Comments on: Muscat celebrates freedom from L-Inglizi

By: Amanda Mallia

Amanda Mallia — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:45:25 +0000

A year ago, their slogan was “the only way is up”; their catchphrase is now “direzzjoni success” … with an arrow pointing to the right.

By: Godfrey A Grima

Godfrey A Grima — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:10:59 +0000

Some say we became free of the British in March 1979 but we really ended up under the yoke of ‘fellow Maltese’ in December 1981. We were free of the British, but free of choice, free of democracy, free of access to computers and other basic technology, and even free of telephones. You were free to get A-levels but that didn’t mean you were free to go to university. We were free to stay in Malta because we couldn’t travel. On 9 May 1987 we truly became free, and then only after a mammoth struggle against ‘fellow Maltese’ invoking their right to rule because they had more parliamentary seats though they had fewer votes. As to why we celebrate the 31st March while the British were still in harbour, it is because the next day was 1st April and Dom Mintoff did not want to give us any more clues that we were all going to be victims of a collective April Fool joke that was to last for the next eight years.

By: H.P. Baxxter

H.P. Baxxter — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:26:10 +0000

In reply to kev. My point exactly.

By: kev

kev — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:14:15 +0000

In reply to H.P. Baxxter. The fall of Berlin is one thing Baxxter; the fall of the Berlin Wall is quite another.

By: Daphne Caruana Galizia

Daphne Caruana Galizia — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:46:52 +0000

The only Freedom Day thrills so far, and they are minor:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090331/local/sit-down-protest-at-freedom-monument

By: oliver camenzuli

oliver camenzuli — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:22:00 +0000

why is freedom day celebrated on 31st march the british were still here on that day and our first day of freedom was the next day

[Daphne – Speak for yourself. My first day of freedom was 10 May 1987. Thank God it hasn’t stopped since, except for when that bewigged marionette with delusions of omnipotent grandeur and too much dependence on whisky found himself unexpectedly in power for 22 months.]

By: Antoine Vella

Antoine Vella — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:11:35 +0000

Freedom Day should be celebrated on 9 May. That was the day in 1987, that the Socialist party was kicked into opposition where it has remained except for a brief intermission in 1996-98.

By: mc

mc — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:24:40 +0000

Maryanne is spot on when she says. “The truth is that Mintoff could never accept that Borg Olivier obtained independence for Malta and he had to ‘invent’ some other national milestone.” Mintoff had to give something to his supporters to celebrate and to be proud of, even if it meant distorting history.

According to the Independence agreement, the British were due to leave Malta in 1974. Mintoff simply negotiated an extension of five years – so what! The departure of the British came about because they decided to leave – it was not a choice made by Malta.

Just a few months after “Jum il-Helsien”, there was the attack on the house of Fenech Adami, on the Times and on the Curia. For many people, especially those who lived through those dark days, “helsien” became (almost) synonymous to violence of the Mintoffian thugs. The Maltese said “no thank you” to “helsien” in 1981, in 1987 and in 1992.

By: John Schembri

John Schembri — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:45:37 +0000

The only thing I recall about 31 March 1979 is the triumphant Gaddafi surrounded by his armed bodyguards at Birgu.

[Daphne – Joseph Muscat remembers watching the proceedingly admiringly on television at the age of five (!). I remember writing in my diary, at the age of 14, that the British are leaving and instead of having ‘freeom’ we’re going to be overrun by Libya, and sure enough.]

By: H.P. Baxxter

H.P. Baxxter — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:31:42 +0000

Woops, missed this jewel:

““After the fall of Berlin, we came face to face with harsh realities which we cannot avoid,” Toni Abela said referring in one instance to the thousands of immigrants escaping from persecution and impoverished countries and landing in Malta.”

Er, would that be 1945 or 1989?