Author: Jacques René Zammit

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Jasmine Politics

Duress

Much has being made of the unbelievable reports by some Maltese reporting from Tripoli. First there was Chris Fenech’s jaw-dropping interview with the Times and now there’s a Mario Micallef on l-Orizzont claiming that the situation in Tripoli is completely normal. I know Chris Fenech well enough to think that the man has a very reasonable thinking machine between his ears and I am more prepared to believe that his words were either misinterpreted or that his first interview was given under a state of shock.

Having said that however I am beginning to have the nagging suspicion that these Maltese interviewees are only telling half the story. Living in a controlled environment like Libya might have its perks (money, sun and sea) but it is still living under a regime all the same. I am not trying to make excuses for the confusing interviews here, I am just trying to understand. Is it possible that persons like Chris Fenech would not like to be quoted on the Times of Malta because they still have possessions in Libya that could be harmed?

Here is another person who is back from Tripoli writing today on facebook (40 minutes before I typed this post):

This is a message from a very dear friend of mine who is in her home in tripoli: shooting everywhere ****.. and some of the guys are hiding in our garden… pray for us … they are firing now ..please say it to everyone and everywhere.. we are underattack…

I’ve blanked out the name for a reason. This might just be the right time to protect the identity of persons who are reporting this information. Foreign news stations have interviewed people in Libya and people leaving Libya. More often than not their names are not given or false names are given instead. There must be a reason for that and if that reason is good enough for SKY, Al Jazeera and CNN then it should also be good for the bumblers at the Times.

 

 

 

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Jasmine Politics

The Libyan Opportunity – 4

Once we’re on an “I’m going to say it if nobody bothers” roll let’s talk about Air Malta. First of all a hand on heart expression of gratitude and admiration to the crews who manned the Air Malta flights into Tripoli to get passengers out of the revolution torn country. There’s no sarcasm, really, we admire them. They went “beyond their call of duty” as Minister Fenech said and volunteered for an act of personal sacrifice not without an element of danger. For that they deserve recognition and, as I said, gratitude.

Fine. That’s the honours. Now for the stark reality. Back in Malta the pilots and crew were treated to a deserved welcome by the Minister while the Labour side of the political divide croaked about the Great National Airline. Here’s Leo Brincat’s thoughts from facebook (his capitals not mine):

TGHID L-AIR MALTA GHAD TIBQA F’QAGHDA LI TAQDI IL-FUNZJONI SOCJALI LI QDIET F’DAWN L-AHHAR SIEGHAT B’TANT KBURIJA, FI- TRIPLI, FL-INTERESS NAZZJONALI, WARA LI TIGI MBICCRA BHALA LINJA NAZZJONALI TAL-AJRU MILL GVERN FUQ PARIR TAL KONSULENTI LI QED JITHALLSU E1 MILJUN FIX-XAHAR?

L-Ghasafar fic-Comb (birds in lead)

It’s all there isn’t it. The war story, the brave heroes acting beyond the call of duty and the capitalist villain earning €1 million while planning a cull of this brave workforce. Air Malta’s dreams have come true. Finally we have a reason to justify its running at a loss. From ghasafar tac-comb (lead (heavy) birds) they have transformed to the ghasafar fic-comb (birds that fly through lead) and boy are we not proud of them.So now we should ride over popular feeling and sentiment and take a huge dump on economic and accounting figures. Because you never know when the next revolution under a tinpot dictator will happen. You never know when the next revolution in a country full of Maltese expats can come about do you?

Well. To be fair there’s always Belgium. You know. The tinpot Walloons might declare war over the Vlams Frites and before you know it a valiant crew will be flying out the fonctionnaires from Zaventem amid the last minute rush. Or Luxembourg – whaddayouknow… a flight from Findel is always easier than a twenty minute drive to Belgium/France or Germany. Take your pick.

Sorry Leo. The butchery of the national airline is an exercise in downsizing based on economic realities that go far beyond the sudden emergency of a Libyan revolution. Funny how no one is mentioning that one particular possible saviour of AirMalta a few weeks ago could have been Ghaddafi himself. Anything goes eh?

Don’t get me wrong I love Air Malta and the service it provides. I am also resigned to the economic realities surrounding Air Malta. Without a national airline or a proper army plane to speak of Malta would just have to do what the Americans did with the ferries no? It’s called chartering planes. The cost of chartering planes in times of emergency would more than justify eliminating the bleeding accounts of a limping national airline. No?

Again, I have the huge suspicion that those who are most vociferous in promoting the “Brave AirMalta” campaign are those who stand to lose most from having the benefits and perks of our national airline cut off. It’s not the heroic pilots that they are going to miss… it’s the freebies and discounted flights.

 

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Jasmine Politics

The Libyan Opportunity – 3

A little blip in the series. I just got an idea. Not a revolutionary one but one that may help.  Ghaddafi’s government (we have to start distinguishing between Ghaddafi and the Libyans just as we did with the Nazis and the Germans at least so as to get to the simple minded among us) can block internet but can it block the good old radio waves? Whatever happened to the Voice of the Mediterranean? It was one of those fancy projects that ended in a very nationalist scandal towards the end.

The time might be ripe to set up the station and direct it’s waves towards the Maghreb peoples. Shared experiences, shared stories and stirring music from common cultures. Now, if ever, is there the need for such a station to coordinate and inform. Exiles could pitch in and use the radio to disseminate guides on safety. Let the Tunisians and Ehyptians and any other nation participate. Why not include Italians, Spanish and other Mediterranean nations and grasp this opportunity to create a solid building block on Mediterranean cooperation.

Carpe diem. Give the Jasmine Revolution a voice of its own – Malta owes it to the Mediterranean.

 

Libya agrees to liquidate VOM

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Jasmine Politics

The Libyan Opportunity – 2

A few years ago when there was  military coup in Thailand I called an uncle of mine who has business interests in the country. I asked him if he was worried that all the years of investment and relocation (from Spain – too much bureaucracy in Spain) would all go up in smoke – a factoory, huge amounts of stock and employees. His reply was very matter-of-fact. It all boiled down to a business risk. He had chosen Thailand for the well-priced labour, for the good prices on goods and for the markets that would be available from there (including the Middle East). The political turmoil was one of the cons in the equation but it had to be factored in – he had to hold his chin up and bear the brunt of any effects on his risk investment.

Chapter 2 – The “Save Our Business” Brigade

An article in today’s Times describes a Maltese businessman’s views of Libya: “Libya has proven to be fertile ground for Maltese business interests and some had plans for “massive” expansions. But the scenario seems to have changed overnight and they now question whether they would materialise.” The article was less crass than Tony Zarb over at GWU (see the Runs’ apt interpretation on that one) but whether it is workers or entrepreneurs you still get the impression that these people had absolutely no idea of the risk factor entered into when living, working or investing in a country run by a mad dictator.

Fashion outlets in Tripoli or Benghazi? Sweet. Did the immigrants held back by Ghaddafi as ransom to EU pockets stop over at the Libyan equivalent of Zara or Benetton to buy a piece of clothing or two for their nieces? One entrepreneur complained of furniture stock stuck in the UK and costing him 3,000€ every fifteen days.  I remembered Antonio from the Merchant of Venice worrying about his lost merchandise at sea… business risks, business risks. History is full of entrepreneurs who had to factor in the risks of dealing with volatile nations. The Venetian Republic combined business and policy (and a bit of conniving thievery) to great effect for many a year. This business risk however carried the moral weight of investing and encouraging the growth of a dictator’s home patch. So long as he showed us the money we were not worried about storage were we?

What does baffle me is how bloggers and article writers can suddenly yell out in favour of our “business interests”. The same bloggers who would unthinkingly slap a Fair Trade logo on their blog or denounce sweat shops in India or China do not seem to be able to make the same equation for a similar reality closer to home. Well, I guess Nike, Apple and Sony don’t have the same familiar faces as hotel chains full of juicy restaurants, enticing spas and luxurious bedrooms.

Would you work in Afghanistan? Do you wonder why jobs in certain hot spots are much better paid? Do you know why an oil rig job is so well paid by the hour? The risk factor has a lot to do with it. Then when it comes to morals… the price is never high enough. Dealing with Ghaddafi means joining him in his quest to have the funds to pay mercenaries to shoot to kill.

On a state level it may be a Macchiavellian choice that is slave to the realpolitik of the day (like buying oil or submitting to the Italian request to pass on arms through your space). On a business level it is the equivalent of the golden goose… you never know when it is going to croak its last breath do you?

Again, forgive us if we are not weeping “our” business’ losses.

More on Entrepreneurs & Libya (pre-revolution)

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Jasmine Politics

The Libyan Opportunity – 1

J’accuse feels obliged to be its usual cynical self. The news from home is that everybody with a keyboard or a pen has been worked up into a frenzy about the Malta – Libya relationship now that the Mad Dog has exhibited evident signs of the late stages of rabies. The fog of war – or the blinding light of international attention – seems to have turned our collective media machine into an exhibitionist three year old eager to show the dinner guests its latest development in potty training.

Where do we start?

Chapter 1: The “I told you so” brigade

No you didn’t. Forget partisan divides, forget the finger pointing to Mintoff’s or Tonio Borg’s cuddling up to the Michael Jackson lookalike. We’ve been living in the shadow of Muammar for as long as he’s been there. He’s been a permanent fixture in the World Constellation so inevitably his proximity to our tiny nation could not have been ignored. Our leaders chose invariably the option of kowtowing to the Libyan threat via at first enthusiastic then reluctant cooperation. I do not recall anybody yelling “foul” at the different depths of government strategy of coping with Ghaddafi.

Not until the Egypt revolution was almost over did we hear the first yelps of anti-Ghaddafism – yelps that could be translated to let’s do something to stop encouraging the leader. Until then we had all remained mum about the flow of investment and collaboration between successive Maltese governments and Ghaddafi. After all, since the end of the US embargo it HAS been a free for all.

Of course there were a few tut-tuts and mellow barks along the way (last one was when Ghaddafi awarded Mintoff his eccentric prize) but on the whole one can confidently state that the Maltese people were quite content to settle down around a system of forgetful appeasement. Brothers in Libya my arabic back side.

Now we are divided between those in who one corner practically wear the revolutionary hat while plotting complex evacuation plans and calling for the government to save the businessmen and the brains in the other corner who stare a democratic uprising in the face and can only see the threat of immigrant invasion.

Forgive us if we’re not that carried away.

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Battleships

There are unconfirmed reports of a Libyan naval vessel in Maltese territorial waters. The reports that appeared on Al Jazeera are doing the press rounds as we speak. This follows reports earlier today that the AFM are on “stop leave” as well as separate reports that there has been an official demand from Libya that Malta return the two fighter jets.

Our bellicose neighbour might have found time for some sabre rattling while our neighbour to the north confirmed yesterday that it had dispatched vessel “Elettra” to the international forces off Libya. It is time for some important decisions for the Maltese government. This is not the time for a government that relies on flimsy press statements condemning “violence” but for one that takes a stand.

Our parties have become used to the idea that “doing something” about an issue means issuing a press release – take their ridiculous habit of congratulating Eurovision contest winners. Well this is definitely not Eurovision though there is no doubt that all eyes are on Malta.