Today we are all turtle doves
Je suis Queenie the Quail.
Joseph Muscat said today that he will vote in favour of spring hunting. He must have calculated that the votes of the hunting lobby are worth more to him than the votes of environmentalists. Even though he courted both, it’s the environmentalists who he’s screwing over – if you’ll permit the expression – in favour of hunters and building speculators.
It’s not as though Muscat has an opinion on birds either way. That man doesn’t have opinions or policy views. He has a calculator and a desire for power for its own sake.
Je suis Charlie. Today we are all French. And then his belief in freedom of expression ends, just like that of Islamic terrorists, where his nose begins.
There are a couple of environmentalists (pseudo, perhaps) who I’d like to ring right now and ask: “Ever been had?”
What’s he going to tell Soleil and Etoile? In my experience, little girls don’t like it when birds are shot.
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What a fake!
No, he knows that the No vote will pass and that whatever he says will not influence the outcome – that way the environmentalists are happy with the result while the hunters can’t blame Joseph.
On the contrary, it would be an earth-shattering event, for this man has never lost a contest at the polls. This would be his first defeat. And we’ve all seen he can’t handle defeat.
[Daphne – His first defeat was the EU referendum. He led that campaign.]
You’ve seen how they managed to turn that round. I genuinely believe he convinced himself he actually voted in favour. Labour operate at that deep a level. Forget subliminal. They’re somewhere on the pituitary.
On the contrary, Charles is right. Joseph Muscat does not have any strong views either way on this issue.
He knows that the referendum will probably result in a vote against spring hunting. The hunters, for whom this issue is an election voting priority, cannot blame Joseph Muscat for that, because he is not the one who decided on a referendum and he said he will vote for spring hunting.
In parliament, Muscat ill vote in favor of the result, as he already said he will do, quickly referring to his predecessors doing to contrary in the other two referendums, and for sure appearing more flexible and democratic.
It’s almost a win-win situation when you think of it. He has already shown that he can sacrifice a little pride for a greater cause.
In any case, do not blame him for being shrewd. He is doing his job in the democratic game. And he is so far consistent in referendums. On the other hand, I think Simon Busuttil will be in a fix either way he expresses himself, though I think the best thing strategically is to do exactly like Joseph Muscat has done.
The worse thing, of course, is not to express himself. He is already perceived as an undecided person.
This has nothing to do with influencing the vote. I already know what I am going to vote irrespective of what any of the leaders say. It will be a No to spring hunting.
I can only be swayed if spring hunting is allowed in other EU countries, treating Maltese hunters unfairly, but probably not even then. I need to check. For sure, I will not waste time watching debates on this issue.
He won just the same, because ultimately he gat a seat in the European Parliament.
Muscat had said he’d put his EU referendum vote in a frame.
Subliminal, Labour?
But be reminded, Labour was against membership at that point in time, c 2002/3. Their motto was ‘Yes, but not now’. By now, they would have take us in, or campaigning for it.
Instead of answering “Yes” or “No”, first you must know what the question is.
Don’t be too sure about the outcome ” l-imtaten wara L-leader u bhall-leader jivvutaw “
Je suis un mouton.
Ring him
http://www.birdlifemalta.org/photos/big/photos/335.jpg
and him
http://www.birdlifemalta.org/photos/big/photos/339.jpg
Better still, Male them.
Come on now, we’re all French, but did you have to do that?
What is it with your frequent gay ‘double entendres’? It’s not funny to people with some degree of intelligence. Thought I’d let you know. Je suis gay.
It’s called free speech Ian. Remember? Seventeen people were killed because of some jokes and we all said we are Charlie. Is Charlie Hebdo (NIMBY) perhaps?
There are jokes about husbands, wives, men and women, blondes and Irishmen, religion and what have you, and no one seems to mind except the odd extremist. No one takes it personally. You shouldn’t either because it isn’t personal.
So vous êtes gay. Good for you. I go by character not sexual orientation.
”Jien stajt nobzoq lil-kaccaturi imma le….” Joseph Muscat 20:54hrs One TV. Just the style one would expect and wish from a prime minister. (sarc)
Let us hope that the question will not work in favour of those who want spring hunting. The PM has already given them one advantage by pronouncing himself in favour of spring hunting.
Seems that the PM himself could not explain what a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer would signify which was clear when he tried to answer the last question put to him.
Jien Charlie
Jien Ghasfur
Jien Defni
Let’s buy him three poloshirts with these slogans.
One Jien Franco and you’ll get slapped with a lawsuit.
How will Franco Debono vote? Will he wear a polo shirt saying “JeSuisOiseauLibre”?
He is eager to emphasize that he DOES make decisions doesn’t he? I wonder if he is still trying to convince us or himself?
The herd will just vote like their leader. That’s the trick. He has already turned it into a ‘party’ vote.
[Daphne – I doubt it. Traditional Labour voters stayed home in the divorce referendum. Traditional PN voters went out in force to vote Yes. And look at the EU referendum. Even Karmenu Vella now claims that he voted Yes.]
The difference is that most of those who are not able to think for themselves will not give this referendum the same importance as the ones for divorce and the EU.
They will be only too happy to have someone decide for them.
EU Commissioner Karmenu Vella. Is he going to tell us now how he will be voting?
Biex qed tiskanta. Daqt nisimaw li anke Alfred Sant ivvota Iva fir-referendum tal-EU. U li dak li kien hareg mil-but ma kienx id-dokument tal-votazzjoni.
Karmenu Vella votes for the loaves and fishes.
I agree with curious. The typical MLP voter does not think and seeks guidance as how to vote, and will consequently vote along with what the leader tells them to do.
I would say Muscat has given a straight directive to his thousands to vote for retaining spring hunting.
He did this in a ‘subtle’ way – while wanting to appear as leaving the whole referendum question out of politics.
He will be believed – and followed – mark my words.
Remember that Dr Busuttil had repeated quite a few times that the matter is not longer within the strict limits of politics, but has been referred to the electorate for their decision.
Do you remember when during the first couple of months we used to see Muscat on TVM going to the gym every morning.
It seems as though he lost interest when participating in something he didn’t really like except to fool the audience.
Unlike Simon Busutil who is consistent in anything he does and straight as an arrow, and still runs most days, without the television cameras in attendance.
Yet again we can see how the names of our political parties indicate nothing about their core beliefs and ideologies. One would assume, by simply seeing the names of the parties in Malta, that Labour are the liberal progressive, and the Nationalists are the traditional conservatives.
By definition, the situation should be the other way round on all issues. We should be celebrating a liberal government and saying good bye to the traditional conservatives and seeing the PN split down the middle creating a far right party, like the Tories and Republicans as some conservatives see the benefit of dropping long held ideals while others rush to bring them back.
But we do not see this at all. In fact, the role of the dying party of old ideologies is taken up by the Malta Labour Party, while the PN are the wounded party everyone wants to see do well.
Marriage equality was in both party’s manifestos, and sound prudent spending was the plan of the PN. While the rest of Europe and the world is cutting back and counting their pennies in anticipation of another possible crash and in the face of deflation, Muscat seems to think that it’s drinks all round.
Malta’s very own Gatsby who has just got a hold of the countries savings and is too undisciplined to understand what a rainy day is, let alone see one coming right around the corner. I believe the party will soon be over.
And now this. Have you ever heard of a liberal and progressive party being in favour of hunting? I haven’t. Pro hunting lobbies in the UK are predominantly Tory voters. Being in favour of it makes you more like the conservatives rather than liberals.
I think you are right, Daphne. Muscat got out his calculator and realised that it made more political sense to be pro hunting instead of going along with his “liberal” image and keeping in line with its value system and speaking out against it.
I, like many other people, never bought the whole “We are the liberals” nonsense. Like most people, I am totally aware of how names of parties mean nothing- it’s the policies that matter. I was once labeled a “conservative gay” and told ” because you think economic issues are more important than social ones”. Excuse the expression, but what a load of bulls**t.
I support the PN precisely because they understand social issues better than the PL does. It is true that they favour a Christian democrat approach, but that has mainly served to increase their compassion in such situations rather than decrease it.
Plus, at least it made it easier to predict their stance, so there were little to no surprises while they governed. But of course, Muscat thinks that ideologies are a thing of the past. What nonsense.
If no one knows where you stand, or feels they can predict where you will stand, how can they trust you to run the country? How can they feel safe in their choice, knowing that the person they voted for will behave according to a set of values? They can’t, which makes such a statement a blatant disclaimer to future U-turns.
Liberal my foot. I feel sorry for those who believed in that pigeon holing bonanza the PL went on during the election. They must feel like prize idiots.
So the liberals of this country are now feeling a little bit lost. They want to be liberal, and want a party they can vote for as a declaration of their liberal values. They have now found out that not only is the PL not liberal or environmentally aware, but that all those who are were voting PN all along.
The sly bastard. Who’s going to give Astrid a call.
Hope common sense in the PN camp will prevail and Simon Busuttil will take a stand.
Remember Dr Busuttil has already declared that he will keep politics out of it.
Actually no. I hope Simon Busuttil does not declare how he will vote otherwise we run the risk that this decision is determined on party lines. That is what Joseph Muscat wants.
[Daphne – Politicians have to say where they stand on matters of interest, and must make it clear how they plan to vote. It is a democratic requirement. The electorate should expect nothing else, unless the electorate enjoys being treated with scorn and asked to vote for people who refuse to say what they stand for.]
“Hope common sense in the PN camp will prevail and Simon Busuttil will take a stand.”
I hope not. This issue shouldn’t have anything to do with politics, but should be above. This isn’t Nationalist against Labour, but the common good against the ignorance and selfishness of a few Neanderthals.
Should Simon Busuttil commit his party or himself against hunting than the battle lines will have been drawn, and it will be another red against blue situation.
[Daphne – Simon Busuttil has to take a stand himself, regardless of whether his party does or does not. Politicians are obliged to tell electors where they stand on every issue.]
Whether you like it or not, the electorate will deem Dr Busuttil weak if he doesn’t give his opinion on the matter. Why should he be afraid?
Stand up for what’s right!
The good thing about this is that, given that this guy promised everything to everyone, he now has to start making choices.
Yes, it’s true, he only makes them on the basis of how many votes it’s going to get him. He didn’t need to pronounce himself on hunting and could (if he were genuine and had some respect for democracy) simply have left it to the people to decide.
But that would have pissed the hunters off, so this way he’s pissed off the (much fewer) environmentalists instead. Well, at least he has done that — so hopefully they won’t vote for him again, and if they do, then they deserve all they get.
Trouble is that many Lejburisti without a brain of their own will now take the guy’s lead. More fool the environmentalists for having trusted him in the first place. They are clearly very poor judges of character. When a man says about the truth that “…xi drabi jew ohra jkun hemm bzonnha”, you should know that lies must be second nature.
So it is true that some animals are more equal than others. One can kill a turtle dove in spring but one cannot crucify a cat that was already dead.
Rather ironic, isn’t it, that Joseph Muscat will be strutting at the Paris protest against the shootings and the attempts to curtail freedom of expression tomorrow, exactly after he has made it clear that he is in favour of birds being shot in spring, and of curtailing their lives and freedom. What an unbelievable, immoral hypocrite with absolutely no values of any kind.
[Daphne – Please don’t belittle human life and human freedom by comparing them to those of birds.]
Not my intention at all ; it is however an indication of Joseph’s mind-set when it comes to much greater matters , in the same way that some psychopaths give an indication of their mental illness at an early age when they start torturing and killing animals before they eventually transfer this behaviour on to human beings .
Joseph Muscat is playing an interesting game here. He has calculated that the yes vote will probably win. So the environmentalists will win when Labour is in office. So the spin will be ‘Labour gave the opportunity to the environmentalists to win’.
On the other hand he will tell the hunter’s lobby that he was never in favour, he even made it known publicly that he was against.
Today he is hoping that the PN support the yes vote, or at least that Simon Busuttil does not say that he’s in favour.
He has a lot of explaining to do to his children. Another thing he needs to explain to them is why he allowed them to grow up on an island which has a ‘cancer factory’ in its midst and did nothing about it when he could and said he would.
First champagne socialist, now champagne environmentalist.
Are we forgetting that with Joseph Muscat words mean exactly the opposite of what they say?
If you want confirmation of this read his electoral manifesto and compare it to his actions since then.
Before the referendum he solemnly declares his intention to vote in favour of spring hunting. After the referendum he will declare publicly that he voted against spring hunting.
That is Labour’s way and has always been.
Joseph Muscat led the campaign against joining the EU. When he became PM he said that he wants to make Malta the best in the EU, And before that he contested and was elected to the European Parliament.
We have Alfred Sant and Karmenu Vella to convince us that what Labour says hardly ever corresponds with what Labour does. Never take their word at face value.
Oh, I thought all immigrants are Muslim?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/mobile/view/20150111/local/celebration-in-merchants-street-as-eritrean-couple-weds.551483
However, I think that since no one will be with him while voting, he may as well be saying one thing and do another.
Then he will convince his daughter that he only said what he said to please the hunters and proceed to do otherwise. One can never trust this phoney person.
This is why Muscat declared his voting intention
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=863876680345085&set=a.559728030759953.1073741828.100001682832947&type=1&theater
Kemm hu progressiv marelli !
Imbecilic reasoning: “I am against hunting, but since Joseph is in favour, I will vote in favour too.”
And in another Facebook post, a PN supporter who is a hunter says that the party should speak in favour of spring hunting.
Now how do you beat this mentality?
If Simon Busuttil says Yes to spring hunting, then he is going against the environmentalists and probably the majority of the people.
If he says No, then it will be a gamble and the PL will have a field day anyway.
As usual, we just cannot get politics out of our everyday life. I would simply go with the thought that this referendum is on a subject which is non political, one’s vote is secret and us free to vote as one wishes.
And is anybody going to ask Il-Guy, Karmenu Vella, how he plans to vote?
Hunting IS political, as all issues requiring a vote are by definition. That is precisely why all politicians have the DUTY to proclaim themselves on this issue. The electorate has the RIGHT to know.
Muscat will NOT vote in favour of spring hunting:
http://normanvella.blogspot.com/2015/01/joseph-muscat-kontra-l-kacca.html
Killing people is at one extreme on the scale of shutting people up, a few notches further down is hitting them where it hurts. Hypocrites march and tweet boasting support for democracy and rule of law hoping that the general public does not realize that.
The police officers acting as witnesses in the court case against the consultant to the Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretary were among the first transferred from the environmental unit. – The Malta Independent
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150111/local/Officers-who-testified-against-Galdes-adviser-transferred.551321
I will vote No to spring hunting regardless what the party leaders say. This is not about them or what they think – it’s about merciless killing of beautiful birds just for fun.