IL-Libja

Ilna ż-żmien kulħadd jgħid kemm hu meħtieġ li l-Libja terġa’ ssib il-paċi billi l-fazzjonijiet kollha ta’ ġo fiha jaslu għal ftehim ġust bejniethom. Donnu li dan kollu ma tantx qed jasal aktar bogħod mill-kliem.

In-nuqqas ta’ ftehim għadu jippersisti minkejja kull sforz li sar biex il-problemi jitwittew. Uħud isostnu li qabel jitjiebu, l-affarijiet għad jistgħu jmorru aktar żmerċ. Din tkun traġedja għall-poplu Libjan, li jeħtieġlu jerġa’ lura għal ħajja “normali” u għall-popli ta’ madwar, li b’Libja mħarbta, se jiffaċċjaw insigurtà dejjem akbar.

Barra milli n-nuqqas ta’ ftehim qed isaħħaħ it-theddida tat-terroriżmu mil-Libja, se jfisser ukoll li l-isforz ta’ rikonċiljazzjoni meta u jekk jinstab qbil, se jispiċċa ħafna aktar diffiċli.

Għal dawk li għandhom għal qalbhom il-Libja u l-futur tagħha, donnu m’hemmx tweġiba tajba għal mistoqsija li kollha jistaqsu: kif jistgħu jkunu ta’ għajnuna effettiva lill-poplu Libjan biex dan jerġa’ jingħaqad fis-sliem?

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Inflazzjoni/Diflazzjoni

Nerġa’ nagħmel il-mistoqsija: għaliex meta fl-Ewropa t-tendenza tkun lejn l-inflazzjoni, f’Malta l-prezzijiet imajnaw, u meta fl-Ewropa l-prezzijiet jitqalu, f’Malta jogħlew?

Dil-ħaġa qed tirrepeti ruħha issa meta fl-Ewropa għaddej dibattitu sħiħ dwar il-perikli tad-diflazzjoni. Din għadha tirrombla, misjuqa mill-prezz taż-żejt li baqa’ jikkollassa, imma mhux biss.

Wieħed jista’ jispjega t-tendenza opposta li qed isseħħ f’Malta għall-fatt li l-prezz intern tal-fjuwil mhuwiex jirrifletti sew il-waqa’ tal-prezz taż-żjut fis-swieq internazzjonali. M’inix konvint li hi spjega li waħidha treġi.

Forsi rridu nqisu aħjar il-kurrenti ta’ esportazzjoni u importazzjoni bejn Malta u l-bqija tad-dinja. L-esportazzjoni tas-servizzi tagħna baqgħet qawwija, dik tal-prodotti baqgħet tmajna. Bħalissa, minkejja li l-ekonomiji Ewropej huma staġnati, qed jirnexxielhom iżidu sew fl-esportazzjoni ta’ prodotti u servizzi.

X’rabta jista’ jkun hemm bejn dan l-effett u l-ieħor tal-prezzijiet?

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Kuntrasti tal-Knisja

Aktar ma nikber fl-età, aktar nikkonferma l-fehma li l-mexxejja uffiċjali tal-Knisja Kattolika f’Malta għandhom bħala l-aqwa prijorità dik li jsostnu l-qagħda tagħhom f’poter u fi prestiġju soċjali.

Nirreferi għal affarijiet kurrenti, mhux argumenti qodma bħal dwar id-divorzju.

Dwar l-iffriżar tal-embrijuni fl-IVF, il-kapijiet tal-Knisja ħarġu bi ħġarhom biex jgħidu le bil-qawwa. Argumenti suppost favur il-ħajja li ġabu jfakkruk f’dawk tal-Medju Evu dwar kemm tista’ żżeffen anġli fuq il-ponta ta’ labra tal-ħjata.

Imbagħad tqum il-kontroversja dwar it-twettiq tal-liġi tal-1969 dwar l-impjieg tal-persuni b’diżabbiltà. Tajjeb jew ħażin, il-gvern għandu f’moħħu li jappoġġja lil dawn il-persuni biex jipprovdilhom ħajja aħjar permezz tax-xogħol.

Kważi kulma kellu xi jgħid l-arċisqof kien li jappoġġja lis-sidien li ma għoġbithomx din l-inizjattiva. Mur ifhem!

English Version – Libya

For a long while, we all have been saying how necessary it is for Libya to again find peace once all the factions that make it up, agree on a fair and just arrangement. This wish does not seem to have progressed beyond words.

Disagreements persisted despite efforts to resolve issues. Some people claim that things might still get worse before they can improve. This would be a tragedy for the Libyan people who need to go back to a “normal” life. Equally, it would be a tragedy for the peoples living in Libya’s neighbourhood: with Libya still in turmoil, they will face mounting insecurity.

Lack of internal agreement is boosting the terrorist threat coming from Libya. It is also rendering more difficult the effort of reconciliation that must be carried out when and if a final agreement is reached.

For those who care about Libya and its future, at present there is apparently still no reply possible to the question: how can they be of effective help to the Libyan people in their struggle to achieve unity again, in peace?

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Inflation/deflation

Once more, let me ask: why is it that when in Europe, inflationary tendencies prevail, in Malta prices trend down – while when prices are tightening in Europe, in Malta they rise?

The phenomenon is being repeated now as Europe debates the perils of deflation. The latter is still holding, powered by the collapsing oil price, if only in part.

Indeed, one could perhaps explain why the opposite tendency has emerged in Malta because of the fact that the internal price of fuel is not reflecting clearly price declines in international oil markets. I am not convinced that by itself, this explains everything.

We might need to give a closer look at the import and export flows between Malta and the rest of the world.

While the performance of our services exports remains strong, that of manufactured products is flagging. At present, even as a number of European economies stagnate, they still have succeeded in recording export growth in products and services.

What link could there be between this outcome and that on the prices front?

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Church contrasts

The older I get, the more I confirm the feeling that as their first priority, the official leaders of the Maltese Catholic Church are really out to reinforce their social power and prestige.

Let’s refer to current events, not old hat arguments, like those about divorce.

Regarding the freezing of embryos under IVF procedures, Church leaders have mobilised one and all to say no, no. Some of the arguments they put forward in favour of “life” remind you of disputes developed in the Middle Ages, about how many angels could be made to dance safely on the head of a pin.

Then, controversy arises about the proposed implementation by the government of a 1969 law about employment for disabled persons. Rightly or wrongly, the government intends to give support to such persons by providing them with work opportunities for a better life.

Practically all the archbishop could say about this was that he backed employers, who were less than happy with the initiative. Can you read that?