Saturday, 1st August 2009
Maltese History Examination Paper, May, 2059
The Negative Post-2008 Period In Malta
(Answer All The Questions).
1) Despite the Nationalist Government’s statements that it was creating new employment opportunities in the Maltese Islands, unemployment rose to 7.3% in June, 2009. Analyse the causes of this failure of the Lawrence Gonzi administration.
2) “Malta under the Nationalist Government, which was re-elected to power in March, 2008, was a place where noise pollution was rampant despite the EU’s Environmental Noise Directive. There were also no laws regulating noise pollution in the country”. Comment.
3) During the first part of 2009, Malta had the dubious distinction of having reached the top of the Eurozone’s inflation league. Which factors contributed towards this situation?
4) Despite a crushing defeat at the European Parliament Elections on 6th June, 2009, the PN Government persisted in following policies which were highly unpopular in the country and which many Maltese regarded as being anti-social. To what extent did this create dissidence within the Nationalist Party itself?
5) Evaluate Joseph Muscat’s work as Leader of the Opposition. Would you agree that, at an early stage of his leadership, he was already manifesting the qualities which would later serve to help him bring about a long period of prosperity and progressive change in the Maltese Islands?
6) “The Nationalist Government brought about change at the pace of a tortoise”. Would you regard such a statement by a contemporary historian as being too harsh on the Lawrence Gonzi administration or is it a correct reflection of the truth? Support your arguments with historical examples.
7As a Leader, Dr Lawrence Gonzi had his faults and failures but nobody could fault him on his democratic credentials”. Comment.
8) “The PN Government’s outstanding debt of 3,820.4 million Euro at the end of June, 2009 is a crowning example of its failure to tackle this problem in the period after the 2008 General Election”. To what extent did the Government’s inefficiency and incompetence contribute towards compounding this problem?
N.B. Remember to be objective, critical and fair in your comments.
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Comments
Your knowledge of history is, I am sorry to say, based on the imperialist Constitutional Party's propaganda. How very ironic. The proponents of the so called anti imperialist party still repeating the party lines of the imperial party in Malta par excellance!
Grow up open your eyes and horizon. Read some of the excellently researched history books on the period now being published. They show the falsehood of the CP claims re the PN and how CP proponents tried to take personal advantage from the falsehoods they propogated. Many of these books have been written by LP supporters.
@ A. Zahra
When a country is at war its people unite in a common front a patriotic front against the common enemy.WW II was about fighting against Fascism and Nazism. Our forefathers gave their lives for us to enjoy the freedom we have today. The Maltese Fascists that were contaminating our society in the 1940s were acting against the interest of our Country and the Allies’ war effort, that made them traitors and the place for traitors during war is either the gallows or exile. The Maltese that were sent to Uganda, considering, were lucky. And now, very sadly, people like you, generally PN supporters, are trying to rehabilitate them and make them look patriots.
Is Dr Clayton Pasquale De Porzio, the 50 th, 71 st or the 92 nd Labour Party New Leader since PN got re elected in 1987. A leader that might get elected during this 3 hour exam is not to be counted.
Why stop at the 50s and Sixties? Why not consider also the 40s when the LP voted with the imperialists to exile fellow Maltese to Uganda and after the war exiled thousands of Maltese workers to Australia. Read A. Bencini's book,"Nothing but the Truth" about who started political violence in Malta. Remember Bencini was a self confessed MLP supporter
"In 1998, 2003 and 2008, it was like trying to win a football game but starting with a two-nil handicap at kick-off." Am I understanding this right? A two-nil handicap? I wonder why? I wonder whose track record the electorate tried hard to erase and prevent a repetition!?! Was it Mintoff's, was it KMB's or was it Sant's? In any case, the first two were the ones who ran roughshod in the 70s and 80s and the latter had a magnificent 22 month record and whose accomplishments for Malta would barely stretch out to make one sentence!
His power of incumbency did not work in 1998 and the Nationalists were not the incumbents so what went wrong for the MLP? It was their record, my friends, a record which will not disappear no matter how hard DZM's pen scribbles. And to ice the cake, Joseph is trying his best to emulate Sant! Now give me a break.
It comes to no surprise DZM considers it an honour to have served in the Labour Party under Dr. Sant because 'birds of a feather flock together' Ma min rajtek xebbahtek!
Right now he has as a base a 50/50 chance, will he be amongst the greatest PMs ? Unlike some of his predecessors he lacks experience and exposure and has never excelled at anything other than at being Alfred Sant's loyal servant, he has had a significantly lack luster career so far. I have had several opportunities to chat with non-political personas who have had the opportunity to mingle with JM, they all seem to share one view that he is unimpressive.DZM has a right to his opinion; the point to ponder upon is that so far he has always backed the wrong horse and always lost the derby.
DZM, on what basis do you state that Joseph Muscat 'at an early stage of his leadership, he was already manifesting the qualities which would later serve to help him bring about a long period of prosperity and progressive change in the Maltese Islands?' How can opportunistic stances somehow guarantee JM's performance as Primeminister. You are judging the future outcome of a marriage by how well the honeymoon seemed to be. I can only say one thing, Joseph Muscat is extremely egocentric and therefore has a reasonably high propensity for looking too much in the mirror rather than the bigger picture, which translates itself into a remote possibility of bringing about a long period of prosperity and progressive change in the Maltese Islands.
Additionally I hope against hope that Malta's academics in 2059 will not be influenced by this article and therefore will set their students a more indepth paper. If what happened in the 70s and 80s is to be conveniently forgotten, why does DZM want to take history students back to 2009?
I assure you dear friend that it is not hearsay. I too lived through those years. I too experienced the violence of the labour mob. I too remember the middlemen who made a fortune out of import licences. Middlemen, like a certain C, who would force a minister to meet importers at his own home. I too remember the torching of the PN clubs, the Times building. I too remember so many things since I was in daily contact with the big brass of the time. Yes I too lived through those very sad days. Thank God that they seem to have gone forever. But have they?
There you go again. "What terror? You make it sound like Vietnam" Your quote not mine. A comment which, if you were sincere about 'relegat(ing) the past to history ' you would have avoided because my reaction then is to remind you of tal-Barrani with bullets flying, tear gas exploding and with a government helicopter whizzing above giving Labour MPs directions. As close to 'Vietnam' as one could describe it! Wouldn't you agree?
Whether I was present at all these happenings or not is immaterial because you cannot label pictures, videos and eyewitness reports as 'hearsay'. However I have a personal experience of Labour supporters violence, totally unprovoked, which stays imprinted in my memory.
Reading between the lines, in the 70s and 80s you too relied on hearsay and was lucky enough that you visited between incidents, too many to repeat here, or chose conveniently to look the other way.
Reading between the lines Joe, I have a feeling that you weren`t even in Malta at the said times, and what you preach is all hearsay.
Allow me to preempt Mr. DeMartino who, without doubt, can answer your comments without my help. But you said 'both' and by that I assume that you included me.
Let me begin by saying that I harbour no hate for two reasons: 1. I forgave, therefore I cannot hate otherwise there is no forgiveness and 2 What happened 30 years ago should be relegated to history as long as no surrupticious attempts are made to alter, negate, or in any way rewrite it.
Personally, I would keep my mouth shut were it not for the constant haranguing, moaning, and the childish behaviour exhibited by the Labour Party. I said 'Party' because I do not particularly want to point fingers at any individuals. It is the Labour Party which has its sole aim of gaining power and leaves (Malta l-ewwel u qabel kollox) national interest a distant second. It is doing everything in its power to keep reminding us of its past - a past we are doing our utmost to prevent a repetition.
The fact that you were not negatively affected in those horrible years does not mean that everyone else shared your good fortune.
Getting something for nothing is a sort of a habit on this Island, I was once asked to bring down an Electric Kettle, which I stupidly did, shops in Valletta were full of them and cheaper than the UK, when asked why they didn`t buy it in Malta, the answer was , Oh it`s Made in England....and free.
If you and the other one were politically hurt during these decades, I feel sorry for you, but stop painting everything black. Incidentally, come winter a lot of pensioners won`t be able to heat their little houses for the hike on the price of gas, conveniently you two always keep mum on such matters.
No, of course the situation was not desperate! So much so that when we let our relatives know when we were to visit, they reminded us to bring some of the necessities with us and I am not referring to Mars bars or other chocolates since the Chinese chocolates were inedible!
Were you in the habit of accompanying visitors to the UK every time they went shopping? And how many could afford to travel to the UK then? On the other hand, how many travelled to nearby Sicily and experienced the same extortionist methods by Customs Officers at that time?
What I stated was public knowledge and not a figment of my imagination. Maybe you were not accorded the same treatment because you were one of the 'friends of friends'? Just asking not moaning or implying anything.
Unless of course you are a pair of moaners like Giov. and Joe.
Your feeble explanation of evolving progress is nonetheless appreciated. So when the LP or MLP apologists remind us that had the Socialist government of decades ago not acted, people would still be without pension, social services and women with no voting rights, I say hogwash! We would still have beggars at City Gate!?
You think that Nationalists, governing 30 out of the last 50 years would not have taken care of that? Should have been question #9 in your quiz.
The Labour Party could have very well improved Social assistance, but then created shortages of daily necessities preventing rich and poor alike (unless Labour Ministers or friends of friends) from enjoying the most basic standard of living items - toothpaste - bathroom tissue, Mars, cooking oil, butter/margerine etc. etc. And, to make it worse, made importation of such items illegal. As a tourist, I was twice asked for Maltese currency (LM10 and Lm5 respectively) by Customs Officers, "So that we will not have to open your suitcases". No receipts, of course and when on one occasion I had no Maltese Lira, the CO refused Canadian currency (because it could be traced) and had to borrow from waiting relatives.
Also, concepts evolve through time. Such things as noise pollution were concepts that were in their infancy in the Seventies and Eighties. In fact, it was thanks to people such as the ex-Labour Minister Daniel Micallef that the Maltese were made aware of the importance of environmental matters.
7. "As a Leader, Dr Lawrence Gonzi had his faults and failures but nobody could fault him on his democratic credentials". What are you really trying to be nice, or shall we take this as another jab? Care to mention his strengths?
8. "The PN Government's outstanding debt of 3,820.4 million Euro at the end of June, 2009..."
The debt you quoted would be a heck of a lot lower if the Socialist regime (1971-87) looked after the infrastructure it was elected to look after. It would have been much cheaper to build a new airport then, a new power station, enough reverse osmosis plants to quench the thirst of locals and tourists alike, to replace a second hand patch-and-fix telephone system one had to wait two years to be connected to. Instead it wasted time fighting Church schools, expelling the Blue Sisters, bulk-buying day to day goods creating wide shortages, banned colour TV sets (for the public) while government ministers were enjoying the colours.
The list is too comprehensive and. maybe it was us, the older folks who should have set the history paper for your interpretation. You would have been toying with obtaining a big fat 'F'.
The difference between you and I is that I accept that GonziPN Adminstration was constitutionally elected, while you still persist that the 1981 MLP Administration wasn't!
You and your likes will never accept that what is good for the goose is as much good for the gander!
This is precisely why your credibility is well below ZERO! You practice two different measures and apply accordingly! You play deaf and dumb to the mal-practice, ( I am being very mild) , we have been witnessing these last years under each and every PN and GonziPN Administrations! Your silly game of digging into the past to justify the present is futile and pathetic!
By the way the price of gas went up once again .. twice in 2 months! But of course the Pl is to blame for that too as it is to blame for having a very dry and hot summer!
@ GiovdeMartino .... The history paper for the period you excell in should be in two parts too. First part may include all you pointed out. The Second Paper ( Part II or Part 2 ..Ok Mart?) should include all that you and your likes hate to mention never mind to admit. I love to make public a specimen of such paper but of course I need the assurance of the moderator here that it will be published. I am asking for such assurance for the simple reason that when I wrote about untold events of that period, the moderator here chose not to publish them, even when I wrote administrator telling him/her that I be personally responsible for all I write and make public.
I conclude by saying that during that period the TRUTH of many events was never revealed.
Very funny that you still do not accept that the 1981 Labour Adminstration was Constitutionally elected as todays!!!!!!
You seem to have failed your mathematics miserably.
I was under the impression that the next paper after paper 1 is paper 2 or paper II. Paper 11 does not come until after paper 10.
There is no need of adopting the 'multiple choice' system to scrape enough marks for a pass. I have already prepared a three part reply to ALL 8 'test questions' DZM put forward for comments. I am just waiting for an appropriate time to present it.
And remember, I and many others, have absolutely nothing to apologize for since the PN was always elected to first fix MLP's boo-boos and then to propel Malta forward. The NP never had the 'status quo' as its motto unlike the MLP who not only wallops in the status quo but puts itself in reverse digging out relics from 30 years ago.
And, a fresh reminder, 1 and 1 equals 2 (II) not 11.
Any history student who lived the historical period in question will surely achieve his/her BA in History with flying colours, even though his/her time are limited and has to condense all in 6 to 10 simple exam paper.
Maybe instead of "(Answer All The Questions)" you should have given the students the option to " Answer any 3 questions". We have witnessed to many Negatives Post 2008 and the students's task won't be easy in choosing the priorities of this negative period of our political history.
I do hope that Part 11 of this Paper should give the students a chance to express their personal on The non-introduction of the Whistleblowers Act, Institutional Abuses and Corruption, Political Discriminations, Transperant Governance, National Dept vs Money no problem, Back Scratching policy and The joke of the year : Fl-Imkien Kollox Possible"!
The above are just few suggestions for Part 11 of said History Paper!
I have no power to prevent or abruptly terminate a discussion. You and your Moderator will see to that at your option.
Your #1 remark is ample proof that you are unable to decipher numbers, understand what they mean and worse, present a statistic to make it look other than what it is intended to show.
Those who are qualified to give the right interpretation will know what I mean. In the meantime you should consult one of your economists who, I presume, will be honest enough, in confiding with you where the 7.3% came from and how it is calculated.
I will keep you guessing.
Answer that question first DZM and I will try to be truthful in commenting on your questions and other statements you made, otherwise I shall not waste my time.
No matter how many layers of wool you wear, DZM, everyone knows what lies hidden underneath!