Saviour Balzan's videoblog

@Mike. Din fejn ivvintajtha li jekk taqra l-gazzetta ta' l-oppozizzjoni tispicica l-habs? Jaqaw qieghed thallat mas-60's jew? Jien naf hafna rgiel li kienu jadhmu mieghi jidhlu fuq ix-xoghol bin-Nazzjon miftuha biex minghalihom jinku! Imma b'xiber imnieher baqghu!

@fehmawvuci, your nickname says that you have a fehma and vuci so it means that no one can have a different one from yours? you just remind me of the pl era when you couldn't even buy the newspaper of the opposition party because you could end up in jail. Come on grow up I have a diffrent idea than you so what. You keep insulting anybody who has got a differnt idea. You a are giving a reason, why we cannot trust the pl.

@Giordano Bruno. An apt nick. Your criticism of the Labour Party as it stands now is quite correct in some instances. And the way Labour Party governed in the 70's and 80's quite correct too. But you forgot to mention some things and we as Labourites should never forget. Ever since EFA became leader of the then opposition, no once, did he cooperate with the PL government, but all the time throwing the proverbial spanner in the works. It was EFA and his party with their actions were bordering on treason. They acted as spies for their european counterparts and governments. They acted as "xewwiexa" against the legitimate government of the day. Did the PL do any of this during its time in opposition. Never! Even when Gaddafi sent his gunboats to stop the oilrig from looking for oil, a PN delegation flew to Tripoli to meet Gaddafi and continue to work against the PL government. You remember "The Malta File" and the book "Is Malta Burning?" These say plenty of what the PN conspired against. Today's PL has little elbow room to manoeuvre, and sometimes it's better to sit on the fence then lose its credibility due to the PN's cohorts and their media. Once bitten twice shy. I for one don't always see eye to eye with how the PL is working, but it boils down to one thing. You can't barter with the PN and its ilk. It's always a do or die position.

Saviour, there is denying the fact that you are good but have one obvious flaw; you are prejudiced against the Labour Party, especially Dom Mintoff. Hearing or reading you, one would think that past Labour Governments were dictatorships under the nefarious Mintoff. Your tone of voice and demeanour denote an inner anger for this man. If you hear yourself speak about pre 1987 one would think that in Malta we had concentration camps full of political prisoners and a few desaparisidos. Mind you, mistakes were committed and some colossal too that were cleverly exploited. Still we shall never know the real facts on that period. Thirty years on Labour is still handicapped by the fallout of those days. The spin on those times is still so relentless, even the Labour Party believes it. So much so that anything that reeks of militancy terrorises its leadership and every time it starts flexing its muscles the cadre at the Times will scream violence and the Party will return its docile self. Take the divorce issue; would any self respecting party that describes itself as progressive would have set on the fence? Of course not, it would have given its whole support. But for today’s Labour Party this issue is too hot to handle and it rather that the flak on non commitment then what could be said if it supported divorce. The Party I used to belong too with so much pride is actually filled with MPs who are against divorce. One of them even sought the advice of a priest on what stand to take on the matter. Would you believe it?! A progressive party (I would not dare utter the word socialist) with MPs opposing the divorce. My umbrage to you Saviour and my chagrin towards the party is that both you and the party forget or do not want to acknowledge the fact that it was the Malta Labour Party that introduced all the civil and social rights in Malta. Who if not the MLP gave the suffrage to women, introduced income tax, gave contributory and non contributory pensions, made free education, build up a free health scheme, introduced the minimum wage, gave the same wage to women, introduced maternity leave and gave affordable housing to the working class. Always with the opposition of the PN and the church. As regards discrimination my friend, many could tell you a story or two when Labour supporters were interdicted by this PM’s uncle. I remember those buried in the mizbla like Guze’ Ellul Mercer, those married in the sacristy because of their political believes. We were so free that Mintoff was twice denied to broadcast a speech on Redifussion. Surely, Saviour, you know that Labour newspapers were banned from St. Luke’s hospital. It is common knowledge that before and after independence, public demonstrations were banned from Floriana and Valletta. You know very well that our Independence Constitution was lumped to us by the British and passed through parliament in just one sitting. History tells us that all the trouble caused by that iniquitous Mintoff was his demands to enter the Constitution elements that would have rendered Malta more free and democratic. Like the separation of church and state, civil marriage, and the corrupt practices act. But the church would have none of it and wanted to be above the Law. Guess who won? Still history will bear witness that social justice, civil rights, freedom and solidarity are his heritage to Malta. So, Saviour knock Mintoff as much as you like there was, is and I doubt if there ever will be any of his stature to govern this God forsaken island. But you know what they say, ‘A prophet is never appreciated at home’

@david_lexicon So if you think that divorce is wrong, do not resort to using it. Do as many supposedly catholics, and go for annulment. What's the difference at the end of the day both allow a couple to remarry. The issue with the curia is that they want this issue to be only at their discretion and under their control. Which means that they are mainly after power and obviously the money.

@mikegold117 It is becoming a custom for people to mimic politicians in the way that they twist words, maybe it is becoming part of some people's way of defence. Shying away from the truth and what is written, black on white, just to make their point. But I ask which point are you actually trying to make here? What JPO did has nothing to do with what he is proposing now together with other people. The trouble with you ppl is that you cannot actually focus on the real issue. When faced with the issue of divorce, you mention JPO, u go back in time to justify your argument, but all you can come up with is a senseless, unjustified and totally immature bunch of statements. Furthermore, by pointing these things out to you, I am not obstructing you in voicing your opinion. It would do you some good, however to start thinking with your brain rather then regurgitate what someone says from some pulpit.

MISKIN MIKEGOLD Such hogwash.... One wonders how such brainwashing is still being tried to influence and take advantage of the misinformed. How sad that this Maltese Island remains enslaved by misinformation and censorship that the devious clans still apply to sow fear of morality. Peace be with you too mikegold and may GOD in his mercy let you come to your senses.

Ħallina minnek Saviour Balzan! Lawrence Gonzi ma hawnx bħalu. Apparti li jieħu ħsieb ġisimna, jieħu wkoll ħsieb ruħna. Dak raġel qaddis. E' l'uomo mandato da Dio !!

We Christians have the right to show to the world that Divorce is WRONG is stays WRONG till the end of time. Christians have the right vote for this referendum. However I disagree with certain tactics the Maltese Curia is adopting to convince that divorce is wrong.

@ James, Ikallma, qed tara int stess qed tohnoq id-dritt tal-espressjoni, ghaliex habib ma ghandiex dritt insemma lehni? Lil Saviour namirah ghax qed jghatina c-cans nidiskutu, kif ghidtlu ma naqbilx mieghu. U taf li dak li ghidt huwa veru. (mhux vera li kien kontra jpo qabel l-elezzjoni?)issa anqas nista nixtiequ il-paci lil xi hadd ma nista dik hi t-tolleranza li qed tghid int. Forsi mhux daqshekk intelligenti allura trid tkun gharef sabiex taghzel it-tajjeb mil-hazin. L-importanti li ma twegga lil hadd bhal ma ghamilt int. Il-paci mieghek

@mikegold117 Fis suppost argument li qed taghamel qisek qed tipprova tigri wara l ihirsa. Jekk smajtu sew, l intervent ta Saviour, huwa propju rigrward il liberta, liberta tal espressjoni u fhemiet li jmorru lil hemm mill politika. Fl istess nifs li taghajjar bla raguni, int itemm il kumment tieghek bil frazi, "il paci mieghek". Imma b min trid taghaddi iz zmien? Huma nies bhalek li mohhom maghaluq u mifni b ghanqbud u tahwid ta religjon u politika li qed jergaw jitfajna lura fi zmienijiet. Johrog bic car in nuqqas ta karattru, u jkkolli nghid anke intelligenza, tolleranza, u karita, li bosta Maltin ibaghatu minnhom, w imbaghad tarhom il hadd fuq quddiem fil knisja, jajtu "Praise the Lord". Qatta bigotti u zewgt t'ucuh.

@ Salv sempliciment tal-biki. Allura f'dan il-pajjiz kullhadd irrid ikollu l-istess idea tieghek. Tiftakkar x' kont tghid fuq jpo jew issa sar tant onest li dak iz-zmien kont int zbaljat. L-artiklu ta' Matthew Vella kien biased u taf sew ghax int gurnalist. Taf wkoll li hemm nies fil-pl li huma kontra id-divorzju imma ma jistawx jitkellmu, dak li trid int, li min ikun kontra tieghek tghajjru, w jekk hemm website mahmuga ma tafx li tezisti ohra li hlief twaddab it-tajn ma tafx imma ghax qatt ma missew lilek allur dwan bravi. Salv nafek bhal gurnalist bravu imma dan l-ahhar qed tkun biased. Il-paci mieghek