Probabbli għax qabda Mintoffjani dawk.

Mhux hekk, ma tarax 1,000 ruh ixahmmu 1,200 euro kull wiehed, jigiefiri total ta 1,200,000 bejniethom u jinhafrilhom kollox permezz ta’ multa u jhallsu dawl lura.

In biblical and Roman times it was called ‘tribute’ – paid by the vanquished to the victor.

In medieval times it was called ‘fief’ – paid by the lesser nobles to the higher ones or by these to the monarch.

In Chicago gangland terms it was called ‘protection money’ – paid by the menaced to keep off unwanted ‘accidents’ to their business.

In Mafia terms it is called ‘pizzo’ – paid by threatened shopkeepers to the Boss and his henchmen.

In the animal world the same sentiment of ‘respect’ and ‘recognition’ of the boss’s supremacy is expressed by tail-between-the legs submission to the alpha male.

Any likeness, here?

They couldn’t have failed more catastrophically than they did in protecting Malta’s reputation. The very reason they put forward to justify being given the post in the first place.

Yet Muscat’s government goes out of its way to entrench them rather then fire them. Their greed knows no bounds.

First it is professionals who are shafted as only those who have professional indemnity of one million euros and who are able to pay the annual licence fee of 2,500 euros that can offer the service. This served to appease the big firms that have such professional indemnity anyway and can justify the licence costs with just a few clients.

But sole practitioners who may have just the one-off client are effectively excluded.

As for the estate agents, I have little sympathy for them. They keeled over so quickly rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of selling properties to these new citizens. Nuri Katz warned them.

While the party was struggling with an arlogg tal-lira their adversaries were talking billions with their international contacts.

Serves the PN right.

The Maltese mentality dictates that if you are going to steal you steal millions or possibly billions to make it worth the while.

U mela tinhela fuq arlogg.

Qatta cwiec tal-PN.

This happens through various means. In extreme cases, opponents are executed. This is not an option in an EU member state with the rule of law, so Muscat’s subtler approach is the neutering of opposition.

The evidence that Muscat can’t be trusted is now overwhelming. Every constituted body and every economic sector has reason to complain about Muscat’s decisions and the manner in which they find out about them. But aside from the occasional, very restrained formal press release, there is no objection or criticism, much less a sense of outrage.

Fascism isn’t only imposed from above. It is facilitated from below by acquiescence. Estate agents are now finding that out for themselves. Financial service providers will be next.