Oh, look – another faux Labour ‘economist’
Joseph Vella Bonnici calls himself an economist because he has a BA General degree in Maltese and economics. But then, he's a Labour candidate, of course.
I quote his own official bio:
Joseph Vella Bonnici, economist, graduated in Economics and Maltese from the University of Malta. After being elected commonwealth scholar, he continued his studies at Victoria University, New Zealand, from where he obtained his Master’s degree in Public Policy. In 1977, he joined the Malta Development Corporation and in the early 1980s was seconded to Enemalta Corporation, during which time he headed the Petroleum Division. In 1990 he joined Simonds Farsons Cisk and was eventually appointed as General Manager for Marketing, Sales and Distribution. He helped set up the Institute for the Promotion of Small Enterprises and in 1997 was appointed its CEO. In 1996, was appointed chairman of the Forum For a Better Economy. He lectures at the University of Malta and a regular commentator and writer in the media.
Who would have thought, eh? L-ghajta nofs il-bejh, l-ahwa. This man has been selling himself as an economist for so many years that we never thought to check his credentials.
That was the sound of my sides splitting.
A BA GENERAL degree in Maltese and economics. Not even an honours degree, which would have meant majoring in economics (reading it for four years) with Maltese read for two years concurrently as a second subject. No, he read both Maltese and economics – nice match – for three years and got a GENERAL degree, which is for those who are too thick to get the the B average required for honours, or too lazy to spend that extra year at university.
Then he somehow got himself a Commonwealth scholarship, possibly because it was after 1971, and buzzed off to New Zealand for a master’s degree in PUBLIC POLICY.
That was me, slapping my thighs with mirth, my sides having split already.
And then, aside from Simonds Farsons Cisk, just look at the rest of his bio. Thank heavens for Labour governments and hbieb tal-hbieb.
Economist! Indeed. What an ass. So painfully embarrassing, except that people like this just don’t feel shame. Razza ta’ nies minn wara l-muntanji. Where can I hand in my passport?
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“U mhux xorta” mentality that was expressed in yesterday’s budget reply.
I guess you already know … but even the younger generation is involved in this.
Aaron Farrugia (ic-Cerpersin) also describes himself as an economist (even on his Wikipedia page – Jesus!). However he has a B. Commerce (Hons) degree in Finance (or better Banking and Finance), and a Master degree in European Studies (although he describes it as a Master degree in European Economics, Law and Politics) from the University of Malta.
He is also currently trying to get his LL.D. (fast!) so as to be able to be a ‘Dottor’ prior to the MEP Elections in a couple of years – well you know these labour politicians, trying to get as many titles as they can in the easiest way possible (obviously doing a Ph.D. for real is a though job).
Wasn’t sure where to put this, but have you seen the wonderful list of 51 concrete well-thought out proposals and plans of Joseph Muscat? http://therealbudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/51-proposta-2.pdf
Here’s a taste:
Messaġġ ċar lis-self employed: INĦALLUKOM TAĦDMU u f’anqas burokrazija
Pjan ta’ inċentivi biex aktar nisa jidħlu fid-dinja tax-xogħol
Nemmnu fl-industrija bħala parti important mill-pjan tagħna għal aktar tkabbir
ekonomik
Pjan ewlieni biex jonqos l-ammont tat-tfal li jitilqu mill-iskola meta jgħalqu 16-il sena
Tissaħħaħ is-sistema tal-istipendji
L-Airmalta terġa’ titpoġġa fiċ-ċentru tal-politika għat-turiżmu b’aktar sinerġija ma’
l-industrija
Inpoġġu t-turiżmu bħala pilastru ewlieni li jgħin fit-tkabbir ekonomiku
Ninvestu aktar fl-industrija tat-turiżmu u fil-kwalita’ tal-prodott u naraw li ma jiddaħħlux
aktar piżijiet
Inqisu t-traffiku u l-immaniġġjar tiegħu bħala priorita’ biex inaqsu mit-telf ta’ ħin
prezzju
Inkunu straight-forward mal-iżvilippaturi u ma l-ambjentalisti u nuru biċ-ċar fejn huma
l-prijoritajiet tagħna, mingħajr telf ta ħin żejjed
Why hand in your passport when you can burn it?
This idiot is also calling himself an economist:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Farrugia
Daphne, have you ever seen the comments by Emm Bezzina on timesofmalta.com’s board? He carries a load of degrees after his name. Probably he thinks that doing so makes more gullible people take him seriously.
[Daphne – Not really. I assume even gullible people know that listing your degrees after your name on an internet comment is a sign of something other than brilliance.]
He posts his degrees in large CAPS too, so that his acheivements will be duly noticed and appreciated by all and sundry, including those affected by some form of visual impairment.
Here in Malta it has become the fashion to call anybody who has worked at a bank in a managerial, supervisory, or even clerical position a “banker” rather than a “bank clerk” or “bank manager”.
Real bankers in Malta can be counted on the fingers of one hand while bank employees are now approaching 3000+.
Incidentally, calling yourself a banker is a favourite with those who joined the Maltesebanks from id-Dirghajn jew Pijunieri in the golden days of the early 70s.
Even a professional qualification does not make you a banker. This is earned by your prowess in the field.
How can you have such a degree? I’m preety sure it doesn’t exist! You can’t choose an Art with a FEMA course!
[Daphne – It’s B.Com, apparently. But even this is a recent development.Back in the ‘olden days’, a bachelor’s degrees in economics was a BSc, and a bachelor’s in public policy was, as I recall, a BA. You could also have a BA in law or a BA in accountancy.]
There are at least two FEMA BAs: Tourism, and Social Work, or whatever it’s called.
L-anqas jitkellem m ghandu hila. Meta ninzertah fuq it TV naqliblu bil giri.
In Malta the number of real economists is small. I think that an economist and a politician are two completely different things and economists can never make it in politics since they do not have the daily contact with people such as the doctors and lawyers have.
In fact out of the 67 MPs there is not one economist.
“…economists can never make it in politics since they do not have the daily contact with people such as the doctors and lawyers have.”
Rubbish. A little less kazin and a little more boardroom would do Maltese politics a world of good.
What do you specialise in Daphne?
B.A. (Hons) Wannabe Journalist Blogger
Let’s see you post this…