Writing in these columns on 11 February, Joseph Vella of Msida complained about taxes, taxes and more taxes. He is very lucky indeed that there is nothing else to complain about. In the not too distant past we used to complain about regimes, totalitarian regimes and repressive regimes. We used to write about violence, more violence and political murders. Torture, more torture and murders at the Police Headquarters.

We used to hear of people escaping from police custody being found dead in the countryside. We used to talk about institutionalised corruption where building permits were mysteriously issued and where building plots worth tens of thousands of liri changed hands more mysteriously.

We had to live with a corrupt police force which more often than not helped the criminal and tortured the victim. We could not complain without risking our freedom. We had to live with a number of policemen who arrested and assaulted whoever decided to organise some form of protest. We had over 10,000 unemployed; petrol going up from 20 cents to 50 cents per gallon; milk from less than two cents to 11 cents per bottle; a loaf of bread from two cents to 11 cents. We had shortages of everything.

But who cared about these secondary issues? Who cared whether the price of a tin of tuna went down by two mils or not? We were interested only in saving our democracy and our heads. That is what the absolute majority voted for in 1982, 1987, 1992, 1998, and twice in 2003.

Giov. DeMartino

MOSTA