What is this? An open season on Martinelli?

Mr Anthony Borg of Mellieha (TMID, 15 November) named me a ‘know it all’ and objects to the fact that I dare comment from across the ocean (sometimes referred to as the ‘pond’).

First, let me remind Mr Borg that when he and others write, the power of the Internet makes it easy for their comments to be read by millions around the world. Therefore there is no such thing as a boundary anymore and the right of comment criss-crosses the world.

Secondly, rather than attack me on my location and the misconception that I cannot possibly know what goes on in Malta, especially from such a distance, they should attack me on any inaccuracies expressed in my comments. Since this does not happen very often, I assume that rather than my comments being wrong, they just pinch nerves causing knee-jerk reactions.

Let me inform Mr Borg that I watched, live, the Prime Minister delivering his reply to Joseph Muscat’s speech in Parliament regarding the budget. I doubt very much that Mr Borg would have had the courage to hear the PM shred Dr Muscat’s arguments.

Mr Borg conveniently forgets that writing in newspapers is a privilege I enjoy very much as opposed to the time when buying an independent paper or a paper issued by an opposing party was to be done with extreme caution or such papers were to be wrapped in Labour’s own paper! Today, Mr Borg has the privilege of writing against his own government without the least risk of reprisal.

I wish that my ‘remote’ had such a long range, but it does not. On the contrary Mr Borg has a hands on opportunity to change things not by being an armchair critic but by putting things in the right perspective and comparing apples to apples and not imprison his mind within the limited confines of the Island of Malta.

Canada has good roads – no doubt about that, meaning main highways. If you have an opportunity to visit and travel on city streets, you may find otherwise. But even so, the roads are generally good because we pay for them through property taxes, income taxes, federal and provincial taxes, gasoline taxes and licensing fees and nobody takes to the street to protest against all these taxes. The Canadian citizen is intelligent enough to realise that if you ask the government to provide a service, you had better be prepared to pay for the rest of your life and beyond. Yes beyond because even funeral expenses are taxed.

The case of a minister’s resignation a few months ago was not a trivial affair. The papers Mr Borg referred to contained matters of national security, carelessly left behind at an ex-girlfriend’s home, not just passing a note here and there recommending some project or the refusal of another. So, Mr Borg, I repeat – compare apples to apples.

Some time ago the subject of building a bridge to Gozo was mentioned. I have a better idea which Mr Borg will no doubt jump upon. With Malta being part of the European Union, why not build a bridge to better understanding how civilised countries do their thing?

J. Martinelli

London, Ontario,

Canada