116,048 views yesterday
This website had 116,048 views yesterday, no doubt thanks to the Streisand effect created by those two Mintoffians, Franco Debono and Joseph Muscat, who believe that in a liberal democracy, the prime minister should “condemn” an entirely legal exercise in freedom of expression.
It comes as no surprise that somebody who fed at birth at the nipple of Mintoffianism, like Muscat, believes that a prime minister should condemn a woman with a blog.
Those who brought him up voted for Mintoff even after The Times building was burned down, and Muscat grew up to praise and admire him. He is too thick and prejudiced to know any better.
The Labour Party has a history of repression of, and antagonism towards, the free press and the time-honoured (but not in Malta) liberal tradition of the mockery of politicians. It uses its own media, in fact, to bully those who do what I do, until eventually there are none left.
The unbelievable thing is that this has been going on for 22 years this summer. Twenty-two years and still they are going on about me as though I am some kind of new and highly controversial development. Are they insane? They’ve had more than enough time to get used to the idea.
They can shuffle off and condemn their sweet aunt Sally, if they have one. Kemm huma tac-cajt.
As for Franco, his belief in the liberal tradition ends where his nose begins. He can go to hell. As most clued-up women know, there is only one way to deal with men like that: grind them underfoot. Unfortunately, they will probably get a thrill out of it, but there you go.
I have a new stalker to add to my extensive collection: the nerd from Hal Ghaxaq.
We can't really get rid of her, because sadly, this isn't Turkey. But we can be really liberal and progressive and condemn her, and demand that others condemn her too.
How can we get rid of her?
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Keep it up Daphne, and let them stew in their own juice.
The pen (or rather the keyboard) is mightier then the sword (or burning down publishing houses).
When will Mintoffians, neo-Mintoffians and the capon from Hal Ghaxaq understand this?
[Daphne – They do understand it. That’s the point.]
I think Muscat’s most laughable quote to date is his new catchphrase about the PM “He can run but he cannot hide”.
Has he been watching too many sniper movies? Or does he think we are stupid enough to be impressed by such overused catchphrases?
I really wish he could come up with a tacky one for you. That would make making fun of him that much easier.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Labour-leader-fans-the-flames-of-Debono-ire-ahead-of-confidence-vote-20120601
Did he ever condemn those who attacked Daphne’s family in the vilest way possible?
He is the sort of male that any woman (except for Mary Mifsud), would love to put in the public stocks and pelt with rotten eggs or laugh out of town.
“Opposition leader Joseph Muscat yesterday took the unprecedented step in issuing a public condemnation of the comments carried in a blogpost by the Malta Independent columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia, targeting Nationalist MP Franco Debono and his mother.
As news came in yesterday evening that Debono had asked the Prime Minister to publicly condemn Caruana Galizia’s personal blog, Muscat took the step to publicly call on Lawrence Gonzi to “take all steps necessary to stop the attacks” from Caruana Galizia, whose mordant criticism of Labour MPs and other critics of the Nationalist government has cemented the perception that her blog is the PN’s unofficial voice.”
– MaltaToday.
What does Joseph Muscat mean by “take all steps necessary to stop the attacks?” Joseph Muscat really needs to explain this, knowing that everyone knows what it means for Labour to “take all steps necessary.”
Why did it take 5 months for Joseph Muscat to stick up for Franco Debono?
The one thing that the media can do in its very own interest is to question Joseph Muscat directly, in every opportunity available between here and the general elections, about Labour’s credentials and position about free speech, freedom of expression and the media in its new forms. This latest slip up is outright dangerous.
If Joseph Muscat and his Labour plan to take every step necessary to stop established free media, then what does he and his party plan to do to private individuals if they show dissent towards his government?
Joseph Muscat should be ashamed of himself for this “unprecedented step.” This is use of the position of Leader of Opposition and his party to launch an attack on freedom of expression and to oppress dissenters in a modern country. He has just shown that Labour never changes.
In 1979, it was the building of The Times. Who knows whose turn it is next.
After 25 years in opposition, Labour should have at least learned to live with the freedom of expression and the freedoms of others. It has been given enough space to criticise anything at every opportunity.
The PES should be informed about this interference with the media and free speech by one of their own. Perhaps the matter can be brought up in the European Parliament.
With regards to the burning down of publishing houses, it is pertinant to note that they did in fact colonise their once much maligned arch-enemy The Times.
It is not by chance that the standards of that paper have declined abysmally over the past few years and notably since the paper management has lost all control over journos with huge chips on their shoulders and agendae the size of Manhattan. Lately, it seems that the Times is waking up. We’ll wait and see.
One this for sure: media exposure has made people somewhat more savvy. This does not mean that the indoctrination and often blatant lies fed in certain sections of the media, even the non-political ones, can be sussed out, particularly if they are sandwiched between facts, comment and other fiction.
One major benefit of this blog, whether one agrees with style and content or not, is that you know were fact stops and comment starts. And the facts are displayed without fear or favour.
I have often disagreed with comments or style in this blog, even if I am not a frequent commentator :), but the facts, whatever the interpretation, have rarely been at fault. With that track record, if they are wrong one assumes mistake rather than malice.
Finally, I remember the 1980s and the fear of speaking out. I have vowed never to go through that fear again and will do my utmost to support free speech.
Well done, Daphne.
General Custer’s Last Stand;
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120601/local/-Offers-took-Debono-close-to-abstaining.422240
Selli ghal Mary Mifsud.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120601/blogs/i-am-spartacus.422203
Hold your collective breath.
Labour leader Joseph Muscat will this evening announce how a new Labour government will commission social impact assessments on major economic decisions for a fair society.
I’m holding it. M’an, this … is …what … I … call … suffering…
The way I see it, an individual, be it the PM or be it Joe Bloggs can say he doesn’t agree with what a blogger is writing but I would be VERY worried if that PM or individual tried to stop that blogger from writing his or her own mind.
Am I getting the wrong end of the stick here?
[Daphne – The PM is free to say that he doesn’t agree with what X or Y writes, but he would be ill-advised to do so because he is the PM and a statement like that is in a whole different context to you saying it or me saying it. The PM’s business is politics, not media criticism. Yes, of course you should be worried when somebody who will be prime minister, Joseph Muscat, says what he did about me. Not only does it stink of oppression, but it is actually illegal to try to stop me.]
Then we are in agreement.
Keep it up, Daphne … who gives a shit what they want.
This blog is the last bastion of logic and common sense in a country littered with small-minded nitwits. How dare they want to censor you? How liberal of them.
@P.Zammit – my sentiments exactly – keep up the good work, Daphne. Like my grandmother used to say..int xewka f’so….m.
Keep it up, Daphne. Ahna warajk.
Jekk dan Franco, jiftahar tant li hu l-ahjar avukat, nghid jin kif ghadu ma fetahlekx kawza u spiccajt torqod fit-triq.
Jekk dan Franco, jiftahar tant li hu l-ahjar avukat, nghid jin kif ghadu ma fetahlekx kawza u spiccajt torqod fit-trieq.
I dedicate this song to all those who post comments on this site. It’s, ‘You know my name’ by Chris Cornell for Casino Royale:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2oDpDcB2eg&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL37E3185706A97DC5
I have a plan, and should you give me the thumbs up I will start mass production in China.
We will produce 250,000 voodoo dolls with your likeness and sell these at Labour Party mass meetings, along with a bag of pins.
All profits can be donated to the PN, and used to trounce these superstitious peasants in the upcoming elections.
As a marketing gimmick you could open a court case against the importing company, and to make it really spicy you could claim in your writ that some of your hair has been stolen after a haircut, and a piece of your hair has been added to each of the voodoo dolls.
I tell you it would be the blockbuster joke of the decade.
Imagine the look on their drooling vengeful faces once they realize that you were behind the whole exercise, and the 15-euro dolls that they all bought to spite you actually financed their defeat.
Opinions are discussed, argued and torn to bits not blocked. There should be no fatwas or jihads or crusades against people with opinions.
This is becoming very scary now; and, the dictator is emerging. What is even more scary is that people nod and cheer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0dn513XHhs&feature=fvwrel
The vid shows the hysterical crowd cheering a despot’s decision to go to war (notice a placard with Malta). As Pierre Trudeau once said: the masses are asses.
The “Malta” placard appears around 7’25
Daphne better see who is going to win the general election.
JOSEPH MUSCAT of course.You will shut your mouth for ever
[Daphne – Why? Does Joseph have a hit squad? And given that murdering one’s opponents is against the law anyway, why does he have to wait until he’s prime minister? Oh I see. You think we’re going to have a repeat performance in which yet another Labour prime minister puts himself above and beyond the law. Il-vera banali. Mhux ta’ b’xejn tivvota Labour.]
So a Maltese citizen cannot air his views. So much for malta taghna llkoll. Labour will never learn.