Teżisti liġi fi Franza li kienet tgħid sa ftit taż-żmien ilu li kull persuna li tkun b’mod dirett jew indirett, għenet jew ipprovat tgħin id-dħul, iċ-ċirkolazzjoni jew ir-residenza irregolari ta’ barranin fi Franza, tkun tista’ teħel piena ta’ ħames snin ħabs u multa ta’ 30,000€. Il-liġi kienet tiġi kkritikata għax ħolqot dak li ssejjaħ id-delitt tas-solidarjetà.

Matul is-snin, iddaħħlu emendi li per eżempju neħħew id-delitt jekk l-atti ta’ għajnuna lill-immigrazzjoni llegali jsiru bejn membri tal-istess familja. Xorta l-qorti kostituzzjonali qieset li l-liġi għandha tirrispetta “il-prinċipju tal-fraternità”. L-aħħar emendi li daħlu xahar ilu jeżoneraw mid-delitt lil min jaġevola b’ħidmietu l-immigrazzjoni rregolari, jekk ma jagħmilx dan għall-ħlas u jekk serva biss biex jagħti appoġġ u pariri b’għan umanitarju.

Ħaġa kurjuża hi li s-sanzjonijiet oriġinali tal-liġi tneħħew għal min jgħin fiċ-ċirkolazzjoni u r-residenza ta’ immigranti rregolari li jkunu diġà daħlu. Is-sanzjonijiet baqgħu kollha hemm fir-rigward ta’ min idaħħal fil-pajjiż immigranti irregolari.

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TOLLERANZA GĦAD-DROGA

Bil-fomm kulħadd jgħid li hu/hi kontra d-droga. Fil-prattika l-użu tagħha inxtered u għadu jinxtered. F’ċerti pajjiżi Ewropej jidher li l-ġenerazzjonijiet l-aktar żgħażagħ qed inaqqsu l-konsum tagħha minn dak li kienu jagħmlu ta’ qabilhom. Hawn Malta żgur li le.

Deskrizzjonijiet ta’ xinhu jiġri waqt parties, kunċerti publiċi u fi ħwienet tax-xorb jew discos jindikaw li l-konsum isir bl-akbar faċilità biex ma ngħidx normalezza. Anke żgħażagħ li għadhom sew taħt l-età jitħallew jiddakkru.

Ma għenux ċerti stqarrijiet “politiċi” li saru dwar id-drogi rekreazzjonali u l-legalizzar jew kważi tagħhom. Ir-reazzjoni ta’ għadd mhux żgħir ta’ żgħażagħ kienet – skont ma smajt – li la daqt jiġu legalizzati, m’hemm l-ebda problema biex il-konsum tad-droga jsir b’mod ħieles sa minn issa.

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IBBULIJAR

Inkredibbli u tal-mistħija l-fehmiet espressi dan l-aħħar minn xi ħadd li messha taf aħjar, dwar l-ibbulijar ta’ ulied dawk li huma attivi fil-politika.

Kien mingħalija li jeżisti kunsens fil-pajjiż dwar kif l-ibbulijar tat-tfal hu kundannabli bla riżerva fiċ-ċirkostanzi kollha. Imma jidher li le: hawn min iqis li tista’ tifhem għaliex l-ibbulijar iqum fil-każ tat-tfal ta’ politikanti. Huma dawn li għandhom jieħdu ħsieb kif jilqgħu għalih meta jiġu affettwati uliedhom.

Forsi tista’ tifhem kif qamet dil-fehma, aktar u aktar għax hi indirizzata lejn il-familji ta’ politiċi Laburisti jew ta’ politiċi li m’għadhomx jaqblu ma’ ċerti klikek fil-PN li tilfu r-rankatura fl-istess partit tagħhom. Kienu jqisu lil kull ħaddieħor bħala l-ulied ta’ alla inferjuri. Issa jinsabu mwerwra li spiċċaw huma f’dil-qagħda.

English Version – Crime of solidarity

I could not believe it happens but that’s how it is.

You’ll have a contract for the provision of internet in your home. Then the day comes when the service is totally out.

You try to get to the provider’s offices for them to send their technical people to check about the problem or even to inform about it.

Then you discover that their customer care service is only reachable through the internet. They seem to have no phone number. But if the internet service is kaputt, how can you reach them?

Actually, when I tried entering the company’s web site, I found that their customer care system is all designed to “help” you solve connectivity problems… by using the internet, which they have ceased to provide!

On that basis you’ll find an array of “diagnostic” programmes you can go through on your own… and no doubt they must be quite effective… but how can you access them with no internet service available?

The push by companies for cost reduction even at the expense of consumers has been taken too far. No way is consumer protection keeping track of it. And oligopolies are being allowed to implement disgusting practices just like they were monopolies.

A friend told me: Why get so hot under the collar about this internet service provider? Have you ever tried accessing Ryan Air’s customer care service when you face an emergency?

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The arts and the private sector

The backing that the government is giving to the arts sector is most praiseworthy. Public outlays on artistic productions of all kinds have been pumped up regularly and in a planned manner. Initiatives and activities have increased in number as well as qualitatively.

What is even much better is that in this progress – there’s no other word for it – young people have been given a leading role.

One point though perhaps needs more attention: Could it be that while the state has continued to increase funding for artistic ventures, the private sector’s share has declined?

One remains with the impression that since the government is doing all it can, the belief has developed that there is less scope for private inputs.

It would be a pity were this to be true. “Pluralism” in promoting the arts must remain apriority.

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Saint Mary

Mid-summer is still celebrated in many European countries as a civil and a religious holiday.

I remember the first time I learnt how this holiday became so significant locally: at a time when farming provided most jobs, mid-August was when rent contracts for fields would be renewed or terminated. I was surprised by how an important day for high religious celebration had been twinned with a practice that was economically so important.

It might be that the celebrations have remained popular not only for religious and “economic” reasons but also because they amount to an occasion for summer worship. This we celebrate in “our” way, with merrymaking, sweat and alcohol (to only mention these three) at centre stage.

If in August, tourism were not already at overflow, it would make sense to promote internationally the Maltese festa of St Mary as an authentic event you need to experience at least once.

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