Meanwhile Harry of the Greens has written his take on the happenings at the GWU Congress, read them here. The closing paragraphs of the article are a good starting point to begin to build proposals and solutions:
It was never a problem for Greens to be in a minority. It is numbing to feel that we could be in a minority in upholding the basic values of our Constitution. This is not some innovative or esoteric Green policy. It is our Constitution, the basis for our peaceful co-existence, which is being undermined by silence, lip-service and pusillanimous politics. The greatest threat is not from far right whackos but from moderate, prudent, wise, decisive, traditional politicians who seem to be unable to realise that they must pluck the nettle, do their duty in terms of their oaths of office, no matter the cost. A final "solution that is neither just nor humane"? How deep have we sunk?"
Let's begin the politics.
After publishing this post I read this interview with Salvu Sammut (also in today's Times). I am lost for words. Here are parts of his interview:
General Workers' Union president Salvu Sammut said yesterday he never intended to foment hatred or incite racism when stating that Malta may be forced to take measures that were not necessarily "just and humane" to solve the illegal immigration crisis. "I was only stating facts and expressing my thoughts about what I fear would happen if the problem is not tackled properly," Mr Sammut told The Times yesterday.
(...)
Asked if he stood by what he had stated, Mr Sammut said his comments had been in line with other articles he had written about the influx of immigrants in which he had "made it clear that immigrants need to be treated properly" and had also warned against the "dangers of racism".
In his articles, Mr Sammut had argued that the economic situation and political disillusionment in Malta today resembled that of Germany in the 1920s when Hitler's rightist ideology became increasingly popular. "If people who are suffering economically and financially see an immigrant or a refugee take their job, it is obvious they will be lured by rightists."
But did he not think that alarmist statements made by people in influential positions could incite hatred rather than place the problem in a context? "I never said we should shoot immigrants when they try to land here, as has been declared by some. The fact remains that we do not know whether the immigrants are genuine refugees, economic migrants or trained terrorists.
"We have enough problems of our own as it is and immigrants add to these problems.
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