Ħsibijiet Feġġejja

       1.      Malta: ġenna tal-art imnejka. U mhux Joseph Muscat biss niekha.

2.      Joseph Muscat: inkarnazzjoni ta’ Dr. Faustus - biegħ ruħu lix-xitan għall-poter u l-popolarità.

3.      Joseph Muscat: egrant tentattiv ta’ frame-up fuqu – 99.9%

4.      Joseph Muscat: ma kellu x’jaqsam xejn mal-mewt ta’ Daphne

5.      Joseph Muscat: għamel ġid, imma probabbli l-agħar Prim Ministru ta’ Malta.

6.      Joseph Muscat: Għax ma jparparx lejn xi galassja oħra?

7.      Edward Zammit Lewis: imissu jwarrab. Wiċċu u u sormu xorta.

8.      Rosianne Cutajar: imissha twarrab. Wiċċha u sormha xorta. Kont se ngħid li t-tnejn isbaħ minn ta’ Zammit Lewis, imma aħjar le.

9.      Kirsty Debono: ha proprio culo (metaforikament). Laħqet bidlet l-alleanza għax kieku Repubblika et al sallbuha.

10. Repubblika: għanijiet sublimi, imma l-mibegħda ċċajpar għemilhom.

11. The Shift News: il-veri eredi ta’ Daphne, imma l-mibegħda ċċajpar kitbiethom.

12. Occupy Justice: bejn Repubblika u The Shift News, nippreferi 'l Occupy Justice.

13. Daphne: Kull ġurnata li tgħaddi niskopri kemm kellha raġun fuq il-korruzzjoni u kif taħdem.

14. Daphne: kittieba sublimi, investiġtraċi straordinarja, antropologa m’hawnx bħalha.

15. Daphne: kellha difetti serji, imma ħaqqha monument.

16. Daphne: Il-familja tagħha terrqet fid-dulur u immaturat. Li laqgħu l-apoloġija ta’ Robert Abela sinjal eċċellenti.

17. Daphne: il-pass li jmiss hu li l-familja issa tiltaqa’ mal-President.

18. Jason Azzopardi: għandu kuraġġ ta’ ljun. Nixtieq ngħid affarijiet tajba oħra fuqu imma ma nistax insib.

19. Il-PN: farsa tbikkik.

20. Il-PN: kieku kien bniedem konna niċċertifikawh għal Monte Karmeli – tendenzi suwiċidali serji u akuti

21. Bernard Grech: Jidher inkapaċi, imma min, ħlief xi Eddie Fenech Adami, isib tarf f’dak it-taħwid?

22. Bernard Grech: biex imexxi l-PN jeħtieġ l-għerf ta’ Salamun, il-kuraġġ ta’ David, is-saħħa ta’ Sansun u l-fortuna ta’ Ġakobb. Minflok qisu l-poplu Lhudi jdur u jagħqad fid-deżert.

23. Bernard Grech: qisu jien meta kont nipprova ntellaq. Jaf li se jispiċċa l-aħħar, imma jibqa’ għaddej joħlom bil-mirakli.

24.  Adrian Delia: la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo.

25. Eddie Fenech Adami:  perfett ma kienx, imma Joseph Muscat ikkonfermalna li kien l-aqwa PM ta’ Malta

26. Eddie Fenech Adami: għandu xi neputi jixbhu? Il-PN għandu bżonnu bħall-ħobż.

27. Eddie Fenech Adami: Jekk tassew għandu d-demenzja, mhi xejn ħlief turija oħra tal-ħniena bla tarf t’Alla.

28. Lawrence Gonzi: kultant inħoss in-nuqqas tal-kalma rassikuranti li kien jaf jittrażmetti.

29. Karmenu Mifsud-Bonnici: qatt kellna politiku personalment integru aktar minnu?

30. Manuel Delia: the queen-maker?

31.  Roberta Metsola: taf tgħodd sal-għaxra...u anke ħdax.

32.  Roberta Metsola: kontra l-legalizzazzjoni tal-abort dejjem u f’kull każ?

33.  Robert Abela: għadu lest li jekk iqum xi ħadd f il-PL b’inizjattivi favur l-abort, “isib lili kontra tiegħu’’? Għax fil-każ se jkollu jippoppa sidru ta’ sikwit...

34. Robert Abela: imma dakinhar x’fettillu jistqarr li jħossu mkisser eċċ? F’konferenza stampa kien mhux fil-klinika tal-psikoterapista.

35. Robert Abela: Kemm-il darba waqa’ fil-politika rħisa ta’ kummenti li jaqtgħu fuq l-oppożizzjoni. Statista ma jinħeliex f’dawn l-affarijiet.

36. Robert Abela: ħaqqu prosit tal-apoloġija, anke jekk prevedibilment qanqlet reazzjoni fil-PL. Anzi, minħabba f’hekk, prosit doppju.

37.  Robert Abela: Meta se jagħmel dmiru u jneħħi lil Zammit Lewis minn Ministru?

38.  Robert Abela: mill-ewwel sab l-iebes – il-Covid, il-mewt ta’ Miriam Pace eċċ. S’issa, bħala PM ġaħġaħha, imma mhux li bbrilla wisq.

39.  Alfred Sant: Talli ċċivilizza lill-MLP u qaċċat lill-vjolenti, kapaċi naħfirlu anke tal-abort, kważi. Imma kważi biss.

40.  Alfred Sant: Il-patti max-xitan fil-politika moda li daħħalha hu?

41. Il-PL: fis-snin 70 u 80, kien soċjalista imma mhux demokratiku. Illum liberali roża ċar.

42.  Desmond Zammit Marmarà: alkoħol rari nixrob, imma jekk niltaqa’ miegħu lest inħallaslu birra, tnejn u anke tlieta.

43.  Desmond Zammit Marmarà: jistħoqqlu monument il-kwartieri tal-PL, avolja hemm min jixtieq jarmalu forka.

44.  Arnold Cassola: jindaħal f’kollox,  jikkummenta fuq kollox, imma ħafna drabi allaħares ma jkunx hu.

45.  Simon Mercieca: għadni ma nistax niddeċiedi jekk għandux Alla għalih, jew hux  qiegħed jgħaddi ż-żmien bin-nies u bih innifsu.

46. Graffiti: iqanqlu fija ambivalenza bla tarf. L-ambjent u l-abort - Alla u x-xitan, in-nar u l-ilma.

47.  Fr. David Muscat: tassew intelliġenti, fidi qawwija – imbagħad imur jingħaqad mal-lemin razzista u anti-semita!

48.  Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca: bħala Ministru ġieli ndaħlet fejn ma jesagħhiex. Illum imissha titkellem aktar fuq il-kwistjonijiet kontroversjali.

49.  Ġorġ Abela: ħasra li ibnu l-PM, għax fehemtu fuq kwistjonijiet soċjo-politiċi kienet tiswa ħafna.

50.  Jien: Nixtieq li qabel immut il-kuxjenza tħallini nerġa’ nivvota lil-Labour.

Ġaħan fil-Klassi

Ftit kienu dawk li rnexxielhom jirreżistu t-tentazzjoni li jiżżuffjettaw, jiddieħku, jew jiċċajtaw bil-‘’ġaħan’’ ta’ Edward Zammit Lewis. Jien bħal kważi kulħadd għamilt. Meta okkażjoni ta’ satira bħal din tidher quddiemek fuq platt tad-deheb mhux dejjem faċli jkollok is-sinsla li taqdef kontra l-kurrent u tirrifletti sew fuq l-implikazzjonijiet kollha tal-biċċa qabel tibda tfajjar l-istatuses fuq Facebook.

Imma f’xi ħin is-sens jew il-kuxjenza jew ma nafx xiex jaqbdek minn xagħrek b’ġibda iktar qawwija minn ta’ Chiellini fuq Saka u jkollok tieqaf ħesrem u tħaddem in-newroni. Imbagħad tara dak li, kieku kont onest daqs kemm tħobb timmaġina li int,  missek intbaħt bih żmien qabel.

Edward Zammit Lewis  - x’għarukaża, imissu jistħi, ara veru Laburist trid tkun  - għajjar lil dawk li ma vvutawlux “ġaħan’’, u lil sħabu li sabu ruħhom fil-Parlament imbagħad fil-Kabinett ‘’tfal u pożi’’. Ma kienx messaġġ fiċ-chat ma’ Yorgen Fenech! Il-midja soċali xegħlu.

Bosta skandalizzaw ruħhom bil-lingwaġġ insolenti fuq ħutu fil-politika, li, msieken, saru vittmi bla ħila innoċenti ta’ politiku egoċentriku u nieqes minn kull ħjiel ta’ diċenza. Oħrajn għoġobhom jagħfsu fuq kemm kellhom raġun jgħidu, jtennu u jtelltu li l-votanti Laburisti iġħna/ġħanan li ma jitgħallmu b’xejn għax moħħ m’għandhomx, qatt ma kellhom u ma jistax ikollhom – u li Malta bla tama u rasha ‘l isfel għat-telfien.

Ngħidha mill-ewwel li l-imġiba ġenerali u partikulari ta’ Zammit Lewis fil-konfront ta’ Yorgen Fenech hija tat-tqalligħ – minn diversi punti di vista. Mhix denja ta’ politiku serju u jmissu jirriżenja llum qabel għada. Ma nistax nifhem kif Robert Abela għadu ma tahx daqqa ta’ sieq fuq sormu u qalftu ‘l barra. Veru li min jaf kemm kien hemm politiċi oħra (inklużi tal-PN) li lagħqu lin-negozjanti huma wkoll (għal xi sponsorship ta’ xi attività jew xi pellegrinaġġ), imma ladarba nkixef jilgħaq bla mistħija lil negozjant sid ta’ kumpanija b’dell ta’ korruzzjoni fuqha ma jistax jibqa’ Ministru.  Sostanzjalment nappoġġja l-kampanja ta’ Repubblika (li mhix għaqda li nammira wisq) li tridu jwarrab jew jitwarrab.

Però, fuq il-biċċa ta’ "ġaħan’’ ta’ min ifettaq naqra. Il-"ġaħan Laburist'' ħarbex Zammit Lewis. 

X’ikun ''ġaħan’’ f’dan il-kuntest? Mill-bqija tal-kitba ta’ Zammit Lewis donnu jidher li ‘’ġaħan’’ ikun dak li mhux kapaċi jagħraf kandidat intelliġenti u maqtugħ għall-politika, imma jivvota lil individwi anke inferjuri skont jekk ikunux qdewh jew le. Naturalment Zammit Lewis kien qiegħed jipprova jispjega lilu nnifsu – u lil sieħbu li tant jammira – għaliex hu fl-2017 tela’ biss fl-elezzjoni każwali u tilef Ministeru. U għajjar lil-votanti li ma ftakrux fih ''ġaħan’’.

Tgħid Zammit Lewis l-uniku politiku fl-istorja li fil-privat waħħal fin-nuqqas ta’ kapaċità intellettwali u morali tal-votant biex jispjega għaliex mar ħażin fl-elezzjoni jew baqa’ l-art? Għax din l-ispjegazzjoni (m’iniex se ngħidilha skuża għax issib element ta’ verita fiha) xbajt nismagħha fin-nofs seklu li ili interessat fil-politika. Bħalissa qed naħseb fuq xi tużżana politiċi li ntqal hekk fuq is-sitwazzjoni tagħhom meta marru ħażin. Niftakar li Ġorġ Hyzler tal-PN fl-1987, Alla jaħfirlu. Tela’ bi sbrixx. Imbagħad – kien Segretarju Parlamentari għas-Saħħa, jekk niftakar sew - bena Poliklinika Ħal-Qormi, il-qalba tad-distrett elettorali, u fl-elezzjoni ta’ wara tela’ sparat. Biex ma nsemmix lill-mibki Pawlu Xuereb. U lil Louis Galea. U oħrajn.

Naturalment ħadd minnhom ma kien magħruf li għajjar lill-votanti ‘’ġaħan’’. Imma l-kanvassers u l-ħbieb tagħhom bejn wieħed u ieħor l-istess bħal Zammit Lewis kienu jgħidu. U ma kinux jeżistu chats dak iż-żmien. Zammit Lewis lagħaqi. Imma xortih ħażina wkoll.

Ironikament dak li qed jgħid Zammit Lewis u li xeba’ jaqla’ fuq rasu minħabba fih, huwa eżatt dak li qed jgħidu - u ilhom - ħafna sostenituri tal-PN u tas-Soċjeta Ċivili fuq il-votanti Maltin li jivvutaw lill-PL. Kważi kważi li huma speċje inferjuri li tivvota skont min jaqdiha u tinsa l-ordni morali u estetiku – jew jiġu għala bieb għajnhom minnu. Spjegazzjoni komda għal kulħadd. Imma jekk tinqabad tgħidha meta tkun kandidat, ħoll xagħrek. U ġib kusejn jew tlieta żejt.

Dawk il-‘’ġaħan’’ li llum jivvutaw lill-PL (u għada se jerġgħu), bil-fors li ħafna minnhom kienu darba jappoġġjaw lill-PN, għax kieku dan ma kienx idum fil-Gvern kwart ta’ seklu. Kif spiċċaw mal-PL u mhux lesti li jiċċaqalqu? X’kien dak li ''ġaħħanhom’’? Jew kienu “ġaħan” diġà meta kienu mal-PN?

Bħalissa l-PN jidher li riesaq lejn it-tielet tkaxkira in fila. Bernard Grech qed jagħmel minn kollox biex barra li "isalva lil Malta’’, forsi, b’xi miraklu, jillimita t-telfa għal inqas minn 25,000 u jsalva ġildu - jew għall-anqas wiċċu.  Biex jagħmel hekk għandu bżonn li jattira lejn il-PN ftit eluf li l-aħħar elezzjoni vvutaw lill-PL. Imma bl-istħarriġ konsistentement juri li l-PL se jirbaħ b’mill-inqas kemm rebaħ fl-2013 u l-2017, jidher li l-‘’ġaħan’’ se jibqa’ d-dar u mhux se joħroġ, jiġbed il-bieb warajh u jaqsam it-triq għal għand il-PN.

Naturalment, il-PN dejjem jista’ jikkuntenta bil-kwalità tal-votanti, jekk mhux bil-kwantità. Jew forsi, is-sostenituri l-aktar voċiferi tiegħu jistgħu jwarrbu r-retorika klassista, jigdmu lsienhom u juru ftit aktar rispett lejn il-votanti Laburisti. Inqas ma jtellgħu ħitan klassisti, iktar ikun hemm ċans li tlieta ma jsirux erbgħa.

Breathing Easier in May?

Robert Abela received a lot of stick for his statement that Malta would return to quasi-normal life by May. I shared the general scoffing scepticism - until I actually sat down, thought about it and looked at the figures.

The disbelief seems to have been generated on the basis of the mistaken assumption that quasi-normal socio-economic activity could only resume once herd immunity was achieved. Were that the case we could not contemplate opening up before we would have inoculated at least 70% of the population (if not 80% or even more given the high transmissibility of Covid-19 powered by the new variants). Government estimates it will take till the end of Summer for the lower figure to be reached.

But do we have to aim for herd immunity to ease restrictions and open up the economy? Currently there have been some 270 deaths in Malta associated with the virus. Virtually all of them have involved older individuals. One would be hard-pressed to find anyone under sixty years of age who succumbed to any condition  within four weeks of having contracted the virus. While there can never be anything approaching a cast-iron guarantee that nobody under sixty who is not seriously ill with some other condition will not die through Covid-related illnesses, the chances that people in their 50s or younger will die while infected with Sars-COV-2  appear to be slim indeed.

It appears that all vulnerable people which would include all those above, say, the age of 55, medical and other front-liners (including teachers) and all those suffering from certain conditions could be vaccinated within a few months. The first Pfizer vaccines were administered on thee 27th December 2020. From that day till the end of May 2021, 156 days will have passed. Based on what appears to be a realistic average vaccination rate of 2500 individuals per day - and assuming the administration of 2 doses per person – in just over 5 months 195,000 people would have been fully inoculated. Assuming the residents of Malta number 500,000, that would cover the 34% of the population comprising people aged 55 and upwards (Source: IndexMundi Malta Demographics), and the estimated 25,000 front-liners and other vulnerable individuals. If the vaccination rate picks up even more consistently (as many are expecting it to do) the target could be achieved before the end of May. 

Warily easing restrictions in place at the moment - thus giving a much-needed boost to the economy - could be an option for the country to consider. Obviously, one should not be envisaging a situation where all protective measures are terminated - far from it. Although mortality from Covid would not be a big problem, the dangers of people contracting Covid, not succumbing to it, but suffering long-term health consequences will have to be considered. Hence a strong dose of prudence will still be essential if health is to be safeguarded.

This scenario depends on the ready availability of vaccines. It also does not take into account the establishment of variants of the virus not susceptible to some or all of the vaccines nor other unforeseeable factors which could determine conditions hitherto unknown. However, as things can be viewed now, Malta’s economy and social life could take a turn for the better in as little as less than four months from now.

Mill-Qiegħ għas-Sħab

Qalli kemm-il darba, b’dik il-ħarsa tikka mistħija, imma aktar imqarqċa, li l-ewwel darba jew darbtejn li rani fuq it-television nitkellem fuq l-alkoħol tgħidx kemm offendieni bil-qalb. Kliemi fuq l-alkoħoliżmu kien iżarżar f’widnejh u biex ipattihieli talli ażżardajt ninsultalu d-drawwa li jixrob sakemm jieħdu sew – jekk ma jiskirx – kien jibgħatni nieħdu bl-ikbar devozzjoni, fost baraxx ta’ insulti oħra li nagħmel sew jekk ma niktibhomx. Naturalment kien ikun imlaħlaħ u allura ilsienu kien jitilqu aktar mis-soltu...

Dak iż-żmien kien fuq tiegħu, ibigħ is-saħħa u “kiesaħ daqsi ma kienx hawn’’ għadu jħobb jgħid. Għalkemm flixkun whisky f’erba’, ħames sigħat ġieli niżżlu – u tliet kwarti ta’ flixkun kienet ħaġa ta’ kull għaxija preċett – l-għada kien iqum għax-xogħol qisu mhux hu. Kien jaħdem f’birrerija imma, ħlief għal żmien qasir f’żgħożitu, qatt ma xorob birra u qatt ma xorob qabel ma kien jasal id-dar wara x-xogħol. Għax ma kienx jixrob filgħodu – u għax ix-xorb dam ma beda jkiddlu saħħtu – seta’ jkompli jgħaddi ż-żmien bih innifsu u jagħmel tabirruħu li kontroll kellu.

Kien beda jixrob ta’ xi 15-il sena biex irabbi l-kuraġġ u jitla’ fuq il-palk ikanta. Il-kuraġġ kien jiġi u t-togħma u s-sensazzjoni li kien jagħtih ix-xorb – ta’ ħelsien mill-ansjetà u ta’ fiduċja artifiċjali fih innifsu – għoġbuh u beda jixrob aktar ta’ spiss. Żid mal-kawlata t-tendenza lejn id-dipendenza li n-natura tkun tatek b’wirt u tinsiex tħawwar bl-idea, bħal ma għandhom ħafna, li x-xorb bil-goff huwa sinjal ta’ rġulija, ta’ kemm int ‘bully’. Għandek ir-riċetta perfetta tal-alkoħoliżmu. Rari tfalli...

Jekk hu kien jiġi jaqa’ u jqum mill-konsegwenzi tax-xorb – għax ma kienx jarahom – mhux l-istess il-familja tiegħu. Martu bejn għax kienet tinkwieta għalih u bejn għax kienet iddejqet bl-imġiba tiegħu kienet tiġġieled miegħu fuq l-alkoħol. Imbagħad, bdiet tfittex l-għajnuna tal-aġenziji speċjalizzati. Imma kollu ta’ xejn – jew għall-inqas, hekk deher għall-bidu.

Jekk hemm espressjoni li fir-rakkonti personali tal-alkoħoliċi tissemma spiss hija ''missejt il-qiegħ'', il-famuża ''rock bottom'' – meta tkun inżilt ‘l isfel tant li ma tistax tinżel aktar għax taħtek m’hemm xejn ħlief blat samm. Titlissen tant spiss għax hija parti mill-esperjenza ta’ kważi kull alkoħoliku li qatt kien hawn. Tfisser li tant hi kbira r-rabta max-xorb li tgħaddi mill-esperjenzi l-aktar koroh għal darba, darbtejn, tlieta u xorta waħda tibqa’ ddur mal-mogħdijiet imserrpa ta’ moħħok tħuf u tissajja sakemm issib imqar skuża waħda biex tkompli tixrob. Il-qiegħ issibu meta imbagħad tant titkisser li ma tkunx tista’ tigdeb aktar lilek innifsek. Żmien iebes ħafna – imma opportunità tad-deheb.

Meta jitkellem fuq il-ħajja tax-xorb tiegħu, Emanuel Spiteri ta’ sikwit isostni li kien biss meta assolutament ma setax ikompli jixrob għax ix-xorb kien "ħadli kollox’’ li rrealizza li kellu bżonn jagħmel xi ħaġa. U meta tagħfsu biex ifiehmek sewwasew x’irid ifisser, jgħidlek, b’sinċerità hekk sfiqa li tħallik mistagħġeb, li filli kien iħossu li ma jista’ għalih xejn u ħadd u filli saħħtu spiċċat għal kollox. Mar għand it-tabiba biex tagħmillu ċertifikat għax-xogħol u din qaltlu li ma kienet se tagħmillu xejn għax tliet ġimgħat ħajja kien għad fadallu jekk se jkompli jixrob. 

“U kien baqagħli tmien liri biss’’ ikompli. Daħal f’qoxortu, jew aħjar, kontra qalbu ċ-ċirkostanzi kebbewh fiha u geżwruh sew. Did-darba kien hu li talab għall-għajnuna.

Ta’ kważi ħamsa u ħamsin sena s-sedqa daħħlitu Dar l-Impenn għad-diżintossikazzjoni u wara aċċetta li jidħol Dar iż-Żerniq għal programm ta’ sena. Kien sar magħlub qisu għuda, imma fi ftit ġimgħat ġie f’tiegħu. Il-programm iffurmah għax ġagħlu jmur kontra tiegħu nnifsu u jrażżan ix-xewqat tiegħu. Ma kienx faċli għalih u iktar minn darba kien se jaqbad il-bieb u jitlaq meta deherlu li r-regolamenti kienu bla raġuni. Imma kellu melħ biżżejjed f’moħħu biex jintebaħ li jekk ma jibqax fil-programm kien jerġa’ jibqa jixrob u jistieden il-gwaj. Allura għeleb it-tentazzjoni u baqa’ sal-aħħar.

Kien waqt il-programm li minn taħt il-qoxra beda jfeġġ il-veru Emanuel - dak li x-xorb kien satar u kważi keffen. Rajna bniedem li beda jsir kapaċi li jifli għemilu u jgħarblu, jammetti ħtijietu l-iżbalji tiegħu u jagħmel l-almu tiegħu biex jinbidel. Anke meta spiċċa l-programm baqa’ jieħu l-affarijiet bis-serjetà, anzi naħseb li iktar ma għadda ż-żmien aktar daħal fil-fond tar-rabta bejn l-alkoħol u l-imġiba tiegħu u beda jintebaħ li min tassew irid jibqa’ jtejjeb ħajtu irid imur lil hinn milli biss ma jmissx ix-xorb (għalkemm mingħajr dak il-pass ma jsir xejn) imma jrid jistinka biex isib dak li hu tassew importanti fil-ħajja.

Huwa fuq dan il-livell spiritwali li l-aktar li nbidel Emanuel. Is-sobriety tiegħu kienet l-iskop li ried jilħaq meta sab ruħu kważi mitħun mix-xorb. Meta laħaq dak l-istat dawru f’biċċa għodda biex jasal f’livelli ogħla ta’ eżistenza. U biex iċ-ċirku jingħalaq, għax jgħix f’dawk il-livelli, mhux faċli ħafna (għalkemm qatt ma nistgħu ngħidu impossibbli) li jerġa’ lura għall-ħajja ta’ qabel.

Emanuel huwa minn dawk l-individwi li għandhom dak li tista’ ssejjaħlu d-don tal-preżenza: ikunu fejn ikunu tinnutahom, iħallu l-marka u l-attenzjoni ddur magħhom. Ilsienu jaqilgħu u proprju għax jinqala’ biex jikkomunika ma’ udjenza, mar kemm-il darba fuq it-television u qal l-istorja tiegħu. Jien u hu mhux l-ewwel darba li morna fuq xi programm tat-television u l-preżentaturi lili (is-suppost espert) kważi insewni tant issaħħru bil-mod kif jikkomunika Emanuel. U għamlu sew: daqskemm jista’ jwassal il-messaġġ alkoħoliku wieqaf li ħadem fuqu nnifsu, ma jista’ jwasslu l-ebda ''espert’’.

Illum infakkru l-għoxrin sena sewwa minn meta Emanuel waqaf jixrob u beda l-mixja li wasslitu fejn hu llum. Ma kinitx triq faċli: daq mill-ħelu imma anke mill-morr li tagħti l-ħajja. Imma llum, b’riħet dik it-tisbita li wasslitu biex imiss il-qiegħ, wasal fejn qatt ma ħolom li seta’ jasal f’dak li hu progress spiritwali u rispett li jgawdi minn kull min jafu.

Nota: Żidt l-isem u l-kunjom ta' Emanuel Spiteri wara li hu talabni nagħmel hekk.

Death by Expertise?

She contemplates the big wide world through eyes of the deepest dark blue, her perfectly-formed coral lips curled in an endearingly mischievous smile. Her cheeks, rosy like the first flush of a red dawn, contrast sharply with the milk-white skin of the rest of her face, offset on top by the soft, dark down on top of her head, now long enough, at 12 weeks, to cover her ears. No amount of the inevitable “Kemm hi ħelwa”s can ever do justice to the joyful beauty she radiates. She is the picture of health, a captivating paean to love’s creative forces and prodding proof that God must exist.

She might never have been born. The experts, two teams of the most eminent actually, from hospitals on both sides of the Atlantic no less, counselled the parents to have the pregnancy terminated because of “an increased risk of foetal or perinatal death and a major concern for long-term neurodevelopment”. 

The problems had started four months into what had been, until then, an uneventful pregnancy. A routine ultra-sound scan had revealed a 6cm mark in the baby’s head, possibly indicative of hydrocephalus or something even more sinister.  Further tests, including a foetal MRI could not quite reveal what, and indeed if anything was actually, wrong. So the Consultant obstetrician decided to seek advice from abroad. All test–results and notes of the clinical observation were sent to a renowned UK hospital. Meanwhile, a Maltese consultant radiologist together with a Maltese consultant neurologist hypothesised that the cyst was simply the result of spontaneous bleeding.

The parents, waiting for the foreign experts’ pronouncement with bated breath, finally received the news: there was probably no brain in the foetus, and in the circumstances the learned doctors could only advise an abortion. The local Consultant then opted for a third opinion, and all the clinical material was dispatched post-haste to the USA. After a couple of weeks, the gist of the communication from across the Atlantic was a confirmation of the UK decree: we’re unsure of diagnosis, but in view of grave risk of death or grave disability, termination is recommended. 

Shaken, shocked and bewildered they certainly were, but not for one nanosecond did the parents countenance the possibility of doing away with the baby’s life. With two sets of experts practically telling them their baby was destined to be born very severely impaired, some parents would have given in to the temptation to board the next plane and have the foetus aborted as soon as possible. Not these two. Staunch in their Christian faith and in the belief in the value of all life, and steadfast in their feelings towards the fruit of their love, they vowed they would face the future - and whatever it brought with it.  As far as they were concerned, the fact that the baby was likely to be born with a most severe impairment did not diminish her worth by one iota. 

In the event, the baby was born by Caesarean section  – and it was immediately apparent that there was nothing wrong with her. At twelve weeks she exhibits perfectly normal behaviour, and according to her parents, actually seems to be developmentally slightly ahead of her siblings. Another MRI has confirmed the hypothesis that had been developed by the Maltese consultants .... and that the cyst is getting smaller. 

So, these experts were wrong, and not only in their interpretation of the clinical evidence, which, after all was the result of all too fallible human judgement in exceptionally difficult circumstances. They were wrong to advise termination. Not just because the girl turned out to be perfectly healthy. Had she been born as disabled as everybody had feared she would be, they would still have been very wrong. 

For, as even the anguished parents-to-be realised during the darkest moments when the future seemed to be holding in store an infinity of sweat, pain and tears, a human being’s essential worth does not depend on its organs ... or the lack of them. The shape, or even the presence of limbs, is neither here nor there, when it comes to assessing human value. Intelligence per se has nothing to do with the intrinsic worth of human life. It is purely and simply the fact that a foetus is, that the spark of life has been lit in him or her, that renders that human creature awesomely, supremely and loveably precious. No other considerations, be they physical, emotional, psycho-social or economic can ever supersede the primacy of human life, at whatever stage of development it is. 

Those foreign experts, their science informed by values central to a culture which prioritises health and psycho-social and economic well-being over life itself, had no qualms advocating the suffocation of human life in order to spare the parents and the yet-to-be-born serious problems. In contrast, other medical professionals showed a commendable commitment to the life they were caring for, besides giving proof of their own professional expertise.  In societies where death is deemed preferable to suffering, where decades of acceptance of abortion have blunted intellects and emotions to the implications of error in matters of foetal killing, too many experts have little problem coolly decreeing that a foetus may die so that suffering and discomfort can be avoided.  God may have been banished from those kingdoms, but there’s someone else sitting on His lofty throne.

Those who believe that it is acceptable to sanction abortion on the say-so of experts in cases of supposed grave disability on the part of the foetus had better think again. Not only do they have no right to abort children-in–the-womb even if the foetus is truly disabled, they may actually be cutting short healthy human lives.

Expert advice is worthy of the highest consideration. Infallible, however, it is not.

Update: this article was written some 15 years ago. The girl in question continues to remain in perfect health, and is described as a lively teenager who leads a very active life.

Il-Missier il-Ħali

Kif kont kważi għaxxaqt kollox,

B’dawn idejja x’mort għamilt

Kelli kulma ridt u aktar

Imma l-gost qerried għażilt

 

F’dar missieri kien hemm kollox,

Sliem u mħabba kemm irrid

Ħbieb bir-radam iwennsuni

Kont ta’ ħajti tassew sid

 

Stajt insib min ifarraġni

Meta nibki kont neħtieġ

Kelli ’l ħija bastun fuqi.

Ħarist wisq barra mill-ħġieġ.

 

U rajt dinja attraenti

Smajt il-kant maħnuq, sfrenat.

F’lejl miżgħud kwiekeb tal-plastik

Poplu jhewden ibbażżjat.

 

Bħal farfett miġbud lejn fjamma,

Bid-dawl tagħha ipnotizzat

Insejt kollox, ħrabt ’il barra

Għat-tbaħrid determinat

 

F’dik id-dinja tal-kuluri

Għixt imdamdam bil-pjaċir

Trab mill-abjad ġo mnifsejja

Kont inħossni qed intir.

 

Milfs u escorts,  mitt elf mara

Meta ridt għal waħda tnejn,

Nissodisfa biss l-istinti,

Konsegwenzi? Ma qist xejn.

 

Ħbieb madwari bit-tużżani

Jekk f’ħaġ’oħra medhijin

Kulma ridt inħallas xarba

U bil-gzuz tarahom ġejjin

 

 Li baqagħali investejtu

Fuq il-magni ħallelin,

F’każinos, bil-pannu aħdar

Li xorbuli kull xelin

 

Fi ftit xhur il-folja nqalbet

Filli fl-għoli qalb is-sħab

Filli ħadt tisbita kbira

U spiċċajt nilgħaq it-trab.

 

Waħdi, minsi mill-ħbieb kollha,

U għalkemm spiċċaw il-flus

Bix-xorb goff ta’ nbid mill-qares

Bdejt niġġandar bħal qażquż.

 

X’ħin bil-guħ, jien bdejt nintebaħ

Li ma kontx ‘il bogħod mit-tmiem

Ftakart kif  ġo dar missieri

Hemm il-barka, ġid u sliem

 

U azzardajt naħseb li forsi

Kien hemm ċans jilqagħni hemm

Anke biss qisni barrani

Jekk id-demm qatt ma jsir semm.

 

Ma nafx kif, sibt min wassalni

mhux ‘il bogħod, fit-tarf tat-triq

Bdejt nistaqsi lili nnifsi

Se jgħajjarni wiċċi sfiq?

 

Se nisma’ ’l Missieri jgħidli

“’Ma rridekx,  itlaq minn haw’

M’għandikx dritt tissejjaħ ibni

Mur man-nisa li żgarraw’?”

 

’Qas ilħaqt ħarist lejn daru

Li ma qamx dlonk fuq saqajh

Rajtu jtir bla nifs għal fuqi

U għafasni bejn dirgħajh

 

Leħnu fgat, bid-dmugħ iġelben

Qalli “Ibni, fl-aħħar ġejt

Kemm ġrejt ‘l hawn u ‘ l hemm infittxek

Kemm għarrixt minn fuq il-bejt.”

 

Dak il-ħali ta’ missieri

Baqa’ jħobbni kull mument

Ma mpurtahx mill-ġid li ħadtlu

Ma tax każ tat-tradiment

 

Ippruvajt nitolbu skuża,

Imma hu bil-ferħ itir

Qalli “Le, maħfur għal kollox,

Imxi nagħmlu party kbir

 

Nagħmlu festa la ġejt lura

La nistgħu nifirħu bik.

Mill-mewt qomt, erġajt għall-ħajja

Kont mitluf, issa sibnik”

The King and the Saviour

Lèse Majestè

As politicians go, Joseph Muscat is not one to hold up as an exemplary figure. He conned us into believing he was an honest-to-goodness young liberal – albeit with sound values -  with a refreshingly modern, mould-breaking outlook on how to run the affairs of the nation. In truth his admirers – whose name is legion – can point to a considerable number of accomplishments few could be dishonest enough to deny. However, even some of these were achieved at a high cost, be it to the environment, to truth, to good governance, to the good name of the country and to social cohesion.

Under his watch, while for many the tenor of material life improved, the community as a whole sank into a moral morass which is threatening to suffocate our nation’s spirit.

He railed against the scandals of the Gonzi administration, and although there is no proof he actually benefitted from shady deals himself, became an arch-abettor of corruption involving his closest cronies. He portrayed himself as something of an environmentalist and destroyed a good chunk of the little his predecessors had left in open spaces, greenery and urban beauty for the benefit of the construction industry. One could go on.

All in all, you might almost be tempted to call this slick salesman of snake-oil a rather nasty piece of work. But a murderer - or even an enabler of murder - he is not.

I do not believe what Mr. Fenech told the police on his arrest, which was duly and dutifully relayed during testimony in court a few days ago. While the man accused of masterminding Daphne Caruana Galizia’s heinous killing maintained Muscat had spoken to him about the murder during the infamous Girgenti birthday bash, a text message sent by Fenech to Muscat shows there was no communication between them on that day. Fenech was almost certainly trying to muddy the waters and diffuse guilt. Then there was that remark of Fenech’s (caught on tape) that it would be madness to approach ix-Xiħ for help with staving off investigations...

Would Muscat have pardoned Theuma if he had anything to do with the murder? Keith Schembri was petrified a pardoned Theuma would spill enough beans to point to his sordid (possibly after the fact) involvement in the affair – as indeed happened. Yet Muscat practically insisted on agreeing to the pardon on his own initiative. Had he been involved, that would have been indeed dangerous: Theuma’s revelation could open a can of worms which might very well have implicated all those involved – including Muscat.

So, while Muscat is a blot on the political landscape the nation is well rid of, it would be dishonest - though undoubtedly most gratifying to those who hate him with a passion – for the former uncrowned monarch of Maltese politics, now deposed, to be blamed for involvement in that terrible deed. On the contrary, everything points to the fact that one of the extenuating factors of Muscat’s colourful tenure was the unstinting efforts he made to uncover Daphne’s killers. Six weeks after the deed, the alleged material executors were apprehended and charged – and have been languishing in prison since then. It took two years to arrest the alleged mastermind, but the police appear to have built a strong case against him. By all accounts Muscat pushed all he could for the truth about the murder to emerge.

While the most honourable thing for Muscat to do right now is to disappear completely from the political scene – a self-imposed exile to somewhere truly distant and exotic, like Andromeda, on a one-way ticket, would fit the bill admirably – he should not do so with the label of accomplice in murder stuck to his name. It is perhaps inevitable that following Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, the resulting welter of emotions would not only fuel opposition to the administration perceived as responsible for her death, but also cloud judgement as to the proper and fair apportioning of guilt according to just and rational criteria.

Daphne was most cruelly murdered. Justice for that deed should not entail pinning guilt on individuals, who politically obnoxious though they be, have nothing to do with the actual taking of life.

Le Sauveur

Were I a card-carrying member of the PN – something I have never been nor am likely to ever become – in the forthcoming leadership vote I would almost certainly plump for Bernard Grech.

It’s not that I terribly - or even somewhat - dislike Delia as a person. On the contrary I think I find him something of a simpatiku, someone I would quite happily get to know and discuss politics and football with over a tea or ten at the local.

Likeability in politics has its value, but only to a limited extent. Far more than whether one, on a personal level, provokes feelings of attraction in other people, what matters is the ability of the politician involved to convince that he or she is reliable; someone you can trust with decisions about your most precious belongings, indeed with the lives of the people you love most.

Most importantly, beyond the psycho-emotional level, a leader of a major political party which legitimately expects to gain power is expected to gaugeably foster enough confidence in his/her ability to eventually lead the nation. One would have to be able to attract the votes of individuals whoare not normally supporters of the party. The polls show, very conclusively, that a considerable slice of party membership is not willing to vote PN as long as Delia leads it. Even in situation where the Government’s most charismatic leader is now a disgraced non-entity, the economy is on its knees,  mass unemployment looms, and the public is clearly dissatisfied with the maladroit handling of the second wave of Covid, the PN trails Labour by a mile.

The prospect of a massive PL victory is enough to give us all the shivers. Not because there is much chance that the PL will dismantle the institutions and turn the island into some Byelarus in the Med. Abela is definitely no Lukashenko and the 80s are decades, and a huge chunk of political maturity, behind us. However, big majorities do not make for good government. We might have been spared the sleaze which characterised the first Muscat government had the margin of victory been 3,500 rather than 35,000. Arrogance is power’s doppelganger. Remember Austin Gatt’s stomach-churningly haughty statement that certain provisions need not be discussed in Parliament because the PN had a clear majority of seats?

If the PN confirms Delia, it is doomed to continuing internecine struggles (if not an actual split) and certain massive defeat in the next election. That, in itself, may be neither here nor there for many Maltese. But the prospect of a government which need never look to its laurels and feels it can plough ahead with any initiative, however tainted, because there will not be any meaningful Parliamentary opposition to its designs, should worry us all to insomnia. Every night.

Grech is not the divisive figure Delia is, irrespective of whether the accusations levelled at the current PN leader in 2017, and since, are true or not. He can command the respect of all PN supporters, especially if Delia behaves responsibly, and formally and substantially accepts his leadership, inviting his besotted followers to follow suit. Although I have to say his last media performances have been less than scintillating, Grech seems to have it in him to inspire his followers to common goals and common action.

Best of all, with him as PN leader, while the next election will almost certainly be lost, the nation will still be in a position to set its mind at rest that Parliament will not be a caricature of that institution which breathes life into a democracy.