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	Comments on: Oh, what golden years those were &#8211; no wonder Muscat thought they were fantastic, and AST is still around	</title>
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	<link>https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/</link>
	<description>Daphne Caruana Galizia is a journalist working in Malta.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 16 Jul 2013 06:07:27 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>
		By: M. Cassar		</title>
		<link>https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1139058</link>

		<dc:creator><![CDATA[M. Cassar]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jul 2013 06:07:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=34800#comment-1139058</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[They were the &#039;golden years&#039; just not for the general population. For those who worked in private companies who were not owned by people who could get import licences by making one telephone call and who could freely exchange foreign currency, it was a daily struggle for survival. 

The first though in one&#039;s head on waking up in 1984 was &#039;what problems will they give us to-day?&#039;. 

You usually had a whole array to focus on: reductions or cancellations of import quotas and licences, banning of products, bartering schemes, impositions of having to export in order to import, bribes demanded.

But as I said, they were the golden years for those who, for example, could breeze through customs while the rest of us had to open every bit of luggage just in case we had some chocolate, new clothes etc etc. Of course now I wonder what they were really looking for.

But the greatest &#039;golden&#039; thing about those years was the fact that everyone was afraid to talk, and with good reason. And in spite of the fact that today&#039;s means of communication help in this regard, once you know what &#039;that&#039; situation smells like, you never forget the smell and frankly, there is more than a whiff of it already.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>They were the &#8216;golden years&#8217; just not for the general population. For those who worked in private companies who were not owned by people who could get import licences by making one telephone call and who could freely exchange foreign currency, it was a daily struggle for survival. </p>
<p>The first though in one&#8217;s head on waking up in 1984 was &#8216;what problems will they give us to-day?&#8217;. </p>
<p>You usually had a whole array to focus on: reductions or cancellations of import quotas and licences, banning of products, bartering schemes, impositions of having to export in order to import, bribes demanded.</p>
<p>But as I said, they were the golden years for those who, for example, could breeze through customs while the rest of us had to open every bit of luggage just in case we had some chocolate, new clothes etc etc. Of course now I wonder what they were really looking for.</p>
<p>But the greatest &#8216;golden&#8217; thing about those years was the fact that everyone was afraid to talk, and with good reason. And in spite of the fact that today&#8217;s means of communication help in this regard, once you know what &#8216;that&#8217; situation smells like, you never forget the smell and frankly, there is more than a whiff of it already.</p>
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		<title>
		By: H.P. Baxxter		</title>
		<link>https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1138581</link>

		<dc:creator><![CDATA[H.P. Baxxter]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jul 2013 22:22:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=34800#comment-1138581</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[In reply to &lt;a href=&quot;https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1138469&quot;&gt;ciccio&lt;/a&gt;.

Labour&#039;s problem - nay, make that MALTA&#039;s problem - is that Mintoff&#039;s legions of voters are still lurking in the background. 

In the foreground, we have legions of historians all busy touching up the tissue of lies they carefully built to make that vile despicable bastard out to be the national hero. Expect some colossal hagiographies on the first anniversary of his death.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In reply to <a href="https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1138469">ciccio</a>.</p>
<p>Labour&#8217;s problem &#8211; nay, make that MALTA&#8217;s problem &#8211; is that Mintoff&#8217;s legions of voters are still lurking in the background. </p>
<p>In the foreground, we have legions of historians all busy touching up the tissue of lies they carefully built to make that vile despicable bastard out to be the national hero. Expect some colossal hagiographies on the first anniversary of his death.</p>
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		<title>
		By: Min Jaf		</title>
		<link>https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1138499</link>

		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Min Jaf]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jul 2013 21:30:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=34800#comment-1138499</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Does anyone have a link to the state visit by President Agatha Barbara to that other pariah state, Myanmar (Burma) - pink frilly dress and all.  The cherry on the Labour Party cake in the lead-up to the general election.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Does anyone have a link to the state visit by President Agatha Barbara to that other pariah state, Myanmar (Burma) &#8211; pink frilly dress and all.  The cherry on the Labour Party cake in the lead-up to the general election.</p>
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		<title>
		By: Last Post		</title>
		<link>https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1138492</link>

		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Last Post]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jul 2013 21:25:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=34800#comment-1138492</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[In reply to &lt;a href=&quot;https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1138414&quot;&gt;anthony&lt;/a&gt;.

A nation of masochists, you say?

Look at the demonstration that was scheduled for yesterday.

It was basically the same dance troupe in reverse: Ma taghmlu xejn ma&#039; Joseph taghna.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In reply to <a href="https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1138414">anthony</a>.</p>
<p>A nation of masochists, you say?</p>
<p>Look at the demonstration that was scheduled for yesterday.</p>
<p>It was basically the same dance troupe in reverse: Ma taghmlu xejn ma&#8217; Joseph taghna.</p>
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		<title>
		By: ciccio		</title>
		<link>https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1138469</link>

		<dc:creator><![CDATA[ciccio]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jul 2013 21:09:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=34800#comment-1138469</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Am very morally convinced that Labour&#039;s problem is that AST is still lurking there in the background.
I pointed this out more than once before.  On 10 March, AST was one of the selected few on the balcony at Mile End celebrating a Labour victory which prima facie he had no part in.  What had be been organising in the background?

It is clearer every day that Joseph Muscat&#039;s policies are intended to isolate us from the EU and to reconnect us to the traditional opponents of Western democracies with which AST had good relations.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Am very morally convinced that Labour&#8217;s problem is that AST is still lurking there in the background.<br />
I pointed this out more than once before.  On 10 March, AST was one of the selected few on the balcony at Mile End celebrating a Labour victory which prima facie he had no part in.  What had be been organising in the background?</p>
<p>It is clearer every day that Joseph Muscat&#8217;s policies are intended to isolate us from the EU and to reconnect us to the traditional opponents of Western democracies with which AST had good relations.</p>
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		<title>
		By: Gahan		</title>
		<link>https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1138421</link>

		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gahan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jul 2013 20:32:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=34800#comment-1138421</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Mac-Cinizi Komunisti trid tkun tiflah iccapcap bla waqfien biex tiehu xi haga,filwaqt li f’Malta ma&#039; Joseph bizzejjed tidher darba fuq il-billboard u tilhaq membru f’xi bord.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Mac-Cinizi Komunisti trid tkun tiflah iccapcap bla waqfien biex tiehu xi haga,filwaqt li f’Malta ma&#8217; Joseph bizzejjed tidher darba fuq il-billboard u tilhaq membru f’xi bord.</p>
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		<title>
		By: observer		</title>
		<link>https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1138419</link>

		<dc:creator><![CDATA[observer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jul 2013 20:31:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=34800#comment-1138419</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[&quot;Malta l-ewwel u qabel kollox&quot; kien jonqoshom ikantawlu.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&#8220;Malta l-ewwel u qabel kollox&#8221; kien jonqoshom ikantawlu.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
		
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		<title>
		By: anthony		</title>
		<link>https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1138414</link>

		<dc:creator><![CDATA[anthony]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jul 2013 20:29:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=34800#comment-1138414</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[And we Maltese had the &#039;guts&#039; to vote these same people back to power again.

A nation of masochists.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>And we Maltese had the &#8216;guts&#8217; to vote these same people back to power again.</p>
<p>A nation of masochists.</p>
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		<title>
		By: Tracy		</title>
		<link>https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/07/oh-what-golden-years-those-were-no-wonder-muscat-thought-they-were-fantastic-and-ast-is-still-around/#comment-1138408</link>

		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tracy]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jul 2013 20:27:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=34800#comment-1138408</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Nistennew xi haga bhal din ad unur Joseph Muscat mic-cinizi li thabbeb maghhom.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Nistennew xi haga bhal din ad unur Joseph Muscat mic-cinizi li thabbeb maghhom.</p>
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