Unstable times

The world is once again divided in two. On one side, the democratic, liberal, decadent and immoral countries of the west (US, EU, UK, etc.). And, on the other side, the autocratic, oppressive, disciplined, cultural countries of the east (Russia, China, Iran, Turkmenistan, etc.).

With regards to the war in Ukraine, having myself visited Ukraine and lived and experienced life in Russia for a time, there was absolutely no way that the Russians would have allowed Ukraine to join NATO.

Furthermore, Ukrainians and Russians are Slavic brotherly nations where, with the exception of the last 30 years, were always one nation in their history (Kievan Rus, Republic of Novgorod, Tsarist Russian Empire, Soviet Union).

Since gaining independence, the Ukrainian population was always divided in two. The pro-west and the pro-east. This made their 30-year independence unstable and at times chaotic.

While I am not in support of this fratricidal war between two brotherly nations, I wish to point out that the governments of western countries said absolutely nothing about the neo-Nazi Azov battalion, which has been operating and fighting in Ukraine since 2014.

Whatever the outcome of the present situation, I wish all the best to the Ukrainian people.

Christopher Camilleri – Ta’ Xbiex

Due diligence

I believe the Maltese government does not understand the risks it runs with the current sale of citizenship policy.

Under existing EU rules, any and all EU member countries would be perfectly entitled to put a lien on all Maltese passports in order to do due diligence if the holder is acceptable to that country. In other words, any Russian or, indeed, Klingon holding a Maltese passport could be checked at point of entry to determine if he, she or it is acceptable to that country. Perhaps if Robert Abela were to find himself in a 24-hour queue at Brussels Airport (don’t laugh, he ain’t that popular) while due diligence is done on his passport, he might reconsider his love of fat cat oligarchs.

Wylie Cunningham – Balzan

Reminiscing

Amazing. They raped, ravaged and pillaged the environment till it wept. They felled, uprooted and chopped up mature trees and bulldozed arable land to build roads and flyovers. They encouraged the Il-kampanja gawdiha mit-triq brigade. They encouraged those who blocked public access to the foreshore. They covered country roads with concrete and asphalt.

Now they are proposing to build public gardens in every locality as a sop to Cerberus. But how can one ever measure or replace what’s been lost?

I want to go back to the times when people lived in houses with gardens or backyards, not in shoe boxes where one has to go outside in order to change one’s mind; when we could picnic in the countryside, without seeing signs saying Il-kampanja gawdiha mit-triq; when we had free access to the foreshore.

I want to go back to the times when children played in the streets, when we did not need nature parks, public gardens or playgrounds as Malta, Gozo and Comino were our nature parks, public gardens and playgrounds; when there were no traffic jams, when one could get from one end of the island to the other without getting stressed or frustrated; when roads were not blocked by cranes, concrete mixers, trucks, lifters etc.; when we didn’t need flyovers, roundabouts, traffic cameras and speed-bumps; when parking was easy.

I want to go back to the times when politicians went into politics to serve and to improve peoples’ lives and not for personal gain or ambition. When politicians were statesmen who thought of future generations and not about the next elections, statesmen who had the foresight and wisdom to turn a backwater colony into an independent state and a member of the EU.

We’ve come so far and gained so little.

John O’Dea – Naxxar

Accident data

I refer to the correction of my letter by the National Statistics Office (March 2). My figures for deaths and grievous accidents were correct for the period of eight years. I mistakenly said that this period spanned 2014-2020 when I should have said 2014-2021. 

I thank the statistics office for correcting this error and I invite them to now confirm my figures. It would also be interesting for the statistics office to present further detailed statistics on road accidents. 

Gordon Caruana Dingli, Surgeon, vice president of Doctors for Road Safety NGO – Marsascala

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