The month of November brings with it the commemoration of the twentieth century’s two World Wars. In their large majority, the people who commemorate the destruction, the deaths and the massacres of those years that were drenched in blood, have no direct experience of what happened then. And most of them have no experience either of some other war – with the despair, monotony and shortages that any war brings along, especially when the suffering goes on and on.

Which might be why so many people are beginning to feel demoralized by the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic. We have lost all direct memory of a huge and ugly happening which for no good reason – or so it is experienced by the ordinary person – has become established around us to apparently extinguish all that makes life worthwhile.

The message usually given used to be that the world was “saved” by the courage shown by the “ordinary” citizen. It was underpinned by sentiments of solidarity and by a stamina that did not allow for retreat, no matter how bad the situation became. Such a narrative could provide consolation to those who today are feeling lost.

Why should it not be revived?   

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DISMANTLING REGULATION?

At present the European Commission is making arrangements to streamline and simplify some of the rules that apply in the running of financial markets. This is being done to entice more investors to fund enterprises that because of the pandemic need more cash by way of equity  in order to keep going. The regulations were introduced after the financial crisis of the years 2008 – 2012 played havoc with European economies.

This has been criticised on the basis that using Covid 19 as an excuse, the Commission is trying to reduce the protection that is now afforded to prospective investors.

So, the argument is being made that in difficult times, investors need more not less rules that seek to protect their interests. However, “more” regulation will lead to a situation where the huge investments that are needed to deal with the current crisis, will not materialise.

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PROTECTION OF THE NATIONAL HERITAGE

It cannot be doubted that the preservation of the national heritage is a priority on all fronts. There are too many economic and financial lobbies which apparently have a vested interest to make us forget such a priority and in the interests of “progress”, allow them to build yet another monstruous edifice.

However, the preservation of the national heritage needs to be done in a balanced way. Hardly everything that has come down to us from the past is worth retaining.

I guess that what happened or is still happening in the Caraffa palazzo at Valletta, illustrates this problem. Heritage protection can mean different things to different people. The Maltese Church which is it seems, the owner of this palazzo, has had to defend itself about works being carried out to remove a structure built within the palazzo some eighty years back. There were some people who disagreed greatly with the removal. But if I understand correctly, when this same structure was itself put up in its time, it represented a barbaric act against the architectural qualities that distinguish the palazzo. It certainly did not deserve preservation.

Extremism in favour of what the past has gifted us with, can be as objectionable as the greed with which priceless features of the Maltese heritage are being destroyed.