Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/619227
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 23 DECEMBER 2015 10 Opinion I t is obvious that Joseph Muscat was lying when before the election he gave the impression that his government would change tack when it comes to overdevelopment and respect for our quality of life, that is our environment. Some people forget, but basically what we are seeing is the continuation of the Nationalists' love affair with their donors: the big construction lobby. Simon Busuttil – the anointed favourite one since at least 2004 – can bend over backwards and sweet talk as much as he likes, but it's the same story all over again, maybe this time in fast forward. He can also do everyone a favour and stop posturing as someone 'new' – he has been a very prominent PN politician since at least 2004 – campaigning for people to support PN policies, from the destruction of millions of metres square of virgin land to appeasing the hunters, even bragging 'kemm hdimt ghalikom' every now and again. Manipulation is the order of the day. Take the extension of the development zones in 2006 – by Simon's friends and colleagues, when he was already active in politics – it was rushed through before new, more demanding EU rules came into force. Manipulation galore. Take the illegal extension of a hotel on public land in Marfa. Silence and the usual ignorant statements about 'l-ekonomija'. The examples are too many to mention in a short article. I will never forget reports from my AD colleagues and European Parliamentarians of Simon Busuttil and his minions bending over backwards to retain the illogical practice of spring hunting – calling anyone who opposed this 'traitors'. The usual manipulation and shameless sucking up to the usual lobbies. Recently we have had the PL and PN joining forces once again, in favour of a massive car racing track. Chris Agius and David Agius giving this land grabbing hotel-restaurants and bars-with-racetrack their blessing. In Gozo the PL and PN have joined forces too with Chris Said and Franco Mercieca intent on increasing air pollution, traffic and destroying Gozo. A recent report in Maltatoday mentions the Pitstop petrol station in Mdina Road in H'Attard. It informs us that MPs from the 'two major parties' had opposed the development in 2006. Now the owners want to build a restaurant. What the article failed to do was to define what the 'opposition' consisted of – especially that of Nationalist MPs, since the party was in government. The so called 'opposition' was gate-crashing a press conference to appear to be in solidarity with residents. In that same year these same PN parliamentarians voted in favour of the massive extension of the development zones and failed to insist on a proper policy to limit the number and footprint of petrol stations. Some people may be impressed by the PN's opposition to the shameful Zonqor development. Some people were fooled by the PL's and Muscat's nice words before the election, when his neo-Nationalist policies should have been clear to all. Recent history shows up that all the posturing and platitudes from both Busuttil and Muscat are just hot air and empty words. Ralph Cassar is AD secretary general and a local councillor in Attard T oday marks the second anniversary of the death of Philip Serracino-Inglott, who is probably best remembered in Malta for his quick mind at computer programming at a very early age. He studied at the University of Malta, where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Computer Studies and Philosophy – a unique combination which inf luenced his later work. After working for the Fondazzjoni Temi Zammit, where he was the leader of e-learning initiatives and introducing Science in the City in Malta for the first time, he continued his studies at Enschede in The Netherlands, where he wrote a thesis on philosophical issues in advanced Computer Technology. His external advisor, the well known philosopher David Koepsell, described Philip's Masters project as "sophisticated and superior to some PhD theses". Philip is however more recognised in the international philosophy groups for his publications, as a PhD candidate, at Delft at the Technology and Innovation Department of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management of the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands on the collective known Anonymous. The publication, a 10,000 word piece with 92 references on the group Anonymous: Is it OK to be Anonymous, was both incisive and bold. His general project was to explore deviance on the internet in an attempt to try to describe its ethos. The publication dealt with hackers, vigilantes, punishment, DDoS, violence online, deviance, cyber attack, ethics online, internet activism and digital revolution. In his short life, Philip talked significantly about 'hacking' in the broadest sense, and he was an expert hacker of all things, delving into how things worked, tinkering with electronics, cooking, computers and anything that could be tinkered with. The significance of his writing came more to light when it was in these last months recognised that the group Anonymous posed a very relevant contribution to destroy the media weapons of heartless terrorists, perhaps even more effective than weapons of mass destruction which bring a toll on innocents hit with the guilty. Philip's contribution was recognised by the University of Delft, when he was granted the TU Delft Library Open Access Publications Award and through the organisation of an amazing commemorative academic ceremony which was attended by a large gathering of family, friends and colleagues from different countries. More significantly an Annual Academic Award in his name was installed at the 3TU Delft Ethics Centre. Philip's death has left a hole in the Centre of Ethics and Technology at Delft but more importantly in the hearts and lives of those he touched while he was here in this world. His contributions are still vividly cherished today, both intellectually and emotionally by all his family and the world as evidenced by the number of PhD graduates who acknowledged his intellectual contribution to their lives in their own theses. Some of these works, which are found on the library shelves of reputable universities are dedicated to him. The most recent acknowledgement was that by University of Malta PhD graduate, Louise Grech who in her dedication described Philip as a lost friend and great mind who has relit in her the enthusiasm and courage of thought, writing and living and that partly her PhD was completed because of his inspiration. Family and friends and colleagues will be laying f lowers on Wednesday, 23 December at 10.00 am at the Tarxien Tal-Erwieh Church Cemetery in his memory. PL lies and PN greenwash Is it OK to be anonymous? 10 Opinion Ralph Cassar Anthony Serracino-Inglott Philip Serracino Inglott (above) died suddenly two years ago