May We Ask, Your Honour ? 014 - Misnomers And Misdirections

"You know your country is dying when you have to make a distinction between what is moral and ethical, and what is legal."--- John De Armond

While there are harmless misnomers, such as perhaps the mathematical misnomer of the Pythagorean Theorem, there are also those that contribute an impact on public policies. However, it still stands that misnomers dampen credibility.

To put it mildly, one must surely have felt surprised to hear our Minister of Finance referring to the evidently unstoppable defacing of our country as the 'building/construction industry'. What industry is that, Your Honour? How healthy is the rampant construction that is going on unabated? Do we have to depend on such a devastating 'industry' to sustain our economy? Evidently, this assumed title or pseudonym hides the environmental atrocities mushrooming all around us. Your Honour, wouldn't it be more apt to call it the 'building/property market'? At, least that would be more appropriate and truthful!

And, in the same breath and definitely not independent from the misguided 'industry', we are fed with the analogous misnomer called the 'Malta Developers Association'. And what one may ask are these people developing? The linings of their pockets? Surely, the landscape of our island and the consideration and interests of the residents are way down in their vocabulary.

Now, worse than ever, we are going to have to cope with still higher constructions by an extra two other storeys. Is our Government going to let us lose the privilege of viewing the skies? The 'benefits' of such 'developments' can be envisaged at the cluttered matchbox structures at Tigne Point. One, or rather the main tenet of this Association is that 'it is not only developers who are going to benefit.but many property owners'. Are the majority of the Maltese voters landlords? Weare prompted to propose a more suitable and fitting name to this cartel. Don't you think that the name 'Malta Speculators Association' would be more applicable to the goings-on of this group?

Over 15 months ago we voted for a change in the political direction of our country and our left-wing Party came to power. We hope that now our political party in power would not be redefining this boundary to its advantage. Left is left and right is right and socialism and capitalism don't mix! We have heard of 'transparency', but the message must be loud, clear and evident.

However, certain happenings would set one thinking. We all still recall the times when ordinary folks could take out a subsidised mortgage to buy their own home. How can one forget the sight of the then Prime Minister, Dom Mintoff, with plan in hand supervising the works on the residential blocks of flats to be rented to Maltese workers? How many of you, reading this article, had acquired, for next to nothing, a plot of land subsidised by the then Government to build your own house? But now, no one can escape not noting the change and misdirection!

We have noted with concern our Prime Minister's visits on certain developments taking place, unfortunately all on sophisticated luxury real estate with prices running into millions and hardly attainable by any low-salaried or precariously employed head of family.

What was it you were smiling about on your visit to Fort Chambrayin Gozo, Your Honour? Was it the rape of a magnificent heritage of an old historical fortress left to be pillaged by greedy speculators and investors? Definitely, not unlike the block of luxury flats built during the previous PN administration next to St. Angelo Fort defiling the historical environment of the locality! Where is the change we voted for, Your Honour?

And did you also give your blessing to the so-called business township of Smart City? Would this also turn out to be a gimmick or a white elephant only resulting as another luxury estates venture beyond the means of most locals? Didn't we have the sour experience of promised numerous numbers of employment of locals at the Grand Harbour Marina which turned to be only another environmental exploitation?

And your presumably latest adventure at the Pendergardens Luxury Property and Real Estate. How many of these residences would be offered to needy Maltese families?

Your Honour, we may still have the affair 'White Rocks' now earmarked for real estate, luxury hotel development after its floundering of the promise of a 'sports village' by the previous administration. Well, that promise failed but at least it had not been stolen for privatisation. Pitifully, isn't this simply a case of falling from the frying pan into the fire through our last electoral adventure?

Could it be Manoel Islandnext, as the majority of available preferences have already gone down under the hammer?

Well, time will tell! Surely, one day the housing bubble will burst and perhaps then we hopefully would welcome Your Honour to sites for proposed decent habitats for deserving Maltese families or are we going to remain 'Champagne Socialists' as my friend Kelinu aptly called you. I hope that my Government does not fall victim to the privileged class. Or has it already?

Where is the 'socialism' in my Socialist Party? Is this really my Party?

My goodness, where are the good old days?


Joseph M. Cachia

June, 2014

Freelance Journalist
Malta Socialist Party
Email: [email protected]
Vittoriosa - MALTA(Europe)
Tel: 21807566 - 99866151


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