In your editorial comments of Saturday 28/8/98, you were man enough to admit that championing the cause of the TV stations was against your principles. You excused yourself by claiming that you prefer gradualism (as opposed to steam-rolling).

Like you, a firm adherent to my principles, nowadays, I am finding myself often reasoning in tangent to my principles on the subject of EU accession. However, the idea of quelling conscience pangs with gradualism is very novel.

Using your gradualist approach I shall probably manage to sort out many sincere EU doubts and dilemmas which are cropping up within me like bush fires, namely:

1. Aproned behind the will of our leaders to get us in the EU is a veritable one-directional frenzy to get us there at all costs. Are we absolutely sure that this is the best solution for Malta?

2. At times, I think that Government finds the task of managing this one small territory so daunting that it is prepared to trade our independence with EU sanctuary and regulation. Should we place so much trust in the EU as a ruling body? Is the EU good enough to warrant our trust?

3. Have we, as a small isolated island nation, made a proper assessment as to whether the country can interface with the EU as effectively as the other larger European mainland territories or at least conducted a simple cost benefit analyses on whether the benefits of membership exceed the costs of joining?

4. Should we join the EU at all costs and irrespective of hardships which might come our way? The EU alignment procedures are tantamount to undergoing radical surgery without anaesthesia. Will the country survive these radical alignment procedures?

5. Are we prepared for all the guts and gore of this operation without anaesthesia? Are we going to stop the surgeon mid way through the operation, jump off the operating table and run like mad?

6. Is the surgical team competent enough to conduct the operation? Sometimes I feel that we are `led' into Europe like a herd of goats by a herd of goats that know not where they are heading.

Myself, I am finding this whole EU business very off-putting, so, in future, I shall adopt your gradualist approach in a bid to allow myself a full spectrum of leeway.

Malcolm Caire