Oh, look – they still don’t understand free speech
Well, well, well – what a surprise. The Labour Party – and will we please stop saying ‘the Labour Party’s electoral commission’ because this is the party itself we are talking about – is not content with just banning the five contenders from going out live on Xarabank. It is not content with insisting that the producers change the format of the show to suit it, record the proceedings and hand over the DVD for censorship before the broadcast. Oh no. This is the Malta Labour Party we are talking about, remember?
Now the party’s Great Controllers want Xarabank to hand over the recordings that have already been made of ‘a day in the life of’ Joseph Muscat, George Abela and Evarist Bartolo. The Great Controllers have ordered Xarabank not to broadcast those features. Or else.
Or else what? The Labour Party doesn’t know. It is so accustomed to charging around threatening people and bossing them into submission, that it has failed to distinguish between those it can control (its own people) and those it can’t (the rest of the country). Just listen to the unbelievable hogwash that shows quite clearly that the Labour Party has inched forward since 1984: “While the presenter has every right to retain the format of the programme” – oh gee, thanks, Lejber – “the Malta Labour Party and its electoral commission have a right to safeguard the interests of the party.”
So what’s all the fuss about? Free campaigning is not allowed, that’s what. Not content with dictating to Union Press, Super One, KullHadd and Maltastar.com about the way in which they may or may not give exposure to leadership contenders, Labour is now seeking to control the exposure these people get in the non-party media, and even on the state broadcaster. Unbelievable? Not really. We’ve seen much worse, after all.
So, because Michael Falzon and Marie Louise Coleiro refused to have a ‘day in the life’ feature made about them for Xarabank (I don’t blame them; I would hate it), Labour is trying to ban the broadcast of the ‘day in the life’ features of the other three. Doesn’t it realise that the country is gagging to see a day in the life of Joseph Muscat? He wakes up, changes Etoile’s and Soleil’s nappies, checks his emails, puts a load in the tumble-dryer, cooks breakfast for his wife, then pulls on his tights and cape and saves the world.
Fortunately, Xarabank is not going to be bossed around by Lejber. It’s too bad that I’m going to miss it. I’ll be at the premiere of Sex and the City, far, far away from the sight and sound of megalomaniac poodles.
Is Joseph Muscat a big girl’s blouse as well as a poodle?
I ask this because he appears to have gone sobbing to Martin Schulz for defence against the ferocious attacks of the right-wing press. This is how Poul Rasmussen, president of the party of European Socialists, explained the matter in a reply to Michael Falzon’s angry missive.
He said that his party does not take positions on the suitability of somebody or other for the leadership of one of its member parties, and that Schulz was just defending Muscat “from attacks in the rightwing press”.
Really? That’s not what the press conference heard. They heard Schulz say what a highly suitable person Muscat is, what a good leader he will make. The man is so ill-informed he doesn’t even know that it is Labour which is the rightwing party in Malta, and the Labour press is the rightwing press. Schulz seems to toil under the delusion that if a party calls itself socialist and leftwing, then that is what it is, regardless of its policies.
Maybe Schulz would like to explain how a xenophobic policy of opposition to EU membership and ‘keeping out the hordes’ was in any way in line with socialist, leftwing principles? Maybe Schulz should know that his pet Joseph didn’t vote Yes in the referendum on membership. But perhaps if Joseph cries at his feet a little bit, he’ll forgive the flibbertigibbet.
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They are trying to control a program aired by a private company, and this when they are in opposition – That should give young people of today (who only know about such times through what they hear) an insight into what it was like when they had complete control of local media.
Bear this in mind, and let us never go down that road again.
Well no. It’s really the opposite. The MLP has shown that it will not be controlled by Xarabank. Just because someone is summoned by Peppi, it does not mean that one should go to him. Peppi is not the Courts of Law where you have to go when summoned, or else! And what business has a programme normally dedicated to hypnotists, to fortunetellers and to the 10 top sexual fantasies discussing politics? Peppi should stick to his hypnotists in his programmes.
And yes, the MLP took the decision for the contenders, as this is an election within a political party. The contenders are first and foremost part of a political structure which, to even merit such a name, needs to have internal discipline.
No, no-one is trying to control the programme.
It will be a sad day when programmes are controlled, but it would still not be a bright day when programmes themselves expect that THEY can control, and that THEY can dictate the national agenda. It works both ways doesn’t it?
[Moderator – Albert, ‘national agendas’ are the makings of heavily autocratic states, where the premier is truth, the way and the light. This is because it is only possible to monopolise the free market of ideas when the state maintains absolute control over all media. The Malta Labour Party has just been kind enough to let us know that it sees such a situation as very desirable. Trust you to see free media as the enemy and the forces of authoritarianism as the hero.]
Then they are surprised that the youth, even those coming from labourite families, are abondoning the MLP and identify more with the PN!!!
Albert, Albert, Albert. True, Xarabank shouldn’t control anyone, but then shouldn’t the people in question have the choice to go on or not?
@Moderator
‘free media’? If you want to make me believe Xarabank and the team behind it is “free”, I have a small piece of the Brooklyn bridge which you might be interested in.
@AlphaBeta
If the youth votes according to who appears on Xarabank or not, no wonder Malta has the lowest levels of educational attainment in the EU! IN any case, Xarabank is free, and so will discuss the leadership election. Who is preventing it to do so?
@Steve
Well, not really. This is an election within a political party we are talking about. Everything has to be seen in the context of what can and what might not be, beneficial to the party as a whole. There is no general election on June 5th.
Infact, mentioning this, it seems to me that most here are still in general election mode. When they tell us the obvious that the next labour leader should be the one who can “make the MLP win the next elections”, they forget that the main problem now is to unite the party. Thing is, we are as far from a general election as can be. The new MLP leader should be first and foremost the one who can unite the party and direct his efforts at that. Only by achieving this can he then have any glimmer of hope of winning the election.
[Moderator – Albert, free doesn’t mean free of opinion or free of bias, it means precisely the opposite: freedom to broadcast your opinion, freedom to broadcast your bias. But of course, when you talk about free media what you mean is that they are free to broadcast the one true opinion, and nothing else.]
From Rasmussen’s Party of Eurpoean Socialists web-site: “PES Leaders pose ‘Europe Day’ question: What sort of Europe do you want?”
According to the MLP and DRJOSEPHMUSCAT not so many millions of years ago: “One without Malta in it.”
According to Rasmussen, Schulz, a ranking representative of this particularly motley crew, came here to defend the poor lamb against attacks from the right-wing press.
Do we need any more evidence on the way institutionalised socialism works?
@Albert – Regardless of what you or I think about the quality of Xarabank programming the programme is viewed by a very large audience. It may not be the law courts as you rightly stated but then again constantly putting it down does not help your public image much. If Labour want a shot at winning an election ever they have to be comfortable on the local media and this clearly shows that they are not. Xarabank with its mammoth viewing IS the media.
May I strongly appeal to all those Maltese citizens who were not yet grown up in the 70s and 80s to digest the comments on this post very carefully. It is YOU who have to make sure that it will never happen again . We who bore the full brunt of those dark hours for Malta are on the way out and fast dwindling. Read it all carefully because the forces of darkness are still with us and alive and kicking.
Stop this hogwash. Do we live in a free country or not.
I ask the question again; what would the commission do
if the five contenders decide to ignore the rule?
Call AS back to the throne?
I pity the contenders and in this regard see them as very weak.
In my humble opinion they should tell the commission
where to stuff its inquisition type of rules and get on with their
canvassing in the way they best see fit and ethical.
Of course there must be rules, but there are limits to any rule.
They should be more wary on the way anonymous letters are
circulating among the delegates. Or have they already forgotten
the last leader’s election?
Freedom of speech can never be curtailed. No one can be stopped
airing his opinion just because his opponent doesn’t want to, or
because his opponent just can’t find the right arguments to counter.
Il-lejber suffers from persecution mania and abhors all sorts of criticism.
Albert,
I have known a person who was constantly turning his head around to see if anybody was spying on him: he finished in Mt. Carmel Hospital. Why all this paranoia?
For day in day out, before, and during the election campaign we have
read/heard on the mlp media whole articles about how this and that
pn activist or candidate is not following the party line;….. his speeches
do not reflect the pn’s line;…..the pn is in a quagmire because this and that
main candidate speaks his mind;….. he doesn’t agree with Gonzi;…..journalists(?)
shoving microphones in faces, trying to get that incriminating sound bite
of divisiveness in the pn……
The election has come and gone. The winner has been declared and it is
obvious that the individual voter has chosen the candidate/s who speaking
his/their mind can represent him best.
We also now know from the horse’s mouth exactly which party tried to cheat
the electorate by trying to present a united front which is obvious there
never was and by the looks of it there can never be as long as the same
mind set remains.
I say open up your windows, let some fresh air in, throw all that has been heavy
baggage out. Make free speech the main basis of the party.
After all in the origins of every/any political party there were never electoral
commissions making rules, but just a bunch of well meaning people intent
on creating a force for the betterment of their country.
Everyone would welcome that.
@Albert. Am i dreaming or did you just write that Xarabank does not discuss politics? Are we talking about the same programme?
So all those invites to political parties, all those surveys never published before the elections (you know the ones – those the Labour Party didn’t want anyone to see, because they contradicted their own findings,and which incidentally proved to be more accurate then the MLP surveys) all those talking heads muttering about the EU, divorce, etc, was all that a mirage? Or were all those politicians there to have their hands read by fortune tellers? Or is it possible AS went over to get hypnotised by Peppi the Hallucinogenic Hypnotist which is why he still thinks he’s ‘The King of the World’!
It must be very difficult being an MLP apologist when you have to create a totally new concept of the world you live in.
Please find a more interesting reason for why a political party should have the audacity to tell a private TV company what to transmit or do yourself a favour and schtum!
I’m sure Xarabank will still air snippits and the programme will go ahead, with or without the contestants…..can’t wait!!!!!
That’s a really interesting point “me”. What if they all decide to go there together? They would screw the electoral commission good. Or what if they plan to do that, and like, George Abela doesn’t go, in the last minute! Lol Then he’d have to be the one elected. Or like, What if only Marie-Louise decides to go to Xarabank. Think of how boring the programme will be!! Lol. Anyway… The electoral commission really did fuck up by trying to control the uncontrollable. It’s gonna be great fun seeing what happens.
I don’t exactly understand why the WWL report had to be published and participation in Xarabank is “mandatory”. Let me elaborate before being adorned with diverse unsavoury soubriquets …
Admittedly, the way a party/establishment/business is run internally affects the image of the said body, on the other hand what you don’t know can’t hurt you… AS LONG AS WE ARE ONLY DISCUSSING INTERNAL PARTY AFFAIRS
Example:
When I buy an air conditioning unit for my home all I am concerned about are 2 things:
a) the product is decent
b) the after sales service is good
Whether the manager of the after sales dept is a nice guy or “not such a nice guy after all” or whether or not his charges like him is beside the point.
Same goes for the MLP (i would imagine.) As long as their policy makers can produce decent policies and stick to their promises I don’t think it’s anybody’s business really what goes on behind the scenes, not even labour supporters themselves need to know.
The logic applies to participation on Xarabank. Ok, no one should impose bans on participation etc etc … BUT what good will it do the “common” viewer? Nationalist supporters, Labour supporters and tesserati will just watch the programme to satisfy their curiosity. They can do sweet Fanny Adams about anything except call the candidates “traditturi” or “giddibin” to their faces. Cathartic value at best.
On the other hand, the puppetteers’ performance has to be evaluated. I don’t know much about what goes on behind the scenes but I’m sure that they are responsible – or partially responsible – for the mess the party is in.
Any self-respecting delegate should read the WWL report and cringe (if what has been “published” is true.) but at least s/he should find solace in the fact that s/he is in a position to do something about it.
Conclusion: I am a firm believer in the “need-to-know-basis” way of doing things. I wouldn’t call publishing the WWL report “being transparent”, nor would I say that the general public has a right to learn the internal goings-on of a party – be it the PN or the MLP.
… OK … you can start lobbing rocks now :)
It is very wrong and out of context to
consider this to be an internal party election.
This election can affect each and every one
in this country, if not today by the next general election.
Every citizen has a stake in it and the right to know
the nuts and bolts about it.
We chastise other countries for not adhering to
some protocol or other. We do not do that for the fun of it.
We do it because we know that sometime or other the
final result will affect us. Remember ‘Pacem in Maribus’….
Kyoto……whale hunting….over fishing….etc.
Finally they affect us, and many times very close.
Then how about the election of someone who could be
OUR prime minister ?
@ Modereator
….freedom to broadcast your opinion, freedom to broadcast your bias.
If we were talking about a programme on Net or One TV, that would have been fine, but please remember that Xarabank is aired on National TV, the state broadcaster. So such programme has to be partial.
I personally do not agree with the said banning (if I am not mistaken, so is Dr George Abela), but on the otherhand I respect the decision taken by the MLP. I am all out against controlling what Xarabank wants to broadcast, this is their business.
One question: Why has Xarabank, Bondi+ (WE) never broadcasted a programme about the coming internal elections of the PN? It would be interesting to see the difference between the two parties.
[Moderator – You are missing the point: the Malta Labour Party would have implemented the ban even if Xarabank were broadcast over tin can telephone by Radju Maria. Like all autocratic parties, they are just obsessive censors, which makes the claim that Schulz was here to defend Joseph Muscat from ‘the right wing press’ ever more ridiculous. What he should have done is to defend the Maltese people against attacks from the right wing Malta Labour Party. Why won’t we be seeing a programme about the internal elections of the Nationalist Party? For the same reason that no one watches programmes about quality control at ISO certified manufacturers. A programme about the Malta Labour Party’s elections, on the other hand, is like watching Rambo: First Blood.]
A couple of days ago I said that after following Bondi+ it is very evident that the Establishment that is currently controlling MLP are all out against Michael Falzon. And then I added that if MF really wants the well-being of the party to thrive, then he should retire his candidacy and join George Abela’s cause, since he is unmistakably also hindered by the Establishment. After reading this – Possibilta’ li Michael Falzon jitressaq quddiem il-Bord ta’ Viġilanza u Dixxiplina ta’ l-MLP – I stand more convinced of what I said before.
MF is doing his best to dodge the bullets, but they are still heavily damaging him, most especially when one tries to understand how the average delegate thinks.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand all this. Now the thing is this. If all that MF is saying is true and if he really wants his beloved party to thrive, then he doesn’t really have an option except join forces with the other candidate that the Establishment is firing at. It is that simple. Because of this and similar cases I believe that if anyone other than George Abela becomes leader of MLP, the party will still be governed with a great deal of division rooted in it.
What MLP needs right now is an interim administration that makes a clean sweep, an administration that has the right experience and has nothing to lose, because it has proved that it can be successful without the party. This only, besides revitalizing the party, will be enough to make MLP electable come 2013.
@christopher
First of all schtum yourself :). Second, Xarabank is aired on PUBLIC TV. Thirdly, who is dictating what to broadcast? Fourtly, try to be better informed on why the election survey was not aired. Surely there is a limit to how much spin you can believe! Fiftly, Xarabank is a trash Tv programme which sometimes discusses politics in a kangaroo court style. They will do it tonight. Good luck to them. As regards the comment that Xarabank IS the media, well that has to change. It cannot be that one single group of people monopolise the airwaves.
‘Same goes for the MLP (i would imagine.) As long as their policy makers can produce decent policies and stick to their promises I don’t think it’s anybody’s business really what goes on behind the scenes, not even labour supporters themselves need to know.’
It is my business what goes behind the scene.
Especially if the supplier whose selling me his
air condition is making money by abusing his
workers or doing his best to evade taxes.
Or are we to apply the religious principle of hiding
a lost argument behind the ‘mystery’ concept.
‘BUT what good will it do the “common” viewer?’
The point is not the common viewer but the party.
Does the party as an organisation made up of free people
have the right to muzzle anyone?
What right has any party to dictate what a TV station
out of its direct control should transmit?
Are we to agree with censoring?
One could go on, but the point is the individual
freedom of expression.
Labour Party’s electoral commission fail to understand how vital this MLP leader election is for all of us, being whoever, PN supporter, MLP or a floater. Stating that it is an internal affair within the party, make no sense. We should not underestimate the importance of next week‘s MLP leader election. One of the five contenders has to form an alternative government; an opposition much desired -sa fl-ahhar!, with a possibility of governing in 2013.
MLP should thank anyone offering such a biting critique for the simple reason that this country needs a trusty, dependable opposition. Banning the contenders from going on any media is not going to help covering the previous administrative mistakes, this will only hinder the election result. I am genuinely interested in the best outcome hoping the delegates will elect their leader wisely, surely as all PN supporters do.
We got sick and tired of such boneheads, an opposition interfering in the running of the government, moaning on opposition benches without offering any alternatives, they had nothing but criticism to offer. Our country needs a constructive opposition.
In 2004 when PN had its Leader election we had no drama going on, the PN was still governing and there were no factions within the party. On the other hand there is an absolute chaos in the MLP and the transition to the next leader, hope that won’t be Dr Joseph and his fake smile, is not going to be smooth either.
The story continues like that pathetic TVM program – Dejjem tieghek beki.
@Andrew Borg-cardona – If you “need any more evidence on the way institutionalised socialism works”, why not have a dash at the Lisbon Treaty?
Otherwise, if that bores you to death, carry on with the local game, it’s simpler, more exciting and you needn’t know what you’re actually writing about.
But the Europe that “motley crew” wants is still the Europe you’re going to have to swallow – whether you know it or not (or realise, rather, ghax Cloud 9 ta’ veru kollha kemm intom, motleys or pruds).
@ Leonard Ellul Bonici
You seem to have a very short memory. You seem to forget John Dalli and the way he ‘accepted’ defeat. Up until a few days before the election, Mr Dalli continued to say things against the party publicly, and this was to spite Dr Gonzi.
Every party has its klikek and internal ‘disagreements’. The difference between the two parties are that the PN is more subtle, while the MLP hangs his dirty linen for all to see.
I wonder how people define “freedom of speech”! It amazes me much more that those who preach such freedom practice censor at random. How hypocrites behave is tantamount to‘serial killer behaviour’!
To dictate to the MLP electoral commission what it should or should not do is very cheeky to say the least. Only jerks and skunks behave like that. (Pls do not take it literally and I mean no one any offence!).
Reading such arrogant comments does not surprise me! One cannot expect anything different in this forum.
Anyhow, the conditions imposed on ALL contestants were very intelligent, logical and practical. Not to participate in such programme was in best interests of the contestants themselves. Well done!
NB. I wonder if anyone read Daphne’s resume on The Guardian. Comments pls .Daphne can’t you afford a new pic of yourself?
@ Moderator You be soon reading about the ‘rambos’ within the PN!
@ Albert
Second, Xarabank is aired on PUBLIC TV
———————————
There it is again, what is it with this Labour mentality that discussion programmes and news bulletins on state TV all have to be of the sterile-BA-referee-with-stopwatch-in-hand type?
My 2cents worth is it’s because Labour is losing its ‘comfort zone’ of unquestioning and faithful reproduction during PBS news and current affairs programmes of every single utterance from the glass house, no matter how inane or downright ridiculous.
They don’t like it when their actions and policies are questioned and not put in a neutral light to complement the fawning slant on their own media.
Not to mention that to a man (and woman) they simply unravel under the harsh glare of scrutiny. Witness Jason’s spectacular hara-kiri at the counting hall (I heard many underground bookies want his head)and perpetuated at Xarabank with that outburst against one of the leadership candidates.
Yes Albert, I see where you’re getting at. Bring back the old days when nonsense was not dismissed for what it is, but given bland acceptance or worse, hailed as genius.
The price of freedom of speech is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish.
@europarl
Please save us. You are our last hope from the return to a feudal controlled Europe… how long has it been now? Over 60 years of peace in Europe(with the EU playing a big role), I think that is unprecedented, and by far, when one looks at recent history.
You have every right to criticise but the other options may be by far more damaging than one common European kingdom, and to be constructive and objective you have to include that in your judgments. I would rather have a few dictating us, common citizens, rather than send us to the front lines to kill each other. So even in the worst case scenario we are still all better off… Thanks but no thanks.
Albert, Peter and all the reds ones.
The reason we have the lowest level of education does not imply that the quality of those educated is poor.
This matter simply lies in numbers and we all know know the power is in numbers and where there is a concentration of these numbers.
Thus before telling the government to improve the level of education, you’d be better off telling your neighbors to send there children to school, instead of having them loiter around ir-rahal mingling with eachother, and making babies at 13.
We all know who these people are and the majority all reside from Msida downwards, i.e. all this happens in the south and you cannot deny it.
Thus mhux ha jigi Jason Micallef, jew Karmelo Abela jghidilna biex nisthu bil-livell tal-edukazzjoni because who wants to learn those so and at least has the full means of attaining a besic level of education.
The source of the problem is not the government, it’s a simple matter of telling those that who do not want to learn, to start learning.
Stupid socialists
@ me
(bit like talking to myself isn’t it? *grinZ*)
my point is that not everything is subject to public scrutiny.
Some things are best left at “board room level”. Failure to do so leads to catastrophic results.
Examples:
Inter after Mancini said he was leaving at the end of the season
England’s performance in the 2006 World Cup after the FA told Eriksson to p*** off
The latter part of Liverpool’s 2007/08 season due to the bickering between Hicks, Gillet and the DIC …
The men in the trenches just get demoralised knowing their future is in the balance yet there’s nothing they can do about it.
Same goes for political parties.
@ Alex – So without the EU we would all be fighting eachother, aye? The sun rises because the cock crows, yes, we knew that. And without the Lisbon Treaty, what? Will the EU die at your feet? Do you know the differences between the Nice Treaty and the Lisbon Treaty? Or are you soundly uninformed?
This war cliché is so passé not even the hungry wolves at the PES use it any longer. Now they say “we want a strong Europe” – militarily strong, of course, as in policing the world and bombing dissenters into oblivion at our expense.
You’d do yourself a big favour if you update yourself on the EU, otherwise you’ll end up like Daphne here, a Lilliputian crusader deliberating over two sides of a molehill.
But she loves Manhattan in the starry-eyed tradition, so she must also love the imperialist EU the PES are clamouring for. Ask her what’s good about the Lisbon Treaty and she’ll come up with a cliché in quite the Schulz fashion. They’re all in the same basket: Schulz, Daphne, Doc Joe… and you of course.
@Zizzu
(looks like I’m talking to someone who can understand)
I disagree. This is not football.
Everything should be open to public scrutiny. After all it is always the public that foots the bill, whether in civil or club life, and if the ‘political parties financing laws’ are one day enacted more so. How about having any government spending our money without our scrutiny?
Even if you are comparing to a business, legal notice 10/2006 stipulates quite clearly that even if the employees are not organised in a union they have the legal right to elect a representative with the legal power to ask of the management any sensitive information.
Pity the mlp supporters who for five whole years were led to believe that the party they so wholeheartedly support was ready for an election come even if it were to come the day after.
The men in the trenches get demoralised when they come to know that they were cheated of the truth, especially if their leaders are not with them in the trenches.
No one can be treated as a mushroom. They were left in the dark and feed s**t.
It is not right, honest or ethical, and that goes for all parties.
@ME
The four contenders don’t want to go on the programme dear ME. The commission is just a facade which they are hiding behind. Notice their comments: “I will do what the commission decides” blah blah blah. Only George Abela protested and said that he disagrees with the commission and that he wants to go on the show. Two of them have accepted to be recorded, true, but they do not have the guts to go on a live programme where they are sure that George Abela would get the biggest applause. On the eve of the election this will be very bad for them and a boost for George. So don’t waste your time on a discussion which the other four contenders and their supporters must be relishing because you are sooooo off track. It might get us somewhere if we start asking why does George want to go and the others keep hiding behind the commission. Although it’s a bit late now. But at least the kite will be flown and maybe some delegates will realise what’s behind all this charade of going on one show and not on the other. Remember on the other shows there was never an audience, and we all know that the majority of labourites want George, but the delegates don’t want George because they are influenced by those who are still in the party and have the means to exert pressure on the delegates to safeguard their personal interests. There are opinion polls to show that the majority want George; but alas all is in the hands of the 900. And George will not be elected. All we are witnessing now regarding tonight’s show is nothing but fear of George.
PS
If the three of them (George and the two who accepted to be recorded) really wanted to go on the show, the commission would have had to accept because there would have been a majority wanting to go: 3 out of 5. the commission discusses with them, gives her views and then it is up to them to decide, if there is no agreement, they will vote on what to do. George certainly was against not going on the show, so there was no unanimity in the decision, but there was a majority who didn’t want to go.
@Moderator
Take a look at Steve Grech`s post above. Since you allowed such a comment, should i take it that racist comments are accepted here? Or that freedom of speech means also fomenting hatred? Do you disassociate this blog from these comments? Thanks.
[Moderator – Where is the racist comment? I can’t seem to find it myself.]
@albert.
Sorry just got back from doing real work. Either I am not making myself clear or your being deliberately obtuse. I was merely responding to your assertion that Xarabank does not usually deal with politics and pointing out that quite the opposite, politics was always the main topic of conversation on that programme.
I don’t see what relevance that has with TVM being a public TV, I don’t get your reference to dictating. I never commented on the quality of the programme itself (although politicians seem happy enough to use it when they need to..or where they hypnotised?)
As I said in my previous contribution, either we are living in different realities or talking a different language. Possibly both.
Seriously do yourself a favour and get yourself some serious arguments to hit the Nats with. God knows there are enough if you look for them. But this ain’t one of them
You are correct europarl, I do not know what is precisely in the Lisbon Treaty and believe me very few are interested in knowing what is exactly in it. I do have an idea though what is in it and how important it is that all EU members have a set of common laws, without which the EU cannot move forward and will end up being just a formal union. So, for the big part of us it boils down to believing what the pro- or anti- EU groups want us to believe, since it would bore us to death to read the whole thing.
If maybe you and your kind of groups are a bit less extremist and stop being so negative about everything, then maybe the public will become more interested to observe what your points are. Going on with your approach of attempting to patronise us and claiming that politicians are stealing all of our freedoms will never get you anywhere. And all this is confirmed by the Irish opinion polls.
I do not give a cent if they go on Xarabank or not. In all its long life I haven’t followed more that two editions of the program, mainly because during the program funds were collected for a very good cause. It’s not what I go for.
As for the rest I agree with you in as much as it proves the point that all we are seeing, as you well stated, is a charade, and after the election it will be just a continuation.
I have on many occasions on this blog forwarded my opinion that the only way out for the mlp, and the country for that matter, is a clean sweep of all that has a shadow of their past.
As you well said the only possibility of a new era would be GA. This is also my opinion, as I have made it clear more that once, and do not expect many mlp delegates to share it.
Not that I give a damn who leads the mlp or the pn, but I sure do give a damn who might lead my country.
P.S. Please do not capitalise ‘me’.
Alex, I patronise you because I have long given up on you lot. You don’t have to ask me to believe you that no one is interested. But I’m not selling bibles, if you get my drift (no, of course you wouldn’t). So just keep it up – you are all stuck in the 2003 referendum mind-set.
And if “extremism” is all you see, let me patronise you a little further. You would have made a good Pravda columnist in the good old soviet days… just replace your glorification of the EU with SU and you’d have been fine. And keep reading that fool’s scribblings from Brussels – wotsiz name… Ivan Camilleri (totally oblivious, that guy!) The joke of the century in Brussls)
Kemm qeghdin sew ukoll! Irid jitghallem imma ma jridx jaqra – iz-zokk ta’ hmar! Kompli aqra l-hmerijiet la trid tibqa hmar. U emmen biss lil mainstream politicians, ta, sheeple, hi…
Miskin Albert just showed us how educated he is.
The man does not even know what the word racist or razzist means(in both languages). Igifieri dan ghal giehna, jigi hawn jidghilna kemm hu tajjeb u glorjuz Fredu Sant, u lanqas jaf jitkellem bil-Malti u bl-Ingliz, u ghandu vot ukoll!
Prosit hij Albert, il-livell tal-edukazzjoni veru baxx hawn Malta, ghidli naqra minn fejn int ukoll?
A racist comment is one based on racial intolerance.
Ha nispjegalek bil-Malti FORSI tifhem. Racial mhux ta tista’ tkun int ta hij. Racial tireferi ghal razza. Allura, dak li ghidt jien bl-ebda modd ma kien razzist.
My post was a prejudiced one based on my own beliefs. In simple terms, you can call me an a55 h*l3, but there is no way in hell that you can call me a racist.
You socialists act like you know it all, but you don’t know *!i+, you clearly show that you are not fluent in English, and you have clearly displayed your lack of proficiency in Maltese aswell.
Me vote labour? And associate myself with people like you? Are you crazy? If i vote labour then technically i’m the same as Albert.
I’ll never vote labour, but people like Albert feel they are smart enough to make the right choice.
Nhar is-sibt 8 ta’Marzu !!!2013!!!! AGHZEL LEJJJBBEEEEERRRR
@ Alex – since you at least felt the urge to write something there must be some latent interest, so here, this is our latest “propaganda installation” for the Irish voters: http://www.euinfo.ie
And this is the latest issue of EUWatch (just out): http://www.euinfo.ie/uploads/file/euwatch-may-june2008.pdf
(some interesting articles; my article is the penultimate one – excuse the pic, I’m not photogenic :)
Other EUWatch issues are here: http://indemgroup.eu/48
Reference to above – my article is at page 35, not the penultimate.
@euroaparl
Master, did you really read the whole thing or did you read the user friendly version by Jens-Peter Bonde that you are promoting? Bonde himself said that it is impossible to read the whole thing!!
If I read the user friendly version, what guarantees do I have that the assumptions being made are genuine? Which is why I said that it boils down to believing the pro or those like you who are against. To me it seems that you do not even recognise that having common laws is necessary to move forward, and I guess it is because you do not want the EU to move forward, right?
TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING PEPPI!!
[Moderator – Taxpayers are also paying Silvio Parnis. Live with it.]
@Moderator
Steve Grech, in a post this morning at 1122 wrote the following:
“Thus before telling the government to improve the level of education, you’d be better off telling your neighbors to send there children to school, instead of having them loiter around ir-rahal mingling with eachother, and making babies at 13.
We all know who these people are and the majority all reside from Msida downwards, i.e. all this happens in the south and you cannot deny it.”
I am not going into the academical or legal definition of what a racist comment is. Let’s not split hairs, please.
But this Grech has identified an area of Malta, ie the so-called “South”, and to be more precise “from Msida downwards” as having children loitering about and making babies at 13. He is labelling a whole area as backward and ignorant. Just like you hear people saying “ghax dawk is-suwed kollha morda u kollha slavag…”, so is this Grech fomenting prejudice against people who live in a part of Malta, or the simple reason that they happen to be from tehre.
Now if this is not racist, I do not know what that is.
If his comment is a dig at the fact that Labour has a majority in the South, well the PN government as far as I know is the governemnt of the North, the South, the East and the West, and is responsible for the welfare of all of Malta, and has been so for ages.
Or maybe he is admitting that the PN is so weak that its authority does not extend beyong Msida. Sometimes truth CAN be found between the lines! LOL
[Moderator – There isn’t even a ‘Maltese’ race, let alone a race of Maltese people from the few villages south of Msida.]
@ Alex – Disciple of mine, the reader-friendly has no assumptions. The only additions, other than the bold fonts to denote changes from Nice to Lisbon (plus other symbols), are the guidelines in the margin – and if you had really checked what they say you’d have recognised that they are exactly what they’re said to be: guidelines to help you find what you’re looking for.
The Lisbon amendments had to be inserted into the treaties, of course, which is what makes it readable (you had not understood that had you?), hence “consolidated version”. Then there is an Index, man – which the Council does not offer. To be fair, the Council did eventually publish a consolidated version (15 April), but we beat them to it.
As for having myself read the treaty or not, let’s just say that being part of the team that compiled the blasted thing gives me some insight. My criminal justice background gives me some other insight too. The fact that I lived in a totalitarian state during the good old Brezhnev days of Soviet lore also gives me an insight, as does the other fact that I have been facing these neo-totalitarians here for over five years now. I guess that does make me a master of sorts. Thank you for recognising that in me, Alex.
As to your ‘having-common-laws-is-necessary-to-move-forward’ comment, what can I say? If you are okay with the four freedoms of movement than let me assure you that I have ALWAYS been in favour of removing internal borders. But that has to do with the creation of the single interstate market. That is not a political, but an economic union. Do you see a difference here? If you do then it’s a beginning. The subject is vast. Start with Soviet, American and Nazi history before venturing into this monolith’s existence.
The writing has long been on the wall – it is for this reason that I was against Malta’s membership. My article on page 35 of EUWatch, linked above, should give you an idea of where I stand.
It’s good that Daphne had a break, btw, phew… :o)
@europarl
You mean you lived in Malta under Dom & KMB in the eighties? That makes a lot of us with your insight.
Like others, I couldn’t be bothered to read the treaty. I don’t really care. To be honest, I am a little miffed, because when I voted to join the EU under a certain set of conditions, I assumed that I would be able to vote again if those conditions changed. Even if my vote had little value in the scheme of things, ie a voting body of 500 million. But at least I COULD vote.
But then I thought about it a little more, and remembered WHY I voted in favour of joining the EU in the first place, a socialist organisation if ever there was one. The fact of the matter is that with most of our economy depending on the EU it was a case of force majeure. We ALREADY were subject to the EU’s whims, whether we liked it or not.
So why throw away an opportunity to influence proceedings in a manner disproportionate to our population size? However small that influence may be? Something is always better than nothing. And get some money out of them at the same time? I know we’ll be a net contributor one day, but that means we’ll have improved our economy enough to do so, so I’m not bothered.
Now if at the same time some kindly soul can stand guard against the erosion, real or perceived, of our civil liberties I’m grateful. Of course I’ll not only be grateful, I’ll also be seriously impressed if this is done at personal cost, without deriving any income out of it, sacrificing ones career, family, prospects of untold riches etc, because that’s what history’s great heroes are made of.
Of course if those defending our civil liberties give the rest of the world the impression that they spend a great deal of time scrabbling on their hands and knees looking for their marbles, then they trivialise the issues that they raise, even if those issues are real, and they’re actually doing us a disservice, and I’m not happy about that at all.
In the meantime, we will continue to debate the goings on on the other side of the molehill, as you put it. Now from the height of your wisdom, a couple of millimetres under the tinfoil, it might appear trivial to you. But the thing is that certain countries (Greece springs to mind) have not made much of a success of EU accession, and that can be ascribed to the incompetent goverments they’ve had.
Now you can say what you like about the PN, but in terms of competency, in comparison to the MLP its like comparing BMW with LADA. (@Peter Muscat – not racism, simply observing facts). So it is in all our interests that (a) there is a substitute for the PN (b) that the substitute is viable.
If the MLP goal remains that of obtaining power ‘imbghad naraw’ instead of that of creating a viable, successful alternative government, then we’re all badly screwed.
So if you don’t mind, we’ll let you get on with making sure Brussels doesn’t feed us to the little green men, and we’ll get on with discussing the issues which we think are important, and which interest us.
Think of my post as a yellow Jehovah Witness’ sticker. You know the one people stick under their doorbells. If you really want to discuss the end of the world brought about by Brussels, I suggest you set up a local (I imagine there are lots out there) blog about it. I’m sure the server will be overwhelmed with posts.
And before you start whining about my trying to curtail your freedom of speech, I’m not suggesting the moderator should censor your attempts to bore us, simply that if the topic is the MLP and the concept of free speech, an oxymoron (@Peter Muscat – I’m not saying labourites are morons, look up the word oxymoron before attacking) if ever there was one, lets stick to that rather attempting to steer it off to Brussels.
Otherwise I’m going to come to the following conclusion. You believe the Labour Party does not support freedom of speech. You support the Labour party. You are ashamed that the Labour party does not believe in freedom of speech. You are intelligent enough to understand that there is no real defense against that argument because its the truth. You prefer to change the subject instead of refuting the unrefutable. Who knows? Am I right? :)
That’s your problem Alex, “the PN government as far as I know is the governemnt of the North, the South, the East and the West, and is responsible for the welfare of all of Malta”
The government should not be responsible for your welfare, you should be responsible of your welfare and no one else
@ Peter.
Taxpayers are NOT paying Peppi. Peppi is raking the money in for TVM. It is the channel’s most profitable programme. Check your facts mate. There’s no subsidy involved. Quite the opposite.
But hey, what am i saying? Peter Muscat checking facts? Isn’t he the oracle who announced a snap election before Christmas?
And even if it was taxpayer’s money, does that mean that TVM should not cover political issues?
I am so amazed at the MLP. Other partied would havgive their eye teeth to have two hours of the most popular show in town in which to explain how new, exciting, transparent, dynamic, flexible, ready and willing to change and listen, and united they are. And how the other side is old,immature, wasted,lacking ideas, etc. Instead this lot insist in scoring own goals. First they allow the candidates to speak to the media. then they say no, then, after an out cry, they reverse that decision. And so on and so forth. But hey they have Media Guru Jason to help them out.
Wasn’t one of the main functiuons of a party to prepare, strategise and take part in elections. But this lot can’t organise a piss-up in a brewery let alone an election that will influence their fate for the next five years and impress the electorate watching.
@ europarl
Well done for your achievments, and thanks for the effort you put in this cause.
You know better than me that there is no clear cut between an economic or better monetary union to a political one, they overlap and in my opinion you can not make full potential use of the monetary union unless you have common rules that dig deep in political matters.
And again reducing your extremsim will benefit your cause a great deal, you can not compare the American with the Nazi system. And no, I am not an american fan, quite the opposite.
@Steve Grech
Of course I am responsible for my own welfare. And everyone is. That is why I did not believe the scaremongering before the elections about the MLP.
The PN government is irrelevant anyway, hux hekk?
@ MikeC – My intentions are not to steer you away from your favourite debating themes, let alone change focus. That would be both boring and un-Daphnelike.
As for earning money for going against the political grain, there is nothing wrong in that. Better than being a lazy mainstream sucker who wants fame and money for nothing. Otherwise, if acting “without deriving any income out of it, sacrificing ones career, family, prospects of untold riches etc,” is your idea of “what history’s great heroes are made of,” then I wouldn’t be your kind of hero. But I suspect you meant martyrs. There may be a fine line between a hero and a martyr, but when heroes are losers they are called martyrs.
And No, I don’t support Labour, not anymore for some time now. You must have missed my earlier missives. (I don’t support PN, either.) I am not as worried as you are about having another “New Labour” to administer the EU “state” of Malta, for Local Government is all we have today and with Lisbon it would eventually become Local Administration – and I’m not the type to act local.
So tell me, yellow sticker, tin foil, sarko and all, would you prefer Ireland to reject the treaty? Or do you simply don’t care enough to have a preference?
@ Alex – Yes, there is a clear cut delineation between an economic and a political union. The fact that it is not easy to achieve is due to greed for power and control – and nations of sheep (yes the stuff of conspiracy theorists – unfortunately conspiracy is all that conglomerates, governments and their executives do).
Again you mention extremism. You mean ‘fringe’, perhaps? My views are definitely not mainstream, but extremist? Our critical views of the Union are based on sound historical, democratic and legal arguments, unlike the nauseating rhetoric of the europhiles. Just see what the Yes campaign in Ireland are saying – it’s all gong and no dinner. They put up shows, not debates and conferences.
But there are good signs. The younger generations are waking up to the hidden truths. At last!
The MLP are in a mess, they can’t even run their own bedroom, how can you or anyone else believe that they are capable of running the house?
Ofcourse Albert, you believe that with labour the only way is up. Why would you believe the scaremongering, your so smart and intelligent…
The MLP is a joke, and each day that passes by keeps showing us just that.
If MLP were deciding which tender to accept for the running of the canteen – that would be a purely internal matter.
Maybe even the appointment of a Sec. General.
But surely the choice of a possible new PM affects everyone here in Malta. After all it wasn`t only those who voted for AS as party leader who had to live under his Premiership.
D Day for MLP is getting closer. New indications shows that Daphne’s favourite is leading the pack.Constant whispers indicate JM might make it on first ballot.
Let us not forget that he publicly said that he would also embrace Daphne, of course, if she is willing.Might be very interesting.I prepared 101 comments on such a ‘historical scene’. No joke!
We shall wait and see!
[Moderator – I can’t wait to read them.]