU. Now, the costs of EU membership and the surrender of our sovereignty and freedom become obvious. From joining an economic union to becoming a vassal state. Is that what we agreed to? Is this what we hoped for? Is this right? Was it really worth it? J. Buttigieg Victoria Sister Doreen was unique. She was kind, generous and altruistic. I can remember very few times when Sr Doreen didn't have a smile on her face, even when she was feel- ing poorly. She never bore a grudge for a long time but was always ready to forgive those who in some way or other could have hurt her feelings. St Dorothy's Senior School owes it all to Sr Doreen from start to fin- ish. She was never stingy to spend money whether it was for new equipment, computers or any other particular project. St Dorothy's can boast of being one of the few schools with a swim- ming pool and all other sports amenities. Our students have made us proud and this certainly made Sr Doreen so happy, knowing that on her part no effort was lost to prepare our students to the highest of standards. Sister we will miss you greatly, especially the staff, her sister Marguerite and her family and her Dorothean community. Your absence will be felt for many years to come. Antoinette Balzan H'Attard The year coming to an end has been highly charged politically. It has been characterised by the feeling of a changing political land- scape in the air. A newly appointed Prime Minister and a newly elected leader of the Nationalist party, and a newly nominated President were the noteworthy landmark changes. All took place within the shortest of periods and not without controversy. The results of the European elections constituted a political earthquake with the Green Party acquiring 23,000 votes at the expense of the PN. If this trend is recon- firmed at the next general election the grow- ing popular scepticism being shown towards the two dominant political parties could pave the way for a new political climate in a political world hitherto dominated by the two party system. With an ever increasing number of float- ing voters, the political atmosphere has certainly become more discerning with citizens being more prone to probe their own political party and less likely to accept the party line at face value. If this state of mind permeates throughout the coming year we may be on the thresh- old of a new political era where issues and not political parties dominate the political agenda. Both political parties need to do much soul-searching about their proper roles, their exaggerated focus on their com- mercial operations and their being perceived to be out of touch with reality and peoples' aspirations. The year saw an explosion in illegal im- migration from the Libyan and Tunisian coasts destined to be the burning issue in the coming year where the ugly face of intol- erance is beginning to surface. It also saw a government in continuous battle to control an ever-increasing national debt as it tries to meet the criterion for our legal tender to be accepted in the euro currency regime. Many new laws were promulgated amongst fierce controversy, including the introduction of the smoking ban and the eco-tax regime. Most of all the year was characterised by a country and a people trying to come to terms with a new reality. The EU, so eulogised as a panacea for the country's problems and difficulties, is increasingly being seen in a bad light as a result of mismanagement of people's expec- tations by government. The promised new spring may turn out to be a winter of discontent unless bridges are built fast by government with a nerv- ous trade union movement and a sense of disappointment generally being felt in the country. To many these are merely birth pains, symptoms of a government taking the necessary hard decisions. This euro- scepticism may easily be overcome if the benefits of Europe start being felt in earnest. Whatever the situation, it is in the national interest that the feeling of mutual trust between the government unions and con- stituted bodies is nurtured. The country's very survival depends on the building of this trust on solid foundations. Industrial peace is a prerequisite to economic growth. There are many lessons to be learnt from the year's events. Firstly, the country must be governed by a culture favouring consensus. It is ever more evident that all the social partners including the GWU, UHM, GRTU and the FOI need to be consulted and to feel they are participants in the major decisions being taken. Achieving an agreement on a social pact is a necessity and a sine qua non for progress in the country that seriously risks experiencing lower standards of living due to the lack of competitive strength. The failure by Lawrence Gonzi to reach agreement prior to the budget left a feeling that people are being let down by a political class and constituted bodies that are not be- ing led by persons with sufficient vision and sense of leadership. The workings of the MCESD need to be institutionalised as the authority that brings about social harmony serving as a spring board to having a stronger economy. Most especially the MCESD must overcome the protection of narrow self-interest at the expense of the national interest. It exists to bring about economic renewal in a back- ground of social harmony. The election of Dr Gonzi as Prime Min- ister and leader of the party in government must, as promised, result in a new way of doing politics. The people were happy to hear this early commitment coming from the newly appointed prime minister but still await concrete and tangible results. New politics was perceived to bring about a defusing of the stifling political atmosphere and the reform of national institutions to create entities that will be at the service of the people and not for the political parties. The domination of the two large parties and their reluctance to push for electoral reforms also skews with the promised new way of doing politics. The year that was not, Or… a year of missed opportunities EDITORIAL • DECEMBER 26 2004 Malta's EU membership The Christmas story, depicted every year with childish cribs, is an obvious myth. According to this myth, God was born of a woman. He became a bambin to atone for "original sin", thereby appeasing the anger of Himself as Father, piqued by a woman's desire for apples or knowledge. John Guillaumier St Julian's Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, 23 December, 2014 at 11.00 am at St Paul Shipwreck Church, Valletta Everyone is invited to join family and friends for this celebration The Christmas myth Celebration of the Life of Philip Serracino- Inglott Pull the other one, Simon! Sister Doreen Cuschieri Simon Busuttil seems to believe that he can insult the intelli- gence of those who follow what he says during news conferences and public meetings. I say this because we have had another very glaring example of this. While addressing a news con- ference on Wednesday, 17 Decem- ber, when asked about the politi- cal responsibility of Carm Mifsud Bonnici in the case involving the death or killing of the illegal im- migrant Kamara, Busuttil replied that Mifsud Bonnici is no longer a minister. Besides, Busuttil said, the PN had already paid for that death when the PN had suffered defeat in the general election of 2013, adding that the immigrant's death was part of the reasons that brought about the PN's defeat! Who does the leader of the opposition think he is fooling? Has he forgotten that Lawrence Gonzi had set up a commission to draw up a report on the reasons that had contributed to the PN's defeat? Nowhere in that report was the immigrant Kamara's death mentioned as being one of the reasons for the PN's historic defeat at the polls! Can anyone in his/her right mind ever believe that Simon Busuttil can ever take difficult decisions when these involve his own parliamentary colleagues? Pull the other one, Simon! Eddy Privitera Mosta 6 July 1976-23 December 2013 APPRECIATION