I’m watching JosephMuscat.com on Super One, with Simone Cini and Consuelo Herrera’s boyfriend

Published: January 21, 2013 at 9:16pm

I’m sure it’s not my imagination, but is he speaking a different language? I just can’t understand what he’s saying. He speaking Maltese, inarticulate Maltese, ineloquent Maltese, but he’s not making sense.

I’m put in mind of a sixth former who has been asked a ‘difficult’ question by a lecturer, and who’s trying hard to wing it, mixing words, terms and phrases that he’s picked up from a book he read last night.

He’s veering pointlessly and senselessly from one thing to another, trying to throw the conversation off kilter onto something he understands better, popping in anecdotes about ‘unfortunates’ he knows, trying to remember what buzzwords would work well.

His thoughts are not organised, his language skills are poor, he seems to have difficulty actually articulating sentences, and he isn’t at all clear in his mind as to what he should say, leading to this confused talk.

“We will incentive this”, “We will legislate for trust funds for that.”

What? And for God’s sake, did he really have to bring up Philip Rizzo again? People in his target market of Sliema whiners know exactly who Philip Rizzo is.

And to a man and woman, we are sick to the eye teeth of hearing him bleat on about how he’s going to vote Labour (with instructions to us all to do the same) because he’s worried about what will happen to his disabled daughter when he dies.

Everybody round my former neck of the woods, though perhaps not in Burmarrad and Bormla, knows exactly who Philip Rizzo is. He has far more than enough money to make good for his daughter’s care for the rest of her life, with some over besides, even after he’s gone. And that’s exactly what he should do.

Philip, I know you’re reading this. Campaigning for better care for those who are not as financially well off as you and your daughter are is a good thing. Telling people to vote Labour because you’re worried about what will happen to your daughter is an embarrassment. You can provide for her. So do so. Don’t expect others to do it. It’s unfair.

———

Now he’s REALLY babbling. It’s like listening to someone trying to fill in the dead conversational gaps at a dull lunch party, or trying to keep the small-talk going in a difficult situation like, for instance, a wake.

Oh God, now he’s telling us that that louse Mintoff was ‘bzonnjuz wisq’ in 1971. Ghax hekk qaltlu n-Nanna Mer. And the re-education campaign and rewriting of history goes on.

Now it’s Fenech Adami: when he was elected, he was ‘the man of his time’. Would that be in 1981 or 1987, Joseph?

I JUST CANNOT BELIEVE IT. The lying little so-and-so says that Fenech Adami felt the needs of the people and delivered, and that his big moment came with EU membership.

My God, what a dishonest man and a charlatan. Joseph Muscat LED THE CAMPAIGN against EU membership. Now he speaks as though he was somehow responsible for the Yes vote.

This is getting frightening. Truly Orwellian. Or to bring things closer to our own time, like a freaky novel by Ben Elton.




29 Comments Comment

  1. ciccio says:

    Daphne, it is the eve of his birthday. Tomorrow he turns 39 – an important milestone in his life, but possibly a disaster in ours.

    I am watching him. Can’t see any prime minister material. Where is the fire, the inspiration, the leadership?

  2. Bully beef says:

    He is dishing out more socialism.

  3. maryanne says:

    Is he serious? Beda minn siequ. First he should tell us how he is going to create jobs. No jobs, no need for childcare centres.

  4. maryanne says:

    What is Espirazzjoni ghall-futur, Rita Law?

  5. Malta Taghna Biss - PL says:

    Shouldn’t Joseph Muscat say what he knew about the Frank Sammut case before it was published by Malta Today?

    And if he was aware, why did he not go to the Police?

  6. Joe says:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld0hUaZZ9ko

    1.06sec “Joseph Muscat jitkellem il-lingwa tagħna”

  7. Hello says:

    So according to Muscat, in 1971 Mintoff was the right man, and in 1987 Eddie Fenech Adami was the perfect person, and it follows that he thinks himself the man of the moment for 2013.

    Hallina, Sur radio and TV presenter.

  8. Antoine Vella says:

    Everything is artificial in Joseph Muscat. I see this, for example, in his body language and facial expression when he meets people in his walkabouts.

    When he’s feigning attention to what they’re telling him he assumes this kind of exaggerated concentration, even furrowing his brow, that somehow makes him look as if he’s humouring but secretly mocking them.

    At least that is what I see, though I am of course biased.

    [Daphne – No, you’re not wrong. That is exactly what I see too. It’s not just his facial expression, but his actual body language. He puts his feet apart, clasps his hands before him, and leans AWAY FROM the person who’s talking to him, while tilting his head slightly backwards and looking at them at an angle while wearing a patronising expression of extreme (false) concentration. He’s been doing it so often that he’s actually developed a deep perpendicular furrow between his brows.]

    The artificiality extends to rewriting Malta’s recent history. I wouldn’t be surprised if he commissions a new history book for government schools when he’s finally in power.

    Incidentally, by pretending to praise Fenech Adami, Muscat is following a well-trodden Labour path. When Eddie was Leader of the Opposition and PM, the MLP often praised Borg Olivier, implying that Fenech Adami wasn’t up to his standard.

    • Wilson says:

      Bang on! This is why he ought not to be the next prime minister.

    • ciccio says:

      Antoine, here are some chapter titles from the new history book you mention:

      1. How Labour made Malta independent.

      2. The Golden Years of fundamental human rights.

      3. 1981: How the Nationalists unlawfully occupied the opposition benches with 51% of the vote.

      4. 1987: the end of the oppressive years of the Nationalist governments led by Mintoff and KMB.

      5. The Labour governments of Fenech Adami from 1987 to 1996.

      6. How Labour liberalised the economy.

      7. 1996-1998 – The Nationalist government of Alfred Sant.

      8. 1998-2003 – Labour leads Malta’s battle to join the EU.

      9. 2003. Il-Partnership ma rebahx.

      10. 2003-2013. Economic growth and development within the EU – il-Bidu Gdid tal-Lejber.

      11. 2013. Zmien il-partiti spicca. Gvern Gdid tal-Muviment. JosephMuscat.com.

  9. Grezz says:

    If EU membership was Fenech Adami’s big moment, then it was all the more so, considering the adversity he faced, which was primarily from Joseph Muscat and his colleagues at the Malta Labour Party.

  10. DAISY II says:

    Oh and with this video he’s trying to capture my vote? I’m not that cheap and stupid.

  11. Riya says:

    Iva issa il-pajjiz ghandu bzonn li Joseph Muscat sabiex nibdlu id-direzzjoni.

    Pero’ hadd ma’ jaf liema direzzjoni se niehdu ghax anqas Joseph Muscat stess ma jaf.

    Kemm qedin sew dawn tal-Labour ukoll. La programm elettorali u lanqas direzzjoni ma ghandhom.

  12. H.P. Baxxter says:

    Again, I find myself wishing I was a member of the press.

    If, as Joseph Muscat says, Malta needed Eddie Fenech Adami in 1987, then I suppose he also means it needed him in 2003. Which means that Malta needed EU membership. Which means that Joseph Muscat was working against Malta’s interests, by his own admission.

    Anyone care to pop the question to the smug little liar?

  13. Jozef says:

    ‘His thoughts are not organised, his language skills are poor, he seems to have difficulty actually articulating sentences, and he isn’t at all clear in his mind as to what he should say, leading to this confused talk.’

    What I’ve noticed is that over these four years, he has lost any spontaneity he had. It’s also extremely clear that he’s not into it any longer. He walks onto the stage, reads, waves, walks off.

    Friday’s Xarabank also uncovered another problem. When sniping back at the PM, building his argument as to why things weren’t done earlier, he exposed a propensity to stasis in dialectics.

    Very dangerous tendency that. It’s brought about by over analysis of one’s own conclusions. He seems comfortable with concept ideas, which is easy: throwing things around the place.

    The ‘design freeze’ requires choosing the best ones to discard the rest. He won’t. On to the fetish for participation, committees, consultation and more. Avoid the schlepp.

    When Malta’s success depends on the prompt action a government can take, the advantage, I see trouble ahead.

    Does he realise he’ll have to take decisions every cabinet Monday? I don’t like this.

  14. Village says:

    Vera bicca ex reporter tas-Super One.

    Ma jistaxx jisviluppa mentalment.

  15. S Borg says:

    The problem with josephmuscat.com is that he always sounds as if he is at a job interview – trying to impress and convince people that he is the right choice. And this usually backfires.

    In reality, a good leader does not have to resort to this kind of tactic because he knows that his agenda is so good that people will automatically choose him.

  16. Madame M says:

    Daphne, so we agree about the buzzwords. I read this post after I wrote a comment about the effect of buzzwords.

    Even from the other side of the world (literally) it’s obvious.

    My stomach flips when I remember I can’t vote even though I’ll be back before this legislature is even half way through.

  17. mandango70 says:

    Actually I was moved by his commitment to build Labour’s next momument, addressing the needs of the needy. He comes across as sincere and adamant at achieving this goal.

    Haddiehor intanto, bena parlament that we couldn’t give a flying fig about. And spent 80 million for it.

    [Daphne – Well, yes, but then we do have a very different outlook and priorities. You, as a Laburist and probably raised by parents who voted Labour through the worst years, probably have a very ambivalent attitude towards democracy and might even not appreciate it much. So the ultimate symbol of democracy, which in more civilised and advanced countries is placed in a dramatically prominent position in the capital city so as to make a statement (Parliament Hill, on the Thames, in the main square & c & c) is to you something that “we couldn’t give a flying fig about.” Obviously. People who admire Mintoff by definition don’t admire democracy, because the two sentiments are in direct and absolute conflict. As for care of the disabled, this is not a monument but yet another aspect of the welfare state, of which Malta is a prime example, given that everything comes free already. If you had listened properly, and it was not even necessary to listen closely, you would have noticed that Muscat didn’t have a clue in hell what he was on about and was totally lost. He talked about the problem but had no solutions. It was another instance of “All those who want to create work in Gozo raise your hands.” Yes, right – like raising your hand is going to create a job. Oh, and incidentally, did you notice how uncomfortable he was with those disabled people? He just didn’t know what to do, and at one point he actually rubbed one of them on the head as you would a dog, except that he wouldn’t rub down a dog like that because he’s awkward round animals too.]

    • maryanne says:

      When more tourists start coming to see the Piano project, I am sure your future government will boast about the figures.

      Job creation doesn’t happen by magic.

      You have such a limted view of things, dritt ghal gol-hajt maghkom.

      • X says:

        haha.. so you really think that tourists are gonna spend a fortune to come to malta to see the piano project :P haha.. ncie one!

        [Daphne – They fly in from all over the world to see his other projects, X. Try to leave your box occasionally.]

    • Jozef says:

      Saw that, he can’t do without a piece of paper to finish a sentence.

      That means he doesn’t even own the proposals.

  18. Censu says:

    How is it that only NOW millionaire Philip Rizzo is worried about the future of his disabled daughter, who is middle-aged herself? Hallina Philip, jew tahseb li hadd ma jafek?

  19. Tinnat says:

    As I´m not exposed to Maltese TV, I can only reply on your descriptions of Joseph´s actions, and it´s clear to me that two weeks into the campaign, he´s already burnt out.

    That´s what you get for trying to play big boy.

    • Jozef says:

      Spot on. He nearly lost it Friday, is increasingly snappy with journalists and takes a back seat whenever a programme isn’t to his liking.

      Both Labour mass meetings were pathetic, Ray Azzopardi hovering over his every move.

      Zabbar, on the other hand, looked fun.

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