It never ends
Imagine if somebody raised behind the Iron Curtain were to wake up one morning and see several of the old crocks from the Soviet regime lined up on television talking as though they’re about to become the next legitimate government.
That’s what I felt like looking at this photograph.
It shows Censu Moran, Karmenu Vella, Joe Grima, Johnny Dalli (Labour) and Alex Sceberras Trigona lined up on Joe Grima’s show Inkontri on Super One a few months ago. The prat at the end of the table is the academic Godfrey Pirotta.
The last time I saw that line-up of Moran, Vella, Grima, Dalli and AST, they were on the back of a lorry with Mintoff at the centre, bawling and banging with approval as he preached class hatred.
The next time I see that line-up, I hope it’s up against a wall ready to be shot by the electorate.
But chance would be a fine thing.
Beneath this photograph, which comes from Joe Grima’s Inkontri Facebook profile (another old man perving about on Facebook), some cretin called Rose Carbonaro posted this comment:
Suggett interessanti hafna, specjalment ghal min ma jafx jew nesa iz-zminijiet sbieh tal-Labour fil-gvern.
Yes, right. If those were beautiful times, where are we now – ruddy paradise?
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Wasn’t she being sarcastic? I’d like to think so.
No.
What a bunch of losers from the horrid past:
Censu ‘Bye bye baby’ Moran
Karmenu ‘Meet you at the Blue Lagoon qalbi’ Vella
Joe ‘Fat Boy Slime’ Grima
Alex ‘Hello Sailor’ Sceberras Trigona
U Johnny ‘televisions tal-kulur’ Dalli
If they contributed to our “horrible” past and they’re likely to form part of our new government, we’re the losers.
Lets hope they can keep the country going and that they won’t repeat what they did before, but if they do you can hardly blame them can you?
Una vecchia gallina fa un buon brodo. Jigifieri brodu nistghu nistennew minnhom.
You’ve got it wrong. You’re being told here that old chickens make FOR good broth. They don’t actually make the broth themselves.
Chuck them into a cauldron with an onion and a couple of celery sticks, I say, and feed the results to the starving masses at some protesta fil-Belt.
Sounds like the “minestra” analogy which Saviour Balzan mentioned on Affari Taghna applies perfectly to Labour. The same vegetables keep resurfacing from time to time.
IS-70S U L-80S TAHT IL PARTIT LABURISTA REGAW WASLU. BNIEDEM AVZAT NOFSU ARMAT.
MIN SER JGHID IL MEA COLPA?
Compared to the 80s we are definitely in paradise.
People used to queue up before 6am at St; Luke’s Road, Guardamangia, to register their names for a colour tv licence.
These people never change.
Of course there are things which I would like to be managed better but I really cannot imagine PL ruling again. They are so short sighted.
This is one aspect I just cannot get to grips with. How is it possible for approximately 50% of the population to say we were living in hell whilst the other 50% say it was paradise? 50% say Mintoff was a hero, 50% say he was Satan.
WTF is this country about?
I sort of wish I was an adult in the 70s and 80s just to understand this one.
[Daphne – It’s easy to understand. It all depends on what your definition of normal was. The people who thought life was great under Mintoff had different parameters. They were deprived to start with, so what the rest of us saw as severe deprivation (it was) was just normal life to them, but on top of that they had a plot and a job in a factory or with the government. So it became paradise. They weren’t concerned with human rights or freedom of expression, it was all irrelevant and they weren’t exposed to any life or ideas beyond Malta’s shores. Malta was exactly like a North African society in that respect. You’ll notice that the ones who say, correctly, that life was hell under Mintoff fit one profile while those who say it was paradise tend to be of another profile.]
Of course they fit a particular profile.
But surely, these same people must see that nowadays things are much much better. Not only do they have that plot and factory job now, but with their wage they can soup up their escorts, do their nails, buy 42″+ LCDs, comment on timesofmalta.com, etc. When the electricity goes out, it makes the news nowadays.
What you said explains why he was seen as a saviour. But if he was a saviour, then who came after is nothing short of a Messiah.
[Daphne – Yes, but they’re damned if they’re doing to admit it. ]
Aren’t the upper classes usually some 10% of a population with the middle class being way higher than 50%?
How does this tally to Malta?
[Daphne – I don’t know what you mean by middle class, but Malta is mostly working class – I would say a good 70% working class.]
I once read that working class are those doing blue collar jobs like machine operators with middle class being in white collar jobs. Then there are the upper middle class who are professionals, high ranking corporate managers and small businessmen. The upper classes would be the CEO’s, large business owners, people born to very rich families etc….
Obviously this theory only takes into consideration one’s job. It makes no mention to manners, how someone articulates himself etc
“They weren’t concerned with human rights or freedom of expression,”
They still don’t KNOW what freedom of expression means, given the way they just don’t ‘get’ this blog and keep calling on the prime minister to ‘disown’ it.
Their idea of freedom of expression three decades ago was physically attacking anyone or any institution who disagreed with them or who they disagreed with. The Times, the Curia, the Law Courts, Fenech Adami’s residence, etc are just a few examples.
Their mentality hasn’t changed much since then, has it?
What is worse is that the new(er) brood of Labour hatchlings – including Muscat himself – are no better than the old dodoes in the photo.
‘History always repeats itself twice:First time as a tragedy, the second time as a farce.’ – Karl Marx
Oh my God, seeing so many Old Labour stalwarts together like this certainly would bring many the shivers.
The Labour Party would do well to avoid recalling dark memories of the past.
It is time for all these gentlemen to let go of politics and move on. Their presence is more of a liability to the party.
I have a hunch that the electorate does not trust them anymore.
You probably meant: “Their presence is more of a liability to the COUNTRY.”
Looks like the Board of Trustees of a Pensioners Association, if you ask me. Not that any one of them needs a pension for his living.
The government should ban at once any campaign about recyclying.
What worries me isn’t that the dinosaurs are making a comeback, as it was to be expected that they would all gather vulture like for the feast once Labour scents victory. No, what I find unsettling is that these dodos are allowed to be seen stalking the hallowed halls of Labour power, so early in the day. Doesn’t Labour realise that for most moderates, the very people Joseph Muscat would like to target, these are the unacceptable face of Labour? Or maybe they can’t prevent them from taking a more active participation?
[Daphne – The people Joseph Muscat is gunning for are too young to remember those old crocks in power. The names mean nothing to them. Tell them ‘Karmenu Vella’ and they see a smiling nannu type, whereas you and I think ‘Truck-shouting-banging-Mintoff-no thanks’.]
Generazzjoni Gdida. Moviment Gdid ta’ progressivi moderati.
Ara kemm qed tghidu kontrihom, mma dawk kollha zwiemel li dejjem imxew wara il-Kbir Duminku Mintoff, Alla ta’ Malta.
Kienu jitilghu sparati eletti. Min jaf kemm kienu jkunu fuq it-trakk ta’ Meli icapcpulu wara li jispicca il-meeting bil-vers tant sabih li sar ta’ Joseph ukoll: “Malta l-ewwel, u qabel kollox”.
Grazzi, Guzeppin. Grazzi mil-qalb. Fakkartni fiz-zmien fejn kellek min ma kienx maghkhom kien kontra taghkhom u rajtu kif ghamiltu biex tkissrux.
Fi zmien fejn min fetah halqu malajr faqaghhulu xi suldat tal-azzar.
Minkejja c-cucati kollha ta’ dan il-gvern, ghandek ix-xorti li tista tghix kif trid, tixtri li trid, u tghid li trid. Mank kelli dak il-lussu meta dawk iz-zwiemel li ssemmi int kienu fil-poter. U POTER kellhom, ifhimni.
Sieheb, ma Mintoff m’hemmx cajt/ Dak li jghid jaghmlu u miskin hu min johroglu fin-nofs . B’Gonzi x’qed taghmlu? Hu irid jaghmel haga u l-iehor bil-vot igieghlu jaghmel ohra, tghid ma taghmilx hekk ma Mintoff jew ma’ Joseph?
Ara kif tajjar lil min ried Joseph, sas-Segretarju Generali nehha u hadd ma waqaflu.
Ovvjament Suldat tal-Azzar bhal hafna ohrajn tal-istess xghira, jahseb li Mintoff hadd ma kien jista’ ghalih u hadd ma johroglu fin-nofs. Dik kienet id-dehera tal-kult ta’ leader projettata mill-magna tal-partit ta’ dak iz-zmien – Mexxej, Salvatur ta’ Malta etc., etc.,
Il-verita` hija pero` ohra. Min hu studjuz tal-epoki politici taghna, jista jikkonferma li Mintoff ghamel biss sentejn (1972-1974) fejn ma kienx sfidat – la fil-Parlament u lanqas fil-Partit. Sentejn biss…wara dak iz-zmien bdew l-isfidi sar-rizenja eventwali tieghu fl-1984.
Naturalment, dan qadt ma hareg fil-berah. Il-kult ma kienitx tippermetti li jigri hekk u lanqas dawk li kienu jisfidah u jehdulu l-poter ma riedu li jsir hekk – dana stante li minn dik it-tip ta’ kultura kullhadd kien igawdi. Tipo – hodie tibi, cras mihi.Din narawha anke f’pajjizi bi gvernijiet totalitarji anki llum – hu per ezempju c-Cina, l-Koreja, l-Libja, Kuba u insomma demokraziji ohrajn bhal dawn – kollha bil-kult ta’ mexxej invincibbli, salvatur tal-pajjiz u bastjun tal-poplu tieghu.
Pero` nizvijja qieghed. Ir-rejalta politika li qeghdin nghixu bhalissa hija wahda aktar liberali u trasparenti. L-ewwel nett m’hemx il-kult tal-leader – spiccat ghax il-mentalitajiet inbiddlu. Il-PL qieghed jipprova jqanqal dan it-tip ta’ immagini ma’ Joseph Muscat u il-fatt li jirnexxielu ftit huwa certament sintomatiku ta’ vizzju deplorevoli arkajiku milli virtu` ammirevoli progressiv jew mode.
Il-fatt jibqa li certament anki l-PM ghandu l-isfidi tieghu mill-membri tal-partit tal-PN. Xejn differenti milli kellu Mintoff fi zmienu, ghajr ghal dawk is-sentejn tad-deheb. Jew differenza wahda insomma – dawn fl-apert u l-ohrajn bil-mohbi. Imma l-isfida hemm hi xorta.
U xi zwiemel qieghed isemmi. Il-PN mhux ukoll meta kien fl-oppoizzjoni kellu l-istess tip ta’ zwiemel. Infakkrek li elezzjoni dak iz-zmien kienet tintielef jew tintrebah b’differenza ta’ ftit eluf.
Jien niskanta pero` kemm hawn nies li ghadhom SALLUM jiktbu fuq il-hruxijiet li twettqu mil-gvern Laburista tas-70 u 80ijiet u hadd, lanqas mill-kamp Laburista ma jikteb dwar hruxijiet li twettqu mill-PN fil-gvern tul 25 sena (or sono) li ilhom jiggvernaw.
Niskanta, nitbellah u nitnixxef.
Ghaxxaqtha, willy wonka, meta ghidt “L-ewwel nett m’hemmx il-kult tal-leader”. Jekk GonziPN ma’ kienx il-kult tal-leader, mela xi jkun kult tal-leader?
Jiena Joseph ghalija li jghid jghidu fil-miftuh minghajr hafna habi. Ara naqra kif tratta il-glied ta’ l-Gharab:”jekk qed jiggieldu ejja ha nehdulhom it-turisti li kienu se jmorru f’dawk il-postijiet” .
M’hemmx hafna tidwir mal-lewza jew dik li issejhulha intom in-Nazzjonalisti “diplomazzija”, li ghandu jghid u jaghmel, jghidu u jaghmlu f’wiccek! Lil GonziPN ghajjru f’wiccu li hu giddieb fuq Xarabank, u Gonzi ma qallux li mhux veru, baqa’ cass quddiem min sfidah f’wiccu.
Issa anke David Cameron qed jaghmel bhal Joseph; rajtu dal-ghodu x’qal fuq il-Musulmani fil-konferenza ta’ Munich?
Mintoff wera kemm kien tajjeb u mexxej anki meta kellu il-maggoranza tas-siggijiet biss, xorta baqa jiggverna.U meta waqqa lil dak l-istramb Sant, mhux Mintoff kien?
U gej b’ “hodie tibi, cras mihi” stajt ghidtielna bil-Malti “Illum int, ghada jien”. U hekk se jigri ; illum GonziPN u ghada Doctor Joseph Muscat taghna is-Salvatur li se jehlisna minn dan il-hmieg ta’ gvern li ghakkisna ghall dawn l-ahhar hamsa u ghoxrin sena.
Where were these guys when they won in 1996?
[Daphne – Karmenu Vella was minister for tourism and the others were edged out. Joe Grima spent the next 12 years talking against Sant and the Labour Party, but went running back immediately Sant resigned the leadership and Muscat was elected. AST went back to notorial practice of sorts but returned to politics with Muscat’s election.]
It looks like Eurovision fever has taken over Joseph Muscat, You know how the Maltese popolin sent Chiara back to the Eurovision thinking ‘this time she will make it’?
Well, it seems to me that Joseph is regrouping the troop that was in power in Labour’s ‘heyday’ in hope that they will mean victory for him.
Daphne, jokes apart, I am hoping you can shed some light on a matter that is rather confusing to me. Why do you keep saying that this lot will be in government next time round? How do you come to this conclusion?
You see in my mind, the only thing that could change the current government is a catastrophic natural disaster that would cause a major shift in demographics.
[Daphne – Alfred Sant nearly got in last time. Alfred Sant.]
Core voters make up the bulk of the vote on either side so they become irrelevant, therefore it is new voters and floaters who will determine the outcome next time round or not?
[Daphne – Yes, the new vote all went to the PN in 2008. There’s no guarantee it will happen again this time round.]
Floaters are generally rather intelligent people who I am positive can see right through this Joseph guy even though they may have been dazzled by him in the beginning.
[Daphne – I disagree. Floating voters are not intelligent people but usually the opposite. In my experience they tend to be pretty dumb and inconsistent. Intelligent people choose the best option for the country and not the best option for their own narrow interests. That means intelligent people vote PN, not Labour, and that means they are consistent not floaters.]
I am also sure that they can see how Lawrence Gonzi and the previous PN governments have built an economy that has stood its ground fairly well considering what the world economy has been going through, surely its no time to be experimenting when the alternate option is so blatantly, as you often say, ‘unfit for purpose’.
On the other hand there are the new voters. Is it perhaps that during this legislature there will be far more kids turning 18, who would support PL by default? Has the education system failed so much that young people would even consider this guy? What about people who are progressive and moderate. Do you really think they will identify themselves with the ‘new’ Labour party?
[Daphne – I think that there is going to be a big ‘spite’ vote. And an even bigger ‘let’s live dangerously’ vote: this is when people are bored and take risks for the adrenalin rush.]
Trev (Whatever), the new voters in 2008 were 13 to 18 in 2003, when we voted to join the EU – old enough to think, remember, analyse, the works.
This time round, the new voters will have been 8 to 13 years old in 2003. Eight to thirteen! They were still in their nappies when we were nearly condemned to a North African future outside the EU. And they’re the generation who’ve grown up with modern gadgets, money in their arse pocket, and stipends and scholarships all the way. This what a quarter of a century of Nationalist handouts has produced: a generation of pampered morons with a five-minute memory span shouting “Viva l-Labour” every time “Rise Up” comes on at Havana.
The youth vote which the Nationalist Party seems to take for granted is that of my generation. Many of us are pushing thirty now. Hardly “youths”, and hardly influenced by cheap PN propaganda, since our minds were made up back in 2003. PN election strategy is bedevilled by the Maltese “zghazagh” fantasy of a 16 to 35 year age range. Bollocks, and they only have two years to change tactics and target age cohorts the right way. As if that wasn’t enough, they have to contend with this silly John Dalli feud, and a divorce referendum. Cracking.
So this is the promised earthquake. lol.
Basically, we can say that Sant got rid of them, and Joseph (because that is what they call him on Super 1) brought them back in the party fold and potentially in the running of the country.
Why Joseph and not Joe, Joey ,Gus, or even Chally; this directive must have come from the very top.
Will Dr Michael Grech (Bertu’s son) be supporting this lot in the next election – sporting a red tie in PL’s promotional video ?
Dedicated to all the men in the photo above
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEXEKT1HNM4
Careful. They might think you’re an ex-pom pom girl making an indecent proposal.
Ajma hej. And I’m just about the right age too.
In normal circumstances it would not be a bad thing that young people are not fully aware of the wounds of the past. It is what Fenech Adami and the PN set out to achieve after 1987 and it’s what reconciliation is all about.
In normal circumstances it would be good that the new generations can only look forward and have nothing bad behind them.
In normal circumstances, however, the very same people who had caused the wounds would not be gearing up to regain power.
That is why, unfortunately, youngsters have to be told where we came from, the dark place that was Malta under Labour.
Jien ma segwetux dan il-programm. Allura nixtieq nistaqsi fuq xiex kienet id-diskussjoni bejn dawn in-nies li tant ghamlu gid ghall- Malta meta kienu ministri.
Nassumi li tkellmu dwar bhal per ezempju – L-Unjoni Ewropeja – sptar gdid – power station gdida – toroq godda u sura ta’ nies – Universita’ miftuha ghall kulhadd – skejjel godda – MCAST – stipendji – children allowance ghall kull twelid – progetti kbar gewwa Malta u ghawdex – riforma fit-trasport pubbliku – turisti li gejjin bil-Cruise Liners – Lufthansa Techniques, jew tkellmu dwar il-vendikazzjonijiet u tranferiment vendikattivi – vjolenza u korruzzjoni – kuntrabandu – swat mill-pulizija – swat lill-istudenti – sparar u frame-ups fuq huthom il-Maltin u qtil li kien hawn fiz-zmien il-Labour meta hafna minnhom kienu Ministri jew membri parlamentari ?
The PN would do well to publicise the real profiles of these people. And not only for the benefit of PN voters: they must reach PL and floating voters too.
Muscat pulled in all the old scum, thinking that the splintered Labour support is now unified and those who did not vote Labour (The Traitor”s supporters) are now back in the fold. What the Nationalists have to understand that it is very hard to fight stupidity and it is even harder to fight envy, hatred and stubborness.
Usually, when an old bunch like this get together, they do it to reminesce. And usually, they take their wives and sheilas with them and do it around some plates full of spaghetti biz-zalza tal-fenek and expensive red wine. They seem to have chosen a cheap option, but I can’t quite believe that THEY are finding it that hard to make both ends meet.
@Riya
They were discussing who the minister was who wrought most havoc to his ministry and hardships to their employees, the result of vindictive transfers.
I am still awaiting the day when I will be able to meet one of these notorious gentlemen face to face, so that I will be able to spit at himfor causing me and my family so much unnecessary suffering which ruined my career.
Today many years later even the sight of him and mentioning his name still gives me the shivers. May he rot in hell.
I think that the PN MPs who are being immature and who are after their own interests, such as Pullicino Orlando, Jean Pierre Farrugia and Franco Debono, and then also John Dalli, deserve to be axed in the next general election for making it easier for the PL and these dinosaurs to actually hope they will be elected.
Besides, the PN seriously needs to get its act together to communicate more with the people. It takes for granted that the people understand it and its policies. I fear that
this could lead to its next electoral defeat.
At any rate, I’m a Nationalist, was always a Nationalist and am repulsed at the sight of people who, because they are “geddumhom fix-xghir”, declare that they have had enough of the PN in government. What do they want, then? That prat whose only ambition is to become the youngest PM Malta has ever seen?
I just keep my fingers crossed.
[Daphne – He won’t be the youngest prime minister in any case.]