Korruzzjoni

Mhux fl-Ewropa biss: il-korruzzjoni qed issir kwistjoni politikament qawwija u kontroversjali.
Fil-Perù ddominat l-elezzjoni presidenzjali għax bint l-eks-President Fujimori rnexxielha tkun waħda miż-żewġ kandidati għat-tieni rawnd. Barra milli kellu jaffaċċja akkużi ta’ ksur tad-drittijiet tal-bniedem minħabba t-tmexxija awtoritarja tiegħu, Fujimori kien instab ħati wkoll ta’ korruzzjoni lampanti. Fil-Brażil, l-istess “issue” kkontribwiet bil-kbir għall-attakk fuq il-President Rousseff li wassal biex titneħħa mill-kariga.
Fiċ-Ċina fl-aħħar snin, it-tmexxija attwali tal-Partit Komunista mexxiet kampanja bla nifs kontra l-korruzzjoni fil-fergħat kollha tal-istat.
Sadattant fl-Ewropa, għat-tieni kampanja elettorali fi Spanja fi żmien sitt xhur, wara li kkawżat dannu kbir fil-partit tal-popolari li kien fil-gvern, issa dannu simili qed isir fil-kamp tas-soċjalisti. Minkejja li fl-aħħar snin kienu fl-oppożizzjoni, qamu akkużi ġodda ta’ korruzzjoni fi tmexxija reġjonali li kienet taħthom.
Hemm żewġ raġunijiet li jispjegaw l-importanza politika ta’ dawn l-iżviluppi.
It-teżoreriji tal-istati ma jistgħux jibqgħu jittolleraw it-telf enormi ta’ fondi li qed tiswielhom il-korruzzjoni; fi żminijiet ta’ awsterità, meta ċ-ċittadini qed jintalbu jagħmlu s-sagrifiċċji, min jitlobhom jagħmlu hekk waqt li jagħlaq għajnejh għall-korruzzjoni, iqajjem kontrih korla popolari enormi.

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Monumenti
Hu sinjal ieħor taż-żminijiet li l-monument tas-Sette Giugnio spiċċa bla “dar” permanenti. Il-gvern qiegħed jagħmel “konsultazzjoni” publika biex jara fejn jista’ jitpoġġa.
Ftit ilu kont ktibt hawn kif intilfet ħafna mit-tifsira li sa snin ilu kienet tingħata lill-anniversarji storiċi u politiċi ta’ pajjiżna. Inparti l-fenomenu hu wieħed ta’ postmoderniżmu “popolari” fejn kull ħaġa li għandha tifsira qawwija saret marbuta mal-kontemporanju u mal-kummerċjalizzazzjoni. Dan qed iwassal għal indifferenza lejn l-istorja. Fejn jinħoloq xi interess fiha, dan malajr jiġi banalizzat.
Jista’ jkun li inparti wkoll, il-ħtija hi tas-sistemi edukattivi tagħna li mhumiex irawmu kuxjenza soda dwar l-identità tagħna u l-wirt storiku tal-pajjiż.

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Bil-Malti, bl-Ingliż
X’aktarx li hu mit ieħor dak li bħala poplu, il-Maltin għandhom xi maestrija partikolari tal-Ingliż. Veru li hawn persentaġġ minnhom li draw jitkellmu biss bl-Ingliż; kif wera stħarriġ pubblikat dan l-aħħar, mhix daqshekk ħaġa ċara li kollha kemm huma jafu mbagħad jiktbu tajjeb bl-Ingliż.
Bl-istess mod, anki ħafna minn dawk li jitkellmu bil-Malti ma jafux jiktbuh tajjeb; waqt li jekk qatt ingħataw tagħlim serju fil-grammatika tal-lingwa, malajr fitxxew li jinsewh.
Il-periklu mhux x’jiġri jekk l-Ingliż jiġi mgħallem bħala l-ewwel jew it-tieni lingwa, imma jekk aħniex se nispiċċaw defiċjenti fid-diskors u fil-kitba, kemm bil-Malti u kemm bl-Ingliż. Jew li nkomplu niżviluppaw forom ta’ espressjoni u kitba li jkunu bbastardjati bejn it-tnejn.

English Version – Corruption

Corruption has become an increasingly powerful and controversial issue, and not just in Europe.

In Peru, it dominated the presidential election, when the daughter of former President Fujimori managed to be one of the two candidates who made it to the second round. Fujimori was accused of having breached human rights because of his authoritarian approach to government. In addition he was found guilty of brazen corruption. Similarly in Brazil, the same issue contributed greatly to the campaign against President Rousseff, culminating in her impeachment.

In China during past years, the current leadership of the Communist Party has run a vigorous anti-corruption campaign in all branches of the state.

Meanwhile in Europe for the second electoral campaign in Spain within six months, after having seriously damaged the Popular Party which had been in government, corruption is now undermining the socialists, though they were in Opposition. New allegations have surfaced about corruption in regional administrations under their control.

The political importance of these developments can be explained in two ways.

State treasuries find it hard to tolerate any longer the enormous losses of income that corruption implies. At times of austerity, when citizens are being called upon to accept sacrifices, whoever makes such calls while ignoring the incidence of corruption is bound to provoke against him/her an enormous wave of popular anger.

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Monuments

It is another sign of the times that the 7 June monument has been left without a permanent “home”. The government is carrying out a public “consultation” to discover where it can be placed.

Not so long ago, I wrote in this blog that much of the meaning that used to be given to this country’s historical and political anniversaries has been lost. In part, this phenomenon relates to a post-modernist populism where all that can carry a significant meaning needs to be grounded in the contemporary, and commercialised. This is generating indifference towards history. Where it exists, it soon gets trivialised.

Partly too, it could be due to our educational systems which are failing to generate a strong awareness concerning our identity and the island’s historical heritage.

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In Maltese or English

That the Maltese are especially proficient in the English language is probably another of our myths. While it’strue that a percentage of the population speaks English round the clock, according to a recently published survey, it’s not quite clear that the same percentage applies for those who can then write well in the language.

On the same tack, also those who speak Maltese, hardly know how to write it correctly. If they ever received a serious introduction to the grammar of the language, they probably soon did their best to forget it.

The problem is not what would happen were English to be taught as a first or second language. It’s whether we could all end up deficient in speech and writing, in Maltese and English. Or that we proceed to develop forms of expression that are a hotchpotch of both.