Jum l-Indipendenza
Today Malta celebrates 43 years since its independence from Britain, which put an end to millenia of being ruled by just about every major power in the Euro-Mediterranean area. Phoenicians, Carthagenians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Sicilians, Spanish, Knights of St. John, British… they all left their mark on the islands and contributed to its unique and distinct culture and identity.
I wish everyone in Malta a happy Jum l-Indipendenza!!
Posted by
at
07:56:00
Malta had started its move towards independence in 1964, but it had to wait until 1979 to be a truly independent country. Nowadays, even though Malta is no longer being manipulated by foreign powers, the government needs to keep its eyes open when it comes to the private sector. If Malta becomes inundated with foreign companies, the Maltese people might end up feeling as though they are living in a colony once again!! The wealth created in Malta should be distributed fairly so that all the country’s inhabitants can live a better life.
Thanks for your comment David. But I don’t fully agree with your view. We live in a global world where companies, money and people flow across borders. Malta with no foreign companies or investment would hardly be good for its people.
I support the notion of living in a world without borders because, at the end of the day, we do not choose the country in which we are born. Hence, if I was born in Malta, I should not be blocked from going to live elsewhere simply because of a circumstantial matter over which I had absolutely no control! I believe in one world for all people to enjoy! That is precisely why I see myself as a world citizen.
When it comes to money, it is another story. When money and companies are not regulated by a humane government, exploitation of countless human beings appears to be the most common consequence.
I do hope for humane governments. But unfortunately human nature usually brings out the worst in politicians…
I think recent experience has shown us that the more interaction we have as a people and as a nation with other countries, the more we develop our sense of national identity. For instance, EU membership, rather than turning us into a homogenised mass, has made us more aware of what makes us Maltese. I feel this especially when I participate in meetings on an EU level. I ‘flaunt’ our language, our wine, our fledgling olive oil industry, our heritage, our history, our produce. While, on the other hand, when we were a colony of just one country, we tried to be very much like the British, to fit in. It’s a changed world since 1964 and 1979, I guess… and we shouldn’t fear it. Though, I admit, it is hard to regulate ‘big money’, but that’s the face of this millennium, isn’t it?
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