Please, Lino, don’t make yourself ridiculous – there are enough men doing that already
Muscat shouldn’t present himself for what he is not. What he is is the equivalent, perhaps a bit better, of Eddie Fenech Adami in 1987.
– Lino Spiteri, writing in The Sunday Times today
If Mr Spiteri has nothing sensible or amusing to say, he should cut down on the number of columns he writes and not say it.
Joseph Muscat is “a bit better than Eddie”? Joseph Muscat is his equivalent?
Every time I am tempted to take Lino Spiteri even a little bit seriously, I remember him reading out the budget for KMB’s government, during those interminable ‘transmissjonijiet diretti mil-parlament’, while practically every grown-up known to me sat frozen in dread at the prospect of some fresh hell, and then I come to my senses.
This country has become immune even to the most obscene political arguments.
It’s actually frightening.
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Am I allowed to say that Lino Spiteri is a rubbish writer and that the only reason he was published was his privileged status as a politician? There, I’ve just said it.
Writing ability aside, Lino’s thinking, over the years, has moved from somewhat impressive to severely depressive. Old age?
Or nostalgia.
After his belated Damascene conversion in 1997 and the subsequent PN victory in 1998 he probably expected to get the President’s post.
That’s when his articles went into double dip incoherence.
The man doesn’t opine, he rambles. That’s what happens when you spend your whole career with everyone gazing up in awe.
But that’s Malta for you.
Golden Years to White Hairs.
Am I allowed to say that I agree with you?
However, to his credit, I find Lino’s inconsistency to be pretty consistent.
Daphne, like you I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read Lino’s opinion.
I gave up reading his articles. If he really said that he must be out of his mind.
Lino’s levelling or sharpening: either bringing (Dr) Eddie Fenech Adami down to (Dr) Joseph Muscat, or raising up Joseph Muscat from below to “a bit better than” the other.
Unbelievable. On what basis does Lino posit the ridiculous? Determination? Perceived iconic status? Adulation from the crowds of supporters? A personality cult?
On substance, there is no comparison: national versus self interest, thirst for justice, fight for freedoms from oppression, vision for the future of Malta at home and in the international community (and EU).
Lino has a lot to answer for as for a long time he was part and parcel of the whole nasty set-up.
Now he tries to play the role of the detached elder and disinterested commentator, but he cannot help but give Joseph Muscat a bit of a helping hand where he can.
Godfrey Grima made the same comment on television recently. Downright ridiculous.
Take Lino Spiteri seriously? However could you, Daphne?
This is the man who was elected on the Labour ticket in 1996, on Alfred Sant’s promise to remove VAT and introduce a new form of indirect taxation. He then decided to stab Sant in the back for winning the leadership contest at the expense of the nation’s prosperity and all this, while he was meant to be masterminding this tax conversion.
This is the man who was minister of trade during the harsh Labour years of deprivation and protectionist policies that led to massive scarcity of even the most basic goods.
Not surprisingly this man is the sort of person for whom the end justifies the means.
Even at the expense of exposing himself to public ridicule.
It is a pity that a man who is no slouch reduces himself to a brown noser in the twilight of his life.
I can’t understand why Lino Spiteri keeps on playing the part of the independent writer when it is obvious he is trying to convince voters that JM is the salvation for Malta.
Is this man for real? Eddie Fenech Adami was, is and remains a great man.
Why did Lino Spiteri put his foot in it? Does he think that we have short memories? Come on… the pain and humiliations we have endured guarantee that we will not forget.
Lino Spiteri is not the best person to judge Eddie in the 80’s. For those who are interested, for a start they may look at L-Orizzont’s front pages when he was a Minister and our democracy was flourishing…Spiteri was one of the most prominent and most vociferous Ministers, eg what Eddie said about Lino Spiteri during a mass meeting in 1983.
There are some interesting stories about the import licences that were issued by the Ministry for Economic Planning and Commerce (headed by Lino Spiteri). At this stage I’ll stop here; maybe later on, i’ll say more.
Lino Spiteri would have been correct to say is that Joseph Muscat is the equivalent or maybe a bit better than the Labour Party at the time!
My age compels me to be amused at what Lino Spiteri graciously writes in The Sunday Times and, on Mondays, in The Times.
With respect to yesterday’s essay from Mr. Spiteri, I had already remarked as follows:
“Winning is not enough” ….. exactly.
Wara l-festa u wara x-xalati, what can, what will, the PL deliver with same tools and same instruments as GonziPN has?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120812/opinion/Labour-winning-not-enough.432487
In today’s Times of Malta (13 August), Lino Spiteri has an essay with reference to “gentlemen in the House”. Thereby, Mr. Spiteri mentions interviews with Prof. Albert Fenech and Mr. Chris Fearne.
Andrew Borg Cardona had already blogged, re same interview issue, on Sunday, apparently while enjoying Salzburg. My remark to Andrew, which could also be addressed to Lino Spiteri, was the following:
Leo Said
Yesterday (Sunday, 12 August), 17:27
Andrew,
Christian Peregrin also interviewed Mr. Chris Fearne.
Similar questions, which result in both medical specialists emphasising that, if elected, they will respectively, and primarily, remain medical providers rather than members of parliament.
Is it not expedient that Malta has full-time members of parliament, who could master Malta’s evident problems in a better way?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120812/blogs/hear-hear.432608
Lino Spiteri should expand on the latest dogma of the faith.
If he were a ‘bit better than Fenech Adami’ where does that leave Mintoff?
And shouldn’t the comparison, literally odious in this case, be with his predecessor; the unmentionable?
‘A bit better than Alfred Sant’.
Doesn’t sound at all appealing, does it?
You’re right, obscenity in ideas has become the norm, no different to when Lowell goes on TV spluttering to the ‘rats’ and the holocaust.
Muscat lanqas biss huwa tajjeb biex jaqfel il-lazz taz-zarbun ta’ Eddie Fenech Adami.
Kellu bzonn ghandu ftit mil-gherf ta’ Eddie jew ta’ Gonzi.
Hallina, Lino – tibqax tikteb rubbish.
It’s like comparing a toy poodle to a lion.
Makes a lot of sense, coming from Lino Spiteri.
The only thing I miss during the past 25 years under PN is sitting with all the family on a cold November night eagerly waiting for the new prices of tuna, corned beef, tinned mackeral and bread to go with them.
Lino Spiteri’s past actions will continue to haunt him, no matter how hard he may try to distance himself from them, or try to rewrite history as Labour has been trying so hard to do.
When a person is aspiring to become…..say…president….you can expect anything.
He’s lost it. Well, he’s an ex-Laburist kbir, so what’s to be surprised about? He never even had “it” in the first place.
M’ghadnix niflah naqra l-artikli ta’ Lino Spiteri. Jippoza ta’ vergni meta kien fil-qalba tal-partit tal-Labour fl-aghar zminijiet tieghu, meta saru l-ikbar hnizrijiet. Kif hu u Godfrey Grima saru jilaghqu lil Muscat ma nifilhux.
Dan l-ahhar qed naraw lil Joe Gerada fuq is-Super 1, jaghmel l-elogji ghal Joseph.
Ghalija din mhix hlief dizonesta intellettwali. Fil-fond ta’ qalbhom jafu Muscat x’inhu, imma biex jiggwadanjaw huma lesti jaghmlu, jiktbu, u jghidu kollox. Addio l-verita u l-amor proprju.
Id-dinjita` dawn in-nies ma jafux x’inhi.
In Italy they would call Lino ‘un lecca culo’.
Lino Spiteri – Un uomo di paglia.
Another Labour buffoon:
Il-Ħames irġiel involuti fi ġlieda waqt protesta f’Marsaxlokk immultati €60: News extract “Għall-akkużati deher l-avukat Chris Cardona. Il-Magistrat irrimarka lill-avukat Cardona għaliex dan ma kienx liebes xieraq għall-qorti.”
Lino doesn’t seem to have learned the difference between quality and quantity.
You know the sort – those children at school who think that an essay that’s 10 pages long must be good.
So he drones on and on, spouting distortion after distortion.
He can’t fool people over 50 and anyone younger than 40 couldn’t care less.
If Lino’s assessments of Labour’s chances of winning the next general election are based on his assessment of the leadership abilities of Joe Muscat then the PL is surely heading for another defeat.
Lino is simply smelling a Labour victory and with it the possibility of succeeding George Abela to the presidency. To say that he’s verging on the ridiculous is an understatement. No principles.
… i would dare to go even a step further than Lino. Joseph is far better then Ed; younger, fresher, more elegant and most of all he dosen’t have any strings attached with the Curia, so he is more FREE
[Daphne – Elegant? Nobody that height and shape can ever be elegant. This man will never, as long as he lives and no matter how much weight he loses, be elegant. It is physically impossible: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-WtHSf7AR0 ]
Elegant? Pigmy elephant maybe.
“Nobody that height and shape can ever be elegant.”
;(
How dare Mr Spiteri compare Joseph Muscat with Eddie?
In 1987 or any other date for that matter.
How dare he even mention both in the same sentences, let alone compare?
Muscat is not even worthy to tie his shoelaces.
Why does almost everyone refer to Dr. Eddie Fenech Adami as Eddie as if he hasn’t got a surname?
Mr 10%.
Those were the days.
Whan I read that part it bothered me so much. It is true that Eddie Fenech Adami became prime minister without having experience as a government minister etc. However how can you compare Muscat with Fenech Adami. On values there is no comparison, on strenght of charachter also, and what about insight and foresight? Would you compare Fenech Adami and Muscat on their leadership?
Whilst Eddie Fenech Adami became Prime Minister after having won an election which saw the Labour Party Govern for 5 years, after having led an opposition which was abused, beaten, gassed and even murdered, after having his own house ransacked, after having fought against a regime with all his might and after having convinced the nation that no matter how many jobbs mal-gvern, TV’s, licences, permits etc you give out to win votes, noting is worth as much as freedom, justice and the opportunity to work and make an honest living. Fenech Adami had shown his mettle before he became Prime Minister. What exactly has Muscat to show?
Buffu – m’hemx kelma ohra ghal Lino Spiteri. U minghalih li hu xi bravu. Bravu my foot.Laburist ahdar u injorant is more like it. These people will never change. And Heaven help us!