Merry Christmas

It would be proper to do this on the day proper. Merry Christmas to readers of this blog.

More mental notes

From the Times report on the compilation of evidence against Carmel Saliba, the man who went to a shooting spree in Mqabba:

Objecting to the request for bail, prosecuting Inspector Anthony Portelli told the court that Mr Saliba fired shots at the door as it was being closed by people in the club.

[...]“He knew exactly what he was doing. Thank God the police were there as it would have been a massacre,” said the inspector, adding that “Malta has become a cowboy town with people shooting at doors.”

And this is from some days ago, in the case of a Somali who stands accused of having assaulted a man with a bottle in Marsa and robbed him:

Newly-appointed Police Superintendent Silvio Valletta told a magistrate yesterday people were scared to go to Marsa, where open centres hosting migrants were located.

“We have reached a point where Maltese people cannot even go to Marsa because they are afraid,” he said in a passionate burst. “The victim could not even go out and buy a Coke. With all due respect, we are not in Somalia. If they do not have laws there, we do and they have to understand this,” Mr Valletta said in court.

Fine lesson in respecting the laws that we can give Somalis.

It’s still too early for gun control

Daphne comments on the recent spate of shootings:

We like to tut-tut at the Americans and their right to bear arms, which leads quite a lot of shootings and many gun-related deaths. But we forget that we have a pretty lax system ourselves. Yes, all firearms have to be licensed here in Malta, but if you apply for a licence for the sort of gun used for hunting, you’ll get it. And those are precisely the kind of guns being used in many of these shootings.

We don’t have a “pretty lax system”. Presently, the police cannot even run a proper gun registry let alone enforce gun control. Here’s an extract from the Auditor-General’s report for 2007, published earlier this month:

A total of 404 individuals were identified with a fictitious identity card number within the system. Many of these have in their possession more than one (1) weapon and have never paid any amounts. No details were available whether the weapon is still in his/her possession or in that of his/her heirs.

The Auditor-General’s report is one of those documents one has to read with caution; it’s written by people who are out seeking sensationalism as much as conducting a proper audit. Which is why the news that made it to the headlines (and generated a considerable amount of comments in the relevant Times article) was the story of a Ministry employee who was paid full salary while on leave.

In that case the Ministry recouped the excess amount paid (something which the Auditor-General’s men were told of but they ignored, perhaps as it would have spoilt a good story). But it was still a payroll mistake which was remedied which got people all worked up. Not knowing that the are hundreds of weapons the possession of which is not properly recorded.

Once that is sorted out we might start thinking about tightening the rules. Unfortunately, that very important first step might not happen.

Mental notes

I did say “Christmas slowdown” rather than “Christmas break”, didn’t I? Things bloggable keep happening so I’ll just make a few “mental notes” to keep things rolling into 2009. Because December is a truly remarkable month in Maltese politics, a month of zvolti.

First, MaltaToday’s Saviour Balzan’s comment on the PM’s personal assistant Edgar Galea-Curmi:

Galea Curmi especially has established himself as the eminence grise controlling government actions irrespective of their impact and cost.

Only last month, Malta’s éminence grise (as well as it’s Cardinal Richelieu, all rolled into one) was Richard Cachia-Caruana.

Second, a shooting at the Nationalist Party Club in Mqabba leaves 11 injured, two seriously. Had there been any fatalities they would have been the third after Karin Grech’s and Raymond Caruana’s to occur on the last month of the calendar year.

Third, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, Malta’s the 16th most democratic country in the world. Only last month MaltaToday’s Raphael Vassallo described Malta as “the European Union’s least democratic and politically mature member state”.

Christmas slowdown

Thermidor will be slowing down for the coming two weeks. I take the opportunity to wish my readers a merry Christmas and a great start to the new year.

It wasn’t Austin

Could Austin Gatt’s Ministry be behind this just to show us the risk that Ghadira beach be eroded to nothingness?

The seawater in Ghadira rose suddenly on Wednesday at 0800h, sweeping up the bay and inundating the beach and concessions there.

One eye witness said that water swept up the bay – almost as far as the road – and did not subside for about 10 minutes.

An “orchestration” as the lexically challenged as they would call it. Worry not, it wasn’t him:

The phenomenon that occurred was likely to be a ‘seiche’, according to Dr Aldo Drago from the Physical Oceanography Unit at the University of Malta. He said that the seiche is common – and well known to fishermen – but it would be rare to have one as large as this. The wave is caused by atmospheric condition and starts in the open sea but its effect is magnified when it reaches shallow waters.

The Unit has not yet analysed its data so this could not be confirmed. But seismic activity was ruled out by the Seismic Monitoring and Research Unit at the University of Malta.

There it goes

Jacques rightly complains that in the Borg-Olivier story seems to be heading in the direction where the Nationalist Secretary-General’s mistake eclipses the crux of the story which is the confidentiality of private data.

No surprise in it heading in that direction. And, no, the push is not being given by the Nationalists. Here’s were Joseph Muscat is taking that story:

The “scandalous web of spies” conducted by the Nationalist Party together with the government involved persons who manage the country’s assets and others who acted as secret service agents during the 1980s, Dr Muscat said.

Wasn’t it to be expected? The country has a general contempt for the confidentiality of personal data. Very often, when a public official cites protection of personal data you can be sure it’s a case of a handy excuse to shirk responsibilities.

Remember the leaked personal data Alfred Sant tabled on people who traveled to Malta to vote? Remember the reaction? Nationalist media … nothing. They were either still euphoric over electoral victory or too humiliated by the episode. MaltaToday … nothing. A scandal, it seems, ain’t a scandal if it’s not reported first by MaltaToday. And Sant … he actually waved the data in the Government’s face as if to say “Hey, I’ve got moles too! And I’m only the Leader of the Opposition!”. The information, after all, had nothing to do with the point he was trying to make.

The political mileage which could have been gained in Malta from the unvarnished version of the Borg-Olivier story was limited. So Muscat is transforming it into a story about senior state employees (political appointees, it should be said) knocking off early from work. Now is there anything which gets the country fired up anymore than a story of skartar? Especially if it involves people high up?

Like whoever would have been privy to leaked data matters. And if it did, let me point out that the Maltese secret service was only created in the mid-1990s. Unless another leak can prove the contrary.

If only …

… this were said in 2003.

Nowhere does Dr [Victor] Scerri [President of the Nationalist Party General Council] mention that the EU is becoming more and more citizen-oriented rather than organisation-oriented. Maybe that is why he cannot comprehend the programme I am proposing in this vein for the months ahead. Maybe that is why he cannot comprehend the court ruling that mandates the re-imbursement of medical expenses abroad. Adequate and prompt medical care is something I shall fight for tooth and nail and I aim to assist our citizens to make full use of this benefit deriving from EU membership, one benefit of many others that can be enjoyed.

That’s Glenn Bedingfield. In 2008.

And Labour’s brand new MEP should get someone to weed the “lornisms” from his draft articles. I mean things like “the citizen should be at the hub and it is for this hub that we should draw the fruits of our labour”. Not that Labour’s thinking on Europe has not been muddled but that’s the stuff that makes reading Maltese newspapers so painful.

The Republic is easily grateful

If I’m not mistaken there was once a limit on the number of holders of national decorations. Quite sensibly, first of all to avoid that too many are dished out in any year and second to force some discernment into determining not only who is deserving but the most deserving.

That limitation is gone and this year’s awards, coincing with Republic Days, showed that the Republic is easily grateful for acts that are, not even by a long stretch, ad maiorem res publica gloriam.

The decisions, it seemed, were taken by people who fail to realise that these are national decorations for serving the Republic. That’s different from having a rich and varied public life, having done some outstanding philanthropic work, contributed to Melitensia or having arrived second in the Eurovision Song Contest. The decorations have now been transformed into something that’s a cross between a Premju Papa Giovanni Tlieta u Ghoxrin and a Grammy.

Which is not to say that most of those people decorated have not done worthwhile things in their public careers. It’s the numbers in which these awards are now given and rending thing commonplace that tends to devalue them.

How a few others, however, ended on that list is a mystery. Igor Judge? Having been born in Malta and educated at St Edward’s before heading off to the UK and made name for himself there makes him eligible. Vince Farrugia? “He led the organisation [the GRTU] in a professional manner and worked in the best interest of the small and medium enterprise and the self-employed” — which would should make him the recipient of recognition of the sectorial interests he represents. Not the Republic.

And Ira Losco? I suppose that, if the Brits can have their own Sir Elton John why can’t we have our Ira Losco MQR?

A “non-political” president

Fenech-Adami’s tenure as President of the Republic expires in April next year. One of the most sensible features of our constitution is that to fill the ceremonial and inconsequential post only a resolution of the House, carried by a simple majority, is required. Quite a few other countries which do not elect their head of State through popular sufferage require higher majorities and, in some cases, if the chamber does not agree on a Head of State it is dissolved an elections are called.

And yet, our system still engenders contorversy, significantly, over who gets to fill the post. Sadly, this argument is not about the holders’ qualities in serving but whether they have political baggage. The opening shot was fired some days ago with the news item that Muscat submitted to the PM a list of papabili. Quite a few commenters on the Times article applauded the fact Muscat’s list is said to include people from “outside the political scene” whatever the boundaries of that “scene” are.

One reaction in the comments thread stuck me. One commenter had said that the President should be “political” (which I understand to mean, have had a political career as an MP) because the post requires some political deftness. Quite right and having some of that mush have certainly helped Agatha Barbara, Pawlu Xuereb and Ugo Mifsud-Bonnici handle the constitutional and political crises that erupted during their tenure. No, replied another, think of Sir Anthony Mamo, our “first and best”, with no history of open political allegiances (which is not to say that he had no political experience; Sir Anthony had been Governor-General).

Now, hands up anyone who remembers anything of significance done by Sir Anthony during his tenure. That’s right, there’s nothing. Which is why he was a good President of the Republic, who is so powerless in our system that he can’t even dissolve the House unless it’s on the advice of the PM and having consulted the Leader of the Opposition.

I was not being critical of Sir Anthony in the way he fulfilled he duties in saying that he did “nothing”; it is actually a compliment in that he stayed well within the limits of his post as prescribed by the Constitution. As to the three other holders I mentioned their interventions were tactful and discreet at a time when our democracy was receiving quite a few jolts.

Sir Anthony, by the way, would be ineligible today. Another very sensible rule prohibits a former Chief Justice from holding the post. Indeed, that rule should be extended to include other posts require judgment in cases where the Government could be party from the post of Ombudsman, to Judges, to Magistrates and to members of the Public Service Commission.

And having former politician Presidents has one advantage. It’s the Maltese version of “kicking someone upstairs”, our equivalent of giving a peerage to a frontbencher. Thankfully, it is also one of the very few roles, the only one in fact, where there have been known to be no comebacks.

We’ve been fuming … for a long time

“You get a €4 weekly increase, THEY GET €290!” howled a recent MaltaToday headline, referring to the new policy of allowing Ministers teep their Parliamentary honorarium along with their Ministerial salary.

That, by the way, is from a paper which regularly chastises the Government for using “Mintoffian tactics”. Like cultivating a sense of envy towards your neighbour for anything he had had that you didn’t (including things acquired legitimately) was not the cornerstone of Maltese socialism.

But let’s get back to the ground-breaking story of Ministers being paid two salaries for effectively performing two jobs and the previous weeks story of a golden handshake to former Ministers and the former Leader of the Opposition:

Today’s revelation about the ministers’ effective pay rise and last week’s revelation on sister newspaper Illum that former ministers and the former Opposition leader received together a staggering €157,000 “to find a job” are the stuff that make the ordinary citizens fume with anger.

It probably does. But “ordinary citizens” have been doing so for quite some times over similar stories which stayed under the  MaltaToday radar and whose critrion for news these days seems to be “that which Government wants to keep low-key”. Anyone remember the Dockyards golden handshake? They probably do so at the Ministry of Finance as it consitutes some 25% of this year’s deficit.

And it’s not like it was the first. I remember particularly the downsizing at the Dockyards in 2003. I do so for not other reason than at the same time a close family member, who had worked for close to four decades in the private sector, also got his “golden handshake”. Well, as far as metals go it was more like “rusted iron” amounting to less than Lm4,000. At the same time, Drydocks workers who had worked at the enterprise for a few years were offered close to Lm20,000 to leave. In both cases, may I add, the workers were represented by the GWU.

All we got about these handshakes was advice on James Debono’s blog:

One argument which has penetrated popular common sense to erode any notion of working class solidarity is that dockyard workers should not pretend any job guarantee because other categories of workers in the private sector do not have any such guarantees.

In this case many forget that the government as the employer of these workers has its own obligations. This perverted logic does not help anyone except those who divide and rule.

… and, if applied in the case of the story of compensated Ministers, I’d say it also helps MaltaToday sales.

A bumpy ride

Public transport reform is moving along like a Maltese bus: the ride may not be very smooth but, hey, we’re moving! But, as often happens, the behaviour of the bus drivers threatened to steal the limelight from the reform being proposed at a presentation given by the Transport Ministry:

Bus owners yesterday howled with rage and sighed with disdain at the main proposals put forward by the Investment Ministry, seemingly disbelieving that Malta can ever have a normal route network rather than the antiquated, inefficient and hopeless system in operation today.

[...]

As it stands, there are over 400 bus owners, who are essentially self employed. They work on a day-in day-out basis. Dr Gatt was frank: “We must stop the situation whereby government-subsidised buses are used on off days for non-scheduled service while the government simply turns a blind eye.”

During the meeting, the plan was put forward and showed how a whole new network, eventually to be linked to tram interchanges, will phase out the pathetic status quo of having almost every service interchange at Valletta.

Peripheral villages will have their own routes serviced by small buses, potentially electric. These will feed into local interchanges which will be linked to major interchanges. The main problem is that with 300 or so buses on the road, many are simply stood still as there is not even enough place for them at the Valletta terminus. By introducing these new routes, buses would be used to their full capacity.

In addition, the main interchanges would also be serviced by a park and ride scheme with the proposed introduction of two tram lines, both setting off from Valletta, one ending in Sliema and the other at Ta’ Qali, which is being earmarked as a major interchange. Moreover, Valletta will increase its sea links to Sliema, Gzira and the Three Cities.

But then, this is Malta, and we are are unique:

However, bus owners complained that this could not be done in Malta

Throughout the presentations put forward by ministry official Manuel Delia and the speech by Austin Gatt, the bus owners consistently cat called and accused them of putting forward proposals made by people “who did not understand how public transport in Malta works”.

Anyone who does please raise his hand. Meanwhile, the ruckus would not have been complete without a bit of hyperbole and xenophobia thrown in and a bit of weasling out:

However, Dr Gatt again said he hoped that the ATP could muster its resources and come up with a company structure to bid along with other potential foreigners. Again, cat calls went up in loud voices from those present, one of them dubbing the move “ethnic cleansing”. The same person was handed the roving microphone to speak and simply said: “Thank you for organising this conference… etc… blah.”

Finally, here’s a real gem, courtesy of one of the drivers:

Among the interruptions, the most notable came from the bus owner who said his 13-year-old son cleans his bus daily and who said a person from San Gwann who wants to go to MIA can just walk down to the hospital and catch a bus from there [...]

Considering these people’s attitude the Minister’s statistic, that in Malta 71% of commuting is done through private transport, actually appears unrealistically low.

Min hu bhal Eddy?

Eddy Privitera had something to say on Minister Dalli’s comments that apartments at knock-down prices with all-around sea views are not social housing. More accurately, not about what Minister Dalli had to say but Josie Muscat’s applauding of those comments.

Eddy must have felt miffled because the Campaign for National Independence and Muscat’s National Action are becoming the best of buddies — it may be a cliche that political extremes eventually meet but it’s been happening here too.

But here’s Eddy:

Coming back to the question of “luxury apartments being given away for free” as Minister Dalli described the Housing Authority’s apartments at Pembroke, may I first clear up a misunderstanding which many people may have on what is supposed to be “government subsidy” to those who buy such apartments.

The so-called “subsidy” is only a virtual subsidy. The government does not fork out any money to subsidise those apartments. The subsidy is simply the discounted price of the apartment when compared to similar apartments on offer by private property developers.

And as we all know, many such apartments are on offer at very inflated prices!

Got that? Government selling below market price does not involve a subsidy. Amongst other things, because market prices for property are “inflated”. Er, compared to what?

There’s shopkeepers and shopkeepers

When Government mooted the idea of housing Parliament in a new building on the site of the former Opera House some years back the GRTU came out against … for security reasons. There’d be too much of it at the entrance of the city giving one the impression that there would be tanks rumbling around the perimeter of the building.

Their reaction this time round is pretty much the same with some literary flourishes, worthy of Evarist Bartolo, added:

The GRTU this afternoon launched a stinging attack on the government’s plans to move Parliament to the site previously occupied by the Opera House.

In so doing, the chamber said, “20 business establishments in Valletta are being sacked. They and their employees have a dismal future.”

In its NewString publication, the GRTU said: “Government has decided to spend €80m of the taxpayers’ money so that our beloved members of parliament can deliver their services in a more comfortable building.

“Valletta will now have a signature building and square by the famous architect Renzo Piano. This is good news. This is at the expense of business. This is bad news.

“The project will rise from the entrance to the city built by gentlemen for gentlemen, into a city of policemen and soldiers guarding the almighty.

“We now have all this sufferance in the main guard square as Parliament sits in the Palace and our honourable members expect the treatment previously devoted to the glorious knights.

Heh, they seem to recall that someone once described Valletta as a city “built by gentlemen for gentlemen” (said by Sir Walter Scott and factually wrong). But their historical “knowledge” does not seem to include the fact that the Knights’ Grand Council met in the Palace which our Parliamentarians, under the new plans, would be leaving.

As to the “20 business establishments” the GRTU are obviously including all establishments around Freedom Square and South Street next to the site. Half a dozen policemen and AFM personnel will presumably scare customers away although, with all those cops around, the GRTU might salvage an instant coffee and doughnut shop in the area.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Gotham City:

The Republic Street Business Community Association (RSBCA) said today that it was very pleased that the government had announced its plans for the relocation of Parliament to the site of the old Opera House and also about the redevelopment of City Gate. It also agreed with the plans for the Grand Master’s Palace.

Godly hyperboles

Nothing gets a Laburist as worked up as the possibility of portraying himself as a victim, real or potential, of religious persecution even if it may involve “li jaljena ruhu” from other worthy causes like the economy, the electricity tariffs or Paul Borg-Olivier.

Here’s, for example, Evarist Bartolo:

Is freedom of thought and speech to become a mortal sin again?

Powerful personalities within the local Catholic Church have been warning politicians and voters that mortal sin will be imposed on them and they risk eternal damnation if they support the introduction of divorce in Malta. These people want to drag the church and the country back to the past.

“God is with us!” With these words in March 2004 Dr Lawrence Gonzi closed his first speech as the successor of Dr Eddie Fenech Adami as leader of the PN. He informed us that God is a card-carrying member of the PN in the same breath that he said that he wanted to do politics in a new way. Invoking God and claiming Him to be on your side is one of the oldest ways of doing politics.

There’s only two things which are factually, verifiably true there: the claim that in March 2004 Gonzi said that “God is with us” (to which anyone, except a Laburist, would have reacted in the same way had Gonzi said “the Force is with us”) and that he wanted to do politics in a new way. The claim that Gonzi said that God is a card-carrying member of the Nationalist Party is, of course, hyperbole. And the claim that “powerful personalities” within the Church are threatening with imposition of mortal sin should also be treated as such until such time Bartolo comes up with some names.

One last thing. I can understand believers who capitalise “Him” when referring to God. But when non-believers do that it is usually referred to as “hypocrisy”.

Not much

The Times reports that, according to a Eurostat study, only 2% of the Maltese use internet to maintain or create their own sites or weblogs. And that hopefully does not include the Times‘ own Andrew Borg-Cardona or Rev Joe Borg whose online columns the paper refers to as “blogs”. Much less the commenters to the articles who have taken on calling themselves “bloggers” failing to make the connection: “blogger” verb, “blog” noun.

The number is certainly small compared to what’s the case in other countries. I’ve been around the blogosphere since September 2004. I’ve seen the birth of many blogs and many a decline (blogs which are updated very. very occasionally) and deaths.

This is especially the case in the current affairs and politics category. The sector registered very little growth over the years and even though this year was an election year the only addition of significance was Daphne Caruana-Galizia’s.

The Labour leadership election in June brought us Labour in Labour, an outfit which has since sadly folded up possibly because the candidate they were rooting for made it. A pity since it was good and proof that there are Labour Party supporters who not only can write but actually have something to say that’s worth reading. Labour should have scuttled the idea behind MaltaStar long ago — an electronic newspaper in English to compete with the dead tree media in that language — and given these people a chance. It didn’t and, from the looks of it, they’s off to greener pastures.

Here’s my blogroll.

Oh happy days

At long last the renovation of City Gate, Freedom Square and the ruins of the former Opera House are back on the agenda. Way back in 1990 in happier days when that over-used word “arrogant” was not even part of the lexicon Government back down from putting into effect Piano’s designs in the face of public opposition whose only uniting factor was not getting something done.

Thankfully, that opposition today has somewhat fizzled out. While there is controversy over Government’s proposal to use the space to house Parliament nobody, as far as I know, has insisted that it be rebuilt “as it was”. There was much attachment to the old design which was little more than nostalgia for a percieve “golden era”. They decried Piano’s designs as not being in keeping with the style of a baroque city little realising that Barry’s design was not consistent either. Anglu Xuereb went one better when he proposed a design with a fountain in the middle of Freedom Square and Republic Street lined with trees. That in a city where, aware of problems related to water shortages, the first city planners laid down the rule that there should be no gardens in Valletta.

I hope to be blogging a few thoughts on the use to be made of the space but it seems that choice of design will not be a matter of much interest. Great.

Jackpot!

It now transpires that Borg-Olivier’s damning email was inadvertedly sent to no other than … Jason Micallef! Here’s the email’s highlight:

“Every Customer Care Official [in the ministries and parliamentary secretaries’ offices] is being asked to send all the data on a template which will be provided to you by Charmaine Gerada. This data (in excel format) must include (1) personal data on the persons who approach the ministries’ customer care during the last eight months, (2) type of request, (3) action, (4) result (pending).”

Prosit Pawl! You didn’t just put your foot in it, you made sure your face and hand were well-smeared in the process. Here’s the Labour leader at the press conference in which the contents of the email were revealed

This case carries several repercussions, and the Prime Minister has critical decisions to take on the matter. The current strategy the PN is using, aimed at finding a scapegoat, is useless. The political responsibility for this case must be assumed by those at the very top, Dr Muscat concluded

Finding a scapegoat? Like that would be hard. But, sadly, the Nationalists are not even trying. The other people present at the meeting Borg-Olivier refers to are Party officials and officials in Ministry secretariats who are political appointees, hardly the case of questioning what they were doing at a political meeting at Nationalist GHQ discussing customer care. It is Borg-Olivier’s request which was totally verboten.

And if this is Borg-Olivier’s idea of “damage limitation” I’m totally with Jacques in complaining at the “I may be bad but you are badder” reaction:

Borg Olivier added that in the coming days, he would also be revealing “damning information” that allegedly implicated Labour leader Joseph Muscat in the illegal gathering of personal information.

Like we didn’t know. Like those who were victims of the most brazen leak of personal data ever didn’t know. That incident may not have tickled Jacques’ interest (in his defence he said he was holidaying in Kent that month — like May was fifteen not thirty-one days long and hunting issues in Luxembourg were of greater importance) but, for that matter, neither did it raise a comment from the Nationalist top brass or its media.

They were euphoric? They were shamed at the too many Labour moles? Well, Borg-Olivier will bring it out now. Like he cares for protection of personal data rather than his bacon.

Eureka!

Keith makes the astounding discovery that Government has no money of its own:

Perhaps it is apt that the news that Lawrence Gonzi and his Cabinet have decided to regale us with yet another grandiose project – that of building a new Parliament on the site of the old Opera House in Republic Street – has come out during the month of December, a month which is synonymous for the giving of gifts.

The only problem in this case is that it is us that will be paying, through our taxes, for the ‘gift’ that the Nationalist Party is so keen to give us.

Guess who was paying for the difference between what customers payed for their electricity and what it cost to produce it, Keith?

More “aljenazzjoni”

Russell Muscat said he was convinced that he was going to write about “the seismic effects left behind by the General Conference of the Labour Party” for his last post on the blog. Then he ended up writing about a comment made by the Environment Minister on his blog about crucifixes hanging in classrooms before the Manocca blogger drifted off to a variety of diverse subjects and got lost somewhere between discussing xenophobia and the traditional family.

Really, man, can’t you see it’s all “aljenejxin”? There was an “historic” General Conference that’s just happened and you let a comment on cricifixes by the Minister of the Environment distract you?

I mean, even those commenters on the Times would have see through it. They know that the Ghadira road, the underground extension of St John and now the reconstruction of City Gate are Government attempts to make us forget the hike in electricity rates. MUT falling out with CMTU is more aljenazzjoni to distract us from the “united front” everyone was lauding only some weeks ago. Hell, even Christmas this year is more “aljenazzjoni” and here’s James Debono suggesting we give “AustinPN” (er, wasn’t it “RCCPN“?) the reaction he deserves by switching off all Christmas lights in our windows.

Apologia (pro causa mea)

Jacques warns:

Fausto has had an idea. He came up with an allegation. He has thrown it in this direction and notwithstanding any denial from our part he has gone on to milk it. Why? Because it pays. It pays to try and distract from the “apologista” label that seems to have stuck with Thermidor notwithstanding its revamp (which is cool).

That’s what happens when you use the royal “we” too often: you assume that what you think is shared by the multitudes. And unless hate mail addressed to me is landing in Jacques’ mailbox and he’s reading it without forwarding it to me, Jacques is referring to very few people.

The only one I know of is the Green Party PRO who once called me an “apologist” who “parrots whatever comes out of tal-Pieta’” oblivious to the sweet irony that his post as PRO requires him to defend (“apologist”) and disseminate (“parrot”) whatever his Party’s Executive Committee thinks (an entity which, it should be reminded, have much stronger political and electoral interests than yours truly).

And that’s the impression I always get with the label “apologist” whenever, for example, I see the likes of MaltaStar use it with regard to former Nationalist Minister Michael Falzon. It’s little more than a defense mechanism of people who are either too lazy or too stupid to engage in any exchange that goes beyond superficialities (not to mention taking an occasional look at the mirror).

Jacques should put down his MLPN bible and notice that I’m not in the least interested in ignoring Borg-Olivier’s mess up. On the other hand, I’m actually concerned that the Nationalists might be heading towards the next election with their own Jason Micallef. If Jacques and his commenters think that by saying that Borg-Olivier should consider stepping down, as I did, is something that should have given me a choking fit or anything requiring Rennies just imagine what symptoms I’d suffer if Borg-Olivier were the wrong man and he’d cost the Nationalists the next election. Just ask Labour about the consequences of saving (political) face and keeping up (political) appearances: two decades of opposition.

Jacques says that he has repeated time and again that he does not condone of the violation of citizens’ privacy. Bravo and let me add that very much the same can be said of Thermidor. The only difference is, as his blog’s archive attests, when our privacy was so blatantly and brazenly violated by Alfred Sant he had nothing to say.