Il-ħin

Dibattitu interessanti fil-Parlament Ewropew dan l-aħħar kien dwar jekk għandhiex titkompla jew le s-sistema Ewropea dwar il-ħin li jinżamm fis-sajf. Min irid iżomm is-sistema, min irid jibdilha ħalli kull pajjiż jiddeċiedi x’inhu l-aħjar.

Dwar fhiex jikkonsisti dan “l-aħjar” m’hemmx kunsens. La fil-pajjiżi, wisq inqas fl-Ewropa kollha kemm hi. L-istudji li saru, dwar jekk is-sistema tal-lum toħloqx problemi ta’ saħħa mentali u fiżika fost il-popolazzjonijiet, ftit huma ta’ għajnuna. Qed jiġu kontestati wkoll l-argumenti dwar kif l-arranġamenti preżenti huma meħtieġa biex irażżnu l-użu tal-enerġija.

Jekk issir xi bidla minn pajjiżi differenti, jkun jaqbel li l-bidliet isiru kollha fl-istess jum. Inkella tinħoloq taħwida mill-kbar.

Għalija, kif sħaqt f’intervent fil-Parlament, l-aktar punt essenzjali fi kwalunkwe proposta ta’ bidla li ssir jew ma ssirx, hu l-interess tat-tfal tal-iskola, speċjalment iż-żgħar: li bl-iskala tal-ħin li titwettaq, ma jkollhomx iqumu wisq kmieni fid-dlam ta’ filgħodu pereżempju.

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IL-QALBA TAL-VILLAĠĠI

Mill-esperjenza personali nista’ ngħid li qiegħda biss fuq il-karta l-politika għall-ħarsien tal-qalba tal-villaġġi – dik il-qalba “storika” b’karatteristiċi li jirriflettu l-modi ta’ għajxien tal-Maltin u l-Għawdxin fl-imgħoddi.

Il-ħarsien qed jiġi żmantellat permezz ta’ diversi manuvri li m’għandix dubji huma legali imma maħsuba biex jimmanipulaw ir-regolamenti. L-ewwel tiġi aċċettata xi eċċezzjoni għall-poliitka ta’ ħarsien ippreżentata minn applikanti li jidhru, u x’aktarx, ikollhom għanijiet leġittimi. Imbagħad, fuq il-bażi tal-eċċezzjoni li ssir favurihom, jingħataw aktar permessi tal-istess tip, bi trasparenza jew le. F’kemm ili ngħidlek, il-qalba “storika” tkun inbidlet f’gallinar ta’ binjiet “moderni”.

U ma jkunx baqa’ raġunijiet għaliex daċ-ċentru ma jiġix ippakkjat għal kollox bil-“modern” kummerċjali. Mhix xi ħaġa li qed tiġri biss f’Tas-Sliema.

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L-UNUR TAL-POLONJA

Il-Pollakki għandhom raġun jirvellaw kontra l-użu tal-espressjoni “kampi ta’ konċentrament Pollakki” għall-fabriki ta’ ġenoċidju moqżież li bnew f’pajjiżhom in-Nazi. Ma kienx il-ġens Pollakk responsabbli għall-atroċitajiet li twettqu f’Auschwitz u f’imkejjen bħalu.

Min-naħa l-oħra, il-Gvern Pollakk żbalja fil-mod kif mexxa l-inizjattiva biex jipprojbixxi l-espressjoni. Ipproġetta l-fehma li qiegħed jinnega l-eżistenza tax-Xoa. Anke jekk din ma kinitx l-intenzjoni u anki jekk konkretament dan ma sarx, ingħatat dik l-impressjoni. Jekk hemm ħaġa li jiġri x’jiġri, l-Ewropa żgur qatt ma għandhiex tagħmel, hu li tidher li qed twarrab jew tnessi l-verità terribbli ta’ kif in-Nazi riedu jeqirdu għal kollox il-ġens Lhudi.

Fid-dinja tal-lum, l-aħbarijiet jirkbu – u r-reputazzjonijiet jitlaħħmu – fuq inċidenti li jolqtu l-attenzjoni tal-midja. Dnub jekk il-Polonja jirnexxilha teħles mill-fama li l-kampi ta’ konċentrament kienu “tagħha” billi tieħu r-reputazzjoni li qed tinnega l-eżistenza tal-Olokawst.

English Version – Time

In a recent interesting debate at the European Parliament the discussion was about whether the European summer time system should be rolled over or not. Some wanted to keep it going, others to change it to allow countries to choose what was best for them.

About what that “best” would be, there was no consensus to cover every country separately, even less Europe as a whole. The studies which have been carried out dealing with whether present arrangements create physical and mental health problems among the population at large, offer scant guidance. Arguments that claim how current systems are necessary to help minimize energy consumption are also being queried.

If different countries implement different solutions, it would be best for changes to happen all on the same date. Otherwise, an incredible mix up could result.

As I said in an input to the debate in the Parliament, an essential priority should be to ensure that all proposals, whether implemented or not, are in the interests of school children, especially the younger ones – so that for example, the timescales that are adopted do not oblige them to wake up too early in the pre-dawn dark.

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Village cores

From personal experience, I can agree that policies meant to preserve village cores which reflect the “historical” life modes of the Maltese people in the past, are hardly worth the paper they are printed on.

Preservation is being dismantled in the wake of manoeuvres that are no doubt legal but which are intended to get around regulations. First, some exception to preservation policies is claimed by applicants who appear to have and probably do have, legitimate reasons for their request. Then on the basis of the exception accepted in their favour, other similar permits are allowed, transparently or not. In a short while, the “historic” core becomes transformed into a chickencoop of “modern” structures.

At which point no further reasons remain to justify why the central area should not get totally crammed with “modern” developments. It’s not only in Sliema that this process is ongoing.

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The honour of Poland

The Poles are right to feel revulsion at the use of the expression “Polish concentration camps” for the obscene factories of genocide constructed on their territory by the Nazis. The Polish people were not responsible for the atrocities committed in Auschwitz and similar sites.

On the other hand, the Polish government has committed mistakes in the way by which it ran its initiative to get the expression prohibited. It gave the impression it was contesting the existence of the Holocaust. Even if this was not the intention and if concretely this was not even attempted, that’s how the initiative has been understood. If there is one thing, that no matter what happens, Europe certainly should never allow, it is to appear to be putting aside or trying to rub out the remembrance of that terrible episode during which the Nazis sought to obliterate the Jewish people.

Today, news stories ride and reputations are fashioned on incidents that attract media attention. It would be a pity if Poland succeeds in getting rid of the idea that concentration camps were “Polish” by gaining the reputation that it is denying the existence of the Shoa.