A problem with contemporary political discourse is that it focusses excessively on how well or badly we're doing in economic matters, whether the people are financially better off or not, and (always in a superficial manner) how we could find remedies for certain problems of modern everyday life like traffic on roads and construction works galore. Meanwhile, the "vision" buzzword gets repeated like some magic wand by which to conceptualise the future.

Yet, when one looks closely at what is being said, frequently one discovers that it is serving as a screen to  hide the fact that the real subject is once again, economic growth and whether it is going to be attained or not. By contrast, discourse about what kind of society should be targeted for tomorrow, remains vague and thin on the ground, like regarding the environment or other sectors like education. Everything gets framed in a fragmented way through language like that popularised by Harold Macmillan in the 1950's, such as "you never had it so good" from the government side, and the contrary from the Opposition.

But what kind of nation state is current political activity aiming to create for the future?

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THE PEOPLE OF GAZA

No matter what Israel's leaders claim, for the last fourteen months the people of Gaza have been subjected to barbarous attacks, without any care being taken about the deadly consequences on innocent populations. It is true that Israel needed to reply to an attack that was also barbarous and deadly, and for which there could only be condemnation and response. But Israel's actions have since gone completely over the limit. It has ended up committing much worse crimes than were committed against its citizens, such that it is impossible to ignore the charge of genocide made against it.

In past weeks, there have been heightened expectations of a ceasefire in Gaza. May they come true. Putting some end to the killing of innocent people cannot but be welcome. However, the effects of the atrocities committed on the people of Gaza will remain.   

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CHAMBRAY

And so the Chambray saga continues. When it started (a long time ago!), those on the Labour side were laughed at, because we accused the 1992-1996 Nationalist government of having sold off Fort Chambray to a swindler for peanuts, and we proved this. All the protagonists of the right at that time (forerunners of today's Pharisees or perhaps the same guys) did not cease poking fun of us. They soon had their reply.

Later, another Nationalist administration tried to clear some of the mess that had been created by giving a Gozitan entrepreneur the possibility to run the Chambray project himself. At that time, as Labour, we agreed, given that according to the circumstances that prevailed, one needed to try to somehow compensate for what had been "stupidly" bungled. Also the entrepreneur selected for the project was a person of substance. Too bad, he failed.

Now it makes no sense to let this tragic  caper for Gozo continue. The state should take over Chambray and develop it as a national project. It should stop, like it did for Qala, not approve, the new damage to the national heritage that is about to be inflicted on Chambray.

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Best wishes to the editor, staff and readers of the Malta Independent for a Happy Christmas.