Labour: now recruiting soldiers of steel
This man is now recruiting soldiers of steel, though he looks particularly flaccid himself.
The Labour Party issued a statement last Friday announcing its need for more soldiers of steel – to introduce more civil rights.
I paused for a minute and sighed. This is yet another call to arms by recalling the Golden Years of KMB, even though KMB himself is not being championed like Mintoff Yana and Anne McKenna and their father. But it misses the crucial point that Labour’s soldiers of steel, back in the day, were not there to introduce civil rights but to repress and curtail them.
Let’s give the soldiers of steel a bit of a miss, shall we? Everywhere that I can think of, civil rights are not campaigned for or introduced by the masses to whom Labour is trying so hard to appeal here, but by boringly middle-class individuals and their do-gooding groups, or worse still in ‘soldier of steel’ eyes, by social reformers from very smart backgrounds.
Sadly for Labour, that sort of applies to Malta, too.
STQARRIJA
17 ta’ Frar 2012
Maħruġa mill-Uffiċċju tal-Kommunikazzjoni tal-Partit Laburista
Għandna bżonn suldati tal-azzar biex indaħħlu aktar libertajiet ċivili>
Biex ma nkunux biss qed ngħixu fin-nostalġija ta’ 50 sena ilu, fix-xhur u s-snin li ġej pajjiżna se jkollu bżonn is-suldati tal-azzar biex jiġġieldu favur il-libertajiet ċivili tal-IVF, unjoni ċivili għall-koppji tal-istess sess, kontra ċ-ċensura u favur tibdil kostituzzjonali.
Sostna dan il-Mexxej tal-Partit Laburista Dr Joseph Muscat waqt attivita fl-Isla li fakkret il-ħamsin sena mill-elezzjoni tad-dnub il-mejjet.
Dr Muscat saħaq li se jerġa’ jkollna mumenti ta’ prova fejn irridu nkunu lesti bħala moviment, li jiftaħ il-bibien lil dawk kollha li jemmnu fil-libertajiet ċivili. Li nkunu lesti li nisfidaw ix-xekel tal-konservatiżmu. Biex naraw li ssir ġustizzja ma’ dawk il-koppji li ma jistax ikollhom tfal, iżda li l-bniedem u x-xjenza żviluppat għalihom mezzi ta’ kif ikollhom tfal.
Biex illum il-moviment ma jkunx biss qed jgħix fin-nostalġija ta’ 50 sena ilu, għandu bżonn is-suldati tal-azzar li jgħidu iva għal-liġi tal-IVF sabiex jagħtu ċans lil dawn il-koppji.
Saħaq li għandna bżonn kuraġġ biex nisfidaw lil min ma jridniex nitkellmu dwar drittijiet ta’ koppji tal-istess sess, għax nemmnu fl-ugwaljanza. Għandna bżonn suldati tal-azzar li jemmnu, jaħdmu u jwettqu biex f’pajjiżna ndaħħlu d-dritt ta’ unjoni ċivili għal koppji tal-istess sess.
L-istess kif għandu bżonn suldati tal-azzar biex kull mara u raġel jitħallew fil-liberta’ li jkunu ċ-ċensuri tagħhom infushom, fejn tidħol l-arti.
Kuraġġ ukoll biex inwettqu bidliet fil-kostituzzjoni ħalli din tkun tirrifletti l-aspirazzjonijiet ta’ nazzjon żgħir, żagħżugħ, iżda ambizzjuż li jrid ikompli jfassal il-ġejjieni tiegħu għal rasu fil-familja Ewropea.
Il-Mexxej Laburista saħaq li qed jitfakkar dan iż-żmien mhux b’nostalġija, imma bi dmir. Huwa ddeskriva dan iż-żmien bħala pass deċiżiv fil-proċess biex Malta ssir parti mill-Ewropa. Mhux l-Ewropa ta’ fuq il-karti imma l-Ewropa tal-ħsieb.
L-avveniment qed jitfakkar mhux biex niftħu l-feriti imma biex ngħinu sabiex dawn il-feriti jingħalqu.
Dr Muscat sellem lill-Arċisqof Emeritu Guzeppi Mercieca li kellu l-kuraġġ, ir-rieda u l-ħila li jirrikonoxxi l-iżball u jitlob maħfra. Qal li dan għen biex jibdew jingħalqu l-feriti.
Il-Mexxej Laburista qal li, li titlob maħfra mhijiex sinjal ta’ dgħufija imma sinjal li lest terfa’ r-responsabbilta’. Għalhekk ma jiddejjaq xejn jgħid li kien hemm żmien fit-92 sena tal-Partit Laburista, fejn żbalja. Ta’ dan tlabna maħfra, saħaq Dr Muscat. Ħaddieħor, li kellu rwol kbir meta 50 sena ilu kellu sehem biex tkissru l-libertajiet għadu jgħid li m’hemmx ta’ xiex jitlob maħfra.
Dr Muscat żied jgħid li jittama li jasal iż-żmien fejn kull min ħa sehem jirrikonoxxi l-iżbalji li għamel.
Qiegħdin hawn bħala moviment li jrid jirriafferma li jrid djalogu mal-Knisja u li l-Istat u l-Knisja jirrikonoxxu lil xulxin, iżda jkunu differenti u separati. Li jkunu ħbieb li lesti jimxu l-istess triq flimkien, imma ma jkunux l-istess, għax hekk jixirqilha s-soċjeta’ tagħna.
Illum għandna ċ-ċertifikat li dan il-partit wettaq l-iskop tiegħu meta kien il-moviment tal-libertajiet ċivili. Meta sar id-dar tal-liberali kollha Maltin u Għawdxin. Meta kien favur u tqabad f’deżert waħdu favur il-liberta’ tal-kelma, il-liberta’ tal-istampa, il-liberta’ tal-assoċjazzjoni, u l-liberta’ tal-kuxjenza. Li l-ebda gvern, l-ebda awtorita, jew individwu m’għandu dritt jindaħal lil ħaddieħor dwar x’jemmen, x’jaħseb u dwar kif jimxi.
Illum il-ġurnata, saħaq Dr Muscat, kulħadd jirrikonoxxi li ħamsin sena ilu kellna raġun, u konna fuq in-naħa t-tajba tal-istorja.
Filwaqt li sellem lil kull ħadem u se jkompli jaħdem favur il-libertajiet ċivili ta’ pajjiżna, temm jgħid Persważ li b’dawn l-isfidi ta’ libertajiet ċivili, mhux se jkun hemm bżonn 50 sena oħra biex ningħataw ir-raġun.
Waqt l-attivita tal-lejla, għamlu l-interventi tagħhom diversi mistednin.
L-eks Deputat Laburista, t-Tabib Vincent Moran iddeskriva l-elezzjoni ta’ ħamsin sena ilu bħala l-ikbar sfreġju tad-demokrazija f’pajjiżna. Sostna li jinsab kburi li dak iż-żmien kien wieħed mis-suldati tal-azzar li żammew mal-prinċipji tagħhom u taw sehemhom biex pajjiżna llum seta’ jasal fejn wasal.
Indirizza l-attivita wkoll it-tifel ta’ Ġuże Ellul Mercer, li kien indifen fil-miżbla minħabba t-twemmin tiegħu. Martin Ellul sostna li f’dawk iż-żminijiet kienet inżergħet iż-żerriegħa ta’ mibgħeda li fissret uġiegħ għal ħafna nies, liema uġiegħ baqa’ jinħass ħafna snin wara.
Martin Ellul għalaq bil-kliem ta’ Ġuże Ellul Mercer li kull min twieled bniedem għandu jgħix ta’ bniedem, kemm jekk twieled bin il-għana, sew jekk twieled bin il-faqar.
Min-naħa tiegħu, Fr Mark Montebello saħaq li llum qed inġeddu l-istess ħeġġa, ħolma, tama u rieda li Mintoff u ħafna oħrajn kellhom diversi snin ilu, dik ta’ ġustizzja soċjali. Li ma jkun hawn qatt aktar min jgħaffeġ fuq ħaddieħor, min jagħmilha impossibbli għal ħaddieħor biex jgħix b’mod diċenti u min jiddetta kif wieħed għandu jgħix, kif jgħix, jew x’għażliet jagħmel. Saħaq li wħud mill-istess forzi li rreżistew il-bidla ħamsin sena ilu, għadhom magħna llum, filwaqt li sostna li għandna nibqgħu naħdmu biex tirbaħ dejjem il-ġustizzja.
Uffiċċju tal-Kommunikazzjoni
Partit Laburista
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Wahda isbah mill-ohra.
L-ewwel li applikaw huma Michelle u Joseph
http://trend911.com/wp-content/28.jpg
Skond Muscat, talbu mahfra tad-drabi li zbaljaw. Meta?
Sa fen naf jien, mhux talli ma talbux mahfra tal-passat, talli qed jergghu jgeddulna l-memorji taz-zmien Ikrah li ghaddewna minnu u sahansitra jigglorifikawh.
Kif jghid il-malti: “Hanzir taqtalu denbu, hanzir jibqa.” Nahseb wara s-sejha ghas-sulfdati ta’ l-azzar, jmiss wahda ghal-brigata.
If Joseph Muscat’s Labour is so much for civil liberties, what criterion will stop Joseph from introducing abortion in Malta?
Floating voters, beware.
More soldiers wanted for the Labour tucks force.
With its militaristic overtone, soldiers of steel is a typical Labour expression. For Labour – and socialists in general – politics are always a struggle, a form of warfare.
Saħaq li għandna bżonn kuraġġ biex nisfidaw lil min ma jridniex nitkellmu dwar drittijiet ta’ koppji tal-istess sess, għax nemmnu fl-ugwaljanza. Għandna bżonn suldati tal-azzar li jemmnu, jaħdmu u jwettqu biex f’pajjiżna ndaħħlu d-dritt ta’ unjoni ċivili għal koppji tal-istess sess
Am I correct in stating that JM himself is against gay marriages ? So where will he and his followers be in this civil fight?
Il-knisja Kattolika qatt ma qalet lil xi hadd biex ma jwettaqx gustizzja socjali. Tajjeb Patri Mark.
“Illum il-ġurnata, saħaq Dr Muscat, kulħadd jirrikonoxxi li ħamsin sena ilu kellna raġun, u konna fuq in-naħa t-tajba tal-istorja.”
L-istess Doctor Muscat m’ilux qal ukoll li l-elezzjoni tal-wiehed u tmenin kienet ingustizzja.
Mela tal-Labour sejrin lura.
Zapatero spicca min spanja wara herba li ghamel fl’ekonomija spanjola u twieled iehor f’Malta.
Zapatero hekk kien,l-ewwel ma ghamel ligijiet ghal zwieg bejn l-istess sess (li jista jkollok oppinjoni favur jew kontra)wara ligijiet fuq l-abort u hafna ligijiet ohra kontroversjali waqt li l-ekonomija bdiet sejra bhal granc lura il qaghd beda tiela bla kontrol ta’ xejn.
Mela Joseph issa qed jghidilna d-drittijiet civili dawn mhux qed izommhom mohbija izda fuq l-ekonomija mhux qed jghid xejn ghax bhal Zapatero ma ghandu xejn.
In Spain, any stupid or useless law passed was called Zapaterismo.
Mela l-ewwel id-divorzju u issa unjoni civili ghal koppji ta l-istess sess – u wara forsi l-abort. Attenti hbieb.
[Daphne – Il-Maltin diga ghandom abort, Verita. Kull min irid jaghmel abort imur Catania jew Londra.]
Ma qalux li ma jridux iharsu lura! Jew it-tmeninijiet biss ma jridux jiftakru?
Is that not an oxymoron? Soldiers of steel to introduce civil liberties?
Can some one point out to me exactly what is NEW about NEW Labour except for hijacking the colour blue?
Dawn qed jitkellmu dwar il-gustizzja, id-demokrazzija, u d-dritt li kullhadd ikun jista’ jghid li jrid u jghix kif irid, meta fiz-zmien Mintoff jekk jigi xi barrani u jiftah halqu u li jghid ma’ kienx ikun jodd ghal kif kien ihallina nghixu Mintoff u shabu kienu jarrestawh u jirredikolaw il-pajjiz! Anqas il-Maltin stess ma’ kienu jistghu jitkellem kif iridu ghax jaqalaw xeba’. Anke l-gazetta konna nahbu ghax taqla xi xeba.
Dwar il-gustizzja iridu jitkellmu meta ghadni niftakar lil Mintoff jghid waqt Mass Meeting li jekk idejquh dawk il-bravi tal-Qorti ghax ma’ jaghmlux dak li kien jahseb hu kien jibda jghallaq in-nies gewwa l’Arena tal-Floriana. U xorta minn hemm ghadda l-pajjiz ghax baqaw baqaw sakemm kissru l-Qorti.
U meta il-Laboristi marru biex isawtu lil Arc Isqof gewwa r-Rahal Gdid insieh ukoll Joseph Muscat u Fr. Montabello?
U meta kissru l-Kurja insewh ukoll?
Kemm qedin sew ukoll jahsbu li kullhadd iblah dawn in-nies. Kemm jifilhu jkunu ipokriti.
Minn daqs dawn nies Vincent Moran mar jitkellem. Ahjar ma nghid xejn.
U meta talab mahfra ta’ dan kollu l-Partit Laburista?
Suldati tal-azzar were the 51,000 people who voted Labour in 1962 despite being told that it was a mortal sin to do so. They risked burial in unconsecrated ground, not being allowed to marry in church but in the sacristy instead (there was no civil marriage) and were insulted.
Their only sin was to vote for Mintoff’s six civil rights points. I was a little boy but still remember Malta’s dark ages.
If you were a little boy during the interdett era , then you must have been quite grown up during the middle eighties.
Does KMB’s classic phrase ‘ aristokrazija tal-haddiema’ and Tal-Barrani ring a bell?
Proset u ghaxxaqta Guz!
Mela inthom ghandkom ragun ticcelebraw/tfakkru il-grajja ta hamsin sena ilu meta l-ebusija ta rjus sarrfet f’interdett, imma meta il-Partit Nazzjonalista jfakkar id-delitt ta Raymond Caruana, tghidulna, ‘u iva dak sehh kwazi erbghin sena ilu – insew’. Dik hi l-liberta’ li l-Partit Laburista jrid – sakemm hi liberta li jaghmel dak li jaqbillu imma mhux haddiehor!
U lill (Fr) Mark Montebello nghidlu li jmissu jisthi jappogga partit li kisser il-Kurja, li sawwat u sahansitra qatel ghal ghan wiehed, dak li jirrenja b’id ta l-azzar u gie jaqa w jqum miz-zghir, mil-marid, mill-edukazzjoni ta uliedna, mill-liberta personali, mill-liberta ta l-istampa u dan kollu biex ipaxxi dittatur qattiel bhal ma kien Gaddafi. Jekk m’inhix sejjer zball il-Knisja tipprojbixxi lil-qassisin/patrijiet milli jiehdu sehem attiv fil-politika. X’saret minnha din ir-regola? Forsi qed taghmel eccezzjoni ghal Mark Montebello? Tghid Fr Montebello m’ghandux il-wicc jghid ukoll li taht Mintoff u KMB kien hemm aktar gustizzja Socjali u liberta u li wiehed seta jghid dak li ried, minghajr ma jaqla xi daqtenjn?
Joseph jista jghid li jrid ghax kien ghadu bil-harqa meta dawk l-atrocitajiek kienu qed isehhu, imma ma jmissux jonqos milli jghid il-verita b’mod daqshekk sfaccat u jkompli jghawweg u jmieri s-sewwa maghruf.
Partit tal-gideb, leader zghir,( kemm fizikament u kemm fil-politika), mhux tant zaghazugh, ambizzjuz, pruzuntuz u fuq kollox immatur.
@Angus Black – you will get my vote.
We definitely needs more soldiers of steel, not to help elect Labour but to oppose and block Labour, to remind us of what atrocities Labour stood for in the past, and also to make sure these same politicians who repressed and curtailed our civil rights when we were teenagers in the 80s are not allowed to return and curtail the rights of our teenage children.
Beware these wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Their smiles hide their sinister motives. For every civil right they gift they will steal back ten. The more they change, the more they remain the same.
Perhaps the ageing thugs like Qahbu, Totto, Qattus and L-Indjan will respond to Muscat’s appeal for soldiers of steel to introduce civil rights.
@ Silvio Farrugia.
“Suldati tal-azzar is much more than a metaphor for brave persons.
In the Malta political context it evokes dark memories to the violent thugs lauded to the skies as “the aristocracy of the workers’ movement” for such exploits as the wrecking of the Curia and sacred emblems inside, the family and home of the then leader of the opposition Dr Eddie Fenech Adami, the arson of the printing presses of the times with workers trapped inside, countless NP political clubs and culminating in the murder of an NP supporter having a quiet drink in his club.
Muscat’s appeal for the recruitment of new generation of “soldiers of steel”, following the ominous re-instatement of the architects of that violence, should ring the alarm bells of every voter.
Apart from the ridiculous idea of having suldati ta’ l-azzar campaigning for IVF and Gay Rights, I think that the leader of the opposition is confusing issues purposely.
There is no need for IVF legislation to give couples the opportunity to have kids via this method. Hundreds are born this way annually in Malta. What he is talking about is legislation which would tackle the issues of embryo freezing or discarding of embryos, probably also about offering IVF as a free health service for all etc etc.
About gay marriages it is important to note that in the whole world only 10 countries allow same-sex marriages and most european countries do not recognise such unions.
There’s something I’m not quite understanding. Since he’s the ‘prattikament prim ministru’ can’t he just legislate the ‘new civil rights’? Why does he need to militate his thugs again?
In any case, he has his job cut out for him trying to re-educate the lot of them because these self-styled ‘soldiers of steel’ are much more prone to trample on civil rights than safe-guard them.
“Meta kien favur u tqabad f’deżert waħdu favur il-liberta’ tal-kelma, il-liberta’ tal-istampa, il-liberta’ tal-assoċjazzjoni, u l-liberta’ tal-kuxjenza. Li l-ebda gvern, l-ebda awtorita, jew individwu m’għandu dritt jindaħal lil ħaddieħor dwar x’jemmen, x’jaħseb u dwar kif jimxi.”
Dan bis-serjeta’ qalha jew biex jiccajta? Veru li forsi ma kienx ghadu twieled meta l-Partit li llum qed imexxi kien propju jaghmel l-oppost ta’ dak li qal. Imma jekk ma jafx seta staqsa lil hafna li ghadhom madwaru u jekk huma sincieri kienu jghidulu li kien qed jghid ic-cucati.
I did not say that the 80s were not bad. My reason for not voting labour anymore was because of those years. Still the 60s in Malta were bad too.
That is why it is a pity that after those glorious days for Labour they did what they did in the 70s and 80s.
Also the wounds of the sixties are still there as there are also of the 70s and 80s. Hate though was sowed during Strickland times and to a lorger degree in the 60s.