Here are some pictures from George Borg Olivier’s state funeral
Bear in mind that in those days there was no television (at least not for the Nationalist Party or anybody to do with it), no radio (ditto) and certainly no internet, mobile phones, twitter, or even very many fixed telephone lines.
Yet look at the vast crowd which jammed the streets and squares of Valletta at the funeral of George Borg Olivier in 1980. And he wasn’t even the Salvatur.
I don’t believe comparisons are odious. I think they are important, crucial even, and that they enable us to put things in context and into their proper perspective.
The facts remains that despite all of the Labour party’s tqanzieh, the charades and the pantomimes on television, the collaboration of the government, and the building up of this monster by a giant propaganda machine into some kind of semi-mythical figure, the only people who turned up to look at his coffin were the dregs of the past and their chihuahuas.
And most of those didn’t even bother.
Amazing, isn’t it? Labour can’t even manufacture a crowd for a saviour, in the age of media and telecommunications.
The huge crowd of mourners following George Borg Olivier’s coffin down Republic Street.
The huge crowd jamming St John’s Square and spilling down St John Street and into Republic Street. There was a similar crush on the other side, up Merchants Street.
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As I already said facts show that Mintoff did not really have the majority behind him! He was leader for 35 years and he only governed with the majority behind him for thirteen years! The majority of the Maltese people did not really like him.
Speak for yourself. If the majority of people did not like him, then he would have never been elected. Baseless comment
Dear Anonymous it seems that you do not follow recent history.
Mintoff was elected to power in 1971 with only a handful of votes making the difference.
The 1976 election result is still dubious. I can still remember Joe Grima being interviewed on MTV from the counting hall at the Polytechnic in Msida at about 1 am, saying how ungrateful the Maltese electorate was.
He gave the impression that the PN were in the lead. By 5 am the MLP declared victory. People still talk about the police on duty there rushing to the toilets with the runs.
The result of the election in 1981 gave a clear electoral victory to the PN, however with the districts gerrymandering, which was masterminded by Patrick Holland, the MLP won more seats, and we had to endure the ‘bongu malta and the run rabbit run’ debacle and the white coup, which put us under an MLP regime for nearly six years.
This is as much for Mintoff’s majority support.
Whatever you say Mintoff only had the backing of the majority of the Maltese electorate for 13 out of the 35 years he was leader of the MLP. Eddie did not have the backing of the majority of the Maltese people for 22 months out of 27 years! What a difference!
And Eileen Montesien is still on PBS after all the sh*t she put on TV in 1981. And now she is on NET as well. I cannot understand this.
Yes I was there and took my two little girls with me.
The crowd was so big I couldn’t even get into Valletta and I followed the cortege from St Anne’s Square in Floriana.
But then for Labour taghom biss l-akbar u l-ahjar.
We were in St.Anne’s street, it was the only place left where the crowd wasn’t six deep on each side.
Joseph needs to rethink his strategy, even if the money’s tempting.
Il-Partit Nazzjonalista dejjem LEADERS kbar kellu, ghandu u jibqa jkollu!
Keep up your good work Daphne :)
I would say they had… Gonzi is not one of the them
Malcolm Seychell, I agree with you there.
Though Dr Gonzi is definitely far better than Dr Muscat and unfortunately there is no one to replace Gonzi.
Iva mela… use some of your gray matter and shed all the anti-gonzi blatter.
think again. and see if you’ll be able to confirm what you’ve said.
this country is really sad!
Oh look who’s migrated here.
Please don’t expect anyone to trust your judgement about political leadership. Aren’t you an admirer of Norman Lowell and a former member of, what was it called? Ah, yes. Alleanza Nazzjonali.
A total flop of right wing, politically illiterate madness.
Oh yeah? And precisely, why? Had it not been for the three twerps that stirred all the internal trouble, where did this Prime Minister go wrong?
This administration had to deal with an unprecedented world-wide economic turmoil and a war just 200 miles south of us.
Lawrence Gonzi is as formidable as his PN predecessors because you know as much as I do that none of the two enormous challenges sent us under like it did to other much-more-quoted countries.
And remember, Gonzi practically won the last election almost single-handedly, notwithstanding one of the three twerps that almost cost him and PN a victory in 2008.
He did well in pushing out the likes of Johnny Dalli and JPOS, and judging by what we have seen by these two the last 4 years, he was spot-on (yet again) in leaving them out in the cold. Or perhaps you would have rather had a certain Franco Debono as minister for justice?
Tell me, what would you have done differently?
Of course, a typical Laburist would have chosen KMB after Mintoff, a Sant instead of Lino Spiteri, and a Joseph Muscat instead of George Abela. That is the real difference.
PN has produced and continues to produce prime ministers with a great vision that bring long-term success to our nation. Gonzi is succeeding in making modern Malta not just survive, but thrive in the EU so much that we may have to forego the financial aid provided by the EU to developing nations trying to catch up with the other ‘big’ member-states.
And here you are saying that Lawrence Gonzi is not of the same mettle as BO or EFA. Three typical PN leaders that breed success after another which gets suddenly halted by some sorry Labour government only for PN to produce yet again a formidable leader to amend and move on, as ever.
Ah, yes there is actually someone to replace Gonzi.
I too agree. Gonzi is a weak leader who trusted the wrong people.
I also agree with Baxxter that he can be replaced.
Labour is a joke, and a pretty dangerous one too. At the same time, probaby the only way for the Nationalist party to get its act together is to be in opposition. Quo vadis Malta?
Oh well, if reforming Mepa to cut the whole sanctioning bull, is the signature of a weak leader, I’d like to know what makes one.
Gonzi is not one of them? I disagree completely. Dr Gonzi is doing a great job in one of the worst recession ever. This alone already makes him one of the best, if not the best ever. Also, he is one great orator and surely has foresight.
This photo also shows a people united against Mintoff’s oppression.
I did not attend that funeral because I was not given any time off from work.
Believe me when I state that what my Socialist co-workers were saying then about Dr Borg Olivier whilst the funeral was being transmitted live on Dardir Malta is unprintable!
So much for political maturity and showing respect for the dead ghidlu lil Joe Muscat and his side kick, the nutty lawyer from Ghaxaq.
U f’hiex waqajna! Inqabblu l-funerali! Ejja naraw ta’ min hu l-Akbar! (pun intended) ahfrilna oh sinjuuuuuur, ahfrilna oh sinjur!
Donnu ma tantx lilhaqlek mohhok, Mario. Mhux il-funerali per se qed inqabblu, izda ir-rispett li wera il poplu Malti lejn dawn iz-zewg individwi.
whatever the ultimate aim of the exercise, that is precisely what you’re doing, measuring the size of funerals – lol – I can hear you reiterate already – size does matter!!!! C’mon get a life! As one illustrious author would have it – ‘the maltese are in love with death’ (apologies to Monsarrat) – btw don’t these state funerals have a close resemblance to Dun Salv’s?
[Daphne – Is there not a single one of you who is able to write a sentence without sounding like the inmate of a lunatic asylum? Your sentences are always all over the place, incoherent thoughts expressed in barely coherent form.]
That’s because there were no pastizzi and sangwicces. Had there been any you can be sure they would have got off their pretty asses and attended the Salvatur’s funeral.
It was hilarious when Joseph issued a statement that it was going to be a ‘dignified affair’, in other words, don’t expect tombla.
Check out this goggle chart showing what Mintoff’s govt and two successive PN govts contributed to this country’s development in GDP figures – this is google sourced so definitely unbiased statistical info here:
http://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=ny_gdp_mktp_cd&idim=country:MLT&dl=en&hl=en&q=malta+gdp
Mintoff’s 15 years governance amounted to a puny $1B in the local economy (from a $0.5B in 1970) and he only managed to negotiate $4M from the British – so much for his negotiation skills. Stagnation in the economy is reflected by the flat and slow rising slope in curve.
Under EFA economy went from $1B to $4B (during Sant’s 2 years stint economy practically stalls @ around $3B)
Under Gonzi country went through another growth spurt from $4 to $8.88B, no mean feat considering a global recession and tepid recovery, with practically most southern mediterranean economies hit badly. We got $1.4B in EU funds – so really and truly RCC was by far more successful in negotiating funds for the nation. Notice the slope of the curve, the steeper it is, the faster the economy grew (compare the slope to Mintoff’s tenure)
My conclusion: in nearly 100 years Labour couldn’t promote a single decent leader who really had the insight and teamwork to steer the country in the right economic direction, the last Labour leader who really worked for all maltese was Pawlu Boffa. As for the PN, the country always expects better policies and governance from them, we learned not accept shoddy or below standard services. Even though the fundamentals are working and established we complain on roads taking months to build, bus service, utility bills, waiting list at the hospital and decent pay to MPs (who practically earn half the pay of all CEOs and top management in the private sector). We have it so good but we still complain!! A new government within a few months time definitely needs to have the skillset, practical ideas and right teamwork to continue this path of growth, otherwise this could easily be lost with dire consequences (more taxes, service cuts, unemployment)
may I ask. do these values adjust to the times or are they just literal?? ask yourself this.. what can you buy with 100,000 dollars now, and what could you have bought with them in the 1970s. Thats the difference you see.. you could’ve bought a house for 4,000 liri at the day, while today the same house would cost you at least 100,000 liri. I am not economist, nor a historian, not even a labourite. but I think these things are down to common sense
I don’t see the point you are trying to make, not that I ever do mind you, or that you ever have a point for that matter. In any case, the extensive TV coverage is more likely to decrease numbers than increase them – any average idiot will be able to understand that. Even you.
Go to a menatl health hospital daphne, I can offer you help so you can relax your mind for at least 2weeks. You’re mentally retarded dear, you need help urgently before you did more shitty things which make no sense. Contact me,
Mental health hospitals don’t deal with mental retardation. You’re letting Joseph Muscat down by mocking mental disability.
you do*
I wish I had the time to go to Mintoff’s funeral, but Saturday is the day I wash my car.
Sorry, Dom.
Dear Daphne, may I remind you that it was the same Mintoff that organised GBO’s state funeral.
[Daphne – That’s right, Mintoff organised the crowds of PN supporters to turn up and pay him homage. Exactly what drugs are you on?]
What a stupid reply. Maybe you are on a hate drfug, seeing all this venom against laborites. You have no respect for dreedom of speech
Mela mhux bhal Joe Grima ghax dak ghandu hafna!
Dear Daphne,the photo of Borg Olivier”s funeral brings back many memories and I consider it as a tribute to the TRUE nalionalists who loved him so much,I’m honoured to count myself as one of them.
I sometimes wonder if those so called nationalist,who betrayed him,were also present on that day.
Did they feel guilt or shame?
[Daphne – True Nationalist my eye, Silvio. True Nationalist sabih ukoll, tikteb fuq it-timesofmalta.com biex tfahhar lil Mintoff u tikkritika lil dawk li qeghdin jghidu l-verita dwaru, u imbaghad tmur thuf lejn il-gazzetta online tal-Labour biex taghmel l-istess. Has Sabrina introduced you to Joseph yet (maaaa, he’s so SWEET!). Hallini, trid. And all this when you know for a fact I’m not dumb.]
Spoken like a true Nationalist? Hardly.
http://www.maltastar.com/dart/20120821-daphne-caruana-galizia-provokation
Silvio Loporto – Wed 22-Aug-2012, 18:44
I feel that all decent Maltese,irrespective of our political beliefs,should disassociate ourselves from all this hatred and condemm all those who stoop so low and in such unChristan ways.
daphne i wanna fuck u fuq kastilja !!!
Kemm int bax siehbi , possibli ghandek daqshekk mentalita mediocri.
Mela ghax ma tiehux lill martek u tahxieja hemmhekk biex turi kemm int helu u gustuz. Ja pastas u injorant.
I remember being held up by my dad (in St Anne’s Street) to see the coffin go past – one of my earliest (I was 6) clear memories of a “political” nature. The crowds were massive, the emotion palpable.
My parents never believed in taking small kids to funerals – but this was different. It was also a time when like-minded people could come together to express their beliefs and grief at the passing of a good man.
Same here, I was eight.
It wasn’t my first though, that was when I was terrified out of my wits seeing the mob torch the PN club.
I kept asking my mother why they were doing this to Dandu, the barman who would stand me on a stool to be able to choose ice cream from the chest freezer.
Yes and this was the time when many were afraid to show their support for the opposition because of labour Govt reprisals. But on that occasion they could resist not to bid farewell to this great gentleman.
No one mention Mr C.Grima he was accused of shooting Dom.
The crowds that gathered at Raymond Caruana’s funeral speak volumes about respect and disdain.
My my Daphne some people do have problems with mathematics, especially those who cannot dissolve the bitter pill that Mintoff was HATED in Gozo. Further to this attestation one has to know that Mintoff and his puppet KMB did nothing for Gozo in 18 years.
All they say is housing estates – a damn lie – Borg Olivier had commissioned works on housing estates, which were built by a Nationalist government but….iz-zigarella fetaha l-MLP and the government property was given to Laburisti BISS.
That is the true vision of the Salvatur! Salvatur wiehed BISS hemm, int u niezel Marsalforn!
Obviously there was no TV. This explains why a lot of people were at the funeral. In Mintoff’s case, people were comfortable at home, under the ac…..
ovvjament jekk il-kleru kollu ta malta hareg ghal funeral x,tipretendi……
mintoff ma kellux kleru warajh!
Mintoff miet ta` 96 sena, hafna minn nies li mxew warajh illum huma mejta jew xjuh ghakka u ma setghux imorru ghal funeral, Borg Olivier (RIP) miet zghir jew ahjar inqatel bil-piena li ha meta shabu stess ikkomfoffaw min wara dahru.
Kieku Mintoff miet daqs GBO is-sena kienet tkun l-1985 u nahseb il-folol mhux daqs ta` GBO kienu jkunu! Minbarra li llum it-teknologija tnaqqas u kif mill-folol f’avvenimenti bhal dawn.
What will be the outcome by comparing these two funerals??? I must say that yes GBO was a gentleman, however it was Mintoff who promoted GBO to have a state funeral? Last but not least, do you consider Dr Gonzi a leader??? I have never heard of any leadership skills to be given orders by the subordinates. If you recall Gonzi a leader, I would say that I can do really well as a Prime Minister. DCG, RCC & AG are the drivers. Of course this is so called a perfect orgy within the Nationalist Party and Gonzi the Reporter.