When I say that Muscat is malicious by nature, I’m neither kidding nor exaggerating
In The Times today, on the subject of David Felice’s replacement with Jason Micallef as Valletta 2018 chief.
Dr Muscat said he was “comforted” because there was a good team at V-18, adding Mr Micallef’s audiovisual experience would complement Mr Felice’s expertise. “They will make a good couple.”
I suppose I have the advantage of having known him from as far back as 20 years ago, when he was a Labour Party news media reporter, and also remember him on television, in discussions and televised news conferences.
He was always one for bitchy comebacks and malicious remarks, and his specialisation is spiteful, cocky retorts when he feels himself accosted, challenged or cornered.
This is one such instance. The difference, of course, is that he is no longer a Super One reporter or even Leader of the Opposition. He is the prime minister, and spiteful cockiness, or cocky spite, are just not fitting.
We can’t expect him to get a personality transplant at 40, but he really needs to control himself.
20 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130504/local/Government-defends-V-18-Jason-Micallef-appointment.468246
A transplant won’t work, maybe a lobotomy?
I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
I remember Jason a few years ago on national television, presenting a programme about indoor plants. From housewife indoor plants to a chairman of Valletta 2018.
[Daphne – Well, he’s got his leader’s example to follow, hasn’t he: from Super One show host to prime minister.]
Muscat is not the only one in Labour who is malicious. It is very difficult to find one who isn’t in Labour. Watch Super One and you will see what I mean.
I haven’t managed to get these two comments by Jan Farrugia in The Independent out of my mind, for several reasons:
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-05-02/news/malta-could-trigger-the-next-european-crisis-le-monde-1505099777/
”
Jan Farrugia says:
02 May 2013 15:02
I had thought that Hollande was going to send usla Vallette’s sword for display. I was wrong. He is sticking it in our backs.
This is nothing but a plan to destabilise our economy, destroy our gaming industry that originally was based in France.
Some years ago, France had tasken Malta to court because of our gaming laws that were effecting badly the French gaming industry that is totally owned by the French government. Thus, Malta really hit hard France due to our great success. Now, with a weak government in place, the French socialist government through its proxy loud-speaker Le Monde, in which the French gov has a 26% stake, is telling lies on us to start a panic run on our banks that would result in a big economic loss, with the hope that the gaming industry would lose out.
All this just after a few days from our Prime Minister’s visit to the French President M.François Hollande who had lauded and endorsed our prime minister when still leader of the opposition, a few days before the elections.
Din tinten hafna
reply
Antoine Vella says:
02 May 2013 23:50
Jan, why should the President of France be responsible for what Le Monde writes?
reply
Jan Farrugia says:
03 May 2013 14:38
If you read again my comment you will find:
“..the French socialist government through its proxy loud-speaker Le Monde, in which the French gov has a 26% stake,..” That’s just one reason.
Reason #2 is that the French are so nationalistic when it comes to national interests. The lost a massive amount of on-line gamin traffic to Malta. That was all PROFIT to the FRENCH GOVERNMENT because gaming in France is monopolised by the government even though according to the EU monopolies, stae te or otherwise, are against EU laws.
What I find really sad is that this came about just a few days after our prime Minister hugged M. Hollande who had earlier described our prime Minister in most beautiful terms. But then the La Vallete’s sword, in a smoke and mirrors trick, got unstuck and Monsieur le president, by proxy, (le Monde’s statement) , stuck it between our shoulder blades.
Sad isn’t it.
”
I think Daphne, that your comment about star-struck Marlene applies to Joseph Muscat so much more dangerously. In the all-important promotion of a ‘negozjant Malti,’ didn’t they think about minor details such as joint press releases that preempt and cover such strategic positions? This really makes me wonder just how and with what insights and forecasting this country is being run.
Were all these Malta Taghna “geniuses” born yesterday?
Or are the negozjanti and the Prime Minister running on sleazy ethics only about going after what they can grab?
Vote Joseph and get a looter.
Bil-Malti Ian Farrugia ried jghid li Joseph Muscat basta hafna tghanniq ma Hollande u tal-ahhar dahalulu f’sormu.
@ Canon:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130505/local/spaniards-admit-offending-public-morals.468302
Jekk ikunu Maltin iwaddabom il-habs , jekk ikunu turisti liberati bil-kundizzjoni li ma jaghmlux rejat iehor.
This is exactly what I tried telling as many people as possible before the elections.
Unfortunately not many people “knew” Joseph Muscat before the electoral campaign and that is one of the reasons for managing to fool so many.
Now that he is where he wanted to be, he is showing that he hasn’t changed one bit.
I remember him giggling and passing childish remarks, together with Glen Beddingfied, while Dr. Fenech Adami (prime minister) replied to their questions. Vera min jitwieled kwadru ma jmutx tond.
Maybe he’s going tnrough a midlife crisis.
My frustration is that David Felice will still work his socks off from his position. A few in-the-knows will appreciate that, but Jason will get the full glory of the eventual success.
I nurture strong doubts about David Felice’s desire to couple with Jason.
He is certainly no fool and will know exactly how to deal with this uncomfortable and embarrassing situation.
I have a feeling though that, as a born and bred Belti and as a person of unquestionable integrity, he will put the interests of our beloved home town and capital city first and foremost.
I have known him since before he was a baby and I wish him all the luck he will surely need in the circumstances.
Malicious or not, from the majority’s perspective, what will count most is that this V 18 thing, while a truly cultural celebration, will not be an uncontrolled tax spending spree galore, a behavior unfortunately now very much associated with the PN. The rest will be just detail.
There were times where such extravagances were welcome. But the golden 1987 – 1992 era, so epitomized by jolly FDZ after the dark ages, has been over for a long time.
I do not know what will PL become into in 5 years time, but with an election looming, JM’s wisdom in terms of knowing where money, being a scarce resource, should be in order to win it (in the little man’s pocket as much as possible), I will bet that every Euro will be accounted for and effectively spent.
Whether liked or not, I do not think that the PL will put overdue importance on such events. They never did. There is no other way to interpret putting Mr. Micallef at the helm of this.
[Daphne – I suppose I could say that it takes a Laburist to know the price of everything and the value of nothing, to be penny wise and pound foolish. It is the story of the Labour Party from at least 1970. Nissikkaw ic-cinturin u kullhadd jghix fl-ghaks.]
One of the best US Presidents in recent memory was Ronald Reagan, who was at one point a B-rated Hollywood actor, becoming Governor of the State of California, and then US President.
Not giving credit to our PM, but somebody being a nobody (tv reporter), does not mean that person is not suited to become a good Prime Minister. After V-18 is over, we can judge how good or bad that decision (appointing Jason Micallef) was.
[Daphne – I’m sorry, Joe, but you just don’t get it. When a person is asked to do a job, it’s because the people doing the asking know already that he or she can do it. You don’t give a person a job to find out whether they can do it. That’s not how things work, and you should know that from your own life experience. When David Felice was appointed, it was because the government knew for a fact that he had what it took. They didn’t say “Oh there’s that David Felice who’s screaming and making scenes and threatening us – we’d better give him the job and you never know, he might turn out able to do it.” Please don’t shock me with your infantile reasoning. There are enough people doing that already.]
Unbelievable. Kenneth Zammit Tabona, ‘jirkeb minn fuq dar haddiehor’, not to use a much sharper Maltese expression.
“He added that Mr Micallef has the resources behind him to do a good job since he is supported “by a strong team lead by artistic director Wayne Marshall”. He said that Mr Micallef’s role has more to do with the organisational aspect of the event rather than content itself.”
Lovely one, Joe.
Would you choose your surgeon on the criteria of the post operative outcome of your major surgery?
If so, you must be completely mad.
I am sorry, but you must be.
Of course I agree – you do not appoint somebody to do a job, hoping for the best. You appoint somebody to do a job, knowing that the person can do that job.
My point was that the PM appointed Jason Micallef to do the job, because he beleives the person can do the job.
[Daphne – I’m afraid you’re wrong there. The prime minister did not appoint Jason Micallef; Jose Herrera appointed him without the prime minister’s knowledge or prior consent. The prime minister does not think Jason Micallef can organise so much as a piss-up in a brewery, which is why he had him removed as Labour Party secretary-general, though he had to give him Super One to play with.]
You are always going to have people who agree and disagree, and this is no different.
Furthermore my point was also that by somebody being a relative nobody, does not nessasary mean that person is not qualified to do a good job at making the right decisions.
[Daphne – You seem to forget that Micallef did not come out of nowhere and that he has a very public history of getting things badly wrong on the organisational front.]
Also one must not forget that the PM better gets it right on this, as the V – 18 may well be the climax before the next election, and if it is succesful, this may well be the momentum he will need at the time.
V18 won’t be the climax of the next election, it would be the electoral grave for Labour because the people will have another costlier “Bridge to nowhere” to complain about.
The same switchers who moaned about the unneeded parliament, the roofless theatre and the bridge to nowhere will complain about the €40 million spent on this non event.