'They're here again protesting'
A Free Libya demo in Tokyo: what right do they have to do that?
Yesterday’s report in The Malta Independent, about a small demonstration by Libyan men against Gaddafi, quoted “a salesgirl at a home decor and accessories shop who said:
“They’re here again protesting. What right do they have to be doing this?”
I know the shop and I know the salesgirls. They are all in their 20s. This is exactly what I meant when I wrote last Sunday that the divorce referendum will fail not because of religion but because the democratic spirit in Malta is very, very weak.
People here in Malta just don’t understand democracy – they don’t. Some people do, but they are the exception, and as a whole Maltese society does not.
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I agree with you hundred percent. I had an argument on this theme just yesterday and the man I was talking to just could not fathom that anybody living in Malta has a right to protest.
The same happened when some Muslims gathered to pray at the Sliema seafront.
We have a long way to go. For some, democracy is agreeing to agree.
These people have every right to protest and we should back them all the way.
I fully agree,yes they have a right to protest,but if I may ask,Do the pro Gadaffi libyans, have a right to protest as well? God forbid.
[Daphne – Of course they do. And they did so already.]
They were paid 500 euro each!
The fact that you agree that both sides should be allowed to protest goes to show what a really Neutral State Malta is. BUT I was under the impression that you always insisted that when it comes to what is going on in Libya, Our Govt should take a stand and proclaim itself Against Gaddafi,s Regime. Was I wrong
[Daphne – Not only wrong, but thoroughly confused.]
AND THEY WERE GIVEN VIP POLICE PROTECTION at the door of the ambassador’s prison!
@ u jien naf:
Only in totalitarian states are people with whom the state disagrees, denied the right to protest.
It is a shame that the “rebels” (for a better word) have been so badly let down. Of course one missile costs 500.000 dollars!
Not so long ago, even Maltese were not allowed to protest; many of us remember the violent attacks on protesters. It’s the same mentality being expressed here and it’s why we should not accept displays or statements of intolerance.
Precisely why Labour backs Gaddafi. He’s just their type of guy. Shooting down his own people, protests disallowed, rampant corruption and a dictator a la grande. And we have arse-licked him for the best part of 40 years !
He didn’t get this far, but who knows what could have happened if things had gone far enough:
http://www.neontommy.com/news/2011/04/april-7th
““They’re here again protesting. What right do they have to be doing this?”
They must have forgotten to ask for her permission. What a nation of infants.
Spot on. Read Anton F. Attard’s letter in The Times of today: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110413/letters/A-mandate-on-divorce-was-the-best-way-to-go-1-.359861
He asks: “what right has the Church to interfere with the rights of non-Catholics regarding marriage and divorce?”.
His premise is completely erroneous. In a democracy everybody – including the Church – has a right to state their opinion on how the WHOLE of society is to be managed, governed, ruled.
We vote not to have a government for the faction of society we belong to (that would be an apartheid of sorts). We vote because we want a government to administer the WHOLE of society.
What democracy guarantees is that different individuals can air their different views about the running of society without suffering any punishment or reprisal.
It also guarantees that individuals may also air their views about the international order too. The goings-on in a member of the international order are of international relevance, and it follows that anyone can – in a democracy – express their views on the developments in other countries, anywhere.
You are right, Daphne. These are the basics of democracy and they are not well understood in this country.
Stating an opinion and interfering are not the same thing.
Absolutely.
But what do we understand by interfering?
Are lobbyists interfering when they put forward their agenda to politicians?
Are demostrators interfering when they take to the streets?
What degree of “interference” is tolerable and healthy in a democratic society?
That depends on what sort of government you’re talking about. Lobbying and demonstrations would have qualified as interference in 1980s Malta.
When lobbying and demonstration are possibilities open to all, they are not interference.
Exactly. It therefore follows that when the Church is lobbying – like everyone else – then it is not interference.
That the Church is the largest NGO on Malta should not make an iota of difference when we assess the situation.
Reporter – nicely put. Kindly allow me to add that democracy should also ensure that the legitimate needs of the few are not overwhelmed by the ‘wants’ of the many.
It is because of this conflict a perfect democracy is impossible to attain, but if society strives to reach this elusive balance it still has a lot to gain .
The out and out racist and ignorant arguments that are flooding comment-boards, bars, offices and village squares – spurred more recently by the Libyan conflict and issue of Malta’s obligations to immigrants, are very disturbing.
They’ve always been there like a droning background noise, but lately they’ve come to the fore and the whole thing is quite shocking to read or hear.
It is even more shocking that future Prime Minister Joseph Muscat would tie his colours to that particular mast in such a rabble-raising manner, some have said as a vote-grabbing exercise.
It is disgusting. Frankly if those are the kind of votes the PL are after, then their desperation for power has really taken over any good sense that may have ever existed.
Good luck to these bigots and racists under Muscat’s governent – you’re welcome to it, but NOT IN MY NAME!
This is a good reply to Muscat:
http://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110413/opinion/I-am-a-Maltese-proud-of-my-country.359867
Thank you Ms. Vella – I missed this today somehow. An excellent piece which sums up Muscat’s gaffe to a tee.
“It is regrettable but true. Immigration brings out the worst in the Labour Party and its leader. Give him a chance to talk about immigration and he promptly drops his “moderate” and “progressive” mask to reveal his true colours. Last Sunday, Joseph Muscat was at it again. He hit out at the government for not being “firm” on immigration when compared to Italy that refused to take in 171 asylum seekers saved by Malta on the high seas. He said Italy safeguarded its interests and Malta should do so too.
Any reasonable person reading this report would logically draw only one conclusion, namely that Malta should have done like Italy and ignored the distress call of 171 persons.
But if we did that, 171 people would have lost their lives because their boat was going down. It is as stark as that.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110413/opinion/I-am-a-Maltese-proud-of-my-country.359867
One of the people on that boat was a Libyan-American:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42562610/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/
People like this probably believe the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” is the epitome of democracy.
….. or that Gaddafi’s regime is an ‘arch-democracy’.
Any peaceful protest march is better than a drunken disorderly feast march .
I heard someone say: “Anzi gherqu (immigranti) 200…kienu jigu hawn”
I blame the ‘shameless opportunism’ disease most people (in particular Maltese) seem to have. There is no ‘I’ in democracy, but ‘We’. Today you, tomorrow me.
We Maltese are no better or worse than other creeds. Everybody is capable of love, hate and any other emotion. The difference here is that on such a small island we hear and feel our neighbors louder and quicker .
The most awful reply is the one of people with severe fatwa-envy. “If we went to their country and protested we would be hung – or worse, so why are they doing it here”.
It seems that both the younger as much as the older generation on our island aren’t aware that of the Maltese population living in Australia 50/60 % entered illegally.
Add another 50/60 % or so living in England. The young girl should know, also, that, the majority of London’s Soho ‘red light district’, where all activities were illegal, was managed/owned by Maltese.
Possibly because they know all of this – and who the people are who moved illegally to other countries – that they react this way.
And together they add to over half a million emigrants.
Isn’t it sad that after 25 years of administration by a party (PN) that considers democracy as one of its fundamental tenets, the people of Malta should have become so indifferent to democracy and intolerant to the plight of others who are fighting to enjoy its benefits?
I wonder if this reflects the PN’s superficial belief in democracy? Are democratic values really entrenched in the PN or just flaunted for electoral exploits in order to attract middle class voters?
Perhaps this superficial belief in democracy might explain why so many people nurture anti-democratic views which culminate in the dismal lack of understanding of human rights and freedom of expression.
As in colonial times, any person who expresses a view that is even slightly incongruent to that of the establishment will see his career and livelihood endangered. I am not referring to Libya here, but to Malta.
I believe that is the reason why the majority will vote PL in the next election, because whichever party is elected, the democratic deficit will persist, but at least we see ‘new’ ‘faces’ in administration. Any comments from PN apologists?
[Daphne – Voting Labour for human rights, freedom of expression and democracy is like voting for Christmas if you’re a turkey. The party’s track record is abysmal, and its current pronouncements (“don’t rescue them if Italy doesn’t”) are in that same league. As for new faces – please. A collection of tyrannosauruses of the most uninspiring kind, led by an ex Super One hack who’s been around in the Labour Party since 1992. Tal-biki.]
Democracy does not grow on trees. People have to work for it a great deal. I fully agree with you, Daphne, the democratic spirit here in Malta is indeed very weak.
Unless more is done in and through our education system we will remain in such a state.
If one looks at the “hidden curriculum” in the majority of schools one finds that it still promotes an authoritarian mindset. Children and young students are hardly given any tools to practise democratic principles and to understand democratic institutions.
They have every right to protest.
But we also have a right to say that it is just grandstanding – no protest in Malta is going to effect event in Libya by even an infinitesimal fraction.
[Daphne – Sit back and do nothing about anything then. Typical Labour. People don’t do things necessarily because it might get a concrete result. They do them because they need to show they CARE, because they need to have their voice heard. Grandstanding is what Joseph Muscat does, when he talks like a redneck to keep his redneck electorate happy. Are you one of those chaps who only gives a girl a present if you might get sex in return? Probably.]
Don’t be too sure of that. A shipload of fuel very nearly was despatched to Libya from Malta until protestors raised their voices.
Are you one of those chaps who only gives a girl a present if you might get sex in return?
Sexist comment. He may be gay.
” the divorce referendum will fail not because of religion but because the democratic spirit in Malta is very, very weak.”
Indeed but it is the overtly religious who understand democracy the least.
You are not right. You find ignorance across the board. Democracy is not easy to achieve.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQcDbhJw5Hc
Please post this on your website.
Don’t anybody say that we cannot take the children, just how many beds can we free up, any expenses in travelling there are tax deductible surely and the government can handle war insurance.
Regret to say that it all adds up to our eduction system (or lack thereof), whether formal and informal….unless the fundamentals start provoking thought and allow our youngsters the latitude to explore and express themselves we are getting stuck with a myopic society… what a pity!
Hmmm – hopefully the government can sort out any visa requirements.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110413/local/pl-motion-calls-for-assistance-to-maltese-investors-in-libya.359919
One of the proposers of the motion is Karmenu Vella; does he have business interests in Libya ? If so, he should declare them as he would be a beneficiary if the motion is passed.
With mental giants like Ms Vella you begin to wonder where it all went wrong!
Louise Vella/timesofmalta.com:
Today, 14:50
Do we want 171 people to die? No. But suppose we saved 171 people a day. That would mean 171 x 365 = about 62 000 in a year. Is Dr Simon Busuttil prepared to let 62 000 illegal immigrants in Malta in a year? If not, how many of them does he wish to take? Whatever his limit, what will he then do once that limit is reached given that Africa has a population of 1000 million? Now or in a year’s time, the ultimate solution is to stop the influx.
A foreign friend of mine commented thus on timesofmalta.com.
“not only the layout but the continuation of endless racist, naff and xenophobic ‘comments’ this paper allow to be published online to an international audience.”