Il-Ġnien tal-Eden

Ta’ spiss tiltaqa’ ma’ nies, mhux bilfors anzjani, li jgħidulek kemm fi żminijiet oħra l-affarijiet kienu isbaħ, aħjar, aktar ġenwini, aktar interessanti mil-lum.
Ħafna jħarsu lura b’nostalġija għal meta kienu iżgħar u naturalment x’aktarx jispiċċaw jigglorifikaw dak iż-żmien, b’paragun mal-preżent.
B’ċertu mod, ikunu qed jirrepetu l-mit tal-ġnien tal-Eden, bħala tifkira ta’ żmien ta’ hena liema bħalha, żmien li spiċċa u mhux se jiġi lura. Hu mit attraenti, imma perikoluż.
Għax wara kollox x’aktarx li fir-realtà, il-ħajja fil-Ġnien tal-Eden xejn ma kienet komfortabbli jew sabiħa għal Adam u Eva. Bla elettriku, bla ilma nadif, bla servizzi diċenti ta’ drenaġġ, żgur li kienu jgħixu f’kundizzjonijiet ta’ ħajja primittivi.
Li tqabbel l-imgħoddi mal-preżent hi ħaġa li tiftiehem. Aħna lkoll ngħixu mill-memorji tagħna. Jiswa anqas l-isforz biex tiddikjara liema tippreferi jekk hux dak li “għadda” u mar, jew dak li qiegħed jiżviluppa.
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Politika Amerikana
Aktar ma jgħaddu l-ġimgħat, aktar l-attenzjoni se ddur lejn l-elezzjoni presidenzjali fl-Istati Uniti. In-nomina ta’ Donald Trump, bil-pożizzjonijiet atroċi li baqa’ jieħu matul il-kampanja sa issa, qed toħloq ħafna ansjetajiet.
Mhux biss qed jippreżenta ruħu bħala politikant instabbli, li ftit jimportah minn x’inhuma l-interessi tal-pajjiżi barranin l-aktar qrib u l-aktar imbiegħda mill-Istati Uniti. Talli jidher li għandu lsienu għaġġieli ħafna aktar minn moħħu. Dan tah il-profil ta’ raġel arroganti li lest jantagonizza sempliċement biex jibqa’ jidher macho mal-elettorat Amerikan “irrabjat” fejn l-aktar sab appoġġ.
Il-persuna tal-President tal-Istati Uniti u l-politika li jħaddan huma suġġetti tal-akbar importanza għad-dinja kollha. Il-prospett li bniedem bħal Trump ikun fil-White House bilfors iqajjem inkwiet.
Toqgħod taħseb, anke b’persuna bħal George Bush hemm, il-konsegwenzi għalina lkoll kienu diżastrużi.
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Kunsilli lokali
Jekk hemm bżonn li ilu jinħass, dan hu ta’ studju ġdid u serju dwar fejn wasalna sal-lum bl-istituzzjoni tal-kunsilli lokali.
Servew xi għan utli u jekk iva, sa fejn u kif? Jekk le, għaliex le?
Fejn kienu l-aqwa kisbiet tal-kunsilli lokali u kif inkisbu? Bl-istess mod għad-“disfatti”.
Għal xiex serviet il-politika partiġġjana fit-tmexxija tal-kunsilli lokali, fit-tajjeb u fil-ħażin?
Ir-rwol tal-kunsilli lokali fil-ħajja tal-pajjiż qed jieħu l-apprezzament li jistħoqqlu? Għandu jitwessa’? Jiċċekken?
Ir-relazzjonijiet bejn il-kunsilli lokali u l-gvern ċentrali, inklużi l-aġenziji tiegħu, huma mfassla b’mod li jgħodd għaċ-ċirkostanzi tal-lum, jew huma kontra-produċenti? Veru li ta’ spiss, il-kunsilli lokali jintużaw bħala paraventu għad-deċiżjonijiet tal-gvern?
Fuq kollox, il-finanzjament tal-kunsilli lokali: Hu adekwat? Jitmexxa bil-galbu? Hu trasparenti, nieqes mill-għabra tal-korruzzjoni? Għandu jiżdied?

English Version – Garden of Eden

One frequently meets people, not necessarily senior citizens, who proclaim how in the past things were nicer, better, more genuine, more interesting than today.

Most of us look back with nostalgia at when they were young and naturally, more often than not, end up glorifying the past, in comparison to just now.

In a way, they’re rehashing the myth of the Garden of Eden, by way of a remembrance of times blessed with unprecedented bliss – times that have passed and will never come back. It is an attractive myth, and a dangerous one.

For after all, in reality, life in the Garden of Eden could hardly have been comfortable or beautiful for Adam and Eve. With no electricity, no clean water, no decent sewage system, it is clear that their living standards must have been quite primitive.

Comparing the past with the present is something understandable, it comes naturally. We all live out of our stock of memories. However, it makes little sense to declare a preference between what is “past” and gone, and what is still developing.

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American politics

With the passage of weeks, attention will increasingly be given to the US presidential elections. The nomination of Donald Trump, in the wake of the atrocious statements he has indulged in throughout the campaign up to now, is generating much anxiety.

He has projected himself as an unstable politician who hardly cares about the interests of foreign countries, close to the US or distant from it. More than this, his tongue seems to run faster than his brain. Which has given him the profile of an arrogant individual who is prepared to antagonize others, simply to service a macho image with the “angries” of the American electorate who have given him most support.

Whoever is President of the US and the policies he/she advocates are issues of great concern to the rest of the world. The prospect of having a man like Trump in the White House necessarily provokes disquiet.

But then, come to think of it, even with a man like George Bush there, the consequences for all of us were quite disastrous.

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Local councils

If one major priority has long been pending, it is the need for a new and indepth study of where we stand with regard to the institution of local councils.

Have they satisfactorily achieved some useful objective, and if yes, how and to what extent? If not, why not?

What have been the main achievements of local councils and how were they reached? Similarly for where they have been failures.

Has the introduction of partisan politics in the running of local councils been of benefit or was it detrimental to their operations?

Is the role that local councils are assigned inthe affairs of the nation being given the appreciation due to it? Should this role be expanded or reduced?

Are relations between local councils and the central government, including the latter’s agencies, designed in ways that fit circumstances as they exist now, or are they counter-productive? Is it true that frequently, local councils are used as a screen behind which to hide the hand of the government?

Above all, is the financing of local councils adequate? Is it being managed effectively? Is it transparent, free of all trace of corruption? Should it be increased?