What’s this obsession with addressing them all as Dr, Professor etc? Do they think they are impressing their “subject” more by showing them kemm huma bravi il-kanditati?
It is now evident that Labour is increasingly uncomfortable with the fact that it cannot formulate one decent proposal that might spark the imagination of people or draw crowds to its fold.
Conscious of this problem they seem to have embarked on a new spin and sent forth Chris Cardona and Toni Abela.
The first said, essentially, that the PL should be judged on its 2006-2008 span in government and not pre 1987.
[Daphne – Don’t they realise that this is exactly what people are doing? Setting aside the hash they made of the economy in both periods, and getting personal, in the litany of crimes and woes committed by the Labour government in my regard, for instance, I consider trying to keep my sons out of the European Union to be the biggest, greatest, most top-ranking of them all, eclipsing by far everything I had to put up with in the years 1971 to 1987. And it is only now, as I see them and so many other young people really spread their wings, flourish and do the things their parents could only dream of, that the full realisation dawns of just how truly criminal Sant’s government and his butt-licking acolytes like Joseph Muscat were.]
In fact he admitted that pre 1987 the PL had made mistakes but with the insulting caveat that according to Cardona the 70s where glorious days.
Moreover he implied that the 1996 PL government was fair in terms appointing people to high office and in fact that could have been a reason why it was voted out in 1998 – obviously he flew over the ineptness of Sant and his gang (which included him) and the catastrophic mistakes of that administration (EU, Pfp, VAT, university, utility bills)
This twisted account of history by Cardona seemed well rehearsed to introduce a ridiculous sermon by Abela on democracy.
Essentially Abela said that in Malta no one really understands the workings of democracy, which according to him is based on unqualified change in administration, by which he suggested that winning the government should not be based on policy proposals but on time-bound limits.
It was also telling that Joe Grima, the show host, chose Robert Arrigo to represent the Nationalist Party.
I know for a fact that it was Joe Grima who invited Robert Arrigo directly. He did not ask the Nationalist Party to choose a representative for the show.
Moreover, they stacked the programme with the ‘feature that changes history’ and the phone calls from Anglu Farrugia and the cook tal-Pijunieri. Restaurants all over Malta must be clamouring for his services. Talk about imbalance.
I am thoroughly sick of hearing about the ‘fairness’ of Alfred Sant’s 22 months as prime minister. There were MANY appointments of senior Labour personnel and loads of sidelining of (pro PN) individuals in those two years.
The truth is that most Nationalists who were affected simply left the public service to seek new careers in the private sector, because they couldn’t stomach working for incompetent people who harbour grudges.
THAT is another key difference between those who vote Labour and those who vote PN. The second get on with life, while the first keep clamouring for (undeserved) freebies.
Abela said that the ‘natural life’ of a government is 10 years, even quoting Fenech Adami to back up his claim.
What he didn’t do was question why the Maltese seem to insist on what would be, by deduction, an anomaly.
Columnists and their blogs were chosen as the implicit justification of this. By doing so they are, to all intents and purposes, their own worst enemy.
When Daphne mentions how Labour played with words and consequently, her sons’ future, it becomes pertinent to add how Joseph’s base instincts towards immigrants, in a way, coincide with Toni Abela’s train of thought.
How Labour, for all intents and purposes, has moved towards the farthest end of the right.
And how critics and what they stand for have to be denigrated at the expense of content.
It’s useless inserting the PSE logo to cross-brand Labour, if such gaffes and contradictions continue to be made.
I spent five years away from Malta, living as an immigrant. What I didn’t mind, was settling to the idea that my choice had temporarily nipped my financial and social possibilities. I knew where I wanted to go, and no one was taking that from me.
When Joseph, Toni and others concentrate their energy on an exclusive ideology (in both senses) with regards to foreigners, one cannot but deduce that the closed system proposed will apply to us as well.
Maybe they should experience the life of an immigrant themselves. Then perhaps they’ll understand that even if expectations may vary, aspirations remain the same. Preferably nobody should intrude on what are personal individual decisions.
Labour thinks that widenening its scope should attenuate the aversion, hence the ‘progressive’ inclusion of the self-employed and the ‘middle class’. But this sort of categorising to rationalise a belief excludes anyone outside the design, which contradicts the free spirit pertaining to both.
And so they cry foul at any unexpected analysis and unabashed criticism. Perhaps they should take a feather from the Nationalists’ cap when these are subjected to punctual and well deserved judgement.
Anything else is delusionary posturing and denial. They need to grow up.
Most of Joseph Muscat’s speeches come across as over-rehearsed scripts and the New Year greeting is no exception.
I know that all such speeches by politicians are prepared beforehand but somehow, Muscat doesn’t even manage to appear genuine.
You can see he’s not speaking in earnest. Even the pauses and the careful hand movements are so obviously artificial.
Apart from the delivery, I found the script itself incongruous.
This was supposed to be a message to wish people a happy new year but at least the first half (I only watched 3 minutes) was nothing but an attack on government. What kind of greeting is that?
‘Joseph Muscat mal-LGBT (Gays)’. Am I the only one who finds this funny?
[Daphne – No, Al. You’re not. That’s why it’s part of my selection. The video is funny in that subtle way (unintentionally), and the title really cracked me up, bearing in mind that this is an official Super One video, uploaded by One News.]
For one thing, the people in the screen shot represent the MGRM, but why bother trying to explain this?
Trid tara lil Krista Caruana il-bierah tistaqsina minn fuq l-istazzjon tat-televizjoni tal-Partit Laburista jekk id-demokrazija ghadiex hajja f’dan il-pajjiz……..dritta dritta quddiem id-dar centrali tal-PN.
By popular request can you try and find for us the one were Joseph said he comes from a humble beginning.
[Daphne – It was an article he wrote for The Sunday Times, not a video.
“I was inspired to write this article by a man who years ago at a village feast saw a young boy he barely knew parading an unignited petard which he was banging against a wall. The man lunged towards him, yelling at the boy to stop what he was doing because the firework may go off. He managed to seize the petard. As soon as he did so, it ignited. The boy was unhurt. The man lost part of his right palm.
Had the man failed to act, the young boy would have lost his arm, his eyes, possibly his life.
During his long term in hospital, the man, a humble salesman who earned a living from writing and carrying boxes, learnt to write with his left hand and how to handle things with his disabled body part. Years of practice led him to re-learn writing with his right hand.
He never complained, always feeling it was his duty to save the young boy, whom he did not know, and he would undoubtedly do the same again.
This also reminds me of a quotation from ‘Daria’, a very smart animated series Muscat would do well to watch: “Your shallowness is so thorough, it’s almost like depth.”
I watched the news on Super One this evening, which showed Joseph visiting stalls set up by students at the University, for Freshers’ Week.
His eyes quite obviously glaze over when someone is talking to him and he can’t even feign interest. Unless it’s Fr Gordon in Sandro Chetcuti’s red Ferrari, of course. Then he lights up.
Daphne, there’s a video of Malta’s 1997 students’ protests making rounds. I think this will bring back some good old memories of what having labour in government just because it’s time for change really means.
All we need to do is convince all potential PN defectors to watch Super One…….they are trying to re-write history – and the PN is not countering it…..very sad really!
I agree. There is so much that the PN should do in this regard. The likes of Deborah Schembri are attacking the PN for mentioning the past but it is the PL who are adamant to revise their past.
The Times of Malta “leader” today deals with the judiciary. Daphne featured in this leading article. I still say that impeachment procedure should have been initiated by someone in the House – irrespective of the result of the vote. At least we would have on record the whole affair.
What’s this obsession with addressing them all as Dr, Professor etc? Do they think they are impressing their “subject” more by showing them kemm huma bravi il-kanditati?
Yes Carmel, with some people it works!
Inkontri on Super One yesterday evening:-
It is now evident that Labour is increasingly uncomfortable with the fact that it cannot formulate one decent proposal that might spark the imagination of people or draw crowds to its fold.
Conscious of this problem they seem to have embarked on a new spin and sent forth Chris Cardona and Toni Abela.
The first said, essentially, that the PL should be judged on its 2006-2008 span in government and not pre 1987.
[Daphne – Don’t they realise that this is exactly what people are doing? Setting aside the hash they made of the economy in both periods, and getting personal, in the litany of crimes and woes committed by the Labour government in my regard, for instance, I consider trying to keep my sons out of the European Union to be the biggest, greatest, most top-ranking of them all, eclipsing by far everything I had to put up with in the years 1971 to 1987. And it is only now, as I see them and so many other young people really spread their wings, flourish and do the things their parents could only dream of, that the full realisation dawns of just how truly criminal Sant’s government and his butt-licking acolytes like Joseph Muscat were.]
In fact he admitted that pre 1987 the PL had made mistakes but with the insulting caveat that according to Cardona the 70s where glorious days.
Moreover he implied that the 1996 PL government was fair in terms appointing people to high office and in fact that could have been a reason why it was voted out in 1998 – obviously he flew over the ineptness of Sant and his gang (which included him) and the catastrophic mistakes of that administration (EU, Pfp, VAT, university, utility bills)
This twisted account of history by Cardona seemed well rehearsed to introduce a ridiculous sermon by Abela on democracy.
Essentially Abela said that in Malta no one really understands the workings of democracy, which according to him is based on unqualified change in administration, by which he suggested that winning the government should not be based on policy proposals but on time-bound limits.
It was also telling that Joe Grima, the show host, chose Robert Arrigo to represent the Nationalist Party.
Can you explain better what you meant by your last sentence.
“It was also telling that Joe Grima chose Robert Arrigo……”
Silvio pardon my ignorance, but which part of that sentence is troubling you?
I know for a fact that it was Joe Grima who invited Robert Arrigo directly. He did not ask the Nationalist Party to choose a representative for the show.
Moreover, they stacked the programme with the ‘feature that changes history’ and the phone calls from Anglu Farrugia and the cook tal-Pijunieri. Restaurants all over Malta must be clamouring for his services. Talk about imbalance.
I am thoroughly sick of hearing about the ‘fairness’ of Alfred Sant’s 22 months as prime minister. There were MANY appointments of senior Labour personnel and loads of sidelining of (pro PN) individuals in those two years.
The truth is that most Nationalists who were affected simply left the public service to seek new careers in the private sector, because they couldn’t stomach working for incompetent people who harbour grudges.
THAT is another key difference between those who vote Labour and those who vote PN. The second get on with life, while the first keep clamouring for (undeserved) freebies.
@ Joe Micallef.
As a matter of fact, I can’t understand exactly what you mean. The whole sentence seems to be loaded with insinuations.
I don’t think it does justice to the integrity of Robert Arrigo.
Abela said that the ‘natural life’ of a government is 10 years, even quoting Fenech Adami to back up his claim.
What he didn’t do was question why the Maltese seem to insist on what would be, by deduction, an anomaly.
Columnists and their blogs were chosen as the implicit justification of this. By doing so they are, to all intents and purposes, their own worst enemy.
When Daphne mentions how Labour played with words and consequently, her sons’ future, it becomes pertinent to add how Joseph’s base instincts towards immigrants, in a way, coincide with Toni Abela’s train of thought.
How Labour, for all intents and purposes, has moved towards the farthest end of the right.
And how critics and what they stand for have to be denigrated at the expense of content.
It’s useless inserting the PSE logo to cross-brand Labour, if such gaffes and contradictions continue to be made.
I spent five years away from Malta, living as an immigrant. What I didn’t mind, was settling to the idea that my choice had temporarily nipped my financial and social possibilities. I knew where I wanted to go, and no one was taking that from me.
When Joseph, Toni and others concentrate their energy on an exclusive ideology (in both senses) with regards to foreigners, one cannot but deduce that the closed system proposed will apply to us as well.
Maybe they should experience the life of an immigrant themselves. Then perhaps they’ll understand that even if expectations may vary, aspirations remain the same. Preferably nobody should intrude on what are personal individual decisions.
Labour thinks that widenening its scope should attenuate the aversion, hence the ‘progressive’ inclusion of the self-employed and the ‘middle class’. But this sort of categorising to rationalise a belief excludes anyone outside the design, which contradicts the free spirit pertaining to both.
And so they cry foul at any unexpected analysis and unabashed criticism. Perhaps they should take a feather from the Nationalists’ cap when these are subjected to punctual and well deserved judgement.
Anything else is delusionary posturing and denial. They need to grow up.
Most of Joseph Muscat’s speeches come across as over-rehearsed scripts and the New Year greeting is no exception.
I know that all such speeches by politicians are prepared beforehand but somehow, Muscat doesn’t even manage to appear genuine.
You can see he’s not speaking in earnest. Even the pauses and the careful hand movements are so obviously artificial.
Apart from the delivery, I found the script itself incongruous.
This was supposed to be a message to wish people a happy new year but at least the first half (I only watched 3 minutes) was nothing but an attack on government. What kind of greeting is that?
Joseph is so genuinely artificial.
‘Joseph Muscat mal-LGBT (Gays)’. Am I the only one who finds this funny?
[Daphne – No, Al. You’re not. That’s why it’s part of my selection. The video is funny in that subtle way (unintentionally), and the title really cracked me up, bearing in mind that this is an official Super One video, uploaded by One News.]
For one thing, the people in the screen shot represent the MGRM, but why bother trying to explain this?
Well, cheered me up this morning.
Tenk ju Deffffni hij :-)
xxx
Al
I take it they’ll be renaming it “LGBT (Gays) Labour” then. I mean how naff can they get?
Trying to look all modern and cosmopolitan with their LGBT then having put the layman’s term in brackets. It’s things like these that give you away.
Does he practice the public hugs with Michelle beforehand as well, in order to bring out their ”best’ side for the camera?
One has got to laugh ta Joe Demicoli’s satire though.
SEBA’ VIDJOS F’MESSAGG WIEHED – ATTENTAT FAHXI MIS-SAHHARA BIEX TISRAQ IL-GOPP TA’ KURT FARRUGIA
Trid tara lil Krista Caruana il-bierah tistaqsina minn fuq l-istazzjon tat-televizjoni tal-Partit Laburista jekk id-demokrazija ghadiex hajja f’dan il-pajjiz……..dritta dritta quddiem id-dar centrali tal-PN.
It’s a technique known as Video Voodoo.
MANUVRI FAHXIJA
That’d make a great title for a risqué Macina video.
Manuvri fahxija mil-Bahrija.
What happened to Joseph at 1:01 in the Joseph mal-Gays video?
Cyrus Engerer.
By popular request can you try and find for us the one were Joseph said he comes from a humble beginning.
[Daphne – It was an article he wrote for The Sunday Times, not a video.
“I was inspired to write this article by a man who years ago at a village feast saw a young boy he barely knew parading an unignited petard which he was banging against a wall. The man lunged towards him, yelling at the boy to stop what he was doing because the firework may go off. He managed to seize the petard. As soon as he did so, it ignited. The boy was unhurt. The man lost part of his right palm.
Had the man failed to act, the young boy would have lost his arm, his eyes, possibly his life.
During his long term in hospital, the man, a humble salesman who earned a living from writing and carrying boxes, learnt to write with his left hand and how to handle things with his disabled body part. Years of practice led him to re-learn writing with his right hand.
He never complained, always feeling it was his duty to save the young boy, whom he did not know, and he would undoubtedly do the same again.
That man was my father.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100912/local/fireworks-muscat-makes-proposals-speaks-of-his-fear-of-discovering-his-father-is-dead.326477/comments:3 ]
‘..saw a young boy he barely knew..’
‘..his duty to save the young boy, whom he did not know..’
If you can’t keep a story straight how can you run a country?
So this is what someone with ABSOLUTELY no substance looks and sounds like. At least Sant had his literary career.
This also reminds me of a quotation from ‘Daria’, a very smart animated series Muscat would do well to watch: “Your shallowness is so thorough, it’s almost like depth.”
Daphne, you are the Queen of Journalists! Thank you my friend.
I watched the news on Super One this evening, which showed Joseph visiting stalls set up by students at the University, for Freshers’ Week.
His eyes quite obviously glaze over when someone is talking to him and he can’t even feign interest. Unless it’s Fr Gordon in Sandro Chetcuti’s red Ferrari, of course. Then he lights up.
Excuse me, while I puke !
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111004/local/mintoff-back-in-hospital.387755
Old Dom found himself in the hospital which he defined as an expensive luxury for Gozo.
He stopped its construction in the 70s, because Gozitan patients could be transported to Malta.
The Grigal is blowing at force 3, not ideal weather to transport patients.
Get well soon Dom.
X’get well soon? That despicable man!
Daphne, there’s a video of Malta’s 1997 students’ protests making rounds. I think this will bring back some good old memories of what having labour in government just because it’s time for change really means.
After watching Karl Djerassi on Hardtalk holding his own at the venerable age of 88 (God bless him) these videos seem even more pitiful.
All we need to do is convince all potential PN defectors to watch Super One…….they are trying to re-write history – and the PN is not countering it…..very sad really!
I agree. There is so much that the PN should do in this regard. The likes of Deborah Schembri are attacking the PN for mentioning the past but it is the PL who are adamant to revise their past.
The Times of Malta “leader” today deals with the judiciary. Daphne featured in this leading article. I still say that impeachment procedure should have been initiated by someone in the House – irrespective of the result of the vote. At least we would have on record the whole affair.
Joseph’s Labour, according to Deborah Schembri, is perfect.
Austin Gatt may be right after all.
She still has to say whether she condones or condemns Labour’s past.
Deborah Schembri took exception to anyone mentioning her party’s past!
Wonder why?
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=133108
Is there anyone saying the truth at the Mlatatoday’s pig sty?
How can they? They do not really know what truth is.
The PL’s past will be a hot and sensitive issue for ever simply because of its abhorrence.