Fi Brussell fl-aħħar ġimgħat it-tnaqqis fil-livelli ta’ ħidma kummerċjali kien notevoli. Il-ħwienet kellhom anqas nies milli niftakar fi żminijiet ta’ festi resqin. Ir-ristoranti l-istess. Quddiem il-ħanut tal-Primark f’Rue Neuve ma rajt l-ebda kju.
Il-midja rrapportaw tnaqqis qawwi ta’ bejgħ u xogħol anke f’Pariġi; il-lukandi tgħabbew b’telf mhux mistenni fl-operat tagħhom.
Fl-ajruporti, stajt tinnota li l-folol baqgħu iċken mis-soltu. Madankollu, l-ajruport ta’ Strażburgu pereżempju, titlef aktar ħin minħabba l-kontrolli ġodda fuq il-passaporti mħaddma minn personnel li tilef id-drawwa li jiċċekkjahom.
Fi Franza u l-Belġju, in-negozjanti qed jitolbu kumpens għat-telf li qed isofru.
Konsegwenza tat-terroriżmu li ma tantx tissemma hi li apparti ż-żieda fin-nefqa pubblika li jġib miegħu, joħloq danni ekonomiċi mhux żgħar fis-settur privat.
L-organizzaturi tat-terrur jafuha dil-ħaġa.
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Gazzetti
Ma nafx x’inhi l-istrateġija kummerċjali wara l-miżura, imma għandi d-dubji tiegħi dwar kemm tagħmel sens. Wara kollox, sa fejn naf jien, is-settur tal-midja stampata mhux jiffjorixxi quddiem il-kompetizzjoni tal-midja soċjali.
Ilhom is-snin issa li l-gazzetta stampati, ta’ kuljum u ta’ tmiem il-ġimgħa, ifornuna b’magazines imbulmati bi stampi, stejjer u l-aktar riklami. Nimmaġina li mhux il-qarrejja kollha japprezzawhom, imma tal-anqas kienu “b’xejn”.
Issa daħlet id-drawwa li ma’ magazine jew ieħor li tippublika gazzetta, iżżid il-prezz biex tkopri l-pubblikazzjoni li qed titqassam mal-ħarġa.
Jien wieħed mill-qarrejja li l-gazzetta biss inkun irrid naqra u nirrifjuta li nixtriha bi prezz ogħla. Għamilt hekk ukoll meta t-“Times” u l-“Malta Independent” fl-istess ġurnata, adottaw it-tnejn din il-proċedura – li għalija turi nuqqas ta’ rispett lejn il-qarrejja tagħhom.
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Politika soċjali jew karità?
Il-kampanji ta’ ġbir li jiġu organizzati f’dawn iż-żminijiet jimmarkaw mument fejn għandha terġa’ titqajjem il-kontroversja dwar it-tip ta’ soċjetà li rridu ngħixu fiha.
Waħda fejn dawk fostna li jeħtieġu appoġġ u għajnuna jiddependu mill-ġenerożità ta’ ħaddieħor?
Jew waħda fejn il-kollettività tieħu ħsieb permezz ta’ politika soċjali effettiva l-bżonnijiet ta’ min qed jgħix bi żvantaġġ?
Fi kliem oħra: kuntenti b’Dar tal-Providenza li barra milli tieħu ħsieb persuni bi bżonnijiet speċjali, ikollha toqgħod torganizza l-ġbir ta’ fondi biex iżżomm fil-wiċċ?
Jew nippreferu li d-Dar tkun sostnuta kollha kemm hi b’fondi publiċi, mit-taxxi tagħna lkoll?
Personalment nippreferi t-tieni triq. Dejjem sibt min jgħidli li dil-ħaġa mhux possibbli u li l-volontarjat u l-“karità” qatt m’għandek twarrabhom.
Naqbel.
Imma forsi għandhom jingħataw f’forma ta’ ħin li ċ-ċittadini joffru minn ħajjithom? Għax l-għoti tal-flus donnu sar ukoll mod kif individwalment nassolvu ruħna minn kull responsabbiltà oħra lejn għajrna.
English Version – The cost of terror
In Brussels during the past weeks, there was a noticeable decrease in commercial activity. Shops had less customers than I remember is usual when end of the year festivities are approaching. There were no queues outside the Primark shop on Rue Neuve.
In Paris, the media reported a sharp drop in sales and economic activity, with hotels facing unexpected losses on operations.
Airports too were less crowded. Yet at Strasbourg airport for instance, you spent more time than usual going through new border controls run by staff who have lost the habit of checking passports.
In France and Belgium, businesses are claiming compensation for their ongoing losses.
A consequence of terrorism – one which is rarely mentioned – is that beyond the increase in public expenditure that comes in its wake, the private sector experiences significant economic damage.
The masterminds of terrorism are fully aware of this.
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Print media
I do not know what the commercial strategy underpinning the move is, but I doubt whether it makes sense. After all, as far as I know, newspapers are hardly flourishing in the face of competition from the social media.
For quite some time now, dailies and the weekend press have been supplying us with magazines stuffed with pictures and stories, but mostly adverts. I guess that not all readers appreciated them, but at least they were “free”.
Now, a practice has developed by which with some magazine or other that a paper publishes, it increases the price of the issue, presumably to cover the cost of the additional publication being distributed.
I happen to be one of those readers who just wish to read the newspaper, and refuse to pay a higher price for it in order to cover a publication I do not wish to get. I followed this rule even when “The Times” and “The Malta Independent” adopted both of them on the same day, this price measure which I think, shows disrespect towards their readers.
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Social policy or charity?
The fundraising campaigns organized at this time of year provoke some reflection regarding the kind of society we prefer to live in.
Is it one where the well being of those among us who need support and help has to depend on the generosity of others?
Or is it a society in which the collectivity takes care to implement an effective social policy to cover in full the needs of those whose life is burdened with some disadvantage?
In other words, are we satisfied that Dar tal-Providenza for instance does not only have to take care of persons with special needs, but must also organize fundraising to carry on with its work?
Or do we prefer that this institution receives public funds, financed from our taxes, in order to run all its operations?
Personally I prefer the second option. I always found people though who argued that this is not possible and that you must never write off voluntary contributions and “charity”.
I agree with the last point.
But perhaps, voluntary contributions and charity should take the form of time deducted by people from their day to day activities? For monetary donations have also become a way by which individually we absolve ourselves from all other responsibilities towards the rest.
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