I think it was John Maynard Keynes who, replying to someone who accused him of changing his ideas on monetary policy, said “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”

I have no axe to grind with the PN (I voted for them in the past election, and in the previous one too) but you really are defending the indefensible now.

A friendly word of advice. Don’t forget that you are a journalist first, a PN supporter second. Your duty is to your readers: being critical of something you hold dear to you can only enhance your credibility.

[Daphne – I am not a reporter, my dear. I am paid for my opinion (but not where this blog is concerned, because I do it pro bono and for my own amusement), and that is what I give in return for my pay-cheque: what I think, and not what other people think I should think. ]

OK Daphne, I agree that one has to choose , but we deserve a better choice. We need a change but not any change. I was one who gave my second preference for the young new faces, to have a change, but all I got was an attention-seeking mummy’s boy who wants to rock the boat to get what he wants.

[Daphne – http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100103/opinion/all-nails-no-theses-for-debono%5D

How nice to see that one of your last thoughts for the year 2009 was to log on to this blog …

May I share what I am feeling about the present situation: I wouldn’t mind if the PN loses the next general election but I don’t want the PL to govern.

[Daphne – That’s called reasoning with your arse, and I’m surprised at how many people do it. Every general election I find myself reminding people that it’s a choice between Alfred Sant and Fenech Adami, or Alfred Sant and Gonzi, and now Joseph Muscat and Gonzi, and not between the Nationalist Party we would like to see and the Nationalist Party we’ve actually got (and ditto Labour). I can’t understand why people find it so hard to make decisions that are really quite straightforward. I look at it in a business-like way: whatever I do, I’m still going to wind up with a prime minister, so I might as well have a say in choosing him. I look at the choice on offer – next choice up, Gonzi and Muscat – and it takes me roughly half a second to decide who I would rather have running the country. I don’t even bother looking at the party, because basically now it’s all about the prime minister. You just have to be pragmatic. It’s pointless having a Father Christmas wishlist of what you want in a prime minister, because what you see is what you’re going to get, whether you like it or not.]

Sorry but I don’t get your point – are you suggesting that a Labour government will solve the immigration issue?

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/12/28/argentina.gay.marriage/index.html

Funny how a Catholic and traditionally macho society like Argentina can enact legislation allowing same sex marriage and here in this Catholic theocracy we still refuse discuss is divorce and offer proper sexual education which includes the proper use of contraception in state schools.

Countries like Chile, Argentina and Spain who not too long ago were ruled by very conservative military juntas have moved on and have enacted some progressive legislation granting their citizens personal freedoms which here in Malta we can only dream of.

Your reply confirms that it is a case of two weights, two measures. All Alfred Sant had to do to get Mintoff in line is to consult with him, a tactic Lawrence Gonzi chose and preferred to have with Franco Debono MP rather than confrontation. No threats of expulsion or anything and his government is saved to do what it was elected to do: govern without hindrance. When a government has a one seat majority its leader has, first and foremost, to safeguard that slim majority to be able to carry on its mandate and not throw it to the wind.