Kienu interessanti ħafna l-attivitajiet u l-publikazzjonijiet li mmarkaw il-mitt anniversarju tas-Sette Giugno. Il-ktieb ta’ studji dwar il-ġrajja li ħareġ il-kumitat li jikkomemora l-avvenimenti storiċi kien fih x’taqra u tagħrbel, waqt li diversi gazzetti ħarġu artikli u supplementi ta’ valur.
Aktar ma għadda ż-żmien, donnu aktar kibret realizzazzjoni li s-Sette Giugno kien mument ħafna aktar kumpless milli kien jinftiehem sa ngħidu aħna, ħamsin sena ilu. Għandu rabtiet kbar ma’ żviluppi ekonomiċi, soċjali u kulturali fi ħdan is-soċjetà Maltija u lil hinn minnha. Dak li wassal għalih ma kienx xi żbroff soċjali li ssarraf f’rewixta, imma tqanqila li t-tgħeżżiż tagħha inqala’ minn diversi inħawi.
Dan kollu tista’ tifhmu mir-rakkonti u analiżijiet ta’ x’ġara. Biss nissuspetta li għadna nagħtu wisq emfażi lill-aspetti anedottiċi tal-ġrajja. Neħtieġu verżjoni tal-istorja li tfittex li tintegrahom flimkien f’fasla waħda. Lil hinn milli naqblu jew ma naqblux jekk aħniex nitkellmu dwar revoluzzjoni jew rewixta, neħtieġu dehra “panoramika” ta’ kif u għaliex l-affarijiet ħadu x-xejra li ħadu.
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MARLENE MIZZI
Fil-ħames snin li matulhom rajt mill-qrib il-ħidma ta’ Marlene Mizzi bqajt impressjonat bil-mod determinat u deċiżiv kif tilħaq l-għanijiet tagħha. Ammirajt ukoll is-sens ta’ bilanċ li taf iżżomm, lejn il-moderazzjoni u kompromess raġonevoli, imma bla kantunieri fejn tħoss li l-affarijiet ma jkunux qed isiru sew.
Bqajt insib intriganti d-distinzjoni li kienet tagħmel bejn il-politika tal-“kampanji”, fejn trid tipproġetta u tikkompeti; u l-politika “leġislattiva” fejn trid toħloq qafas li jirregola u jiggwida. Għalija t-tnejn huma iż-żewġ naħat tal-istess munita; għaliha le.
Imma mbagħad meta tkun trid iċċanfar lil xi ħadd jew twassal il-messagg ta’ Malta, l-istil u l-lingwa li tuża, addatti għaċ-ċirkostanzi, jibbrillaw tħares lejhom minn liema naħa trid tal-prattika politika.
Nixtiqilha l-isbaħ futur.
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TERMINALI
“The Terminal Man” hu wieħed mill-ewwel rumanzi ta’ Michael Crichton (bidu tas-snin sebgħin tas-seklu l-ieħor). Jiddeskrivi operazzjoni fuq moħħ raġel li qed jintilef minn sensih u jgħaddi għal imġiba perikoluża għalih u għal ħaddieħor.
Fl-operazzjoni, moħħu jitqabbad ma’ kompjuter li jikkontolla s-sensazzjonijiet li jirċievi biex iressqu lejn imġiba kajmana u aċċettabbli. Jiġri l-maqlub: bl-istimuli li l-kompjuter jibda jintensifikalu, l-pazjent jitlef kull kontroll fuqu nnifsu. Il-biżgħat li kienu midfuna ġo fih, iqumu kollha u jibdluh f’qattiel sadistiku.
It-tema tirkeb fuq il-mit ta’ Frankenstein u l-biża’ ta’ ħafna, li xi darba ħajjitna tispiċċa dominata mill-magni. Għalkemm bi stil mexxej, ir-rumanz hu xott wisq u inferjuri sew għal oħrajn ta’ Chrichtom bħal “Jurassic Park” u “Disclosure”.
English Version – A look back
The activities and publications that marked the hundred anniversary of the Sette Giugno were most interesting. The anthology of studies about the event issued by the committee set up to commemorate historic occasions, was well worth reading and discussing, while various newspapers published valuable articles and supplements.
It seems as if with the passage of time, the realization has grown that the Sette Giugno was much more complex as a “moment”, than was believed say up to some fifty years ago. It was closely linked to economic, social and cultural developments within Maltese society and beyond it. What led to it was not some social explosion that became a riot, but a deep quake, with tremors arising from various flashpoints.
You can sense all this from the available accounts and analyses of what really happened. Even so, I suspect that we are still giving too much emphsis to the anecdotal aspects of the story. We need a historical interpretation that would seek to integrate them into one overall pattern. Whether we agree or disagree to define the events that took place as a revolution or as a riot, we need a synoptic vision that explains why and how it all turned out the way it did.
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Marlene Mizzi
During the five years that I witnessed from close quarters the work carried out by Marlene Mizzi, I was impressed by the determination and decisiveness she displayed to reach the objectives she set for herself. I admired too her sense of balance by which she showed moderation and a willingness to reach reasonable compromises, but then got straight to the point if she felt that matters were not being done the right way.
As well, I always found intriguing the distinction she would draw between “campaign” politics, where one needs to project oneself and compete; and the “legislative” mode, where one needs to create a framework to regulate and guide. For me, both are the two different faces of the same coin; she looked at it differently.
Yet, on the other hand, when she wished to rebuke somebody or needed to project a message about Malta, both the style and the language she adopted, according to the prevailing circumstances, were brilliant, no matter which side of political practice one preferred to consider them from.
I wish her the best of futures.
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Terminal
“The Terminal Man” is one of Michael Crichton’s early novels (start of the 1970’s). It describes an operation on the brain of a man who is having seizures during which he lapses into behaviour that is endangering him and the safety of others.
During the operation, his brain is connected to a computer which will henceforth control the impulses he receives, diverting his actions towards a calm and acceptable behaviour. The opposite happens: as the computer intensifies its stimuli, the patient loses control over himself. All the fears that were locked inside him, now rise up to transform him into a sadistic killer.
The theme rides on the Frankenstein myth and the fear of many people that someday, humanity will end up being dominated by machines. Though the writing is brisk, the novel is too dry and quite inferior to other Crichton titles like “Jurassic Park” and “Disclosure”.
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