I'll say why not!

I refer to the letter by John J. Mercieca (October 21) wherein he expressed his wish for Malta to have a military base with B-52 bombers, fighter planes and all the works. I am utterly disgusted at the fact that Mr Mercieca has even mentioned the introduction of a military base on the island. And the reasons for his idea were merely revenue and an increase in noise pollution.

Mr Mercieca has clearly never spent time with foreign military personnel and heard their regrets of joining the army, the pain they endure when they leave their families for war, the experiences they encounter on the battlefield, the substantial number of single parent families which result from war. All this for what? Perhaps for a politician who says "go" while he enjoys the luxury of his palace full of servants seeing to all his own and his family's needs?

I have spent three months over the past two years working with American military personnel in Germany and I know what I am talking about. Mr Mercieca has clearly never seen pictures of Kosovo or Iraq, of children stepping on land mines, mothers and wives being shot, sons, husbands and fathers dying on the battlefield, dying for oil.

Is this what Mr Mercieca is promoting? The closest he has ever been to war must be CNN, the American propaganda station which gets images of the glorious Air Force flying through the blue skies and the Navy on a sunny day in calm waters.

So I ask: is this what one wishes to bring to this island, our peaceful island that has not seen or had any relationship with war for decades? Has he even thought about hosting several thousands of foreign soldiers to man a military base in our already overpopulated country? Sure, let us import tonnes of weaponry, separate more fathers and mothers from their families in other countries, bring planes, tanks, armoured vehicles, helicopters by the hundreds! After all we might generate a revenue of $300 million like the Puerto Ricans and Mr Mercieca as well as other war lovers would satisfy their passion for these man-made killing machines.

I am sure his camera is ready for the next time an aircraft carrier comes into our harbour, or even next year's airshow at Luqa. However in the meantime I invite him to empathise with the soldier, not his weapon.