…. is not on Harry’s menu right now. Nor is it on Ralph Cassar’s. In the following quote , Harry Vassallo seems to be hinting that the new government is illegitimate. He is in a way but not in the way the PN machine will surely spin it:
“The new government does not have political legitimacy, as none of the parties got an absolute majority. It is clear that the population does not want to be ruled by any of these parties,” Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Harry Vassallo told The Malta Independent yesterday.”
Expect the denigrators of the AD – especially from the proud PN corner – to pounce on this statement. Unfortunately Harry’s anger at not having obtained a satisfactory result may have got the better of his diplomatic skills. The sense of bitterness against an electorate that has done its duty overcomes all rational explanations. Not even the consolation that AD’s result comes against all odds and is no measure of what voters would choose when Sant is out of the equation and electoral rules become real will assuage such an immediate feeling of despondence and betrayal.
Harry is not saying that the government is illegitimate in a legal sense. He knows as much as we all do that our constitutional compensation mechanisms allow for a situation where a party garnering less than half of the national vote can still be allowed to govern with a majority of seats so long as a third party is not elected. Harry is pointing out that the PN can no longer claim to speak for the people and technically, if it had a bit of its christian democrat values left in it, it would tiptoe around its sweeping policy statements in the same manner as though it has a coalition partner in government with a watchful eye. It does have a watchful eye on it – of the majority of the Maltese who for some reason or another clearly indicated to Gonzi PN that it did not believe it was the best solution for government.
We will have to wait for the next too days for the euphoria or anger to calm down, then we can start the debate that has been waiting on the backburner for far too long. In the meantime, no flag waving mass, squib burning crowd or 21st century version of the 80’s Eileen Montesin complete with Run Chicken Run can compensate for this lack of political legitimacy.
In fact, it can only make it worse.
Addendum: As I typed this post a comment was added to the last post. Sant has resigned. Someone is already helping himself to the pie (admittedly this did take some force feeding). The first domino has fallen.
j'accuse 
It is my sincere wish that this government implodes within two years.
Alex, my sentiments exactly.
Jacques, my sources were correct – http://www.timesofmalta.com/election2008/view/20080310/news/flash-alfred-sant-has-resigned-with-immediate-effect
The Times is running the story.
I’m too sore from an MLP defeat and it’s too early to crack open the champagne. But I think things will change.
In some countries like Bulgaria, a party cannot govern without 50% of votes; it would have to form a coalition, or the elections would have to be contested again. But alas, this is not Bulgaria.
I don’t agree that, in a bipolar country such as Malta, we should change the current system. When the country will cease to be divided between 2 tribes, then we’ll think about introducing such a system.
This result highlights the great need for electoral reform.
Let us not forget that some 7-8% of the population chose not to vote. It saddens me that they chose this path because I had stated in the past that the electoral system does not respect the implicit wish stated.
This means that effectively only about 45.60% (92.5 x 0.493) of the people voted for PN and about 45.23% (92.5 x 0.489) of the people voted for MLP. This means that a total of 9.17% of the people chose not to choose MLPN.
Question: – Does this not suggest that 6 seats (5.9605) in parliament do not actually belong to MLPN? Does this not mean that the electoral system allows for almost 10% of the eligible population to go unrepresented in Parlament?
That is what it seems like to me… and MLPN seem quite happy to leave things that way.
—–
I would also like to point out that undoubtedly a few of my own votes were rendered dubious by virtue of the fact that the ink stamps on the back of the votes seeped through to the front. I had not anticipated this disadvantage to going independent. I am not making excuses as I witnessed with my own eyes caseswhere perfectly good looking ballots with numbers and “very good” signs to the left of them being rendered dubious. Such is the rule of law over the rule of sense and ethics it seems.
As much as I like to see Malta have a decent opposition, I’m afraid that it won’t happen. If anything, a decent opposition should have happened five years ago, after the referendum and election fiascos. Most people within the MLP were behind AS then. So if they couldn’t have seen themselves aiming at their own feet and pulling the trigger why should I be optimistic about these same people reviving the MLP and turning it into a vialble alternative?
If they rallied after Sant because of partisan blinkers, then why would they see the light now? Why should I be optimistic that they’ll be able to create something out of their own mess? The problem with the MLP is that their insistance on Sant has scared away alot of people from within the party and I don’t see them returning. The people who supported Sant will still be there, along with their short-sighted visions. Maybe i’m wrong. I hope I am actually. Despite enjoying seeing the MLP losing yet again, I’m not thrilled about the next five years. Pullicino Orlando faired well, people gave the PN a mandate to continue on their track. If they were arrogant up till now, I can’t imagine the level of arrogance we’ll witness in the coming five years.
As for AD, I am not really bummed out about them not getting seats. For starters, because I never really thought they’d make it, but more importantly, because this means that Harry, if he sticks to his word, will now resign. Hopefully, Mario Mallia will be the new chairman. If that happens, the PN would be in some serious shit, as I believe he will give Gonzi a run for his money when it comes to charm and the ability to inspire confidence.
j’alla patrick. j’alla.
Jacques…help…
On a completely different, utterly non-politics related note… Do you know where I can find a (good, reliable) Maltese font for my Mac? 🙂
Don’t be so pessimistic Patrick. This is probably the best result we could have hoped for, meaning that the MLP must reform itself and PN knows it’s hanging by a thread now. A landslide PN or MLP win would not have changed much. The only way is up hehe.
The Nationalists have won and congratulations go to the Nationalist Party for having been very focused during this electoral campaign and achieved their objective, namely retention of Power.
A summary of what the relevant numbers say:
PN obtained a relative majority in relation to MLP, that is 1580 votes more than MLP.
2008 vs 2003
The results of first count votes indicate the following:
– An increase of 1,881votes for AD
– 1,461 new votes for AN
– An increase of 152 votes for independent candidates,
– An increase of 7796 votes for labour
– The Nationalists’ vote decreased by 2704 votes.
– A decrease in number of votes cast of 9092votes.
– An increase in number of invalid votes of 506.
Meditate gente, meditate!
ps Can anyone direct me to a URL address where I can refer to the constitutional law regarding general elections?
Click to access chapt0.pdf
article 51 onwards
And Harry Vassallo will resign soon.
While people like Patrick Tabone have spent the last 4 years milking the EU gravy train, Harry Vassallo spend the last 4 years on Lm 40 per month (i know because i write the cheques) trying to change his country. Now he resigns and Patrick chooses to vomit on him.
What a bloody shame!!!
mela vera li Harry hafi…Lm40 per month…????!!!
Eddie, get a grip ! Harry’s dismal earnings and his political relevancy are in no way inversely proportional.
Patrick Tabone can help himself to as much gravy as he wishes – his talent for offering acute analysis, incisive critique and intuitive diplomacy have oiled more wagon trains than he would ever choose to mention… ( er… no, I am not his mother)
Lm400 a month.
While people like Patrick Tabone have spent the last 4 years milking the EU gravy train, Harry Vassallo spend the last 4 years on Lm 40 per month (i know because i write the cheques) trying to change his country. Now he resigns and Patrick chooses to vomit on him.
Harry Vassallo I will forever remember as the man who could have cost us membership in the 2003 election. At least Sant had the conviction; Vassallo was that he thought of himself too highly not to step aside. And now he’s trying to re-write history by claimining that in that election the Greens asked voters to give their first preference to the Nationalists.
By the way, when he was informed that his fine was being transformed into a prison sentence Vassallo said that his monthly income was Lm400. That’s a well-paying job considering that it’s the Green Party we’re talking about.
He’s a doctor of law. He could earn 3 or 4 times that amount elsewhere.
He’s a doctor of law. He could earn 3 or 4 times that amount elsewhere.
Apart from that being somewhat exaggerated you get paid for the value of your work not on what you could earn.
May I suggest that instead of venting last gasp relief, on AD and Harry, everyone should simply save their energies and chase Gonzi to revise the electoral threshold – at least in accordance with what he himself had recommended – when he was less controlled by his own party’s influences!
Don’t be so touchy, Edward. I don’t see Patrick ‘vomiting’ on Harry Vassallo, here or anywhere else. You Greens think you have the divine right to vomit on everyone while behaving like beleagured nuns at the first hint of criticism coming your way.
Harry earns Lm400 a month not because he’s a self-sacrificing hero and martyr, but because that’s the going rate for leaders of ‘political parties’ that have been around for two decades without increasing their percentage of the vote beyond 1.8%, and only every getting a seat in parliament by default, when Wenzu Mintoff, a Labour MP, picked a fight with his party and briefly joined AD.
Keith Chircop’s suggestion that he did this at the expense of his legal career is absolutely fatuous. it takes a great deal of skill, hard work and commitment to build up a legal practice, and it’s not something you can start doing in late middle age. Harry does what he is doing because he has no alternative.
And let me be blunt about this one: if he went to the trouble of bringing two children into the world when in his mid-40s, he should have had the sense of responsibility to also take the trouble to ensure that he could support them financially – even if it meant resigning his post at AD and actually doing some work for a change.
I don’t see what is fatuous about suggesting that he has taken on at least some level of financial sacrifice by leading AD. I am having real trouble with the “He was only in it for the money!” line of thinking to be honest.
He trained as a lawyer so it hardly requires the wildest leap of the imagination to suggest that if he was not politically active, he would be otherwise engaged in some sort of activity that at least utilises his legal training. After all, Guido de Marco briefly resumed his legal career when in opposition. Now of course there is oy one Guido de Marco (and how very great he is) and Harry Vassallo is no Guido de Marco, but I expect there is somewhere out there is some place that Harry Vassallo could use his training to eke out some sort of sustenance for himself and his family.
Neither do I think it would be wildly unrealistic to suggest that such activity would probably earn him a bit more than Lm400. Speculating on precise figures is probably rather foolish, as well as unncessary. After all, he has now resigned so we shall see whether his children starve or not. I suspect they won’t.
Whatever his failings, one suspects that in some quarters, Harry Vassallo will forever be guilty of that very wickedest, most contemptuous of all crimes – the crime of not being the only type of person worthy of recognition and respect as a human being. The crime of not being a rich Nationalist.
May I suggest that instead of venting last gasp relief, on AD and Harry, everyone should simply save their energies and chase Gonzi to revise the electoral threshold – at least in accordance with what he himself had recommended – when he was less controlled by his own party’s influences!
Yeah, “chase Gonzi”. Nobody told you that the electoral system is an entrenched Constitutional provision and that it requires two-thirds majority in Parliament to be changed. Well, with the four Green MPs Vassallo promised and a “koalizzjoni” with the Nationalists, that majority might have been reached.
hey, just in case there was any misunderstanding. I am not Patrick Tabone. I’m Patrick Galea. And I voted Green. Nonetheless, I don’t mind seeing Harry step down.
ejja niddiskutu xi haga kostruttiva minnflok inkomplu nirrigurgitaw dwar ir-rizultati; Jacques, nissuggerixxi ill iwara li jikkalma ftit kulhadd, naghmlu diskussjoni fuq xi prijoritajiet ghall-pajjiz (apparti mis-sistema tar-rappresentanza proporzjonali ghax dik gia tkellimna fuqha) fil-5 snin li gejjin, minghajr ma nivvumtaw fuq hadd…inkella ha nibqghu induru ma l-istess lewza ta’ R.O.W. (rest of the world) vs MLPN.
The ironies of life, Just 1500 vores and Malta is in for another 5 years of sleaze.
s(M)artipan, who do you think Gonzi will choose to occupy the extra seats?
Louis Galea for sure – he know too many things to be sidelined.
Daphne,
If ever there was a judgement that is beyond your or anybody else’s scrutiny I am sure that would be Harry Vassallo’s right to father his two children and the best way that HE deems fit.
PART OF COMMENT REMOVED [j’accuse]
And by the way……..I was born into a staunch Labourite environment and NEVER EVER voted MLP opting instead to vote PN for the best part of my life (with the exception of last saturday’s elections) so please spare me the ‘disgruntled PN supporter’ or ‘Utopistic green’ tag please.
Alright moderator
I will have to accept your censorship.
But I think what this drag is implying is far more offensive than what I chose to write.
Gracious in defeat and magnanimous in victory..that’s not exactly Daphne, is it? Daphne should remember that a lot of moderate nationalists and floaters had to ultimately use their nose peg and go for the safety vote in this election, as a result of the unjust electoral system and poor opposition. Hence all the agonisations on this site – if it was a straightfoward choice, there would have been no such “dithering”.
So far from doing this without them (as you alleged elsewhere), it was exactly thanks to that small but crucial segment of the electorate that opted to go for the lesser evil despite their qualms and misgivings , that allowed PN to retain power by the skin of its teeth.
Let’s see whether Gonzi will act in a manner indicating that he is deserving of this trust, and that he is aware of his responsibility towards this segment of the electorate. His forthcoming decisions on the composition of Cabinet will be the first litmus test.
by the way, I forgot to mention that I am sickened by the considerable amount of people blogging here (and elsewhere) who ‘voiced’ their opinion for a representation of the green minority. I read through most of your elegantly written articles. Beautiful mastery of the english language indeed. Very noble points put forward.
However come Saturday, you felt that irksome tickle urging you to vote PN once again.
And so you did.
You make me sick. All of you.
Now get back to your respective well paid posts and please be kind and let me know how many sunflowers have blossomed in Tuscany this Spring.
Eddie – I really shouldn’t be replying, I should be busy milking – it’s very annoying but they actually expect me to work for my pay here.
But here’s my 2c on this. Malta needs, more than others and more than ever, a strong Green movement. I have a lot of respect for people who have tried to make AD work over the years. But I believe that they made a strategic mistake in choosing an electoral battlefield, and many tactical mistakes like putting all their eggs in a coalition basket in this particular election. It was never going to happen, and people should not have been led to believe that it was a realistic possibility. 4 seats my ass.
They should now be ready to try another route, a route that could at last tap into the green-ness of people like me, who agree with a lot of AD’s programme, but have never been able to vote for it at a general election.
Instead of mobilising the big parties to oppose them, they could be making the big parties fall over themselves to take up their suggestions and woo the green vote. They could set up a programme in good time, push the parties to adopt their proposals in their manifestos, have the balls to make an endorsement before the election of the party that is ready to do the most for the environment, and hold them strictly to account afterwards.
AD has time for a re-think and a re-start. As for Harry himself, my personal opinion is that he has not delivered his targets. I’m sure he will do the honourable thing.
Well said dispassionate. Gonzi will face a number of important tests. The composition of the Cabinet is one, the choice of speaker, the choice of President and a new way of doing things including listening.
Unless this happens, the lesson would not have been learnt.
Thanks Mario. I take note of your reaction. A few comments:
1. The only person blogging here is me. All the others post-comments. Since you spoke in the plural I am sure you refer to both types of net surfers.
2. I also fall under the category of well-paid posts and I do not see the correlation between voting preference and salary. Bitter words about salaries etc are also the result of old style politics confrontation.
3. As for voting preference itself. I believe that my last trilogy of posts pointed out my personal considerations. I also believed that the main thrust of my arguments was that every person must weigh the priorities that are dear to them and pointed out the different options available in accordance to such priorities. What did I vote? I am one of the 524 who voted for Dr Harry Vassallo in the 10th district and I have no regrets. I am also glad that this government is now headed by Dr Lawrence Gonzi, that Labour have a chance to reform themselves as do Alternattiva Demokratika. I think it is clear that the principles and aims that J’accuse has striven for in the past remain even more valid after this election and that J’accuse will continue in this line.
Once again. I suggest an alka seltzer for that sick feeling around the stomach. If you really believed in and voted for the real change I also advise you to get over the gripes and anger and take full advantage of the results of this election which if interpreted rightly can only augur well for the future.
This I say with all due respect.
PS. As I type Patrick Tabone takes a pause from his side of the milking. Please Patrick spare us the Gree Pressure Group business. It’s an appeal that I make from now. The discussion is and should be about an electoral reform. How each pressure group /party operates after such reform is in place is a choice of the members of such party to make. Patronising comments like Gonzi on Bondiplus yesterday only serve to show that certain lessons to be had from the results of this election are not only hard to swallow but in some cases some people choose conveniently not to read them. Close to 10% of the population do not feel the need to vote for any of the big parties. We have a government that represents less than half of the people and you are busy telling off a party for doing its bloody job?
I agree with you Mario. It feels as if we are living in some Fascist or Communist state where the government does not represent the majority of the Maltese vote. This island is made of tribal people with stupid ideologies. I am embarassed to be a Maltese citizen now.
If someone starts complaining about the government now, I’ll give him the finger, if he is one of those that went in to vote for this fascist government which has gotten its tentacles into every system in our state.
Christian hyprocites that is what our country is made up of.
Jeacques I was referring to the people posting here. I was not personally attacking you and apologise if I offended you in any way. Unfortunately my punches are more akin to street brawling than prizefighting.
As to the mention of salaries. No I am not implying that an income necessarily stands in the way of integrity (although that’s open to debate for I personally think it DOES stand in the way of integrity) but it does trouble me no end reading the thoughts of seemingly sensible people who (albeit reluctantly) want to believe in change then come election day chicken out from doing the RIGHT thing.
Returning to the income debate. I barely make enough cash to scrape a decent living. I don’t have the luxury of travelling to france or Italy whenever boredom rears its ugly head (and so do the MAJORITY of people here) and THE ONLY free things left for me to enjoy are the pleasures of companionship, the beauty of old architecture and the remnants of a saveged countryside. I am fully aware that this sounds superficial to most but that (to me) is the tragedy of this country.
to Matthew….
I appreciate your concerns but you may be going overbaord as well. I still don’t feel like I am living in a fascist or communist state.
I am panting in anticipation of the new Cabinet. If Dr.Gonzi manages to sweet aside JPO he will gain considerable respect from me and I might even show a shred of positivity.
If this does not happen, no amount of sensibility will shake me out of the bad mood that overcame me,
We keeping paying our tv licences and all we get as citizens is a partisan supposedly ‘INDEPENDENT’ media and channel. Not to mention the so-called independent newspapers that amaze us with their impartiality.
A sad state indeed.
Nobody seems to have taken on board the true implications of the result. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando – caught with his pants down lying through his teeth – has been elected from two districts. Ninu Zammit, Giovanna Debono and JESMOND MUGLIETT all elected. Only two “new” faces on the PN side.
Oh, and guess what? It gets even better. There is no opposition to speak of. When MLP do elect a new leader you can assured the hidden hand of the PN strategy group – the same hand that seems to be pulling strings at the Sliema police station – will have taken the decision for them.
Let’s facei t. It was a straight contest aganst corruption … and corruption won.
Some extreme Republicans in the USA are claiming that Barach Obama is the ultimate sleeper cell for Al Qaeda. Perhaps Michael Falzon is the ultimate PN substitute ideal to lead Labour. Basically he looks to me like PN in Labour clothing. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Patrick keeps insisting on the green pressure group business. He seems to hold the vain hope that the major parties financed as they are by the building industry (anyone see Zaren Vassallo dancing in a conga train with other PN supporters and chanting “Cheerio” at the counting hall yesterday?) will actually ever buckle down and do something which thwarts their donors. Patrick is credulous enough to imagine that the sudden appearance of the word “alternative energy” and “environment” and “MEPA” has nothing to do with the fact that AD was pushing this platform and this was a vote-catcher. Or maybe he acknowledges that this is precisely why the PN started going green and thinks that this is a very good reason why we should all troop up to vote for precisely the same government which got us into this environmental mess in the first place. I think Patrick should go back to the day job and concentrate a bit harder on promoting initiatives to ensure that tuna doesn’t become extinct – he’s wasting far too much energy trying to convince everybody else not to do what the PN has done
Keith, sa fejn naf jien ma jaghzilx izda skond il-ligi jigu eletti dawk li jkollom l-oghla numru ta voti minn dawk li ma tellguhx…mbad hemm il-bye-elections imma dik hag’ohra
what this result means is another 10 years of PN arrogance for they will no doubt win the next elections without any trouble. All they have to do is spend a semi-decent term in government and all those who stayed home this time round will be effortlessly swayed back into the PN ranks. Anyone deeming this elections’ result as successfull has his head too far up in his arse.
Half an hour after Saliba announced PN’s slim victory we were immediately treated to a plethora of Piere Portelli specials such as: Thse small parties are (quote) GRIEDEN JILGHABUHA TA LJUNI’
That sums up the next ten years of PN governement for me.
I have a plan.
I invite all (AD, AN, MLP, etc.) of good will (seriously so) to contact myself on the yahoo account.
The mediocrity has gone on for long enough and I have a path that I would like to develop.
And by the way – I’d rather lose with integrity than win a plagiarist or otherwise through deceit. I personally had a poor showing but this is the beginning of the beginning. The question is – is it your beginning also?
No, alex, you are not wrong. The PN will choose MF as MLP leader. And then the PN assassins and well-bred thugs will spend five years hounding him from all conceivable angles, until he is reduced to a screaming bundle of paranoia and hysterics… only to point their fingers at him and say: “how can you possibly vote for a loser like that?”
And then, when the Nazzjoanlisti win their sixth victory, the PN marmalja will take to the streets again like they did yesterday, banging their chains and poles against the sides of their trucks, ripping branches off lemon trees, shouting obscentities and intimidating the losers like the fine, noble and magnamimous victors that they are.
VIVA GONZIPN
PS: why were the shops shut yesterday? And the church bells ringing all over the island? Is March 10 going to become a public holiday? Jum Joe Saliba, festa kmandata ghal kulhadd?
What a joke of a country
My thoughts exactly, Raphael. Every single solitary candidate accused of corruption got elected. I can come to understand PN winning the elections, but with clean, new faces, not this way. Pullicino? Pullicino Orland? Mugliett? Makes me sick. I guess this is how the democrats felt when Bush got re-elected.
Mario, I walked out of the voting booth with a smile on my face. I voted for AD. So did another 4000 people. What makes you think twenty of them don’t frequent this blog?There are nowhere near enough of us bloggers/comment-posters to make a difference.
Raphael is right. Any prospective MLP leader will be demonised and ripped to shreds by the PN (read 75% of media). Then 5 years down the line they’ll present the sod who had the misfortune of being photographed with Alfred Sant at his Holy Communion party and say” You see, he was with Sant and hasn’t had the decency to apologise” and that will be the end of that.
I am thinking of another scenario. The MLP will undergo an intense period of “normalization”, in which it will become more and more like the PN in order to become “electable”, and in 5 years time, there will really be nothing to choose between the two parties.
It comes as no surprise when you tell me that you come from a staunch Labour family, Mario. The chip you’re carrying around on your shoulder is about to cripple you.
You may have voted Nationalist all your life except for last Saturday, but you sure as hell still think like a Laburist. And what are the odds that you’ll be right back in the Labour fold within the next five years? AD is just a stepping-stone to where your miskin mentality tells you that you belong.
Welcome back Joseph Goebbels!
Heh. Let’s just savour a few of the lighter post-election moments while they last. Daphne has just complained about someone having a chip on his shoulder. And what does she cart around on hers, I wonder? The entire line of McCain Frozen Foodstuffs?
Matthew Aquilina – if you had bothered to read the PN electoral manifesto before criticising it, you would know that you will no longer have to pay for a television licence, because you won’t need one.
I couldn’t have put it better myself, Claire.
Oh, Raphael – for heaven’s sake, go and take a long rest. Do I take it that you’d rather have woken up today with Sant as prime minister and that collection of dinosaurs in government? Would you rather have had get-rich-quick Chalie Mangion, chief notary to the Hilton/Portomaso group, as finance minister? There’s nothing wrong with him making money or acting as notary to large development land deals, but I thought this was one of your main gripes about politicians.
Really? Oh yes, It’s going to become NET2 I guess.
It already is, Matthew, it already is.
Not voting for Mugliett wouldn’t have killed PN supporters. That’s what we’re talking about here.
Claire (by the way, there’s a story going round that you were spotted celebrating with a PN flag last Sunday) and Raphael: if the ‘demonisation’ of the Labour leader worked, then it’s because there was stuff to work with, and the so-called demonisation tapped into a gut feeling that people already had, based on observations that they themselves had made.
Let’s put it this way, the Labour media and party went all out to demonise Fenech Adami and Gonzi. And did it work? No – because they had nothing to work with, and people liked those two men and admired men, even if they supported Labour. Sant, on the other hand, isn’t even liked and admired by Labour supporters. He is/was tolerated and endured, which is different.
Actually I’ll be the first to say that I would have been less disappointed – not out of any real love or loyalty to MLP but rather as justice to the mismanagement of the Maltese Islands that the PN government has presented these past five years (not to mention the fact that I consider the reduced permanency of the partisan-over-individual-or-country mentality to be against the people’s interests). ^_^
Even if MLP did mess up such would have paved the way for a new type of politics – one based upon values other than dishonesty, opportunism and plagiarism.
Still… the cycle begins again and, in Gonzi’s own words, “Qed iberraq”…
ok slight error there – the reduced permanence would have been in the people’s interests, not against it.
Daphne, in the words immortalised by that runt you unleashed upon us 18 years ago … FUCK OFF.
Sorry, but I can;t bring myself to repeat the D-word. Too uncouth…
you’re more predictable than August’s weather forecast Daphne.
The only chip here is the one falling from your old block.
Nonetheless, being a ‘miskin’ (which in Daphne’s terms reads ‘anyone who dares not agree with her) I know where I stand.
Purporting to be a journalist and having no objectivity whatsoever is a worse offence in my book.
And here we go again. The “rollercoaster”? What’s the use of all this?
Dunno but methinks some people are too easily provoked or waylaid. Why give so much importance to the arguments made by someone who has evidently no interest in reading the signs of this election? I’ve run out of appeals for moderation…. but for one more time I will say that when you let yourself get rubbed up so easily the only victim of your subsequent outburst is yourself and the credibility of the next thing you will say. And I am no Mother Theresa either.
And when I say “arguments” in the previous sentence I am conscious of having been overly generous and diplomatic.
Oh for fuck’s sake, Jacques, stop being such a wuss. You are forgetting that this is the person who sets others up as hate objects. The least she could do is learn to put up with their hatred.
Honesty is the best policy.
It is true that the electoral system does not favour AD. Same can be said as regards certain sections of the independent media, but not others (such as Malta Today). (Yet, if anything, it was the MLP which faced most opposition from the independent media). As I see it, however, its useless whining on these issues. It makes much more sense to get to business and devise political strategies based on concrete reality rather than idealistic wishlists. To begin with, a strategy aimed at changing the electoral system is a non-starter.
AD should do away with bombastic discourse, suicidal campaigns and initiatives, and ‘I-know-it-all-and-everyone-else needs-us’ approaches. Instead, it should have realistic aspirations and be more down to earth. It should stop being bitter and should be honest with itself on its true size in the Maltese political context. A concrete way forward is consolidating and and building on its relative successes in local and European elections.
AD should also embrace a social-oriented discourse which is in-synch with the material aspirations of thousands of Maltese people.
Above all, AD should permit an open, sober and democratic debate within its ranks, giving a level playing field to its activists, including those who left or were sidelined.
My take on Daphne is – she has her own opinions. She fooled me for a long time that she was truly attempting to be an independent voice (by Maltese standards naturally), but recently, for whatever reason, she’s become very biased. That’s fine, she’s not the first biased columnist in Malta. But your blog Daphne saddens me. If you want to try your hand at satire all well and good, but don’t call yourself a journalist any more. You’re a satirist now, and Malta really needs more of them. However, one who targets ALL sides of the political spectrum would be more welcome.
Did anyone shed a tear for AN?
I haven’t posted much in my blog but what happened to me on Daphne’s blog, I had to post something. Please have a look.
http://hsibijiet.blogspot.com/2008/03/daphne-caruana-galizia.html
Claire was with me last Sunday and she doesn’t own any pn flags. I used mine to wipe my ass. Raphael I appreciate all your comments especially the last one. Daphne your’re sooooo boring. I much prefer you when you write about breast milk or surgery – how’s the nose doing?
From the hatemonger’s blog:
“The first letter is one that my husband, who is the administrator for the flat that the AD leader occupies as a protected tenant, sent to the offices of Malta Today, for publication. It was sent via email, and as a hard copy via the postal service. When I mentioned on this blog that the newspaper had seen fit not to publish it, I received a telephone call from the managing director, who said that he had (kindly) checked and that the letter had never been received. What can I say? Perhaps one of the several AD supporters who infest that office disposed of it before it was seen. There’s no other explanation.”
No other explanation? Oh, but there is. I am now sick and tired of Daphne’s cowardly insinuations. If she is suggesting that i or any of my colleagues destroyed a letter to MaltaToday she should come out and say so. I for one will sue.
… and the beat goes on…
Buddy Rich.
I’m busy. No time to get into this tiff (besides I’m a wuss).
Note to other readers… normal blogging on other matters will be resumed later this evening. In the meantime enjoy this latest episode of “Dejjem Tieghek Daphne” brought to you exclusively by comment posters on this blog. opinions expressed in the comments section are exclusively of their owners. J’accuse accepts no responsibility and frankly, doesn’t give a damn.
As for insinuations Raphael I think the comment you quoted should be enough no? Except that maybe there are no AD supporters in Maltatoday which Daphne knows hence why she feels comfortable imputing the action of suppression to non-existent ghosts.
Erm… can you repeat that in English?
Sorry just reread that. Must admit its gibberish. Thanks for the Daphne Mod treatment I admit I deserved it.
1. Daphne insinuates that an AD supporter suppressed/destroyed letter.
2. DCG knows that the letter was not suppressed so the safest bet to make that insinuation while avoiding lawsuits is by saying it was an AD supporter in Maltatoday.
3.Why? because she knows that no-one in Maltatoday can fit the bill of AD supporter.
4. You cannot sue her unless you are an AD sympathiser/supporter. Which I am guessing you aren’t.
I note that Daphne is back with her comments on this blog after having spent the last ten days focusing on Satire on her own psuedo blog. Well, quite frankly, satire is good, particularly if addressed in the right direction and in this case, it worked perfectly.
Just a question? Aren’t lawyers like all professionals bound by secrecy and professional ethics?
Raphael I have to agree with Jacques, women with massive arses, legs like tree trunks and nothing better to do than fill blogs with hate mail all day (and night) are to be pitied not taken seriously or replied to.
You miss the point entirely. Daphne’s insinuation was precisely that MaltaToday is a hive of AD activists. She doesn;t care about the letter. She is merely using it as an excuse to undermine the credibility of our newspaper among her devotees. And you are wrong on the libel front, too. I would be able to sue her if she only had the guts to name me, either as an AD activist or the one who destroyed the letter. But then it looks like Daphne has a few frozen chicken nuggets to go with her McCain Shoulder Chips…
Well. My point exactly. Unless you are named the insinuation remains hanging in the air as just that… an insinuation. A bit of the tactics out of the old hat of the former leader of the opposition…
Actually I do not miss any point if I get you right… I mentioned both the insinuation vis-a-vis Maltatoday and the tiptoeing around libel law liability. But now we’re nitpicking. Fries anyone?
Claire… not the catfight now… I know I am a wuss…. but legs, and arse? For heaven’s sake. Besides I never wrote any of those words so what are you agreeing with exactly?
And one for Mike Briguglio. If I understand the thrust of your argument right Mike you are more for an AD that runs for LC and EP elections while acting as an umbrella for pressure groups in other occasions. Not sure I agree with you but I guess that is another discussion that has to be opened on the AD side. Quite a lot of soul-searching there to find out what AD stands for…. on the other hand I completely disagree that arguing for electoral reform is a non-starter – now more than ever.
The three Maltas – and the way forward for the third one
John Edwards once spoke of two Americas (poor and rich). Now more than ever, it has become crystal clear to me that we have three Maltas – the ones represented by Daphne’s fans, the MLP tribe on the other side, and a small forsaken segment in the centre, composed of freethinkers, environmentalists, liberals and critical minds in general. Each of these groups inhabit their own worlds , and a deep cultural abyss divides one from the other. The differences are too deep for reconciliation. The worst off are clearly the third group – their support is vital for the other two groups to prevail against each other , but that is far as their influence goes. Unloved by one side and distrusted by the other, they carry little weight and have little prospect of furthering their own legitimate causes.
In this context, I agree with M Briguglio that EP and local council elections are the only way forward for third parties,as the stakes there are not so high, and tribalism is less in evidence. It is possible to have political parties that dedicate their energies mostly to EP and local council elections (there are examples in UK ).
Only after consistently gaining the necessary trust and confidence of the electorate at this level (AND delivering) should one turn his sights on higher stakes. A party which can only win or two seats is not viable in our electoral system. At one stage of the elections, it appaers that the nightmare scenario depicted by Daphne could have materialised , whene AD hada remote possibility of gaining a seat (and MLP gaining power by default). A third party should not simply serve as a spoiler – it should gain enough support to contest effectively for nine or ten seats across the board.
This can only be done through a (very) long-term plan to build up support for the next two EP elections (and local councils). In order to win seats in national elections, AD needs to grow beyond the role of a mere spoiler. In order to grow, AD first needs to prove it can deliver. Local councils and EP especially offer that opportunity (look at how Joseph Muscat grew in his role). AD should skip out national electiosn until it has evolved to this stage. It will take time, but Rome was not built in a day.
In the meantime, let’s keep our finger crossed that Gonzi lives up to his claimed potential and fulfills not only the limited expectations of the carcading masses, but also those of the crucial safety voters to whom he owes his victory – and that MLP finally clean their Aegaen stables once and for all.
In an earlier comment (haricot) related to professional ethics, I was referring to an exchange of letters published on a blog elsewhere (I am not mentioning names).
Jacques, I’m not saying that electoral reform is not an imporant issue. It definately is. But politics is not simply an issue of what is morally right. Politics takes place within specific economic, social and cultural contexts. The fact that people do not vote for small parties in general elections is sociologically significant, and shouldn’t simply be dismissed. People want stable governments and clear directions.
I strongly believe that electoral reform shouldn’t be AD’s battle-horse, as it will only help tilt the large parties against such reforms.
If anything, a civic campaign should be launched on this issue. Civic-minded, independent individuals should form a campaign which focuses on the need for democratic electoral reform which also ensures political stability and governability. This campaign should not be affiliated to any political party.
Electoral reform is only one of a number of necessary reforms… another equally crucial one is broadcasting. PBS has been hijacked by a bunch of Gonzipn stooges, and the party-owned stations are a joke (or at least, they would be if there was anything remotely funny about them).
But there is no real chance that either issue will be addressed by a Prime Minister who is the net beneficiary (pun intended) of both.
Raphael, you may be right.
But one has 3 choices.
1. To cry and be bitter, resulting in either the failed politics of doom
2. To assume that politics is a Xmas wishlist, hence resulting in the impossible politics of the parallel universe.
3 To carry out sober yet sound analysis, be realistic, adapt accordingly and be forward looking .
I prefer the 3rd option.
As regards AD: it has failed in general elections yet has been relatively successful in local and european elections. Similar to the Greens in Britain.
Shouldn’t this ring a bell in terms of political strategy?
“The failed politics of doom”
Mike, you should take up a career as a fantasy/science fiction writer. Superb title there…
Raphael
I beg to differ. PBS does not need a reform. All it requires is a change in name, or rather, on second thoughts, I think not. PBS is already appropriate.
Peppi(P), Bondi(B) Station, ergo PBS.
Daphne Says:
March 11, 2008 at 3:25 pm
“Claire (by the way, there’s a story going round that you were spotted celebrating with a PN flag last Sunday) and Raphael: if the ‘demonisation’ of the Labour leader worked, then it’s because there was stuff to work with, and the so-called demonisation tapped into a gut feeling that people already had, based on observations that they themselves had made.
Let’s put it this way, the Labour media and party went all out to demonise Fenech Adami and Gonzi. And did it work? No – because they had nothing to work with, and people liked those two men and admired men, even if they supported Labour. Sant, on the other hand, isn’t even liked and admired by Labour supporters. He is/was tolerated and endured, which is different.”
Oh shut the f***k up Daphne. I know Claire and I know that she wasn’t waving any Pn flags last sunday. I know for sure that she was enjoying her children rather than littering her own blog with hatred …. by the way I’ve saved most of your posts last Sunday. I assure you that they make some very interesting reading. Seems like they were written by an English speaking tin-pot Mintoff…. wow what an achievement…
Sorry Jacques mistook this for another blog with chicken jokes and cries for the bombing of Sliema residents.
Dispassionate and Mike Briguglio – I see your point about third parties first having to prove themselves at a local and EP level, however I am not totally convinced. This may be due to the fact that I am not a big fan of local councils (an opinion apparently not shared by many). I find them ineffective and another bureacratic hurdle to be overcome whenever anything needs to be done. This is not the fault of the local councillors but of the way they are financed (not enough to do anything which improves our quality of life) and the way they are microcosms of the bigger political scene. To sum up, I find it hard to see how a third party candidate can gain support at LC level and carry it over onto the national stage. Remember that once the general elections are here, the PN and the MLP turn their guns against third parties in a ferocious way. They dont do these for LC elections
Claire I disagree with most of what you say about LC’s. In some localities they’ve done a huge difference. Maybe they need more funds, and maybe more power – but decentralization is definitely a force for good. However participation at local council elections is declining – which is probably an indication that a growing number of people share your opinion.
There are a number of candidates – even from larger parties – who started out as councillors and then moved up the ladder. I can see that happening with AD too – if only the press is less hostile to the idea of third parties.
Regarding electoral reform; if it is to succeed, many will have to be convinced that such reforms are not t here just for the benefit of third parties – but that the whole nation will benefit.
However a number of people – not necessarily affiliated to AD/AN have expressed their wish for electoral reform.
J’accuse – a most amusing site.
It seems that some citizens in Malta have big difficulty in getting a life.
Why do mature persons not follow the example of Jacques René Zammit and Patrick Tabone? On the other hand, it is a pity that Malta has only one EU Commissioner, who can offer a career similar to that of Patrick.
Europe has opportunities but, admittedly, also disadvantages.
However, an individual is more than partly responsible for the individual’s own luck (success, happiness).
Nonetheless, Malta needs an electoral reform but no electoral system can ever be perfect.
So, il-poplu is wrong then and AD is right. Indeed!
I have only discovered this blog today and must say it has been quite an eye-opener. The arrogance, intollerance and self-righteousness oozing out of some of the posts would do credit to a Norman Lowell blog.
Like Lowell, AD members see themselves as a noble elite, destined to clean up Maltese politics and lead the country into a better future; some kind of green imperium I should imagine.
Andre, we differ as to the effectiveness of LCs (though I acknowledge that a number of the smallest LCs especially in Gozo are doing well and are an example to follow). However you have made a very important point – a third party (or any movement/idea/proposal) will only flower if the press lets it. The press and generally the media in Malta is very hostile towards the very existence of third parties. I don’t need to point out the number of “independent” columnists crawling out of the woodworks come election time all muttering darkly about the dangers of third parties. You might say that they are expressing their opinions. Fair enough – couple this with the way events are reported (note the headlines- always with a avourable PN slant) and the amount of photos showing Gonzi with children/with Kate/beaming kindly and the photos of Sant etc and you start seeing what I mean….
Claire I agree 100% with your assessment of the media. Regarding columnists; they’re paid to write the way they do. But news items are unashamedly biased. Even the editorial of two leading newspapers reads like any PN propaganda leaflet should read. And I’ve had rumours that some people very close to Tal-Pieta penned a number of editorials weeks before the election…
Antoine Vella you clearly stumbled on this site a little late in the day. if it’s arrogance and intolerance you were after, you would have found a good deal more of both before the election. And all directed against the small minority of non gonziPN bootlickers.
Raphael,
How old might you be?
Old enough to write under my real name.
This how PN’s hand in electing a new MLP leader works. They support the leader they think will mostly be a threat to PN. Last time it was John Attard Montaldo … elite guy, double-barrelled surname, cheesy smile, popular with his electorate … any disgruntled PN voter would be wooed by him. How does the MLP react? They don’t choose him … plain and simple. They will choose anyone BUT the candidate the PN is “supporting”. This time round, the PN will support Michael Falzon. How can a disgruntled PN voter not like Michael Falzon? A Sliema boy, pleasant temperament, devoted to the Stella Maris feast and plays an active role in its festa, carries holy pictures in his wallet. Really … how can a typical PN voter not feel drawn to Michael Falzon? See the comments on Daphne’s blog … somehow Michael has become the hero of the day last Sunday, with even a glowing article about him by the blogmeister herself. That is precisely the reason why Michael Falzon (mark my words) WILL NOT be elected as new MLP leader. He’s not popular within MLP anyway. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. I want the new MLP to be a reformed MLP (which means Anglu Farrugia, Charles Mangion, etc … are a non-option) with New Labour ideals, not a PN with a torca emblem.
Two attractive ideas of new MLP leaders which spring to mind are Joseph Muscat (for reasons I mentioned earlier) and Marie Louise Coleiro (sensible, popular, works a lot with the community, and the female “edge” will probably give the MLP a more progressive edge over its male-dominated adversary).
LOL
Honestly how depressing guys.
Daphne: leave these people alone; they’re in enough pain already.
As for the rest of you, can’t you see she does it because you’re so easy to take the piss out of? She dips in and says something and then sits back grinning to watch you all seethe and boil.
Claire: I’m afraid you’re not exactly coming out as an advert for the fresh new way of doing politics. Constantly pointing to my job is not an argument. It’s the bad old politics of nasty personalisation and envy. Likewise your comments about the size of Daphne’s arse. Are you sure you want to go there? I wouldn’t. While all the guys reading the blog are probably enjoying the catfight and wishing it wasn’t virtual (it’s in our genes), it’s pretty clear that 1) she’ll win and 2) your claim to the high moral ground won’t survive it.
Two attractive ideas of new MLP leaders which spring to mind are Joseph Muscat (for reasons I mentioned earlier) and Marie Louise Coleiro (sensible, popular, works a lot with the community, and the female “edge” will probably give the MLP a more progressive edge over its male-dominated adversary).
As far as I recall, the Labour Party statute says that to become Leader you have to be an MP. Meaning that Joe Muscat is not eligible. I stand to be corrected as the Party statute is not online but I remember Joe Brincat saying this to pour cold water on those who were hoping that George Abela take on the Party leadership.
Which also goes to show that in choosing crap leaders the Labour Party does not need help from anyone.
Correction: Brincat poured cold water on the *idea* of having Abela lead Labour. Well, Brincat has failed to be elected and he’s got a cold shower.
In the voting booth:
“x’jismu dan? eh iva… smajt bih dan dal-ahhar… “Pullicino Orland”… jissemma fil-gazzetti… tajjeb dan nahseb… ha ntih il-1”
Fausto, I think given the recent result, there is really no place for rigidity and rules with the Labour Party.
Statutes may be modified; laws are made to serve man and not vice versa.
I’m of course speaking hypothetically here. What I’m sure of is that the PN media will give its support to Michael Falzon to make sure that he will not get elected.
I also stand to be corrected, but I don;t think Abela ever expressed a direct interest in the party leadership. The only reason he is ever discussed at all is because his name was touted by the Pn media… which goes some way towards proving Gold Roast right.
But fausto, are you sure about the party statute?
But fausto, are you sure about the party statute?
No, just remember Brincat saying it. There does not seem to be the Party statute online,
Statutes may be modified; laws are made to serve man and not vice versa.
Sure. But I’m positive the statute may also be amended by a strong majority of the Labour General Conference. And rest assured, Andre, that if Muscat expresses an interest, all his adversaries will temporarily unite to prevent the statute from being amended.
In any case there is the option of co-option as had happened with KMB. Alfred Sant said he will consult with the new leader on whether or not he’ll remain an MP… maybe he’s keeping his options open?
I think Raphael is right – Abela never expressed a wish to be elected leader. Many Labour supporters did though.
Three cheers to Michael Briguglio. I hope they listen to you mate.
Two of the positives that come out of the election are that both the MLP and AD have a chance to reinvent themselves.
The obsession with winning a seat warped something in AD; it took them away from their core message. If you think back to this campaign, their main message was not about policy but about getting to power: coalition, coalition, coalition, an empty promise that the electorate saw through effortlessly. A green party that in its manifesto forgot to mention climate change.
Time for AD to get back to its roots.
I think the PN has a chance to reinvent itself too… though whether it will actually take it is another matter. Gonzi has already committed himself to picking new faces for his new cabinet. Only snag is, the electorate doesn’t seem to want to let him. Only two completely new faces to really choose from… and of the backbenchers there are some (well, one) whom Gonzi will only appoint to his own cost. Anyone brave enough to throw a few wild guesses on the cabinet?
Alfred Sant’s smear campaign against Pullicino Orlando was so successful in getting him re-elected that I’m starting to think it was JPO himself who sent Sant copies and receipts of the Mistra disco application.
Zammit Dimech and Frendo didn’t get elected. Ma fottewx bizzejjed biex jitilghu.
I voted PN (just to state biases here)….I think the biggest mistake gonzi can make is to reappoint FZD and Mugliett to their previous posts and to appoint JPO as environment minister. On the other hand, Tonio Fenech and DOlores Cristina were very good at their job in these last 4 years. Louis Galea will not be making it to Paliament, so new faces will be needed there as well. Dolores Cristina was an educator herself so she might be a canidate. On the other hand Joe Cassar, being specialised in children development might have a lot to offer. But then..like any totministri…i might be completely off mark.
I do not agree that AD should quit contesting general elections … I think it should continue contesting. This time round, even though it did not get a seat, it sure was quite a pain in GonziPN’s arse. Why should we give the big parties an easy win? Yes please, I want more “grieden zghar” contesting! Forcing me to opt between either of the gganti l-kbar is so undemocratic. By the way, in today’s mass rally speech, Gonzi is talking about an electoral reform following last election’s wacky result. Maybe the coalition bell is finally ringing?
Interesting. I had thought of Cristina for education too. And Frans Agius for social policy. The big question mark in my mind is justice and home affairs. Will Gonzi split the two ministries which should never have been fused in the first place? And who’ll take what?
Keith…Zammit Dimech did get elected….which is a surprise considering MHRA had lobbied publicly with Gonzi to remove him a couple of years ago. Some visionaries still made it though…Joe Mizzi and Silvio Parnis. Sorry I can’t think of any Pn candidate with so little to offer as these two. Of course, there are those who will say that these are ‘nies twajba’…the problem being that they fail to notice that for politics you need more substance than goodness.
Jon
I hope Gonzi keeps Austin in his position. He was BY FAR the most efficient minister, and half the merit of this victory was his no matter how much people can’t stand him. Ironically, he’s the least popular minister with most Nationalists I know. If Michael Falzon deserves the title of the most Nationalist of Labourite MPs, I think Austin Gatt deserves the title of the most Labourite of Nationalist MPs, though he probably wouldn’t like that title. He has many defects but he doesn’t try to hide them, a “no frills” type of politician, interested only in getting things done.
“It was a straight contest against corruption…and corruption won.”
No Raphael. It was about which of the 2 alternatives onoffer was going to be better at running the country.
Michael Gonzi made a good showing as well….and since we are desperately in need of a new health minister he might be a potential candidate. The next challenge for the health ministry is to develop the primary care system in malta..too many people rely on the hospital uselessly. I doubt Gonzi will have the gall to appoint his brother though, knowing full well what a charade super one will make out of it.
Incidentally..do Maltese laws allow for the appointment of technical ministers? Not that I’m seeing anyone appointed so anytime soon.
Patrick, we can argue about this till the corrupt bullshitters come home. But corruption was definitely the main platform of the Labour campaign, and three ex-ministers accused of corruption were returned to parliament. The results speak for themselves.
By the way, in today’s mass rally speech, Gonzi is talking about an electoral reform following last election’s wacky result. Maybe the coalition bell is finally ringing?
I will never cease of making these two points:
(a) you need to thirds to change the electoral system
(b) Labour is not interested
Raphael – Re PN having a chance to reinvent itself too, I agree. I really hope we see some imagination and guts when the new cabinet is named.
“Incidentally..do Maltese laws allow for the appointment of technical ministers?”
As far as I know, the Constitution specifies that a Cabinet minister has to be elected. There might be a way around it though. Richard cachia Caruana was never a minister but unofficially at least he was considered part of the cabinet. (before everyone pounces on me, I know this is technically incorrect but effectively that is how it was and most likely will remain) Also, Alfred Sant had suggested giving the MCESD chairman a ministerial role. So I suppose it’s a case that yes, together everything is possible.
Raphael and Patrick, for the 3 ministers elected, other 3 were left out (Louis Galea, Toni Abela and Censu Galea have all had their fair share of corruption suspicions). I do not beleive that the corruption argument from MLP’s side was a very strong one, not least because they are not as clean and pure as they would like to depict themselves. In reality, most of us know of a lot of irresponsable promises mae from candidates, from both sides of the house. The electorate understood that if there’s anything to divide these to parties, its definately not corruption.
Also…and this is something that worries me much more than corruption and misrepresentation in parliament: why don’t we know who gets presidential pardons, and who are the lawyers that apply for them. Am i wrong in assuming the come from bothe sides of the house?
Indeed Fausto, you’re probably right.
Since disgruntled Nationalists are probably more comfortable with voting AD than MLP, it’s PN that stands to benefit more from a reform in the electoral system. That would me that disgruntlement would still give us a PN-AD coalition, as a result of which we will probably not have an MLP goverment before the year 2053!
Some wild guesses:
Louis Galea President of the Republic in 2009
Tonio Borg, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Commissioner in 2009, his place to be taken by Jason Azzopardi (or even Michael Frendo who, by then, would have taken his seat as an MP through a casual election)
John Dalli, Minister of Competitiveness and Industry and then European Court of Auditors in 2010
Justice for Carm Mifsud Bonnici
Home Affairs for De Marco
Cristina gets Education
Puli takes Tony Abela’s place at the Office of the PM
Tonio Fenech is elevated to Minister
Planning and Environment are split with Gonzi taking the former and Pullicino takes the latter and to which he also gets Resources from Ninu Zammit
Ninu Zammit keeps Infrastructure and gets also Roads
Debono keeps Gozo
Mugliett gets Transport (all of it, not just land transport)
Austin Gatt gets telecoms, loses Industry
Well, it’s past bedtime for me … 🙂
As far as I know, the Constitution specifies that a Cabinet minister has to be elected. There might be a way around it though. Richard cachia Caruana was never a minister but unofficially at least he was considered part of the cabinet. (before everyone pounces on me, I know this is technically incorrect but effectively that is how it was and most likely will remain) Also, Alfred Sant had suggested giving the MCESD chairman a ministerial role. So I suppose it’s a case that yes, together everything is possible.
What the Constitution says is that to be a Minister you need to be an MP; it does not say you have to be a Minister to be a member of the Cabinet. The MCESD could have equally been made a member of Cabinet without being a Minister.
Jon, I disagree. The allegation against Censu Galea was never very strong to begin with. The most that can be said against Censu after that recording was that he was powerless to unravel the “brimba”. At no point was there any suggestion of his being part of it. In fact he is about the only one of the unlected crowd I feel sorry for. (Can;t say the same for TA though… as for Galea I have to admit he was so much part of the PN furniture that the party already feels kind of different without him)
Thanks for clarification fausto. I think you;re right in all your guesses except for two: Zammit and Mugliett. Goodnight.
Fausto, the rumour is already going around about Louis Galea as President. If this happens, the PN has really learnt nothing. So much for a government for all Maltese. I have always voted PN in the general elections but with a relative majority I would expect a consensus president for once. Otherwise who can blame Labour if they opt to not co-operate with a pairing agreement in Parliament for example.
With just a one seat majority, not having a pairing agreement could be suicidal.
No cabinet seat for JPO. The Prime Minister just ruled it out live on TV.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/election2008/view/20080311/news/pullicino-orlando-excluded-from-new-cabinet
Ivan
As Radio 101 was playing on Sunday evening: “The Winner Takes It All”.
He still will be a member of the parliament no? Could be a bit of a risk to government stabilty with only one seat majority. Surely not for now though.
At least … kudos for Gonzi for this!
You can’t remove anyone from paliament though…the people are responsable for placing him there an no PM can decide as to the contrary. Also, remember that all these allegations were done in the last week of the campaign, well after the date when candidates were chosen to contest. Finally, this guy, corrupt or not, hasn’t beeen formally charged with anything yet.
Jon, you are right, no formal charges yet but he was cought lying. Day one and already anawkward situation for the PM. It will be a difficult 5 years for GonziPN
Jon, Zammit Dimech got co-opted, not elected by the people as such. My point is that he got less votes than George Pullicino in district 10.
Jacques and the rest of the motley electoral reform crew: Gonzi this evening promised to reform the electoral system… to avoid the “disaster” of a third party in parliament. And this, by the way, in a speech about “unity”.
Who was it who said the PN has learnt nothing? Say it again…
Iva flimkien kollox possibli – bastaa hadd ma jindahal
Raphael,
Dan sar Prim Ministru tal-Busli l-Bajd.
Dan se jkompli jsahhan l-irjus u jgib firda espansiva fil-pajjiz.
Imissu jisthi. Diga’ qed jikkunsidra li jtella’ Ministri, kandidati li ma gabux hafna voti.
Dak rispett tal-poplu, ghax issa l-ostja madonna se taqbez.
Party Leader first.
Prime Minister second.
Fuq it-times hawn:
“He would also discuss ways to improve the electoral system in view of the flaws which became apparent in this election.”
Hmmm … so I misinterpreted that he’s speaking about proportional representation here. So probably he wants to modify the constitution so that even with a relative majority and a third party, you still get a “top-up”. That flushes AD’s coalition idea down the toilet doesn’t it?
In principle the electorate is not against having third parties in Parliament; the fact is however that AD is not considered a credible third party.
I know this will irk many readers of this most excellent blog but AN did much better than AD, considering that it has only been set up a few months ago and has only one politician within its ranks. I am a PN not an AN supporter but have to say that, compared to AD, they did very well.
Perhaps, instead of moaning about ‘MLPN’, AD should take a long hard look within itself . It is seen by many as just another group of protesters – basically a glorified pressure group – and AD does, in fact, protest very vocally and effectively.
When people are seeking to express a protest vote on a local level, AD achieves a somewhat dignified result and often loses just ‘bi sbrixx’. When, however, people are intent on choosing a government, someone to administer the country, AD is miles away from their mind. It is not perceived as a potential governing party because, let’s face it, it isn’t.
All that talk of ‘coalition’ not only sounded ridiculously presumptuous but actually scared off voters. Harry Vassallo does an excellent job at whinging but can never be seen as a potential administrator, I’m afraid. The prospect of having him on the Government benches must have caused a great many voters to look for their “nose peg” and vote PN.
That also means that, at that point, a third party contesting would be pointless wouldn’t it?
6000 people voted for small parties and independent candidates.
MLP (140,000 people) depends on votes moving from PN into AD to maybe get elected someday.
PN changes the constitution and the country burns.
Antoine Vella, if parliament had to have proportional representation, there would be space for the smaller parties. However, making it useless for a third (fourth, fifth, etc…) party to contest and have a significant voice in parliament, the two parties are forcing down the electorate’s throat to either choose PN or MLP. There is no room for other ideologies. Now how democratic is that?
PN isn’t going to change the constitution just to make it impossible for a small party or an independent candidate to get elected.
PN IS GOING TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION TO MAKE IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR MLP TO EVER GET ELECTED.
I totally agree with Gold Roast’s last comment. The Maltese parliament needs more colour, a breath of fresh air… Will it ever come?
Well Keith, PN can’t change the constitution on its own. MLP will have to agree to that, and see that it favours it. I think MLP is very much comfortable with the “status quo” right now. With last Sunday’s result, if PN f***s up, it’s just 1500 votes away from getting elected.
more wild guesses:
DJ David Agius, Ministry of Sound
DJ Clyde Puli, Perm. Sec. Ministry of Sound
In other countries, the populace will riot until they get what they want if they feel their rights are being suppressed. Why don’t we ever get the balls to do so? Shouldn’t be so hard with 55% of the population being under a government it hasn’t voted for.
Keith, I think you’re making too much draaamaaah. Constitution needs 2/3 of parliament to change. Do you think MLP will agree to something which will make it the perennial opposition party? Hopefully it’s not that stupid.
What are you on about, Gold? MLP is just 1500 votes away because 4000 voted AD and 1500 voted AN and another 200 voted independent candidates. That’s 7200 away, man.
PN needs 2/3 of parliament to make this happen. This country’s democracy depends on MLP.
Let’s hope MLP won’t think it will gain 7200 votes, because disgruntled PN supporters won’t vote for MLP, no matter what.
Keith …Pn cannot change the constitution…whatever shanges are made to the constitution, they have to be approved by a 2/3 majority.
Appuntu Kieth … i just said that THE WAY THINGS ARE, MLP is just 1500 votes away. So for MLP, it’s better to keep things the way they are.
And by the way, I believe there is a good 1/5 of PN voters who DO wish to see an MLP they can vote for. Sant just wasn’t the man.
That’s what I said.
I don’t find it hard to imagine a scenario where MLP will approve. Knowing MLP, they will think “7000 angry AD and AN people will vote for us now!”
And as usual, MLP will be wrong.
I’m sorry. I’m so fuckin pissed off I don’t even know if what I’m saying makes any sense.
teqirdux: f’pajjizi ohrajn jitla gvern u jivvota inqas minn nofs il-pajjiz….prosit mike briguglio – oggettiv u minghajr frilli – Jacques…ha niddiskutu xi haga kostruttiva fil-vera sens tal-kelma jew?
Keith, the MLP isn’t just made of Jason Micallefs ta. Ok maybe you’re trying to imagine a worst case scenario where MLP falls unwittingly into PN’s evil trap and poof … Malta’s stuck with a PN dictatorship until all those Nationalists who remember vividly the eighties die out. But please, I don’t think for one moment that the MLP MPs are that stupid, at least the majority of them aren’t. Let’s keep fingers crossed that we get an MLP with a leadership witty enough to counteract the crafty PN in the coming weeks.
s(M)artipan: tridx inkantaw Flimkien Kollox Possibbli, mhux hekk trid?
Jacques,
according to people, this site is the voice of AD.
What a mess!
Sandro, we criticize both MLP and PN, so we’re labelled AD. What’s new?
s(M)artipan xi tridna naghmlu? Noqodu nistennew il-bajda tidhol f’sorm*a u naccettaw kull ma jghid MugabePN? Flimkien Kollox Nah*u missha kienet is-sigla ta dan il-partit. Nixtieq nkun naf x’fih differenti dan il-partit mil-MLP li kienu ili jiggverna fil-passat…Wiehed kien jah*ik bis-salvagg minghajr ma jilbes xejn u dan issa bil-pulit billi jilbes ‘condom’ u jghidlek allinqas jien kont responsabbli. U hallina, kieku kellu renju daqshekk glorjuz il-PN dawn l-ahhar 4 snin kieku tilef kwazi 12,000 l-vot f’daqqa?
Int tidhol http://www.maltarightnow.com jew http://www.pn.org.mt u minghalik qieghed tghix id-dubai bis-successi li qedghin inwettqu. Bizzejjed thares lejn xi Mugliett, qieghed biex tara kemm mar lura l-Partit Nazzjonalista, u kemm saru Ipokriti Kristjani.
Insejt isemmi li Sant (MA TISTAX TAFDAH) gab 1000 vot aktar minn Gonzi. Mela xi slogan ha naghmluli lil Gonzfather? (IBARRIK?)
Michael Briguglio, I agree with everything you say here, but don’t expect miracles. AD is the victims’ party. Remove the unifying sense of victimisation, underdog self-pity and ‘everyone is against us’ attitude and the whole thing fizzles out. Bitterness is the bond, so nobody’s going to be getting rid of it any time soon.
AD just doesn’t get the message that not enough people like the party to put it in parliament, and so other factors have to be blamed: electoral reform, the media, not enough exposure, scaremongering, fear of Labour, that nasty evil Daphne who writes against us – shall I go on?
Because AD doesn’t understand market forces, it doesn’t understand that market forces are at work here. We don’t want what you’re selling, thanks. If you can’t sell your product to enough people to make the business work, then the only way is to shut up shop or diversify – and the latter is what Michael Briguglio is suggesting.
I find it astonishing that instead of heaving a sigh of relief at the lucky escape you had this weekend, you’re moaning because your seat didn’t come through. That’s what I mean about AD’s tunnel vision. You have absolutely no idea of political strategy, which is why you keep failing politically.
Winning a seat in this election would have been the biggest public relations disaster you could possibly score. Rather than signalling the beginning of your glory, it would have been the start of AD’s instant transition to Hate Object. And Raphael, before you pounce on me with abusive language once more (please remember that you are 36, not 18), this is not me MAKING AD A HATE OBJECT, but an accurate prediction of what public opinion would be as a result of AD being a spanner in the works. This is what I do for a living, remember, so have the good grace to accept for free some advice which you would otherwise have to pay for.
If we had ended up this week with a minority government (1981) situation because of AD’s wretched seat, that wouldn’t exactly have made you the most popular kids on the block. Surely even the most tunnel-visioned of you lot can see that. It wouldn’t have won you more votes in 2013; it would have written you off completely. Not that you haven’t been written off completely in the parliamentary stakes, in any case. Take Mike Briguglio’s advice and move on.
Mario – you don’t have to be objective to be a journalist. You just have to write well. Objectivity is strictly for reporters only. If all journalists were required to be objective, the Journalists Committee and Institute of Journalists wouldn’t be packed to the lid with employees of the political parties – and a newspaper column would read like a Broadcasting Authority debate. Besides, you accuse me of lack of independence, when you can’t see what’s staring you in the face: that you find me obnoxious precisely because I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks or says. How much more independent than that can you get?
Jacques – if the letter wasn’t suppressed, then it was ‘lost in the mail’ and the email was ‘deleted in error’. Come on, you don’t seriously believe that a letter and an email about the same subject mysteriously and coincidentally both fail to get to their destination.
I see this blog isn’t just packed with strange single men, but also with jealous little bitches – the sort of creature I have had to put up with for most of my life, and to which I am well accustomed. Sorry, Claire, but my arse would only be a problem if I used it to think with, like some of the people on this blog. Interesting to see that your powers of argumentation are so similar to Jason Micallef’s. I know you find it hard to cope with the fact that there’s only going to be one Daphne, and that your efforts at turning yourself into Daphne no. 2 have failed to get you the attention you believe is your due, but tough. Deal with it. You can join the I-hate-Daphne support group of bitchy women columnists, and invite Raphael Vassallo and Matthew Vella along as honorary members. The reason you all can’t stand my guts has nothing to do with my politics. You only pretend to yourselves that it does. ‘Human nature makes an enemy of anything it believes to be superior’ – Thucydides
And now you have something else to hate me for – http://www.daphnecaruanagalizia.com, which went from 900 hits on its launch day to 120,000 on the seventh day. Maybe you should be asking yourselves why? I’ll explain: it’s market forces.
J’ACCUSE COMMENT: Let me tell you something else about market forces Daphne.Your market will be saturated around the 140,000 point (can’t bother to look up the exact figure but you’ll surely tell what I am referring to. As for this blog being all the things you described it – it is and much more. It’s incredible for someone who claims to feel the pulse of the people how you manage to put all the people posting on this blog under one heading. The way I see it there’s a wide variety of opinions – even the site cartoonist’s political opinions differ from my own whenever we discuss – and all you prove when you lump them in one basket is that you are carried away by the kind of comments you have promoted so successfully on http://www.daphnecaruanagalizia.com (another plug for the satire hungry). As I said many times the public debate in Malta has been poisoned by this kind of interventions and whenever someone points that out he or she gets the flak of being some kind of know-it-all. A mature electorate (made up of people of all walks of life not only married apologists) would have read the signs of this election – our system is not fair. It’s not about AD, it’s about representation, participation and moving forward. Trust me, while you are busy extending the spin of the election until it becomes stale MY MOLES tell me that all the political forces have started to examine this issue – from PN to MLP to AD. Now if you believe that in the meantime the public debate can afford to continue to get frequent injections of poison so as to dumb it down further – feel free to do so. It’s a free blog. I would say it’s a free press… but gee don’t we both know how far from the truth that one is. I for one am glad to let someone like Antoine Vella come over and claim we sound “Lowellian” – and then describe us as such because we seem to think we have the only solution for Malta. Only solution? No. Different solutions yet. We obviously don’t subscribe to Lowell’s twisted ideologies but yes, we do think forward and right now the debate is about that following the realisation for the need for change. Of course there will always be those who fight for David’s Status Quo. And as far as you are concerned – you are doing a fine job at that.
“dictatorship” “rights suppressed” . . .
I need a reality check . Here I was, thinking that I live in Malta and I suddenly realise this is Cuba.
Raphael, I think you need a reality check too. When the PM spoke of a disaster he meant that, in this particular election, the PN would have the relative majority of votes but the MLP would still govern. He was NOT saying that the presence of a third party would be a disaster.
Less paranoia and more realism please.
I think it’s cloning forces, rather than market forces.
Ian Ciantar, if you want a title for Gonzi, how about PRIM MINISTRU?
Keith Chircop – you’re labelled AD because you criticise everyone except AD.
PRIM MINISTRU ta` 45% tal-poplu. Good luck with only representing PN diehards. Could have been translated into: PRIM MINISTRU tar-rass.
Ian Ciantar – No. Prime Minister of 100% of the people, you included. That’s how democracy works. The one with the largest number of votes gets to be PM.
I used to criticize PN five years ago, when I voted for PN. What should I have been labelled back then, Lowellian?
He got less votes personally than Sant though. That’s the irony. And no, he might be your Prime Minister, not mine though. Same applies to Sant if he was elected in such a way.
Antoine – You still believe we have a democracy with the state controlling newspapers and the independent media? Wicked!
We have another one of them here people….GonziPeN*S ringing ding dong his Uvula with each thrust of PN propoganda.
LOL…lick lick suck suck would have been enough to illustrate your point.
They would have labelled you a citizen of the finest sort Keith. One that has been genetically engineered and bred to their liking.
Keith – the adjective lowellian can be used for some posts here, not because they are critical of the PN but because of the intollerance and sense of superiority that they display. All you need are the racist rants to make this site a copy of vivamalta.com or whatever the local nazis call their cyber-lair.
Alan Grech – let me climb down to your level for a moment. From where I’m sitting, it appears that the GonziPeN*S has buggered AD well and truly. lolol
I still believe we have a democracy and a representative Parliament, no thanks to AD.
Ian – He is your Prime Minister too because if, for example, he says that you’re going to pay less taxes next year then so shall you.
Pay less taxes? I doubt that will happen. It only happens in the budget before the election year.
What goes around, comes around Antoine Vella. The time when PN does lose its power, there will be a buggering fest held annually instead of the Beer Festival.
Gold Roast – So you want a “witty” MLP leader. lol.
Wasn’t Sant good enough for a giggle, then? Maybe Jay Leno could be hired to write the speeches of the new ‘Lider’.
Nahseb l-AD semmew l-partit Alternattiva Demokratika halli jkunu minn ta fuq fil-ballot paper, ha jiehu ‘l-vantagg totali’ fuq l-ohrajn, kif kien qal l-idolu tieghi, Abacus Operandi.
Alan – Oh, you must be referring to the Gay Pride jamboree.
Antoine Vella nixtieq nara lilek titkellem bhala leader. Probabli tigi titkellem on TV b’dibattitu ma Sant fuq it-TV, qas tibda. Imma nsomma, ghandek il-crib ta Daphne qedgha tistennik. Taghmlu koppja flimkien. It-tnejn la intkom, daqshekk iffissati fil-blue, ghax ma tithajjrux taghmlu film kollu blue u ssemuh GonziPeN*S Style? Kunu certi li titghattew b’kverta blue ma tmurx tibda tohrogilkom mil-pori ta gisimkom u tintilef fl-arja il-propoganda tal-PN.
Tatix kazom in-nies brainwashed. Tribal politics in Malta sieheb! Tahlix energija targumenta maghhom. Dawk jinzel Kristu leader tal-MLP, PN jibqghu jivvutaw. Jekk hemm bzonn anke juzaw id-Da Vinci Code biex ihammguh kieku.
No, Ian Ciantar – I’m talking about unique visitors to http://www.daphnecaruangalizia.com, which has absolutely nothing to do with the cloned site that Sandro Vella created, and which Sandro Vella very kindly removed. When we got those 120,000 hits on Sunday, the clone had already gone. Try not to find sour grapes reasons why this isn’t possible, please. Is it so hard for you to accept the fact that I know how to do my job?
Depends which job. You seem to be journalist and the Devil’s advocate himself at the same time, with arguments based on spreading hate about someone based on looks rather than political agenda. Can’t wait for your new nicknames for the new MLP leader and AD leader. You’ll surely find something.
At least I can look in the mirror and not see hate coming out from every opening in my body.
Antoine, as a new visitor here, you have to understand that this is the equivalent of a bunker in which the kind of people who read Lord of the Rings and play weird computer games that make them feel they’re taking over the world plot to……take over the world. You first have to come to terms with the complete detachment from reality, then you have to accept that you are not allowed to have an opinion unless it’s theirs, and then you have to listen to them obsessively grinding their teeth on the same two subjects while accusing everyone else of being obsessed. It’s important to bear in mind, if you’re going to survive here, that you’re dealing with political illiterates who don’t know anything about strategy, haven’t a clue how the electoral system works (though they want to reform it) and haven’t even bothered to read the electoral programmes of the party they hate (PN) or the ones they love (AD and MLP). That’s why you get people like this Ian Ciantar, who doesn’t even know that one of the main electoral promises made by the man he ignorantly describes as ‘your’ prime minister was the slashing of the upper income tax rate from 35% to 25%, and the widening of all tax bands. But I would hazard a guess that he doesn’t even know the significance of this.
Antoine, the more time you spend visiting this blog, the sooner you will realise, as I did a long time ago, that anybody with a grudge, resentment, envy, hatred, feelings of inadequacy, etc gravitates towards the Labour Party (which incites these feelings) and now also to AD. Meanwhile, hard-working, clear-thinking, practical commonsense people who use their initiative and don’t begrudge others their good luck or the rewards of their hard work gravitate naturally to the Nationalist Party. It’s not a coincidence that almost no farmers vote Labour (or AD, which is supposed to be the ‘green’ party).
‘At least I can look in the mirror and not see hate coming out from my own body’ – well, Mr Ciantar, what can I say? Self-delusion is the mind’s way of protecting itself.
Daphne said: “anybody with a grudge, resentment, envy, hatred, feelings of inadequacy, etc gravitates towards the Labour Party (which incites these feelings) and now also to AD”
So it is as simple as that then is it: people who vote Nationalist are righteous, fair-minded, wholesome and well-balanced and people who don’t are mean, vindictive, resentful and hateful? You don’t actually, sincerely believe that do you?
Christ, if that is the people who vote for Labour or AD then how would you describe the people who voted for Norman Lowell? I see that you just stopped short of saying that Nationalist supporters were actually genetically superior to everyone else. Seriously, you are flirting dangerously with self-parody now. At this stage, maybe you have just been in this game too long.
:$
Why is Saviour Balzan missing on this blog, which reminds me strongly of Malta Today?
Is this debate an exercise in showing who has the high moral ground, or is it an exercise in humble pie?
As I stated in my posts above and in my personal blogspot, I truly believe that AD should look forward, build on its relative successes and do away with self-righteous bitterness and unrealistic aspirations. Move on!
Actually, this has always been my position.
Would not a torta tal-ful (fool) fit Malta better than a humble pie?
How absolute, and how generic, can morals be?
Michael, look forward to what? Didn’t you watch Dissett?
Daphne said ‘It’s not a coincidence that almost no farmers vote Labour (or AD, which is supposed to be the ‘green’ party).’
Especially not JPO and Louis Galea…
Reproduced from earlier comment by Daphne:
J’ACCUSE COMMENT: Let me tell you something else about market forces Daphne.Your market will be saturated around the 140,000 point (can’t bother to look up the exact figure but you’ll surely tell what I am referring to. As for this blog being all the things you described it – it is and much more. It’s incredible for someone who claims to feel the pulse of the people how you manage to put all the people posting on this blog under one heading. The way I see it there’s a wide variety of opinions – even the site cartoonist’s political opinions differ from my own whenever we discuss – and all you prove when you lump them in one basket is that you are carried away by the kind of comments you have promoted so successfully on http://www.daphnecaruanagalizia.com (another plug for the satire hungry). As I said many times the public debate in Malta has been poisoned by this kind of interventions and whenever someone points that out he or she gets the flak of being some kind of know-it-all. A mature electorate (made up of people of all walks of life not only married apologists) would have read the signs of this election – our system is not fair. It’s not about AD, it’s about representation, participation and moving forward. Trust me, while you are busy extending the spin of the election until it becomes stale MY MOLES tell me that all the political forces have started to examine this issue – from PN to MLP to AD. Now if you believe that in the meantime the public debate can afford to continue to get frequent injections of poison so as to dumb it down further – feel free to do so. It’s a free blog. I would say it’s a free press… but gee don’t we both know how far from the truth that one is. I for one am glad to let someone like Antoine Vella come over and claim we sound “Lowellian” – and then describe us as such because we seem to think we have the only solution for Malta. Only solution? No. Different solutions yet. We obviously don’t subscribe to Lowell’s twisted ideologies but yes, we do think forward and right now the debate is about that following the realisation for the need for change. Of course there will always be those who fight for David’s Status Quo. And as far as you are concerned – you are doing a fine job at that.
“anybody with a grudge, resentment, envy, hatred, feelings of inadequacy, etc gravitates towards the Labour Party…and now also AD”
Interesting. I suppose Daphne voted Labour and gave No. 2 to the AD candidate then.
Claire – by the way, given your comment about Daphne’s arse and legs, I realise you’ve been at a disadvantage in my regard – you don’t know what I look like, which is why you have to focus on where I work. Let me fill you in so you have some ammunition.
You’ll be happy to know you’ve got plenty to work with. My hair is receding rapidly, my teeth are crooked and despite my best efforts I keep getting chubbier and chubbier. There’s more, but that should be enough for now.
I’m afraid I’m out of place here – the bitterness levels are simply too high for me. Jacques – if you’re ever in town here I’ll be happy to buy you lunch with my ill-gotten gains.
Incidentally Daphne, since you are new to the blogging world, you should know that a constant quoting of your blog address on another persons blog in the comments amounts to bad netiquette.
I personally don’t mind but I thought you would like to know in case you are doing it elsewhere. When posting comments you have a box above the comment where you can fill in a web address. That will allow your name in the comment to be hyperlinked to your site.
Good morning all!
I’ve got a suggestion on this beautiful sunny morning: all the ‘strange single men’ and ‘jealous little bitches’ should set up a Partito dell’Amore (Partit ta’ l-Imhabba) whose sole aim would be to terrorize and lampoon all the ‘familji normali Maltin u Ghawdxin (pepe’ u hamalli) bi 2.1 tfal u b’loan li jkissrek mal-bank’.
Now that would inject some fun into this depressing slanging match.
Speaking of “humble pie” and getting all “big headed” about the number of hits one’s blog gets, it is worth keeping in mind the following:
1. Both the Bible and the Koran sold millions of copies. They cannot both be true.
2. I’m sure websites such as those of the Westboro Babtist Church get millions of hits. Still, they are nothing but vile hate-sites, promoting hate-speech of a very crazy fundamentalist, although I guess some people would find their content inspiring.
“The way I see it there’s a wide variety of opinions – even the site cartoonist’s political opinions differ from my own whenever we discuss – and all you prove when you lump them in one basket is that you are carried away by the kind of comments you have promoted so successfully….” – Jacques, its the siege mentality that is the problem. whoever is within the walls is with us, those outside are against us. Its irrelevant if me and you have different political opinions, we just happen to be the ones outside.
Patrick, the way you described yourself, you would be ideal as a bertoon character. 🙂
Daphne said that the PN will be slashing tax bands from 35% to 25%. Oh goody, as usual the PN is the party that defends the interest of the highest class.
I would have prepared, not paying half the surcharge, no tax on overtime and most of ALL….Not losing any ‘off’ days when public holidays fall on weekends and spending more time with the family.
the tax band slash is a positive thing Ian.
that is one thing that MLP was never capable of understanding. You don’t improve the working class’s cause by taking money out of the upper middle class/upper class pockets. Anzi it makes it worse. If a higher earning enterprise or individual imroves his income then working conditions will improve by default.
So there….just in case the illuminated feels the urge to rattle my chips again.
“If a higher earning enterprise or individual improves his income then working conditions will improve by default”
By default? How so?
ic-cinturin normalment jillaxka, hafna qrid fuq ‘expense cut backs’ jonqos. Izjed flus jintefqu. Izjed flus jidhlu fil-bwiet ta kulhadd.
In-ninetes kienu ezempju spettakolari ta dan.
Jine li dejjem kont impjegat stjat nesperjenza dan
jien ezempju naqbel ukoll li n-nies li jaffordjaw private healthcare ghandha tinghata incentiv mill-gvern biex titnaqqsilhom ftit mit-taxxa bil-patt li jinkitbu f#private health care u b’hekk innaqqsu l-ispiza enormi fuq is-sahha.
Affarijiet li l-gvern Nazzjonalist perswaz li qed jahseb fuqhom u li huma validissimi.
F’kunetest ekonomiku, fil-maggor parti innehhilhom il-kappell.
Pero fejn jidlu inizzjattivi ohra fil-fehma tieghi huma vroma u jien huwa ezattament hemmhekk fejn nixtieqhom itejjbu. Pero ovvjament qtajt qalbi minn dan. U apaprti dan nibqa dizilluz minnhom ghal bosta affarijeit li semmejt f’posts pasati u li m’ghandix aptit nerga nsemmi
Mario, working conditions don’t improve by any default, just like salaries. A clerk working at a small company is paid as much as a clerk at a 500-employee company that makes humongous revenue/profit, presso a poco. This is Malta we’re talking about 🙂
When Parliament finishes discussing the Second Reading of a draft law, the minister piloting it gives a speech known as a “winding up”.
I feel so much like that minister at the moment.
Daphne – I follow your blog but never commented on it as I agreed with the blog itself and most of the comments. This is more fun.
———————–
On a serious note, I see that Michael Briguglio’s posts – probably among the most sensible here – are being consitently ignored by the teeth-gnashers.
I don’t agree with his politics but, then, neither do the AD rank and file, I see.
Not only Malta, Keith. The management’s primary duty is to the company’s shareholders. Big increases in salaries mean less profit to shareholders. Unlike a company is run by very ethical businessmen, it has to take legislation to increase salaries.
Antoine Vella apparently loves hate-speech and character assassination.
what can I say Keith?
have you ever been emplyed for a long time within such institutions?
A clerk (in most cases) deserves exactly what he gets. From experience I can tell you that most of the people getting approx Lm450 to 500 a month (myself included) are getting exactly what they deserve for the time/effort they are putting in.
Returning to my previous point. You don’t have to look only at wage figures. You have to take into considetrations working conditions. In harsh times sme companies will even start to keep an eye on such ridiculous thing as the value of groceries (coffe etc etc) spent on employees. Which I am sure nobody likes.
You could complain that this situation is fucked but that’s the Western world for you and whether you like it or not we are up to our knees in it and have to do whatever it takes to survive within it. If it does not suit people they could always try to learn a trade or something and be self employed (the remunerition is high I assure you)
The thing that jarrs and that (imo) screws the system and the people in general is the excessive price paid for property/(ditto for rent) and services.
I wish someone could do something about it (obviusly I am no economist and I dont have th answerds) in order to prevent these factors from upsetting people’s standard of living.
Otherwise I find all that communist take on wages etc etc rather stupid and unrealistic.
If there is one thing I loved about left leaning (and i mean TRUE left leaning governemnts) were incentives and subsidies for whoever wished to have a roof oer his head. Obviously the way the sytem was left too many loopholes for abuse though. I think something can still be reasonably worked out in this area.Soemthing that would be fair to both buyer/tenant and seller (who always ask for way more than they actually deserve)
But Mario, your philosophy on this assumes equal opportunity (which would be the only way everyone really gets “what he deserves”. This is the issue on which Capitalists and Communists are at loggerheads. So simply stating that everyone gets what he deserves does not make it so. Of course, the communist credo “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” may well be utopian, but when dealing with people whose lives fare better or worse sometimes due to circumstances on which they have little if any control, a system that does not stop at “merit”, but also has a strong social direction, is definitely more just.
So to return to the question…decreasing business’ taxes could have the effect of creating employment (by expanding business), but it does not necessarily mean better salaries and employment conditions.
I’m getting a little tired of all this “AD rank and file” nonsese. last I looked this was Jacques Rene’s blog, which has been around three years (happy conception day, btw) and was open to pretty much anyone who cares to contribute… as can be attested by the comments on this post alone. I know we are living in a tribal country… the “My DNA is pure blue” T-shirt told us everything we will ever need to know about malta… but not everyone automatically feels the need to surgically attach himself to a political party just to exist.
Kenneth, please be serious. Just because I’m here, reading this blog, doesn’t mean that I love hate-speech and character assassination.
Why are you always slagging this site? In a previous post you compared it to a fundamentalist Baptist site run by a “crazed fundamentalist” (your very words) and now you are talking of character assassination and hate-speech.
Really! If I were Jacques I’d be a tad miffed at your words, let me tell you.
I was referring to Daphne’s site, not Jacques’.
Well Kenneth,
to be honest with you the only flaw in that communist credo is the fact that the employee usually (unfortunately I have been witness to that to many times) tends to screw his employer jsut as much (take a look at any governemnt driven entity and you will know what I mean) Such idealogies did not work in the past and I don’t see them working in the future. What I would like to see is some form of balance struvk between the employer and the workforce. The problem is that big fishes do their utmost to get fatter. THAT is the problem. I have no problem with a buisness minded person making loads of money. Most of the time he is the one taking the risk. Fuck up arises when they start milking the cow for more than it’s worth.
Balance, Mario…yes…I definitely agree with that. But balance can only happen if government retains a grip on capitalism. The way capitalism is heading, it’s less government interference and more laisse-faire. This, in essence, means power to the strong, and to hell with the rest.
That is why I insist that worker’s conditions can only be guaranteed and/or improved through government interference.
Daphne talks about market forces and ignores the question of choice. In a free market the more options are available the gretaer the benefit to the consumer. If this applies to chocolate ( countless columns about the lack of foreign brands of toothpaste in the 1980s and moaning about Deserta) there is no reason why this should not apply to political parties. And please don’t twitter on about people not voting for AD because they don’t want the choice which AD offers. I know many people who want to but are scared off by the “wasted vote” system engineered by the MLPN (In the free market context this would be obstructing access to the market).
Patrick, I do know what you look like. I have no problem with that. It’s your pressure group obsession that I don’t agree with. But it’s a free world and if you want to form a pressure group to turn another political parties into pressure groups, it might work.
On something which has nothing to do with politics:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080312/local/updated-fatalities-in-huge-naxxar-explosion
For anyone out there still interested in what’s actually going on in this country: On Disset yesterday, Gonzi supplied a flawed definition of the word “Whistleblower”. According to Gonzi, a whistleblower is someone who is “as guilty as the person whose activity he or she reports to the suthorities” (quotes are approximative) and that the purpose of the Whistleblower;s Act is to guarantee that the person concerned can safely testify without incriminating himself in the process. Significantly, he added “It’s important we understand this, so that afterwards no one comes running to complain, etc.”
I agree with the last part: it’s important to point out the error in Gonzi’s definition before any lasting damage is done. Gonzi is wrong. A whistleblower does NOT have to be guilty of anything at all. Mordechai Vanunu, for instance, was a technician working at a nuclear plant in Israel. He blew the whistle on the secret nuclear armamanets programme at Negev. He fled the country and was later kidnapped in Rome, and held in prison until last year.
There are millions of other examples of ordinary law abiding citizens who stumble upon evidence of criminal activities at their place of work. Any law passed on the basis of Gonzi’s definition will offer them no protection and will not address the real issues at stake.
And besides, the eventuality Gonzi referred to yesterday is already catered for by means of Presidential pardons (my mind reels with sarcastic rejoinders, but let’s leave those aside…)
Exactly, Raphael. You don’t have to be “bare-foot” to be a whistleblower.
A bit of lateral thinking here (admittedly out of subject, but hey, I just noticed it’s my blog) but in the light of what happened in Naxxar today we should start considering a Whistleblower provision in laws applying to Fireworks. For Health and Safety reasons, persons should be encouraged to report illegal firework “factories” or violations of serious threats to the safety of workers on the workplace. The more people die in this “industry” the more the balance will tip in favour of reporting and against loyalty to the nar tal-festa come what may.
Very reasonable, Jacques. I would go as far as banning all fireworks factories (loss of live carries much more weight than any pleasure obtained in seeing fireworks, in my balance). I would do this out of respect for the families of those killed in fireworks explosions, and for other innocents who may be harmed without any fault.
Call me an extremist, but that’s the way I see it.
Good point. We could have a Vanunu tal-Kamra Tan-Nar
With regard to the fireworks situation, I don’t think many “insiders” (firework enthusiasts) would report any illegalities or negligence. Self-regulation is not the best way to deal with such possibilities.
Probably the best option (vis-a-vis factories) would be to have a commission made up of members of the different political parties (so that neither lose out on the enthusiast votes) and experts inspect the existing factories and make recommendations regarding their closure or otherwise.
This still leaves us with the problem of illegal fireworks storage and makeshift factories but these may be reported anonymously anyway.
Raphael is right with regard to the whistleblowing act. What Gonzi was describing was the situation of “pentiti” – people who are guilty to the same or a lesser degree as the main wrong doer. They are dealt with by providing them with Zappi l-Hafi-like and Tommaso Buscetta-style pardons to turn state’s evidence. An example of a whistleblower would be someone who came across instances of ministerial abuse while working with that ministry and revealed this to the police. A whistleblower act would protect him from dismissal or discrimination or criminal prosecution for revealing government documents
Yes Raph he gave the same wrong definition on Bondiplus before the elctions. I’m surprised it wasn’t pointed out and corrected actually.
Antonia, nothing Gonzi ever does a mistake on is pointed out in our biased PN media. If the same mistake was done by Dr. Sant, we would have the footage and mistake pointed out on every corner around us.
If I blow the whistle on my neighbour, who keeps fireworks in his garage in an inhabited area illegally, I’m as guilty as him. I heard this on Dissett.
Keith, stop stealing money from the government and actually do some work instead of blogging at your workplace lol.
My fault, Antonia. I don;t watch bondiplus on a regular basis. Yesterday was the first time I heard it.
Loss of lives apart, these loud petards offer little in entertainment value. I still don’t understand how hundreds of thousands of euros are spend on this form of ‘entertainment’. Which by the may, in my village is always present in the week leading up to my exams.
Incidentally, most MPs are members in Social clubs, either at honourary level or at comittee level, so they can start doing something about it before it ends in parliament. As far as i know, the President of Malta is an honourary President of most of these clubs as well.
In one of her interviews, Marlene Pullicino has said that there are good and ba aspects to fireworks. The good being the entertainment they offer and the fact that they are part of our national culture, while the bad was that occasionally people get killed. Her intelligent conclusion was that we need to find a balance between the two. With visionaries like these in Parliament we’re in for a good one.
P.S. : I beleive the interview was given to Julia Farrugia from MaltaToday, but I stand to be corrected.
Claire, actually Buscetta’s and Hafi’s situations were totally different. Buscetta was constantly reminded that if anything he said turned out to be false, he would have to face the consequences. On the other hand, Zeppi’s (the bad one) evidence was rejected in court and his pardons were never reconsidered.
“The good being the entertainment they offer and the fact that they are part of our national culture, while the bad was that occasionally people get killed.”
if that’s the good and the bad, I’m not sure if I want to hear the “ugly”
The ugly is being maimed for life. I suppose that would be the “middle road” between staying alive and getting killed.
I tend to disagree with you
Abolishing fireworks would be ridiculous. (as much as abolishing hunting to be honest with you)
They are part and parcel of our heritage and the people who lost their lives are only the ones who choose to persevere in this art (you may choose to give it whatever name you like but to me it is an artform) If I were a tourist I would be gagging to watch Maltese fireworks (and I am ready to bet my bottom euro that they still are a HUGE attraction to foreingers…no to mention the vast majority of maltese people who love them)
I am all for tightening up on security but abolishing them is ridiculous. As much as it is ridiculous abolishing hunting.
Was Mr.Frank Portelli a “good”, “genuine” whistle blower?
Is Mr.Frank Portelli a “good”, “genuine” whistle blower?
Mario, if any of your relatives were killed because of some fireworks accident that they did not even participate in, you would think differently. None of my relatives died from fireworks explosions, but I do sympathise with people whose relatives did. I especially sympathize with the wives and children of people killed in fireworks explosions, who are also innocent. I simply cannot understand how one can feel respect for one’s family and still freely put himself in danger (though this is another matter).
That fireworks is part of our heritage is no excuse for loss of innocent life.
As for hunting, I won’t go into that (there’s my blog for that). I will only say that having the status of “tradition” does not in itself justify any practice, especially when the practice is both unnecessary and harmful.
Periklu: I have yet to hear anyone suggest that Dr Frank Portelli was somehow involved in the “commissions” he hinted at when alleging corruption at Mater Dei. Do you know something the rest of us don’t?
Mario, being blown up into pieces is not part of our heritage. This Naxxar explosion is only 50-80m from where I live. I walk infront of the collapsed buildings regularly. something needs to be done and fast.
Kenneth, people have also died at work so I really can’t see your point. Is it more noble to die on the job than doing something you truly love? Tightenng up in order to reduce the possibility of death is the only reasonable option (the way I see it)
Of course it would be terrible to lose somebody. It is always terrible in any shape and form but life goes on. God forbid everything should be abolished merely cause it’s dangerous. What would we be left with?
As to the hunting debate. Let’s put this straight. I don’t like hunting Stefan and I do believe its morally dubious. But I don’t think it’s more morally dubious than eating a succulent steak three times a week. You may claim that eating is fine but killing is not but the way I see it they are BOTH a form of pleasing oneself (surely one can get by without eating vast amounts of meat or eating meat at all no?) Since I am a voracius carnivore I would feel like a hypocrate lashing all out against hunters. the points that bother me are others such as: their arrogance to threaten people, their ignorance, and their penchanct for vindicative actions. OItherwise the real problem is not really hunting but not having enough SPACE for the luxury of hunting.
I know I am alone in choosing to think in this manner but that’s what I believe.
Mario, you see nothing wrong with storing fireworks illegally in an inhabited area?
Yes Keith I see everything WRONG ith storing fireworks in an inhabited area. Only a nutcase would do that. But that’s still not enough of a good reason to completely abolish fireworks.
What I mean is that in the previous incidents it wasn’t a case of illegally stored fireworks (this is a first if I am not mistaken) but cases of horrid carelessness.
A whole block in St.Paul’s was reduced t smithereens a couple of years back due to a gas cyinder explosion.
What are you going to do? Abolish gas cylinders?
One can only control as much as it is humanly possible.
Gonzi also tried to give the same wrong defintion during the University debate when I asked him the question about the Whistleblower act vis a vis how Cacopardo was treated by he PN….when I pointed out that the act was not “only” related to people who are themselves implicated, but covers any employee who knows of wrongdoing as well, he grudgingly agreed.
I was just recounting her reasonong, not mine. Its obvious that her stand on the subject is ridiulous.
Keeping something just because its part of tradition makes no sense whatsoever. Some examples to illustrate my point:
In Iran, and some other Muslim countries, (some) daughters are killed by their fathers for having premarital sex, being raped, or going out with someone from a different religion.
In Spain, Mexico and other Latin American countries bulls are killed for show.
In Japan, underage porn is considered normal. So is urinating n public.
In all countries in which hunting is considered a hobby, the only argument supporting it is that it is part of national culture.
Americans also think that to keep in line with their heritage, they should elect one bush after the other…
Finally, Mario, I’m sure tourists find firewors very attractive. However, they do not have to put up with at least 6 weeks a year of this constant bombardment. (thats two weeks for your village feast, and another 2 weeks each for the surrounding village feasts.) In my case then, not only do we have two competing social clubs for the same saint, but we have another saint with an equally ubercompetitive kazin.
Mario, work is necessary. That’s the significant difference. I’m not for abolishing anything that’s dangerous. But there are levels of danger, probabilities of danger, and consequences that do not involve only those willing to take the risk, but others as well.
As for the comment on hunting, I do see your point. However, the argument would make sense only if hunters ate their kill. If this were so, people who ate meat would be hypocrites to criticize subsistence hunting (eating your kill), since it is a fact that modern “animal farms” produce more suffering than a hunter’s gun. That said, my criticism of all hunting stems from the belief (put in practice, in my case) that killing any animal unnecessarily is wrong. But again, we’re going off topic here.
“A whole blocks in St Pauls was reduced to smithereens…abolish gas cylinders?”
Again…it all hinges on disaster probabilities and necessity. Modern gas cylinders are relatively safe, and a gas cylinder explosion is an unfortunate exception. Gas cylinders are also a necessity to many people.
Fireworks are necessarily dangerous (they can never be sufficiently safe, as anyone who works in fireworks may tell you), and they are also not necessary, unless we stretch necessity to mean just about anything.
Jon you also have to put up with other noise pollution 24/7 but that does not mean you are goingt o abolish it hux?
Titkellmu hekk ghax m’ghandkhom l-ebda idea li dawn in-nies m’humiex imgienen imma tax payers bhall haddiehor li (hafna minnhom) tellghu tfal sew. Hafna drabi ahjar minnek u minni. Forsi jien ghax twelidt f’ambjent fejn stajtizjed nitkellem ma dawn in-nies ma nafx
Ma nahsibx li l-ezempju tal-Misilmin iregi. Il-Misilmin qed jitqatlu BEJNIETHOM volontarjament. Jekk ghandhom isibu soluzzjoni ghall -izball taghhom isibuh huma wehidhom mhux sr jigu jndahlu in-nies hekk imsejjha civilizzati sabiex juruhom it-triq it-tajba.
Rigward il-bullfighting (anke hawnhekk ser titkazaw) minkejja li huwa sport orribbli tridu tifhmu li l-barri jintwera hafna izjed rispett qabel jinqatel milli tintwera bhima li ser tieklu nhar il-hadd ghall ikla ta nofs ta nhar. Qabel jigi maqtul il-barri jinzamm liberu ghal zmien konsiderevoli u hemm tradizzjoni shiha (u nteressanti ferm) fejn tidhol il-corrida (forsi jekk titkellem ma xi hadd minn Seville forsi ifhem izjed)
Fl-ahahr mill-ahahr jien kollha mohqrija ghal annimali naraha. Kemm jekk toqtol u kemm jekk toqtol biex tpaxxi l-palat tieghek. Issa ovvjament hemm linja morali li biex inkunonest mighek ma nafx fejn ghandna nitghuha. Pero il-bniedem huwa qattiel li l-ewwel priijorita tieghu hija l-ispeci tieghu stess u nahseb jekk taccetta dan tghix ahjar mieghek inniffsek. Ovvjament dan huwa mod pjuttost simplistiku kif jigu mpoggija l-affarijeit ghax hemm hafna eccezzjonijiet u stremitajiet li mhux accettabbli moralment (ezempju xi hadd li jaqta sieq kelb ghal gost li jittortura kelb huwa dubjuz hafna)
Ma tistghax titfa kollox fuq xkaffa wahda.
Jekk irridu nkunu realistici il-pollution teqred HAFNA izjed hlejqiet u taghamel hafna izjed dannu ghal bniedem? X’ ser tghidli? Li jkollok karozza bzonnjuz? Li jkollok karozza KOMDU mhux bzonnjuz ghax tista tuza t-trasport pubbliku u timminimizza d-danni. Pero n-nies jaghzlu li jaraw il-kumditajiet taghhom.
Mario, hadd mhu jghid li min jahdem in-nar hu mignun, imma huwa fatt indiskutibbli li hafna minnhom huma ivvizzjati ghan-nar. Ghalihom in-nar jigi l-ewwel u qabel kollox. Il-fatt li huma tax payers hi irrelevanti. Ligi li tabolixxi l-loghob tan-nar tipprotegi lilhom ukoll, ghalkemm nifhem li bhal kull vizzju, li taqtghu hesrem jista jkun difficli.
Rigward il-kumment fuq xi prattici ta xi misilmin (mhux kollha), il-punt li ried jghamel kien li mhux kull tradizzjoni hi gustifikata. Mhux kustjoni ta min juri t-triq it-tajba lil min. Hi kustjoni li wiehed jirrikonoxxi ksur ta drittijiet umani, isiru minn min isiru. Jekk hawn xi hadd kontra r-razzizmu u xenofobija, dan huwa jien, izda jien xorta nikkundanna bil-qawwa prattici bhal “Honour” killings, u mutilazzjoni genitali ta tfajliet.
Rigward il-bullfights, ghandek punt. Ghalkemm il-bullfighting tinvolvi krudelta kbira, biss din mhi xejn hdejn il-krudelta li jsofru eluf ta barrin u baqar go “factory farms” multinazzjonali. Jien certament mhux se nitkaza bli ghidt. Anzi, nikkonfermah.
Rigward il-pollution mit-trasport, huwa ferm dubjuz kemm l-uzu tat-trasport pubbliku prezenti johloq inqas pollution min karozza privata zghira mizmuma tajjeb, fil-kaz ta Malta. Bizzejjed tara d-dhahen mill-karozzi tal-linja (specjalment f’xi telgha) biex tgharaf dan. Li hemm bzonn hu sistema ta trasport pubbliku moderna u efficjenti.
Reporting your neighbour for some transgression is not whistleblowing. Whistleblowing is when a member of the organisation reports something that is amiss within that organisation.
The whistleblower may or may not be involved in the transgression and what Gonzi pointed out on Dissett was that even those who were themselves implicated in the wrong-doing would receive protection.
Therer are, of course, other forms of whistleblowing. Rossignaud is a recent case in point, for example.
A ‘pentito’ is basically a whistleblower too – we forget perhaps that the term ‘whistleblower’ is found only in the English language.
What was the corrupt or illegal practice that Rossignaud “whistleblowed”? Pray tell.
No Antoine, what Gonzi said during Dissett was that whistleblowing refers ONLY to those who are themselves implicated in the wrong-doing…in other words they will get a pardon (mahfra)..
Ditto Kenneth. I really want to hear the Rene Rossignaud whistleblowing theory. Go on, Antoine. Explain.
Maybe Rene blew the whistle on Alternattiva because he exposed the fact that they might actually want to win a seat in Parliament…?
Kenneth,
Your argument leads to a paternalistic state who knows claims to know what’s good for its people and forces them to act accordingly. If people want to risk blowing themselves up in smoke because they love fire-works, then so be it. Of course their love for their hobby has to take into consideration the effect it has on other people. In this regard severe restrictions should apply, to protect the vast majority who hate their noise. But banning them outright, for their own good? Why not ban knives? People might accidently chop their pinky off after all. Cigarettes, alcohol, fatty food, glue, permanent markers, electricity etc.
As regards public transport, yours seem to me to be a mere rationalisation you use to avoid public transport. If all people who use the bus suddenly started using a car, the pollution would grow exponentially and would undoubtedly surpass the buses’ emmissions.
Rene Rossignaud a whistleblower? With your argument, Joe Said, Michael Woods or Carmel Cacopardo are deserve the title of a whistleblower for leaving PN … or anybody who ceases to form part of party because he’s not in line with what he percieves to be the political line of the party for that matter. I’m not saying that Rene didn’t have the right to do what he did. Everyone has the right to be part of something or opt out of it whenever he/she likes. But that is not tantamount to whistleblowing.
I don’t normally say this to people with different viewpoints from mine, but I do feel the urge to say it to you … you most certainly do speak a lot of rubbish.
Raphael Says:
March 12, 2008 at 12:48 pm
“Periklu: I have yet to hear anyone suggest that Dr Frank Portelli was somehow involved in the “commissions” he hinted at when alleging corruption at Mater Dei. Do you know something the rest of us don’t?”
Raphael, I did not define “whistle blowing”. Moreover, I simply asked two innocent questions, without any further intentions. I win the impression that this site boasts of many resident experts and I naively expected an answer to my innocent questions.
Finally, I only know what I read in the print media and what i hear on tv programmes.
Patrick (Galea), Every state is “paternalistic” to some degree. It’s not a question of people wanting risk blowing themselves up. It’s a question of people putting others at risk of blowing themselves up, of people who risk making children orphans and wives widows (who will then be given social benefits from everyone’s taxes – and just in case I’m misinterpreted, I’m not suggesting they should not be given social benefits: they are innocent, after all).
Why not ban knives? Because knives serve a useful purpose. Cigarettes, alcohol etc….it’s a question of degree and probability of harm. Also, the failure of prohibition in cases like alcohol should be taken into account. Prohibition takes a practice underground. Of course, this seems to suggest that my argument for the prohibition of fireworks is flawed, but it is not, for the simple reason that fireworks cannot be let off secretly, like smoking and drinking can.
Regarding public transport and my car, I minimize use of my car to necessity (I walk whenever I can). Also, public transport is both polluting and unreliable. If you see this as simply rationalisation, so be it.
On a final note, we live in a representative democracy, so mine is only an opinion which I am sure will not be heeded. I couldn’t impose my beliefs, not even if I were prime minister. I’m just giving out my opinion, an opinion which I believe should be taken into account. Of course, the final say is out of my hands.
I’m noticing something about this site (not just this site, actually – blogs in general). People commenting on blogs tend to shoot first, and then avoid all questions when asked.. First “Periklu” (whoever and however old he is) passes a comment clearly intended to cast the aspersion that Frank Portelli is corrupt: then Antoine Vella implies that Rene uncovered some kind of “brimba” of corruption in AD… and when asked to substantiate their ridiculous claims, they suddenly go all quiet.
Ok, I’ll take back the Periklu comment seeing as he replied while I was busy typing
Rossignaud exposed AD’s agenda of aiming all their attacks on Gonzi while pretending to be equidistant from both main parties.
It was an act of political whistleblowing which undoubtedly embarrassed AD. That is why I described it as “another form” – I was making a point that there are different kinds of whistleblowing and, on Dissett, Gonzi was referring to just one type.
There are other forms too, which we haven’t yet mentioned. What if an employee of….let’s say, the VAT department finds out that a prominent politican has not been filling his VAT returns.? Suppose that employee leaks this information to the meda. Would that constitute whistleblowing and should that employee be protected by law?
I did not hear Gonzi pronounce the word “ONLY” during his interview on Dissett. He said something like: “Do you know what this means? This means that whoever commits a wrong-doing (within an organisation) and then exposes what has happened will get a pardon.”
At any rate, we will have to wait and see what the proposed law actually says before jumping to any conclusions.
Now THAT is a definition of whistleblowing I have never heard before. Honestly: a political party attacking the leader of another political party? whatever is democracy coming to…
Raphael, bir-rispett kollu, you are making unfair accusations. I never claimed that Rossignaud had exposed some korruzzjoni lampanti.
Moreover, you must realise that, however entertaining this blog might be, some of us have to earn a living and cannot be contributing to it on a 24 hour basis. Some responses might be prompt, while others take longer, depending on real-life commitments.
In case you’re interested, I’m having to go out right now so won’t be able to respond for some time.
If a pharmacist tells the media a party leader uses viagra. Is that whistleblowing too?
Qed naqghu fir-ridikolu.
Kenneth,
But people risk hurting others (and themselves) when they drive too for example. And driving is surely not indispensible, as Mario was rightly arguing. Everything people do can potentially hurt others and leave children as orphans. Hell, even going to school has proved fatal in one case some time ago. At the end, your argument boils down to whether things are useful or not, and that is a very subjectivist path to take. Eating meat is not deemed useful by some (yourself included if you’re the same Kenneth Cassar), but it is indispensible for others. Same goes for fireworks I guess.
Has anybody here ever heard of a lunch break? Back in the office after weathering the storm winds outside for a delicious Bar au Noix (that’s fish’n’peanuts)…
Raphael: Is it just me or is this a new MT fixation about highlighting the limits of blogs? Yes this is an open discussion. Yes you will find people who are not prepared to back their arguments. Yes, mosttimes bloggers do not engage in researched journalism but comment on the news that is coming in. I agree with your criticism of people who throw the stone and hide their hand but imputing that generally to all people in the discussion leads us nowhere.
What we have here is a real-time debate without the “experts” regarding (1)Whistleblowing, (2) Regulation of Fireworks and (3) Electoral Reform. If I had to claim that the discussion is led on perfect lines and objectively I would deserve to be hung, drawn and quartered. What I do appreciate is that the debate is happening and that in the future, on regular issues there might be the germ of an idea for working on a campaign. Blogs do not compete with the MSM but rather run parallel to them. It is up to the blog and its readers to determine, through patient exchange what levels the discussion can reach.
And I have not even had time to give my tupenny worth on any of the subjects! But let me just say one thing about Whistleblowing. Yes whistleblowing can apply to fireworks factories if there is a way for a worker in a factory to flag a danger to the authorities. He would be a whistleblower – and here we are not extending the definition but applying it to a new area.
There I was, thinking the only whistle blowers were referees…..
Antoine Vella said: “Rossignaud exposed AD’s agenda of aiming all their attacks on Gonzi while pretending to be equidistant from both main parties”.
whistleblower
n. one who discloses the illegal or immoral acts of another person, informer
whistle blower
one who reveals a wrongdoing or informs authorities about a misconduct, one who discloses the illegal or immoral acts of another person, informer
Now if anyone wants to invent new definitions of “whistleblowing”, might as well invent a new language altogether.
1. Rossignaud, despite any disagreements on strategy (which he has every right to have), did not expose any illegal or immoral acts. Neither did he reveal any “wrongdoing” or informed any authorities about misconduct.
2. The exposure of an “agenda to aim all attacks on Gonzi” is a matter of opinion, and can neither be proved nor disproved, unless Rossignaud has produced any document showing AD’s written intent of doing so. If there is such a document, I would like to see it.
3. What Rossignaud “exposed” is not whistleblowing at all. Unless Rossignaud has any printed document (alluded to above), Rossignaud’s claims are the opinion he formed from any “facts” that are there for all to see. Unless Rossignaud has some form of document stating AD’s intent to attack only Gonzi, Rossignaud’s conclusion could have been reached by anyone who would share his opinion. If Rossignaud is correct, and his opinion is spot-on, he would not have divulged any secret – therefore, no whistleblowing.
4. I don’t believe that AD ever claimed to be equidistant from both parties (PN and MLP). AD’s policies are there for all to see. People with intelligence may draw their own conclusions as to which party AD may be closest to.
Raphael Says:
March 12, 2008 at 2:24 pm
“I’m noticing something about this site (not just this site, actually – blogs in general). People commenting on blogs tend to shoot first, and then avoid all questions when asked.. First “Periklu” (whoever and however old he is) passes a comment clearly intended to cast the aspersion that Frank Portelli is corrupt:”
Raphael Says:
March 12, 2008 at 2:25 pm
“Ok, I’ll take back the Periklu comment seeing as he replied while I was busy typing”
On the one hand, I am pleased to note that you are flexible enough to correct views.
On the other hand, it is more than refreshing to note that even “the” Raphael is affected by moments of sheer stupidity.
Raphael, I nearly forgot one aspect.
I do have a (strong) feeling that Saviour Balzan and Mr.Frank Portelli may be (close) buddies, which could explain your primary (erroneous) reaction.
Yes, Patrick (Galea), (nearly) everything people do can potentially hurt others. It just so happens that some things have a higher degree of probability of hurting innocents, and produce a higher degree of harm to innocents. It also so happens that some relatively dangerous things may to some degree or other be deemed necessary, while others are not necessary in any meaningful sense except in the sense that “people like doing them”.
But I think that we both will not convince each other on this, so a call a truce 😉
My last sentence should have ended “I call a truce” not “a call a truce” 🙂
Antoine, Rene Rossignaud “exposed” – if that is the right word – the act that AD wanted to get elected. He did not reveal anything shocking at all. He came to the conclusion that this was being done solely by criticising Gonzi – strangely enough practically quoting Gonzi’s claim o a couple of days beffore verbatim. Rossignaud did not expose anything other than that – no videos of Harry Vassallo turning away Labour-leaning voters, no special radar utilised solely by AD to search out PN-leaning voters, no recordings of top-secret conversations specifically instructing AD supporters to talk only to PN supporters. As such his revelation made as much noise as a fart in a bath. As far as I know Rossignaud did not lose his job with Bondiplus, nor was he discriminated against by any AD people. So I don’t see where the protection required under whistleblowing legislation comes in here.
As for the employee working in the VAT department revealing the fact that a prominent politician did not submit his returns, of course he should be protected by law. This also applies if he goes running to Medialink with the exciting news some hours before arrest documents (which the police will remember in another couple of hours) are actually delivered. But, again, as far as I know, there was no Vat employee who was chucked out or discriminated against because of any leaks.
I never asked… who was the NET TV journalist who jumped the gun?
Periklu. It is quite possible that Saviour Balzan and Frank Portelli are friends. You can always ask: saviour’s email address is attached to his opinion column, you can find both on maltoday.com.mt. Even though quite frankly, I fail to see what it could possibly have to do with anything. But it seems to me that you are not interested in facts, only guesses, half-truths and suppositions. hence, I suppose, the pseudonym. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing…
Raphael Says:
March 12, 2008 at 3:29 pm
“But it seems to me that you are not interested in facts, only guesses, half-truths and suppositions. hence, I suppose, the pseudonym. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing…”
However, it is still possible that I might know facts and that I might know full-truths.
As you intelligently remark, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing…” and hence it is dangerous for you to surmise anything in my regard.
La vie est guerre and Periklu is my nom de guerre. Faites la guerre pour survivre, Raphael, that is what we all do, constantly, each one of us on his/her own, and in an individual manner.
Le monde est notre jungle.
Ceci est un blog pas la jungle monde.
Oui, Monsieur Dangereux, mais quand on n’a pas les couillons pour signer ses propres mots, on rende un petit peu de hypthesir plus que immanquable…
Le, Claire hi…..thawwadx l-alla
Dak kienu pulizija in borghese mar taparsi gurnalist tal-medialink
U saghtejn wara tal-medialink saru jafu u libsu ta’ pulizija
Usual business insomma.
Siegha wara li l-pulizija liebes tal-medialink mar fuq Harry, iddefset il-Maltastar u wehel il-labour.
Sandro u Raphael,
mhux veru, jew le?
Kenneth,
whistleblower huwa bniedem li jhobb jerdghu hafna, mazokista jara lil dak li prova jreddghu: ahjar minnu ghall-eternita’.
Qed ikellmek wiehed minn ta’ l-esperjenza.
L-ismijiet johorgu left right and center….kemm iccempel lill-assistent ta’ l-assisent tal-paravendu li jigi mill-kugin tal-paraxut u kemm jaghfas ir-right button u properties u il giouco e’ fatto carissimo la issa qlibniha fuq il-lingwi.
Raphael,
jiena ma nara xejn hazin li Periklu jippostja b’psewdonimu.
Meta nippostja jien hadd ma jaghti kasi. Kieku nippostja anonimu garanzija li jkun hawn 20,000 elf reply/hit u l-blogg ta’ Jacques jilhaq lil dak ta’ habibtu (ghalkemm qatt ma qabzitu – hemm izjed cans taqbez l-ostja lill-James Cauchi).
Meta jiena (kont) nikteb fil-blogg tieghi, mhux x’nikteb jien: imma min jien, x’naghmel, inix mizzewweg, inix asesswali, u ta’ liema timbru jien. U dak li nikteb jien gie njorat.
Meta bniedem jikteb ismu jinstab mezz biex taghlaqlu halqu: “dak habib ta’ lowell ta'”
U meta bniedem jikteb anonimu taghlaqlu halqu ghax tghidlu li jikteb anonimu u inti le.
Fuq din Raphael, ma naqbilx mieghek sieheb. Jekk Periklu qed isostni li qed jghid fulltruths, prova ikkontradih bil-fatti li hu pogga quddiemek.
Issa jekk hux Periklu jew Perikla ma tantx taghmel differenza f’pajjiz fejn il-vendikazzjoni hija mxerrda izjed mid-dijabete.
Il-blogg ta’ Keith Chircop.
By the way Jacques. Il-blogg ta’ Keith Chircop qed jibda joghgobni eh.
Biex toqghod attent u tibda toffri pakkett ahjar! Ghax malajr titlef xi 1,580 hit!
Sandro, jista jkun li n-nies mhux qed jinjorawk, imma qed thallihom imbellhin b’dak li tikteb, tant li lanqas ikunu jistghu inisslu kelma 😉
Rigward psewdonimi, lili ma jghamlulix differenza. Biss, meta wiehed jallega jew jinsinwa affarijiet li jitfghu dell ikrah fuq hadd iehor, sta ghalih li jipprova dak li jkun qed jghid.
Qed tara Sandro! Tant bellahtni bid-definizzjoni tieghek ta whistleblower li minflok “ilissnu” ktibt “inisslu”!
Kenneth Cassar Says:
March 12, 2008 at 4:35 pm
“Rigward psewdonimi, lili ma jghamlulix differenza. Biss, meta wiehed jallega jew jinsinwa affarijiet li jitfghu dell ikrah fuq hadd iehor, sta ghalih li jipprova dak li jkun qed jghid.”
Kenneth, int ghalija qed tirriferi?
Periklu, tkellimt b’mod generali imma kont qed nirreferi ghall-allegata hbiberija bejn persuni li ssemmew, kustjoni li lili ma tinteressanix.
Hi Kenneth,
kien hemm wahda tghidli bhalek li jiena nbellah lin-nies b’dak li nikteb, ghalhekk hadd ma jikkummenta. Wara skoprejt li din tahdem mal-batuti li fil-hajja msieken m’ghandhomx futur.
Il-whistleblower act bullshit man. Jew se tohrog ghonqok u tbati l-konsegwenzi jew tghid xejn u ghalaq halqek u prova gawdi maghhom. Haga li Dr. F. Portelli nduna tard biha din. Imma mhux tard wisq. (qatt mhu tard wisq)
F’dal-pajjiz jaqbillek tahra fejn jinxtamm ghax jiehdu gost bir-riha. Imma ara ma tghidx biss li l-hara jinten.
Again bir-rispett kollu, ma nafx x’inhuwa jghid Periklu daqsekk perikoluz. Dawk il-brackets ghalija jfissru hafna. Meta S. Balzan wieghed lill-poplu malti li se jikxef lil Bondinu fuq xi haga li ma nafux u dan kien xi seklu ilu, ma kienx hemm brackets u ma nkixef xejn u l-blog ta’ Jacques baqa’ jistenna l-iscoop.
Raphael,
I sent many e-mails years ago to Mr. Balzan (re bondi) but to no avail.
X’garanzija ghandu l-anonimu favorit ta’ Jacques li se jwiegbu?
U ghaliex hbiberija ghandha tkun allegazzjoni la z-zewg minn nies koncernati huma nodfa, subajhom dritt u kuxjenza nadifa minn fil-ghodu sa fil-ghaxija?
Rigward Periklu, ma nixtieqx nghamel issue minnha. Kien biss kumment generali. Biss nemmen li meta wiehed jghid xi haga, jew jghid kollox jew ma jghid xejn. Naturalment din hi biss opinjoni tieghi. Kulhadd jghamel li jrid hu.
Rigward il-whistleblower act, naf li hi bullshit. Jekk ma jistghu jghamlulek xejn legalment, cert li jsibu mod kif ipattuhielek xorta. Kif ghidt int…jew tkun lest li tiffaccja l-konsegwenzi, jew tghid xejn.
Merci, Sandro.
Nahseb li Kenneth Cassar sfortunatament mhux tajjeb fil-“comprehension” ta’ l-ilsien Ingliz.
Jista jkun, Periklu. Imma issa tghamilx issue minnha, kif diga ghidt li mhux se nghamel jien. Nahseb li spjegajt ruhi bizzejjed.
Sandro: Periklu u ohrajn bhalu jistghu jiktbu b’kemm Alla halaq psewdonomi, biss imbaghad ma jistghux jiehdu ghalihom semplicement ghax qalghu xi kritika wara li tefghu gebla u hbew idhom.
Raphael Says:
March 12, 2008 at 5:01 pm
” biss imbaghad ma jistghux jiehdu ghalihom semplicement ghax qalghu xi kritika wara li tefghu gebla u hbew idhom”.
Another moment of sheer stupidity affecting a master of satire in the process of comprehension and interpretation …… indeed Malta Today
Periklu… too much smoke and no fire perhaps? I suggest you look around you and find a coffee bar to calm down.
Admittedly my last comment took so long to write and proof-read that I have been overtaken by events.
Sandro, what i’m reacting to is the insinuation – made twice in the same comment – that Frank portelli is not a “good” or “genuine” example of whistleblower. Emphasis there is on the use of quotations marks. Periklu then suggested that he is also saviour Balzan’s friend, which by extension provides a plausible reason for maltaToday not to wish to investigate the matter. I don;t know about you, but in my books that’s an allegation. And let’s face it: it’s the easiest thing in the world to simply cast aspersions like that, especially if they are not traceable to anyone. Now maybe I’m just fussy, maybe Im rading too much into it, but this is the sort of thing I dislike intensely. And Malta is just full of it from top to bottom.
Dafnay, you got objectivity, you got your party in government, you got your place at the trough…BUT YOU STILL AIN’T GOT CLASS OR INTEGRITY.
Jacques René Zammit , kindly allow me one more post before I go out for a walk to a coffee bar.
Raphael, one simple solution, with regard to comprehension and interpretation, is to copy my posts. Then stroll to the Dept. of English at the UOM and show the respective text to the Head of Department of English, or to one of the associate lecturers, and kindly ask for advice.
Raphael, you disappoint me.
Raphael,
its useless to post with pseudonyms. I know our paravendi assisitants are Maltese but it might be incredible they will trace you if the master wants to.
So Periklu is in danger as well.
I am not that familiar with this Maltatoday case since not all the articles are posted online and posted a bit later than the others biex ma jintilifx dak il-1 euro cent ( 🙂 ) but a journalist is not the commish. A journalist’s duty is to publish any investigation (full-truth) around. MA THARES LEJN WICC HADD as a newspaper’s slogan says. I think it is a relative of yours.
And Mr. F. Portelli is a very bad example of whistleblowing. Not-Genuine is a strong word. A MALTESE whistleblower with a Dr. cannot be trusted that he will die to reach the end.
Dak il-whistleBLOWer Malti li kixef lil JPO diga’ ghandu xoghol barra minn Malta lest. Fir-Rumanija ghal blue films, ghal blowjobs se jkun kapolavrant.
Journalists should take the blogger’s example. Last Friday, Jaccuse hallasli Fanta ghax il-Krest izjed gholi peress li kien gol-plastik, imma meta ried jibghatni niehdu quddiem kulhadd bil-mod pulit tieghu, baghtni.
And though we are friends, he never defend me when his virtual girlfriend never said that I was sentenced free from allegations. But that is friendship and politics. Death and Taxes.
“too much smoke and no fire perhaps” u din x’espressjoni hi Jacques!!! Jipprova jimpressjona. Bl-Ingliz mhux hekk tghidha! Jidher li Fausto ha l-leave.
Haga ohra Jacques.
Hafna teachers ta’ l-MCAST, minn diversi istituti, wara li qraw l-intervista tal-King tal-Bloggers: Sandro Presley, qalbulu fuq il-blog tieghek u jsellmulek u jghidulek prosit. Jixtiequ jduru ta’ Confessions, Keith, Fausto u Maltese Votes u Animal Rights imma vera jkunu busy. Imma jidher li l-blogg tieghek jikkollettivahom i.e. jghaqqad l-argumenti kollha.
Ftit biss kienu li ndunaw li ghandek biased ta’ l-Alternattiva u dan l-ahhar li inti zidt is-simpatija lejn Lowell.
Great. Now my father gets dragged into it. Right, I’m off. Ta ta…
hehe Raphaaaaaaaaelllllllll……….
hehe ghal mizinterpretazzjonijiet tal-blog huwa bomba. Confessions and KEB, do not take note please.
Ma nafx min hu missierek man.
“MA THARES LEJN WICC HADD as a newspaper’s slogan says. I think it is a relative of yours.”
I meant ILLUM, your sister paper.
Jiena mhux se nibghat id-dipartiment ta’ l-UOM siehbi tinkwetax.
LOL Raph. A good time for a breather…
Periklu. Coffee shop… coffe bar… you get the drift I guess.
Jiena mmur mieghu Jacques? Jew nibqa’ hawn?
Ghax malli dhalt jien, kulhadd qabdu l-ghatx ghall-kafe`.
I know that you all love to discuss whether or not to ban fireworks but how come nobody’s mentioned that the fireworks in the Naxxar explosion were intended to celebrate the Labour victory? Now, I don’t mind the coffins marked “GonziPN” that are quietly and discreetly coming out of Labour Party Clubs but that illegal fireworks endanger lives does not really need re-stating.
“were intended to celebrate the Labour victory?”
Source?
“how come nobody’s mentioned that the fireworks in the Naxxar explosion were intended to celebrate the Labour victory?”
I can only speak for myself, so I will say that I did not mention it for two reasons. 1. I did not know (assuming it is true). 2. It’s irrelevant. Whoever was storing fireworks there is a selfish irresponsible idiot.
Source?
My moles. Come on, man, head to the place and ask around.
Ok Fausto.
Imma x’differenza taghmel ezattament li kien Laburist fanatiku li sploda zewg toroq fin-Naxxar?
Taht Gvern Nazzjonalista hemm kamra tan-nar hdejn 4t iskejjel : – MCAST NAXXAR, HIGHER SECONDARY, FURTO SELVATICO, STEFANO ZERAFA.
Taht Gvern Nazzjonalista dawn l-iskejjel ma gewx evakwati wara l-ispluzjoni u l-kimika li dahhlet fil-klassijiet mill-incident tal-lum.
Irrivelantissimu habib.
Irrivelantissimu habib.
Jista’ jkun. Imma kien interessanti kif kulhadd jitkellem “madwar” is-suggett. Ta’ min isemmi ukoll li m’hix l-intenzjoni nitfa’ xi htija fuq il-Partit Laburista imma biex hadd ma jinsa kemm hu riskjuz li tixtri l-hut fil-bahar. Jew li tipprepara ghal celebrazzjoni ghal xi haga li m’intix cert hijiex se ssehh.
Xorta rrilevanti.
Kemm fil-meetings tal-Labour u kemm fil-meetings tan-Nazzjonalisti kien hemm is-sufarelli li huma kontra l-ligi.
Kemm xi hadd zero tollerance li tniffes?
Ara f’ta’ l-Alternattiva u Azzjoni Nazzjonali hadd ma jkorri zgur.
Hehehe…ghogobni l-ahhar kumment, Sandro. Rigward is-suffarelli fil-meetings tal-labour un-nazzjonalisti, jien ma semmejt xejn ghax la kont hemm, u l-anqas segwejthom fuq it-TV. Wara kollox, dak li jintqal fil-meetings ta qabel l-elezzjoni kollu mbarazz biex iheggeg lill-mases li diga konvinti kif se jivvotaw.
Izda issa li semmejthom…iva…zero tolerance…is-suffarelli ma kellhomx jintuzaw 😉
Sorry to bring this up again. The discussion has moved on but I haven’t had a chance to give the definition of a whistleblower according to my dictionary.
whistleblower
n. one who discloses confidential information from within an organisation.
Rossignaud was a whistleblower according to this definition because he disclosed what many people had already been suspecting: AD was Labour’s trojan horse in trying to breach the PN stronghold of Sliema. The plan nearly succeeded too; no wonder Harry was feted by MLP supporters at Naxxar.
Your apology for speaking is accepted Antoine. Now let’s get this clear once and for all. The only thing René Rossignaud’s resignation showed us is that the pressure that can be used by a party to dissuade other party’s from acting normally in a democracy knows no bounds.
The reason for René’s resignation is black on white – he noticed that AD risked getting votes from people who might normally vote PN and did not like that. Which meant that he was in the wrong party. You cannot be in one political party and resent the fact that it wins votes. It’s what politics is all about.
Nationalists like you Antoine, see his resignation as some kind of heroic move. AD activists see it as giving in to the pressure of a party that cannot stand having competition that works. In any case what RR did was not whistleblowing of any sort. You have to be plain stupid or politically blinkered to say that pointing a finger to a party for winning votes from another party has anything to do with whistleblowing. As for Labour and AD… I guess the conspiracy theories know no bounds… so long as PN saw AD as a threat (which it was) then it paid to paint it as red as possible until it morphed into the enemy. Again, your blinkered eyes will not ever be able to understand that. It is not about intelligence but about objectivity.
You will feel happy being governed by a party that makes a mockery of basic democratic principles and activity like trying to win votes and others will feel happy fighting the cause of other parties and trying to establish a foothold against all odds.
Again. Apologies accepted… do warn us when you decide to speak again… so us intellectual pompous bastards can come down from the ivory tower and high horse in time and put on the right blue tinted spectacles to understand what the fuck you are on about.
L-O-L
I define Jacques’ last post as an example of “where Zen ends, asskicking begins.”
Fejn hu l-moderator please?
Fuck is not in my books.
Antoine = The Blue-Eyed Freak.
Antoine kantali wahda ‘I’m Blue Da Ba Dee Da Ba Dai’.
High-five for Jacques!
Alan, Ian, Matthew ma niflahkomx kemm intom baxxi u bastardi. Ja Alternattivi.
Sandro go get a life man. Ghall-inqas dawk jiehdu l-vantagg totali johorgu ma l-AD. Jidhru l-ewwel fuq il-ballot paper alphabetically. Kapixx San Pawl?
Rossignaud whistleblower hehe anke’ Cicciolina darba provat tkun il-Madonna.
Ha nghidlek l-PN tghallmu kif jiehdu ‘l-vantagg totali’ fil-politika. Ma hemmx post fejn ma dahhlux l-pesisa fis-sistema u darulha kull kantuniera. Ghallinqas ma nhossnix kont ikkontestajt ghalxejn fl-elezzjoni. Il-PN issa anke jisraq l-idejat tieghi qieghed halli jiehu ‘l-vantagg totali’. Ma nehodiex bi kbira la kien anke kapaci jisraq billboards ta Sarkozy.
Abacus, actually, il vantagg totali haduh tal AN mhux tal AD. Zgur li tal AD pruvat tfixkel lill AN hafna iktar. Hasra li b’idea sublimi u isem perfett l-AN ga sfaxxat.
P.s….Bl-istess argument nistghu nghidu li il PN rebah b’aktar min 1580 vot la kien fil qiegh nett tal karta tal vot.
Antoine Vella billi ommok u missierek semmewk b’isem li jibda bl-ewwel ittra fl-alphabet ma jfissier li ghandek tiehu ‘l-vantagg totali’ fuq il-bloggers u tahseb li kull min ma jaqbilx mieghek huwa ‘infidel. Filkaz mur dur wahda sew is-site ta Daphne Caruana Galizia, hemm ikollok ‘l-vantagg totali’ ax ma dawk li jaraw ‘Blue’ biss tibda tiddiskuti.
Nghid talba lil San Pawl forsi ma tafx kif, dan il-brainwash itaffi, halli fl-elezzjoni li jmiss ikollna ‘l-vantagg totali’ ta elettorat matur.
Ghalhekk il-pajjiz sfrakassat Abacus ghax ipplagiarja lilek.
Ostrika x’vantagg hadu l-Alternattiva fil-ballot papers. Smajt li tellghu ghoxrin siggu. Wiehed minnhom ta’ l-irham u tond u fih ghatu.
Ara naqsamlekx rasek b’xi gugarell tat-teknologija moderna Sandro. Bit-teknologija moderna niehu ‘l-vantagg totali’ fuqek.
Dear Jacques, you don’t need to be warned, you are always prepared to withstand a siege anyway but you will NEVER come down of your ivory tower and high horse (are you are actually horse-riding inside a tower?)
It wasn’t an apology for speaking (do I need to apologise for that?) but for bringing to the fore a topic that had been overtaken by other subjects since this afternoon.
Rossignaud was disgusted by what he knew as an AD insider and blew the whistle on it. Deal with it Jacques – it’s there, in blue on white.
As you say, I am in a political party and do not resent PN recuperating potential voters from AD, thus denying the redoubtable Harry a seat in Parliament. It’s what politics are all about.
My eyes (blinkered or otherwise) cannot understand anything because that is not what they are for. Eyes are for seeing and the job of understanding is done by the brain.
It is true however that I do not understand your . . er . . . reasoning (?). Can you please re-phrase this: ” a party that makes a mockery of basic democratic principles and activity like trying to win votes.”
Leaving aside the atrocious grammar, are you saying that the PN makes a mockery of winning votes?!?!?
PS. Your last paragraph also contains at least one grammatical mistake. I won’t point it out so as not to appear too patronising but my blinkered eyes have noticed it nonetheless.
I can well believe that someone would describe you as pompous but calling you also intellectual is really stretching the imagination.
Le, Abacus.
Lil Daphne ma ssemmihix ok. Ma ssemmihx minn wara dahra x’affarijiet dawn.
U ara ma titnejjikx biha ghax b’rasek idur.
Hazin, ghax iccaqlaqli l-beret u ttelifli l-image tieghi li jtini ‘l-vantagg totali’ fuq nies bhalek biex nimpressjona s-sess oppost.
Con questo KGB che sputtana tutti… io non ce la faccio piuuu. Ve lo giurooo…
Resettiamo!
“Rossignaud was disgusted by what he knew as an AD insider and blew the whistle on it. Deal with it Jacques – it’s there, in blue on white….”
I bet my fifth ball that he will ignore you.
Benvenuto Beppe,
lo so perche’ sei qui. Eri su google. Hai cercato la parola vaffanculo in inglese “fuck off” e hai trovato questo sito. Questa bloggata in particolare dove il blogger in questo Jacques si e’ incazzato con Antonio Vella, titolare della pasta Divella favore della democrazia cristiana.
Ciao Beppe e non dimenticare: RESET!
Grande! Se Beppe e riuscito a trovare questo blog tramite ‘Google’ significa una sola cosa:
Jacques tu hai il VANTAGGIO TOTALE quando si cerca con il ‘Google’, perche sei nella parte superiore dei risultati!
E no Abacus. Questo non te lo permetto.
Su Google prima ci sono io: Alessandro Vella . Lui caso mai si presenta come pomposo e non intellettuale. La keyword per trovare questo blog e` “A ignorante!”
Jekk tikteb “A ignorante” jiehdok hawn: https://jaccuse.wordpress.com/2008/03/10/humble-pie-and-legitimacy/#comment-9510
“A stronzo, quanto nuovo sangue hai!! Che e’ o positivo o pn negativo?” jehdok hawn : –
http://timesofmalta.com/election2008/view/20080312/news/new-cabinet-sworn-in
Sandro sei un tipo antipatico. Il tuo linguaggo non mi piace affatto. Da dove vieni esattamente? Dalla parte del Sud di Malta?
Leggendo questi blog, e vedendo come descrivono gente come te persone come Daphne e Antoine, devi essere per forza un LABURISTA.
Stai zitto e smettila di parlare come la tua testa fosse nel tuo cuolo pirla! Quando diventi NAZZJONALISTA dimostrando grande maturita e intelletualita, ricominci a parlare.
Sono pienamente d’accordo con te Mauro Vascas.
Ti saluto e non dimenticarti di salutare Mussolini da parte mia.
Mussolini mi mando a spiare questa isola. Mi nascosi in una grotta, ma una onda pero poco non m’ammazzo`.
Fui impiccato un paio di mesi dopo.
Al principio ti credevo cristo. Ma adesso sono piu` convinto che tu sei giuda.
Conosci un certo Carmelo Borg Pisani per caso?
Antoine Vella, jidher li int wiehed minn dawk il-blue-eyed cubs pruzuntuzi li meta jkunu taht it-tinda ma’ Lourdes Pullicino jibdew jitkellmu fuq il-prezz tac-cerejali u l-prezz taz-zejt minghajr ma jkunu jafu x’il-kazz qed jghidu. U hallina trid. Forsi rbahtu din l-elezzjoni b’sufa (u grazzi ghal Laburisti li xebghu minn Sant) ghax ma kellkomx kompetizzjoni kredibbli bizzejjed u qed thossukhom high bhalissa, imma meta nara nies bhalek bhala n-nies il-godda tal-PN (“elves” imma fil-kuntest nazzjonalist) flok zaghzagh mimlijin ideat, stoffa u entuzjazmu, ninsab cert li l-bidu tad-deklin tal-PN huwa imminenti. Diga qed ihokk rasu minn fejn ha jaghzel Gonzi .. tnehhi lil Cristina u lil Gatt, donnu ma tantx fadallu minn fejn jaghzel. Veru GonziPN, ghax ir-responsabbiltajiet kbar kwazi kollha taht idejh spiccaw. U l-generazzjonijiet ta’ wara sfortunatament jippromettu ferm inqas!
This blog has taken a sudden twist I see.
Anyways Jaques, how do you propose the electoral system should be (5% national barring aside). I tried to remember if there is a country in which there is a better representation than Malta but there isn’t (from the major democracies I could recount at least). Italy has a very low treshold to make it to parliament, but of course then there is the small detail that in that country no one can vote for any candidate.
Hallini Gold Roast,
marisa madonna.
Dolores Cristina se nhabbat wicci maghha bis-serjeta’. Kemm fl-edukazzjoni u kemm fil-kultura. Mur araha madonna issa tigi l-MCAST u tara l-wicci u mbaghad wara tmur is-saint james u tara lil wicci.
Oh madonna tad-dilieri. Jacques hemm xi post ghalija fi Luxemobrorgu jew bhala bidillu ta’ l-avukat ewropew?
Issa x’se nghidilha lid-Dolor jien meta tarani nghallem. Titlobni r-record of work jew titlobni nkantalha l-kanzunetta:
http://www.maltafly.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=696
Imnalla m’ghadnix nahdem il-PBS.
ONORE a Carmelo Borg Pisani!!!!!
ONORE!
Della serie … morna out of point bil-kbir. Domani e un nuovo giorno. Kif kien jghid il-poeta… dat-taljanizzar kollu qed igghielni inboss. Good najt. U torqdux lebsin in-nuccali… ghax ikollkom hafna hmir il-lejl.
Hehe
haqqulla jacques jon saqsik mistoqsija……out of point xej……hehe…….wiegbu fred!
Gold Roast – Sejjer zmerc daqs kemm mort zmerc qabel l-elezzjoni.
“meta nara nies bhalek bhala nies godda tal-PN”
X’nies godda nies godda?? Jien ili fil-PN 32 sena. Ara veru gustuzi intom tal-AD ta!
lol, Din parigg tal-erbgha siggijiet li kontu se ttellghu.
No, Jacques – Rene resigned because HE CAN SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE, something that lots of you here are missing. Also, he has no hang-ups, and like other people who have no hang-ups, he feels uncomfortable around people who do. I would feel very uncomfortable sitting in a room full of ‘they’re out to get us’ type people, so I can understand how he feels. Basically, he’s just a decent bloke who objected to being asked to help s***w up the country just to give Harry and Claire their potty little dream. We’re not all pie-eyed selfish.
Sorry hsibtek pruzuntuz zghir Nazzjonalist … almenu iccumbajt li int Nazzjonalist. Ahjar minnek, ghax int qed tahsibni AD u minix. 😉
Nahseb assumejt li ghadek zghir ghax lanqas it-tifsira tal-kelma “whistleblowing” ma taf.
Gold Roast, ma ccumbajt xejn ghax jien stess kont ghidt li jien fil-PN.
Rigward it-tifsira ta’ whistleblowing, int minghalik tafha imma ma taf xejn. Il-veru tifsira hija dik li se jaghtiha l-Gvern (ta’ Gonzi, naturalment) meta jghaddi l-ligi.
Dnub li m’ghandniex gvern ta’ koalizzjoni ghax kieku kienu jsaqsu l-Harry biex jghidilhom xi tfisser. Imma x’taghmel hux? Il-PN se jkollu jifforma l-gvern wahdu, la l-poplu ried hekk.
“ma ccumbajt xejn ghax jien stess kont ghidt li jien fil-PN”
Iss tajba din. Daqs li kieku jekk tkun tinten sebgha pesti, ghandek ghalfejn tghid in-nies li ma nhsiltx. Insomma, ha tkompli ghaddej b’Harry … ghadu ma rregistrax li jien minix Green, ma naqa taht l-ebda kategorija, i’m a free thinker. But I’m not surprised that a Nazzjonalist koccut can’t percieve this.
U ghalhekk ha mmur norqod … ghandi n-nghas u konverzazzjonijiet ma’ nies one-track minded mhux l-istimolu tieghi … anzi qed inhoss li anke jien qed nispicca naqa fil-bassezzi.
Sweet dreams and buy yourself a dictionary.
“Il-vera tifsira (ta whistleblowing) hija dik li se jaghtiha l-Gvern”.
Ma nafx ghaliex, imma din qed tfakkarni f’ 1984 ta’ Orwell.
Kenneth Cassar Says:
March 13, 2008 at 7:26 am
“Il-vera tifsira (ta whistleblowing) hija dik li se jaghtiha l-Gvern”.
Ma nafx ghaliex, imma din qed tfakkarni f’ 1984 ta’ Orwell.
Bongu Kenneth,
il-bierah, wara parir ta’ Jacques, mort mixja u xrobt kafe veru tajjeb.
Isma, forsi int qed tahseb fuq 1984 ta’ Orwell ghax int ma tafx ezatt xi tkun demokrazzija parlamentarja.
Minn naha l-ohra, ma nistghax naqbel ma’ l-Professur Vella (mhux Sangru), li “il-vera tifsira (ta’ whistleblowing) hija dik li se jaghtiha l-Gvern”.
Il-gvern jista’ biss joffri modalita, u anke jekk din il-modalita issir ligi, modalita biss tibqa’ u mhux “tifsira vera” ta’ “whistle blowing”.
Kenneth
‘ma nafx ghaliex…….qed tfakkarni f’1984’
You know why? Because it’s your fondest wish to live in a dictatorship. Think of all the whinging you’ll be justified in doing. Oh, what bliss!
By the way, I’ll be taking my winding up to the comments of the latest blog entry, if you want to follow. 🙂
Periklu, il-gvern jista biss itiha tifsira legali. It-tifsira propja l-ebda gvern ma jista jibdilha.
Antoine, no, it is not my fondest wish to live in a dictatorship. If you ever read 1984 at all, it is all about the evils of dictatorship. And so you know, I don’t engage in whinging, unless whinging includes advocating the rights of those who cannot advocate their own rights. If whinging includes this, I declare myself guilty as charged. You may inform NET news so that they may announce to me my date of arrest.
The fact remains that the claim that a government may dictate the meaning of words is absurd. Hence my mention of 1984. Read it…you’ll be surprised.
Kenneth Cassar Says:
March 13, 2008 at 8:47 am
“Periklu, il-gvern jista biss itiha tifsira legali. It-tifsira propja l-ebda gvern ma jista jibdilha.”
Jien m’ghidtx il-kontrarju.
“Tifsira legali” ghalija modalita.
Ezatt…qed naqbel mieghek, Periklu.
Kenneth Cassar Says:
March 13, 2008 at 8:53 am
“The fact remains that the claim that a government may dictate the meaning of words is absurd. Hence my mention of 1984. Read it…you’ll be surprised.”
Although above quoted was not directed at me, I am at the moment surprised that some blatant absurdities are being dished out on a blog, which was prima facie apparently meant to cater for intellectuals.
Biex inkun car, specjalment ghal Antoine: Jien semmejt 1984 fir-rigward ta bdil tat-tifsiriet tal-kliem, u xejn izjed. Jekk wiehed jaqra 1984, isib li l-gvern ta Oceania fil-fatt ghamel ezattament hekk. Ghaldaqstant, il-kumment tieghi huwa validu.
Biss jekk Antoine jghidli li hu spjega ruhu hazin, u mhux dak li ried ifisser, naccettaha u l-kwistjoni tieqaf hawn, anki jekk ma nifhimx ghaliex wiehed ghandu jivvinta affarijiet bhal li jien nixtieq dittatorjat biex inkun nista noqghod neqred, bhallikieku rimarki bhal dawn jistghu irebbju argument bejn adulti.
Periklu, if you mention the absurdities you are referring to, I may have a chance to either state my case or change my opinions.
Ma nies bhal Antoine (u ohrajn simili) m’hemmx skop li tiddiskuti. Mhu ser tasal imkien. Jew tirribatti bil-lingwagg tieghu jew injorah in the first place. Ghal provokazzjoni u propoganda biss tajbin certu nies … s’hemmhekk biss jasal mohhhom.
Kenneth Cassar Says:
March 13, 2008 at 9:08 am
“Periklu, if you mention the absurdities you are referring to, I may have a chance to either state my case or change my opinions.”
“Absurdities” may be (and is probably) a subjective perception. Hence, I cannot offer you (possibly valid) objective explanations.
n.b.: I really love using parenthesis and brackets on this site.
Thanks Gold Roast. Nifhem x’int tghid. Jien ma naqax ghal-provokazzjoni, kemm ghax mhix fin-natura tieghi, u kemm b’rispett ta Jacques. Ghaldaqstant, jien nibqa nirrispondi ghall-insulti b’mod edukat u adult.
“”Absurdities” may be (and is probably) a subjective perception. Hence, I cannot offer you (possibly valid) objective explanations”.
If absurdities are subjective, why do you describe them as blatant? Blatant by definition cannot be subjective.
Kenneth Cassar Says:
March 13, 2008 at 9:24 am
“Thanks Gold Roast. Nifhem x’int tghid. Jien ma naqax ghal-provokazzjoni, kemm ghax mhix fin-natura tieghi, u kemm b’rispett ta Jacques. Ghaldaqstant, jien nibqa nirrispondi ghall-insulti b’mod edukat u adult.”
Miskin. Min qed jinsultak? Imma veru li wiehed isib nies kattivi kullimkien.
Biex nurik li veru ma naqax ghal-provokazzjoni, mhux se nirrispondik. Meta jkollok xi haga utli xi tghid, sejjahli.
Kenneth Cassar Says:
March 13, 2008 at 9:27 am
“If absurdities are subjective, why do you describe them as blatant? Blatant by definition cannot be subjective.”
You have my regrets. I cannot follow your unique logic.
Kenneth Cassar Says:
March 13, 2008 at 9:31 am
“Biex nurik li veru ma naqax ghal-provokazzjoni, mhux se nirrispondik. Meta jkollok xi haga utli xi tghid, sejjahli.”
Fair enough. Accepted.
No wonder you cannot follow my “unique” logic. The word “regrets” does not make sense in the context you are using it.
Kenneth Cassar Says:
March 13, 2008 at 9:34 am
“No wonder you cannot follow my “unique” logic. The word “regrets” does not make sense in the context you are using it.”
Hello Kenneth, did i call you because I might have had “xi haga utli xi nghid”?
Yes, Periklu, your recollection is spot on. But since you offered me your “regrets” (very nice of you), I took the opportunity to let you know that the word is not used in that context. No need to thank me.
Kenneth Cassar Says:
March 13, 2008 at 9:40 am
“Yes, Periklu, your recollection is spot on. But since you offered me your “regrets” (very nice of you), I took the opportunity to let you know that the word is not used in that context. No need to thank me.”
What should I have written to please your (subjective) taste?
Consult a thesaurus.
Kenneth Cassar: “What was the corrupt or illegal practice that Rene Rossignaud ‘whistleblowed’?” If anything, it should be ‘whistleblew’, but if you really want to get people to take you seriously, try this: “What was the corrupt or illegal practice on which Rene Rossignaud blew the whistle?”
The term ‘whistleblower’ comes from the expression ‘to blow the whistle’ – which means to sound the alert (on wrong-doing).
whistleblower
n. one who discloses the illegal or immoral acts of another person, informer
http://info.babylon.com/onlinebox.cgi?rt=ol&cid=CD776&term=whistleblower&tl=English&uil=English&tid=AffToolbar
Enough said.
P.s. Thanks Daphne for enlightening me on the correct plural of “whistleblower”. As a way of thanking you, I’ll give you this personal advice. If you want people to take you seriously, you should stop attacking persons for their appearances or sexuality (wigs and peacocks).
Kenneth Cassar: What is the sexuality of a peacock?
You know what I mean, Cora. When someone puts a picture of a woman dressed in a peacock costume ( http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/Index.php?paged=6 ), and puts a man’s name under the picture, and later puts a picture of a running peacock ( http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/Index.php?paged=2 ) saying it’s that same man, the homophobic intention is obvious.
I had some respect for Daphne when she was writing on unpopular topics (like fundamentalist religion and racism) and speaking her mind, but when she suddenly got the idea that the end justifies the means, and started insulting people just on appearance and sexuality, she lost all my respect.
Jacques: can you call me or SMS me a number I can call you on? (trying to book those kazakhstan tickets…)
Cora, the person Kenneth is talking about didn’t think twice about calling Jason Micallef “bisexual” on her blog. So what exactly is your point?
Thanks Keith. Exactly. I guess the connection between the peacock and homophobia wasn’t just my “thinking too much” after all.
Daphne…. nobghoooooooooooooodok.
Tezorier Onorarju I Hate Daphne (sezzjoni appogg nisa ‘Inridu Nkunu Bhalha’).
Boys, what is going wrong with your pubertal phase?
Periklu (and I think I’ve guessed who you are) – the point I’ve been making all along in this blog is that the 30-something men in this discussion are mainly suffering from development problems – hence, as you notice, the pubertal phase they seem never to have left. They all seem to be men-on-the-shelf with problems.
Toller Artikel. Vielen Dank.