Can a country safeguard its traditional heritage, including in the economic space, by building protective walls against the rest of the world?

The only country which still seeks to do so in an “absolute” manner is North Korea, run by a dictatorial regime that nobody finds attractive, not even the countries which identify as its allies. Yet, despite the statements made in favour of free trade and extolling the deep merits of globalisation, practically all countries try to build walls around some part at least of their social and economic structures to prevent them from being “swallowed”. This includes the US, considered as an apostle of globalisation.

Although messages about its benefits still get released, protection against it is also still considered to be important. The preservation of national achievements in different sectors guarantees that human activity retains wide variations in how it develops. The question remains as to how in the future, protective efforts can remain viable and possible.

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MALTA ĦANINA

The collections of funds that are organised at Christmas time confirm the view shared by many Maltese people about how generous we all are. In fact, when some crisis occurs and a call is made for the contribution of funds, a strong and sustained popular response follows.

The slogan “Malta Ħanina” remains popular. Daniel Rondeau, a former French ambassador to Malta and a prolific writer, put it as a title to a book he wrote about the country.

However, from another perspective, on the substance of how we consider and behave towards foreigners living in our midst – or how we  deal with them “from a distance” – does the same sentiment of solidarity and kindness apply?

Sometimes yes. But in a big number of cases, the reply has to be: no.

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FROM BELOW

How many people are really down and out? And who are they? For even this issue has become polarised with one side insisting that we are now almost living in Paradise, where one and all are enjoying the best possible living conditions. Meanwhile,  the other side wails about the poverty and hardship that it encounters at every street corner.

It is obvious that a very substantial number of citizens find themselves materially in a quite affluent situation (even if there is always room for improvement). It is just as evident that the same cannot be said for quite a significant number of other citizens. However the reasons for this are not always related to what they can earn individually. They could also arise from living expenses they need to cover such as how many people they must provide for; problems of health, addiction, inherited social handicaps – as well as other factors.

The more that a clear picture (one that is not politically polarised) of what the problems those living at below par  encounter, the more efficiently can they be dealt with by the state and by society.

In such an exercise, we should certainly not exclude those among us who happen to be foreign.

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Best wishes for a prosperous and happy New Year 2024 to the Editor, Staff and Readers of the MALTA INDEPENDENT and their families.