Progressivi Moderati – one big GROAN
The Labour Party has a new website: progress.org.mt
Of course, nothing on the website tells you that this is the Labour Party. Their colour is orange (nice, bright sunshine) and the strapline is PROGRESSIVI MODERATI.
That’s the clue.
The second clue is that the website is very careful to avoid all mention of the words ‘Labour’ and ‘Joseph’, and there’s certainly no arma tal-partit.
It was set up to counter the Nationalist Party’s mychoice.pn, which wears its political identity with pride.
The Labour Party is not really a movement of progressives and moderates. It is a coalition of special-interest groups and vested-interest groups and personally motivated individuals who have absolutely nothing in common with each other except the desire to see the Nationalist Party out of government.
When that objective is achieved, the coalition will fall apart. Then we can sit back and watch the feathers fly while the economy pays the price.
But let’s hear it in their own words, straight from their websajt. You’ll need a stiff drink and a comfortable chair because, incidentally, here’s another clue that this is Labour: excessive wordiness, long-winded verbal diarrhoea, and high-falutin’ ways of saying something simple.
If my reaction is a great, big yawn, I can imagine how a 20-year-old feels. So unless they’re going for the nerd-and-jerk vote, I can’t imagine what they’re thinking.
ABOUT US
The Movement of Progressives and Moderates is a political and social project which is open to those persons who have one particular aspiration at heart – that of seeing Malta become one of the best countries to live in, in Europe. This common aspiration unites us.
As a movement, we believe that consultation and dialogue are crucial to be able to develop a national vision and put it into practice. One of the main goals of the movement is to promote a model of ‘consultative governance’ which is close to all Maltese and Gozitan citizens.
The Movement is interested in your ideas and welcomes your feedback about your experience of life in the present circumstances, daily – while going to work, entertaining yourself, experiencing the influence of the state and other institutions on your private/personal life and as a result the aspirations and proposals which are derived from this experience.
We are sure that many people have hopes and aspirations for the Maltese islands – the movement is ready to represent these hopes and aspirations.
The movement will be a catalyst in the creation of on line focus groups on various areas and themes which require specialisation and the development of a progressive vision. The nature of focus groups will be one with which people can relate to and contribute, even if they do not have technical or political expertise. The focus groups involve young and old, experts and lay people, theorists and practitioners, while always having a leader from the core team who chairs the group and directs the ‘way’ and ‘methodology’ whilst performing the most important task, that of listening.
The themes presented and discussed in focus groups range widely. Topics can range from local issues, such as driving standards, obesity, the environment and public health to international issues such as the current financial crisis. All focus groups have the ultimate aim of creating a practical, positive, doable, progressive vision and direction for the specific themes selected. This vision will take the form of a report proposing recommendations which will be presented to both the government and opposition including other major institutions such as the church, in a way which is unpartisan and in a way which seeks progress and true change for the better without distinctions.
The movement, therefore, is the right forum for ideas, a forum which really listens and has the strength to represent you in the corridors of power which matter and can bring about change.
The movement is interested in people who walk the talk in their particular field of specialisation. If your intention is to pro actively promote progress, ideas and solutions for the improvement of Maltese and European society then the movement welcomes you.
The movement is particularly open to those persons who distinguish themselves from a partisan mentality. Having said so, we believe that such persons have the right and obligation to voice their views and give their contribution through active participation. The movement is precisely the appropriate space and the home which defends this democratic right and empowers this obligation.
As a movement we are most interested in progress, in the betterment of society rather than who actually does and implements change or brings about progress. Should the government implement good decisions, the movement has no difficulties to praise the government. The movement establishes a fine balance within the Maltese Islands, which are traditionally characterised by a polarised and/or tribal political scenario.
Last but not least, the movement welcomes people from diverse backgrounds and levels of society, into the circle of dialogue and listening. The movement is also a movement for all precisely because it is a movement which is also close to, and inclusive of minorities.
The logo of the movement symbolises the following: moderation and balance, openness to differences and the acceptance of diversity. This includes the participation of Nationalists, Labourites, the Green Party, the Church, individuals and other groups or institutions.
The logo also represents two-way communication based on the fundamental quality of listening with the ultimate aim of establishing a clear progressive vision and direction for the Maltese Islands.
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Progressivi… minghajr proposti ghall-pajjiz.
U hallina Hewitt…..
That is the same shade of orange that the Labour student organisation Pulse uses. They think we were born yesterday.
On the rare occasion I read a Maltastar article I can’t help but feel like a thesaurus threw up on it.
And uncannily appropriate, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW1lxwsK5_Q
The first thing to come to mind on glancing at their umpteenth new emblem is sperm about to attack an ovum, and the ovum desperately trying to get away.
They can try to force themselves on whoever they please, but it doesn’t mean that they’ll be successful.
Is not Malta already one of the best counties in Europe to live in?
Employment levels, job prospects, wellfare support, general standard of living being some facets of that.
What Malta very badly lacks is a competent, serious, and credible political party as a viable alternative to the PN with its excellent track record in government. Yes Malta still has a long way to go on that.
Min jaf: are you family?
My God how boring
Boring? Frankly, a bag of sh-t.
I got bored halfway through reading it. How to say nothing in one thousand words..
Daphne, you are to Malta what Ann Coulter is to the USA. Love your blogs. Keep up the great work!
Joe, may I humbly disagree. Ann makes Genghis Khan look like Mao, she is so far right.
On the other hand, Daphne has much more circumspect and sees things as they are. Remarkable insight.
However, I agree that she surely knows how to get up the nose of assholes.
Yet ANOTHER Labour websajt trying to play at being independent , non-aligned, modern and original. How unoriginal and predictable.
The artificial, bombastic, pedantic style is absolutely side-splitting.
“the movement…”
“the movement…”
“the movement…”
“as a movement…”
“the movement…”
“as a movement…”
“the movement…”
Did they really have to write all that rubbish to explain what they’re supposed to be (and then not telling us who they really are)? If they’re trying to emulate MyChoice then they should take a look at its website and note that there’s only a paragraph of a few lines.
And what about the FZL.org.mt another website being advertised on MaltaToday.
It is just a page where one fills in his personal details and God-knows what happens to your info and on what mailing list you are signing up to. No logo, no disclaimer, nothing. Data and Privacy protection… out of the window.
But wait… there is a smug photo of our dearest Cyrus, so we`re in good hands.
‘Having said so, we believe that such persons have the right and obligation to voice their views and give their contribution through active participation. The movement is precisely the appropriate space and the home which defends this democratic right and empowers this obligation.’
WRONG.
The appropriate space is the state itself. Nothing can replace it. Are they telling us that if we’re not in, we’re adversaries of the state?
I know what the PN is, I know it won’t raise income tax. Not so with Labour, the latest rumour, coming from credible sources, is the princely rate of 60% for anything over 50,000 Euros
Did anyone read this right through? I think I did very well to reach, ‘The Movement is interested in your ideas….’
Anybody beat that?
They need stuff to throw at their thesaurus, and to fill their electoral programme.
You think, type and send in your ideas and they copy / paste.
They already hired the professionals to do this. Imnalla hemm il-kompjuter ux.
One question: but if the website makes no mention of or reference to the PL, how is it supposed to garner votes for the PL?
Through directing the ‘way’ and ‘methodology’ – they seem to be trying to catch the floating voter.
That write-up on Labour’s latest progressive and moderate website looks similar to the sort of report a shady company would produce, when trying hard to con a gullible customer into buying its shoddy third-rate products.
That website seems to be owned by somebody called Wilfrid Buttigieg
Holder: MOP2-MT
Legal Entity: movement of progressives and moderates (malta)
Contact Person: wilfrid buttigieg
E-Mail: [email protected]
Address: letter box 4, 3
Address: sejjieh street
City: naxxar
Post code: NXR 1933
Country: MT
Telephone number: +356.79058001
Ps. This information is publicly available at nic.org.mt
Did a run of the logo on Google Image search and this is what I got – http://goo.gl/Z06Ho
Quite apt I would think.