After that superficial film “Dear Dom” has been showing for some time, given that a large number of Maltese citizens are shocked as to the content of the said film (how dare he) I would humbly suggest an alternative based on the following 6 points :
- Dom was God’s gift to Malta. We should light candles and praise the Lord for this gift.
- Human rights in Malta know their first pronouncement to Dom who was their most steadfast defender. The Gaddafi Prize for Human Rights is adequate recognition of the effort made!
- The media should thank their lucky stars that Dom was Prime Minister as he entrenched freedom of expression and completely removed the Laws of Libel. The media during his time was as free as can be.
- Dom led the first transparent Government in Malta: the media could ask anything, and they had the information at hand before even asking.
- The shareholders of the National Bank of Malta should thank their lucky stars that they had a staunch defender in Dom Mintoff. If anyone else had been Prime Minister he wouldn’t give a fuck about their rights (jigi jitnejjek mill-Kostituzzjoni). Anyone less serious would have removed their limited liability to have them face the music. But Dom, he was no bully. He defended the hard working citizen.
- The civil service should thank Dom for making their period of service a memorable one. Transfers on political grounds were history during the Dom Prime Ministership. Everybody got his due. Promotions were never withheld to those who were not Labour Party lackeys. The more you were critical of Dom Mintoff and his government the more you were respected. Dom even discriminated against Labour Party supporters to ensure that those supporting the PN and Mabel Strickland got the highest appointments in the Civil Service.
Blog ta' Carmel Cacopardo 
No need to be sarcastic. I did not see the movie but I do remember growing up that Dom was indeed a character that changed the mindset of many Maltese who had an inferiority complex in the 50s/60s. He gave us pride and let the occupiers know in no uncertain ways who the real owners of our islands were.
Those living far away in the United States and elsewhere cannot ever understand what it meant to live in Malta in the 1970s and 80s. Of course there are different matters to consider. The picture is neither white nor black. Take your pick.
You may opt to emphasise the reinforcement of the welfare state and you would be right as that is definitely a positive in Dom’s premiership.
But when it comes to issues of democracy substantial deficiencies are encountered. The man contributed to a democratic deficit.
He certainly had his faults..but when he became PM he stood up to the British and made them grant Malta enough funds to at least improve the lives of many. What did Borg Olivier used to get from his visits to London except for a good time at the Savoy Hotel?
What you say is correct. But it does not decrease one bit of what I said earlier. They are not just faults Charles. They are much worse than that.
Everybody makes mistakes.But when it comes to weigh the good things that
Mintoff did the balance of the scale would be in his favour.
George: There are obviously different views. My assessment of the man is overall negative. That is my opinion, but I know that is is shared my many. I am aware that a substantial number of others have completely opposite views.
VERY WELL SAID. I WAS IN ENGLAND IN THOSE DARK YEARS AND I STOPPED COMING TO MALTA FOR ABOUT 7 YEARS BECAUSE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. HE HAD HIS GOOD POINTS DID DOM BUT ALAS, HE BECAME A DICTATOR.
YAWN artiklu li rqadt fin-nofs naqrah. Ladarba tinzel minn fuq il-karru tar-revizjonizmu storiku forsi tinzel in-nahat t’isfel u staqsi ftit lill-popolin xi jfisser Mintoff ghalihom. Jew l-opinjoni taghhom tiswa’ inqas? Mhux tersaq lejn Wied il-Ghajn darba kull hames snin – qabel l-elezzjoni.
@ Wayne Flask :
M’ghandi l-ebda dubju li Mintoff ifisser affarijiet differenti ghal nies differenti. Ghalija jfisser tmexxija hazina u nuqqasijiet demokratici. Ghal ohrajn ifisser principlament titjib fl-infrastruttura socjali. M’hemm l-ebda kontradizzjoni bejn iz-zewg posizzjonijiet. L-anqas ma hemm xi forma ta’ revizjonizmu storiku billi nemfasizza dak li ghalija huwa importanti. Jekk ghalik m’humiex importanti affari tieghek. Taghmel l-ghazliet tieghek kif jaghmel kulhadd illum il-gurnata.
Dak li mhux importanti ghalik kien ifisser il-hobza ta’ kuljum (u saqaf) ghal hafna nies. Sempliciment issemmi “infrastruttura socjali” hija simplifikazzjoni. Spjegaha lin-nies tat-3 distrett meta tigi tarana. Jekk tigi.
@ Wayne Flask : Il-kummenti tieghek qed nippubblikhom intatti. Mhuwiex qieghed nghid li l-izvilupp ta’ l-infrastruttura socjali mhiex importanti. Kulhadd jirrikonoxxi dan. Li sfortunatment m’huwiex rikonoxxut minn uhud huwa li l-Gvernijiet ta’ Mintoff ghamlu hsara kbira lill-fibra demokratika tal-pajjiz. Affarijiet li hemm min jixtieq jinsihom.
Huwa sfortuna li hawn min jirraguna li t-titjib fl-infrastruttura socjali (u b’dan nifhem mhux biss titjib ta’ servizzi socjali ezistenti izda zieda maghhom u aggornament ghaz-zmijnijiet) jiggustifka l-hsara kbira li Mintoff ghamel lill-istituzzjonijiet demokratici. It-titjib socjali seta sar xorta minghajr ma gew mhezza is-sisien demokratici tal-pajjiz.
Grazzi talli qed tippubblikahom intatti, qed nirringrazzjak talli qed taghmel l-ovvju fil-fatt u nahseb li ma nafx ghala qed nirringrazzjak. Tkun ironika kieku rapprezentant tal-AD qed ikun sarkastiku dwar ligijiet fuq il-libell fis-sebgħinijiet u mbaghad jipprattika forma ta’ censura.
M’jien bl-ebda mod niggustifika l-hsara li saret (u mhux qed nikteb “xi hsara li setghet saret”) – u napprezza li kieku ma tpoggilix kliem f’halqi.
Jien qed nghid li s-sitt punti li semmejt int hawn fuq jinjoraw xi hwejjeg tajbin li setghu saru fi zmien Mintoff, affarijiet li kulhadd donnu qed jinsa. L-affarijiet li hemm min jixtieq jinsa qeghdin jixxandru kontinwament permezz ta’ blogs, programmi fuq it-TV u issa anke film.
Donnu hawn xi perverżjoni hawn!
Dwar it-theżżiż tas-sisien demokratiċi Maltin infakkrek li llum il-Parlament reġa ltaqa’ wara vaganza rekord ta’ 4 ġimgħat, u nixtieq nistaqsik meta, kif, jew aħjar jekk hux ser issir ġustizzja man-nies ta’ Delimara li minħabba l-fatt li kien joqgħod hemm il-Perit Mintoff, għada pitgħada ser ikollhom powerstation tobżoq il-kanċer għal fuqhom, avolja saret inkjesta superdemokratika fejn middleman tnellaħ pubblikament minn kummissjoni ta’ inkjesta Parlamentari u nstab li apparentament kollox ħarir (bit-Taljan, ‘insabbiatura’).
Jew pajjiżna jinsab fiż-żona sismika ideali għal theżżiż fis-sisien demokratiċi, minħabba l-omerta li hawn f’pajjiżna u l-fatt li kulħadd irid ifakkar dak li jaqbillu?
Hemm ħwejjeġ anti-demokratiċi li jseħħu llum u li jien, għoxrin sena oħra, inkun irrid ninsa.
It-tajjeb ma jhassarx il-hazin. Jezistu it-tnejn. It-tajjeb ta’ Mintoff u l-hazin tieghu jezistu it-tnejn. Il-gid li ghamel bil-politika socjali tieghu la jhassar il-hsara li ghamel bl-azzjonijiet anti-demokratici tieghu u l-anqas ma jithassru bihom.
Dak li ma nitkellimx fuqu jiena, kif ukoll dak li ma titkellimx fuqu inti, ma jfissirx li ma jezistix.
Jekk taqra dan il-blog issib diversi kummenti tieghi bi kritika ta’ dak li qed jaghmel il-Gvern tal-lum. Ma jfissirx li ghax ma nsemmihomx illum m’humiex hemm! Hemm hafna hwejjeg li qed jaghmel Gonzi li huma hziena u li ghalihom jisthoqlu l-kundanna ta’ kulhadd.Pero dan ma jnaqqas xejn minn dak li ghidt fuq Mintoff.
U bil-haqq Wayne. Lill-Mulej nirringrazzjah ukoll ghax kien bil-hila ta’ Mintoff li Malta issiehbet fl-Unjoni Ewropeja.
@ Mary F
Dictator? What a silly exaggeration.
The original article written by Perit Carmel Cacopardo, though based on actual negative bad ”democratic practice a la Duminku Mintoff” certainly emphasised Dom’s bad side. But the writer did declare that Mintoff did a lot of social good which earned him the loyalty of the masses. Personally I owe my higher education – and so many other things to this man, despisable at times but certainly admirable at others. I believe he did put the interest of our country up front. and he did earn the grudging admiration of his opponents did he not.
He was good at playing the political game. It was certainly a pity that he did not temper his statesmanship with good practice. Which earned him – and the Labour Party – the hatred of all those who suffered as a result.
But I agree with Perit Cacopardo that present leaders are not as angelic, upright and democratic as they would have us believe. They put the interests of the party before those of the nation. Which is why I will not bother to ever vote again for them. As for democracy, I am of the opinion that that is inexistent if the Justice system of the country is in a mess….which it unfortunately is! And as for the push to obtain votes at all costs….and the granting of privileges to set groups of people (lately Gozitans and residents of goverment owned apartments) over the rights of other citizens – that is just as condemnable ”democratic practice”….
The above contribution by Joseph Grech is well balance and intelligent. Well done.
Rigward il-blog tal-Perit nifhem sewwa kemm huwa mportanti ghalih li jfakkar ukoll fid-difett ewlieni tal-Perit Mintoff (dak li jahseb li HU BISS kien jaf dak li hu siewi u ta gid ghal poplu).
Infakkar lil kulhadd il-proverbju li jghid “Ghasfur go gagga tad-deheb, huwa xorta ghasfur go gagga”
Taht Mintoff jien ghixt ghax ghandi 49 sena. Nikkonferma li ahna li ma konniex naqblu mieghu konna bhal ghasafar go gagga…..u ma kienitx gagga tad-deheb!
Madankollu nahseb li l-ahjar definizzjoni ta Dom Mintoff jaghtihielna l-akbar avversarju tieghu, Eddie Fench Adami, meta qal, “…..huwa dejjem taha l-ahjar kontribut tieghu lejn pajjizu, bil-mod kif jaf hu.”
L-ahhar haga lil Wayne Flask……
Wayne, il-Perit Cacopardo joqghod il-Kalkara. Hajtu jqattaghha spalla ma spalla man-nies tas-South. M’ghandux ghalfejn jinzel san-naha t’isfel ta Malta, ghax hu ilu hemm sa minn hafna zmien ilu (Perit mhux se nikxef kemm ghandek zmien imma int ixjeh minni….hehe. )