Carry on carping
Minn hawn ha nerhulha ghal ghand Borger Kink, Mich
The good thing about being in Opposition is that you’re not expected to do anything but carp. Of course, it’s to your credit if your carping is constructive, but even if it’s not, you can say pretty much what you please and nobody can say ‘Right then, if you’re so damned smart, go ahead and sort it out’ – at least not for another four years.
So the people in Opposition may think they’re in hell or limbo, but actually they’re in political heaven. Alfred Sant discovered this through direct experience, which is why his government lasted just 22 months.
Faced with the reality of running the show, he just gave up. It turned out he was much more comfortable in Opposition, so comfortable that he couldn’t be moved on no matter how many elections he lost.
Right now, Joseph Muscat is on a roll, rushing about having a right old good time, shouting about the government not having a ‘sinsla’ – the word backbone doesn’t quite work in this context – and giving the prime minister instructions on what to do. If it weren’t quite so gloriously arrogant, it would be highly amusing.
Here’s somebody whose entire experience of the world is as a student, a Super One reporter, a general dogsbody in a financial advisory outfit, and an incomplete stint as a member of the European Parliament, and he’s trying to tell us that he knows better than anyone else how to manage the country.
So I ask, why not simply pluck Glenn Bedingfield out of the ranks and give him the keys? If Joseph can do it, so can Glenn. They have pretty much the same training and experience, with the difference that Glenn also ran a restaurant.
I remarked to somebody the other day that the main reason lots of people feel more comfortable with the Nationalist Party than with Labour is that no matter how angry you might be at any particular move or the general behaviour of the Nationalists in government, you continue to retain the sensation that they know what they’re doing, even if there are times at which they don’t do it particularly well, and that they have a well-thought-out and serious plan.
With the Labour Party, on the other hand, one is left with the tangible sensation that things are being done on the hoof, that corners are being cut, that nothing is thought through, that the vision is truncated, and that clowns, fools and worse, quite stupid people, are at work in the background (to say nothing of front of house).
There is something deeply disquieting about this short-termist approach to politics of seeing no further than the doorway to the Auberge de Castille. Unfortunately, and disappointingly for those who expected better, Joseph Muscat is doing exactly what Sant did: aiming for the premiership and power without having a plan or a goal beyond that.
This frees him up to behave in all manner of absurd ways, like going to Sicily to eat hamburgers with Anglu Farrugia – poor judgement in food and choice of travelling companion, as well as in other matters – instead of attending the formal farewell banquet hosted by the prime minister for the outgoing president.
This is a minor point, his supporters say. But no, to the people he is trying so hard to win over, it is not minor at all, but revelatory. However democratic we might be in other ways, we don’t want the sort of prime minister who goes on hamburger-eating jaunts to Sicily with Anglu Farrugia instead of doing his duty and minding his manners. It says too much.
Another thing that offends people is his failure to stand side by side with the prime minister in the matter of Malta’s recent standoff with Italy. However divided we may be politically, socially and in all sorts of other ways, we do have the ability to pull together in the face of external affront.
The natural reaction of any Maltese person – unless he or she is particularly twisted – to Italy’s shirking of its obligations and dumping them on Malta instead is one of anger against Italy, and not of anger against the Maltese government. It is Italy who is the aggressor, and so all of Malta should stand together against Italy and behind the Maltese government on this matter at least.
Yet Joseph Muscat is trying to turn this thing on its head, by seeking to direct towards our own government the anger we feel towards the Italian government. When he should be telling people to stand four square with Malta – their own country, for heaven’s sake – he is instead cavilling on every public platform available to him, creating division and trying to undermine the Maltese government which, in the entirely different context of international politics, means trying to undermine Malta.
What really gets me about all this is Muscat’s supreme inability to grow into his role. I see no difference between his current behaviour, attitude and use of language and his behaviour, attitude and use of language when he was a Super One reporter. I watch and listen to him speak in public forums and all I can see and hear is Joseph tas-Super One. The mentality and approach are the same.
He’s a little older, his hair has gone and he can afford better clothes, but that’s about it. It’s a big let-down for those who expected better.
So what would those who expected better have expected in the Malta-Italy stand-off? Muscat should have stood with the prime minister and presented Italy with a unified front: national unity in the face of international affront. Had he behaved like this, he would have come across as psychologically mature, politically sophisticated and able to put partisan electioneering aside in favour of the national interest.
In other words, he would have come across as a grown-up, a leader and a creditable politician.
Instead, he is coming across as a Super One reporter promoted far beyond his abilities and playing a part about which he hasn’t a clue.
Given that Italy was prepared to let those imperilled people drown and to blame it on Malta, should Malta have done the same – let them drown and blame it on Italy, wiping our hands of their blood because we were legally in the right? That is what Joseph Muscat appears to be saying, and it is not surprising because it fits right in with the mentality of those whose support he is whipping up: ‘Heqq, mhux tort tieghi, ta.’
It is a sub-culture that doesn’t know the meaning of the words ‘taking responsibility for one’s actions.’ It’s really sad to see these indications that the Labour leader is not much better.
A reporter from The Times asked him point blank, on a video that was uploaded on the newspaper’s internet site, what he would have done were he prime minister.
Would he have left those 66 people to drown? Muscat delivered one of the fantastically inappropriate reactions for which he is making a name for himself: he laughed merrily. “No, I wouldn’t have let them drown but…”.
But what, exactly? Would he have had Malta’s patrol boats pick them up and try to dump them on Lampedusa, facing down the Italian navy? I hardly think so. So he would have let them drown. There was no midway solution in the face of Italy’s intransigence. I am glad to see that the prime minister has now described the Italians’ conduct as “disgusting”, because that is precisely what it was.
“We will carry on doing what is ethically, morally and legally correct,” the prime minister said on May Day, the implication being that neither Italy nor Joseph Muscat are doing that. He’s right in taking this approach. People are angry and worried about illegal immigration, but in the long term, what concerns us far more is that the country is not led by somebody with the cowboy approach to national and international politics.
This article is published in The Malta Independent today.
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The Labour Party seem more a vehicle to allow imbeciles like Muscat to get under the media spot light and become famous, or as famous as one can be as a politician, have a good time and make some good money, without having to do any work, rather than an actual political party fighting on causes and issues.
In opposition you are free to say whatever you like without any commitment. You enjoy the luxury of criticising whatever, wherever, whenever you feel like it. You have a solution for every issue, every problem. You may even contradict yourself during the same speech, saying, for example, that the deficit is beyond control and then you expect the government to fork out EUR 50 million for VAT on registration tax, cheaper water and electricity, less taxes, more benefits, a stimulus to the economy. Truly, in opposition money is no problem. Because you’re responsible for nothing and for nobody. Not even for the rubbish that you utter. You can even fool everybody … sometimes, perhaps.
Surely, the English equivalent of ‘bla sinsla’ is ‘spineless’?
[Daphne – Or ‘no backbone’. But English uses those descriptions only for individuals who actually do come equipped with a spine, and not for organisations which don’t. Governments are always spineless by nature, so the absence of a spine isn’t extraordinary but ordinary.]
I’m trying to watch One TV – don’t know whether I should laugh or cry. I pity Prof Edward Scicluna, who looks ill at ease in the company of grinning fellow candidates and Anglu.
[Daphne – I don’t know how he can bring himself to mix with them, honestly. He’s really doing himself a disservice. It reflects badly on his sense of judgement.]
I am trying hard to hear the candidates speaking about the economy, work and education, but all I’m getting is Joseph speaking against Gonzi on issues which are not real EU topics.
It seems Joseph hijacked the campaign so that certain candidates would not say what they really believe about the EU. Naturally on 7 June he will declare himself THE undisputed winner because Labour will have three MEPs.
[Daphne – Yes, and the polls are showing that if Malta had a sixth seat, Labour would win four and the Nationalists two. This is because the pro-PN pro-EU vote is staying home, while the anti-EU, pro-Labour vote is going out in full force. When Muscat said a couple of days ago that this election is going to be a difficult one for Labour and that the Nationalist Party is expecting its biggest victory ever, he thought he was being cunning in bringing out even more of the Labour vote while getting the pro-EU people to take the situation for granted. As things stand, the Nationalist Party will be fighting even for that second seat. And believe me, I know exactly what I’m talking about.]
BTW . Daphne can you leave enough rope for the PL to hang itself? Since when are you giving free professional advice to a party you love to hate?
[Daphne – Because I just love the way they never take it, and instead pay fools to advise them instead, in the belief that I have A Cunning Plan and am using reverse psychology.]
What’s the use of having the ‘best MEPs’ who after all these years in the EU parliament press the wrong button when it comes to voting or abstain even though they’re not ‘taht it-tinda’ in Mosta but in parliament during voting time?
Two out of five votes were misused against Malta; it seems that John Attard Montalto corrected his vote after realising that the majority voted in favour.
“Because I just love the way they never take it”
FALSE , sometimes they do. I recall when one Sunday (on the eve of the election) you commented about the red crowd poster , it was removed that very Sunday evening. And most of your advice about the handling of Dr Sant’s ailment during the last general elections was followed.
[Daphne – That’s amusing.]
If the Nationalists are fighting even for their second seat, then it serves them well. This time I’ll be doing my little bit in this regard. Maybe by the next general election they would have addressed issues such as illegal immigration, such as keeping up the recent stand on the issue. I will only be impressed if this is a sustained effort, rather than just some hype prior to an election.
[Daphne – I think you mean serves them right. ‘Address issues such as illegal immigration’ – how? By using Joseph Muscat’s ghoxrin punt to stop the boats coming in?]
Possibly by maintaining the stronger stand being adopted lately, rather than trying to convince us that the problem does not even exist. Maybe by doing what Italy is doing. Until some time ago we considered it inconceivable to return the migrants to Libya.
The Pro Pn will not vote because they are not happy with this government. We were promised a better life but we were much better off 10 years ago. The standard of living is going down not up. What we had as a normality before nowadays is a luxury and we can’t afford it anymore.
[Daphne – Yes, right. I think what’s changed are your standards, and you’ve forgotten what things actually were like 10 and 15 years ago. For a start, 10 years ago, Malta was having to deal with the fall-out from the near catastrophe of Sant and his CET, and businesses were half-crippled. You have a short memory.]
While wages are practically the same as 10 years ago, our bills are much higher. Tourism is in disastrous state, go see for yourself. Bugibba has become a cemetery. The last tourism ministers were a joke and haven’t got a clue.
[Daphne – Listen, you really do have to get a grip and read the news. Tourism is in difficulties because the people living in our source markets are in difficulties. Or hadn’t you noticed?]
We’re losing jobs each day.
[Daphne – Ah, but you’ve conveniently overlooked the fact that Malta was gaining jobs every day until a few months ago, when the international recession began to affect us. Unemployment was next to nothing this time last year. So the loss of jobs is relative. And again, get a grip on yourself, and watch some news. See what’s happening elsewhere, people living in their cars, entire car manufacturing plants closing down, century-old department stores with iconic names shutting their doors for the last time. Honestly. If you think this is bad, you really live in a bozza, and if you’re my age you certainly remember that this country was a sink-hole pre-1987.]
We have four-day week jobs.
[Daphne – At least they have four days’ work a week. If they were living in Britain they would be out on the streets.]
Businessmen can’t pay their creditors and you get bounced cheques every single day. Do you blame the people for not voting at all in the upcoming elections, Daphne?
[Daphne – The businessmen who can’t pay their creditors are the ones using the Stone Age system of barter. This is something you can’t teach me about because I’m not an employee. And yes, I do blame people for not voting. What is not voting going to solve = other than the favourite Maltese pastime of cutting off your nose to spite your face?]
I never studied economics – but do people really expect the government of Malta to carry on decreasing unemployment, reducing taxes, increasing benefits, increasing tourism, improving the infrastructure, increasing liquidity, building more schools and roads etc etc when the rest of the world is in such a mess. Just imagine what certain people commenting here would say if our financial system was collapsing like that of so many countries. And also imagine if we had obeyed Muscat and stayed our of the EU and the eurozone.
The countries that crashed were those with unregulated financial systems (extreme capitalism) which for example allowed people to take loans left right and center and created a lot of Inequality & false prosperity. (Iceland, USA…). The eurozone helped, but without it we probably still would have survived, because our financial institutions are heavily regulated. Basically the situation the world is in is a capitalist’s worst nightmare, come true.
Italy’s intransigence and Maroni’s handling of the Lampedusa affair will have collateral damage on Maltese/Italian political, cultural, economic relations which have been built up over the past fifty years – post World War II. Just have a look at the postings on the blog of ilgiornale.it; they hark back to Malta being “terra irridenta” and that the Mediterranean is “mare nostrum” plus calling Gonzi “Gonzo” (Muppet show) and all Maltese as bastards, morti di fame, etc. It could be a case of the pot calling the kettle black but vedere per credere.