Alfred Sant

With the passage of time, the digital challenge becomes more acute. Informatics, mostly through the internet, have come to determine how we communicate, buy and pay, work and get entertained, as well as – I guess – how we die.

At present, the EU is conducting an exercise to create a European strategy by which to coordinate digital availabilities within a continental market so as to promote greater economic activity and jobs.

Two directions are being set.

There’s the legal basis, grounded on the rights of the individual. Digital technology provides very powerful tools by which to place us all under a merciless surveillance.

And then, there’s the economic roll, by which we attempt to enhance private entrepreneurship as well as the efficiency of public management.

All such approaches are praiseworthy. They are being implemented on a national basis by European countries, among which I hope, there’s Malta. Personally I doubt whether the said measures can succeed via centralised directives, even though I agree these should still be launched and implemented.

Above all, the success of such initiatives can best result from the commitment of individuals.

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Strange happenings in Germany

The reports about what happened on New Year’s Eve in German cities, Cologne above all, but elsewhere too, were really strange. Thousands of men, who reportedly were Arabs or from North Africa, spent the night drinking and molesting women in the areas around the railway station, going in some cases, as far as rape.

It would have been difficult to find a more effective way by which to set flame to powder, and ignite an explosion. Immigrants entering Germany in hundreds of thousands in past months have triggered enormous political and social disquiet in the country at large. German society was attempting to reach a balance in how to control the problems that had arisen: between the welcome that should be given to those seeking protection from persecution; and the need to safeguard the lifestyle and security of citizens.

The immigration crisis in Germany has been aggravated by how the New Year incidents occured, how they were reported and by their consequencies.

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Star Wars

The latest version of “Star Wars” made a total impact. It has been tremendously popular. All those who viewed it, praised it. And it is setting marvellous records by way of audience numbers and the money people spent on it.

Always with a background of stars in display, the film is jam packed with scenes of boxes and saucers driving pell-mell in pursuit of each other, only to explode when they collide. In their behaviour, given their dialogue, characters are robotic. Unfortunately, the robots too look and sound like robots.

I can understand that people who were then boys and girls, in the seventies and eighties, or perhaps a bit older, were delighted by the Star Wars saga. They must have seen this last episode as a nostalgic recall adventure from their own past, which still gave them lots of satisfaction.

Having now seen the film, I must admit I am not one of them.