Define the national interest
Joseph Muscat 'ignites the flame of feminism' with his stay-at-home wife on May Day
The Labour leader was shocked to find that his ‘make like Italy and let them drown’ speech has earned him the praise and approbation of Norman Lowell.
Well, he should have worked that out from the fact that it earned him widespread disapproval in the media, to the extent that even Axe-Grinder Today’s Saviour Balzan and Matthew Vella, who never discuss Labour because apparently they are not the next government, were moved to comment.
Norman Lowell said that if Joseph Muscat carries on speaking in this excellent fashion, then he will give him his official stamp of approval. Presumably, this means that he will see no reason to contest the next general election, and will tell his supporters to vote Labour, which they probably do already anyway.
Muscat’s crisis-management reaction was to say that he is completely against Norman Lowell and does not share his sentiments (really? you could have fooled me).
“We have to stop believing that whoever speaks of the national interest is racist or xenophobic,” he said. It all depends on how he defines the national interest: like an American redneck or like, say, Bernard-Henri Levy.
People who use the term ‘national interest’ in today’s world seem automatically suspect. Talk about the national interest and you might as well wear a banner round your head that says you belong to the past, when people thought differently.
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Don’t we have many of these too!
http://www.france24.com/en/20110505-french-right-revels-socialist-candidate-strauss-kahn-porsche-photo?ns_linkname=20110505_french_right_revels_socialist_candidate_strauss&ns_campaign=editorial&ns_mchannel=reseaux_sociaux&ns_source=twitter&ns_fee=0#
National Socialists the lot of ’em.
I still believe there are enough sensible floaters to keep them out.
I think we are going for a roller coaster ride under his tutelage. Let’s hope the others get their act together. Before you ask it, I do not for one iota of a second believe that he has the brains to make capital out of the current political situation .
National Interest in Socialist language means “Nationalize the capital so that its interest will be National Interest.”
“People who use the term ‘national interest’ in today’s world seem automatically suspect.”
What a ridiculous assertion. All states (and even corporations and people, for that matter) act to guard their interests, however they may be defined at that particular moment.
[Daphne – Sigh. Sigh. Sigh. This is a complete and probably deliberate (at least I hope so, because the alternative assumption is worse) misintepretation of what I wrote. I did not say that states should not defend their egal interests, but that the term ‘national interest’ has unpleasant connotations – which it certainly does, especially if you are European. The national interest has been used as an excuse for all manner of evil, because it is wide open to interpretation depending on the person doing the interpreting. The interests of states in the present, and particularly within the European Union, are governed by laws. When people speak of ‘the national interest’ it is usually because they wish to disregard those laws, and this is unacceptable to those who think as I do. This is why you will hear the term ‘national interest’ used most often in the context of immigration. This is the thinking: “The law dictates that we must rescue people who are in peril on the sea. It is not in our national interest to rescue them. Therefore we must ignore the law.”]
What do you think the French were doing when they stopped all those Tunisian migrants who were trying to cross into France, and the Italian had done previously in issuing them residence permits.
Oh, and another thing. A big thank you goes out to our EUropean brothers. A couple of thousand immigrants are making them uncomfortable, and they start talking about “temporarily withholding” one of the fundamental freedoms, that of movement.
I don’t think that they’re guarding their national interest, do you?
When the “national interest” goes against human rights and justice, the only moral way is to be a “traitor”.
Has anyone noticed that there have been several articles recently in which more “moderate” party supporters have sought to use less emotive and more responsible language to defend the leader. Many of them must realise that the party made the wrong decision when they selected the inexperienced and immature Muscat over Abela. Instead they have a buffoon for if it talks like a buffoon, acts like a buffoon and consorts with well known buffoons of the past it surely is one.
Norman Lowell’s official stamp of approval! It cant really be better.
Frankly I was surprised Lowell was so readily kicked to the kerb, after so much dross has been publicly welcomed back into the club with open arms in a forgive and forget style, or even persuaded back to make up the numbers!
I am not sure that the concept of national interest is a thing of the past, as you claimed.
I think it is in Malta’s national interest to fend off claims by Italy, Tunisia and Libya over our continental shelf that shackle our right to drill for oil. That kind of national interest seems quite fine to me, unless you expect Malta to divest itself of its sovereignty on what is rightfully ours.
[Daphne – That’s not national interest. That’s territorial rights.]
“Presumably, this means that he will see no reason to contest the next general election, and will tell his supporters to vote Labour, which they probably do already anyway.”
This is a link I always make subconsciously. I don’t know why, but Lowell’s appearances always remind me of the rabid marmalja Mintoffjana waving their flags like there’s no tomorrow … seems like I’m not the only one.
Still doesn’t make me a PN supporter, though, does it?
Having attracted Norman Lowell into his Moviment tal-Progressivi Moderati, Joseph Muscat might now have his eyes set on Emy Bezzina’s Alfa Party.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7KfZ3egKPs&feature=player_embedded
That’s a maximum of 2 votes. Forget it.
Oh, I thought it was an Alfa 159 saloon, with space for 2 more in the back, not a Spider!
Daphne, the EU laws only seem to apply for defensless microstates like us. The French saw fit to barricade the Schengen treaty by stopping the Tunisians at Ventimiglia, something which is perfectly legal within the freedom of movement area.
We, on the other hand are unable to stop the influx of migrants and what Normal Lowell said is that we should also participate in the sea border protection together with France and Italy and disallow entry to illegals.
While I do symapathize with the plight of these people, we cannot and must not become vulnerable and open ourselves up. Xenophobic and racist mentalities are not basic human nature. They evolve through circumstance and it is episodes of weakness smothered with humanitarian excuses that fuel resentment.
It is also a fact that sowing resentment promotes right-wing parties who gather momentum and popularity which people will invariabley follow as a temporary but firm political option. Marine Le Pen in France is a living example of the growth in popularity of the hard right. And this regrettably is not an isolated case. Right-wing movements are on the steep ascent in Germany as well as in the UK. A chain of events which will become inevitable if we continue to be lax in our immigration policies!