Living in the countryside is a lifestyle choice associated with the fresh air, the greenery and the calm. When we chose to move into a converted chateau a while back (it’s converted into apartments mind you) we had the idea of rural countryside bliss in mind. What I did not count on is the cock (tee-hee – note: this bracket has been included to fit with what counts as trendy in this day and age) that is a permanent fixture in our neighbour’s menagerie.
This morning I was unable to find the snooze button on the persistent sound that seemed to have taken over my alarm clock. The crowing of the cock was surely planned by the same devious bastard who had scheduled early morning mowing of lawns and clearing of paths on Saturdays in the Parc de Merl. I am sure that this particular rooster has a magna cum louder (sic) in statistical mechanics and opts to crow at apposite intervals designed to torture the brain of even the most innocent bystander.
Trying to catch an extra half hour snooze in the morning? Epic fail. Give me urban regularity any time. I must say though that I am definitely not looking forward to the noises of Paceville waking up in the morning come (tee-hee) next week.
Debts
I am no genius in the grander economic theories of the way things work in our lives but I follow the news enough to know that what happened last night in the US of A will have huge repercussions on the order of things in the Western World (and par consequence beyond). The lawmakers of the great nation finally agreed on a manner in which to deal with impending doom of financial meltdown. They did so by voting for the only way out – increasing debt levels and increasing spending cuts.
We might have the very wrong impression that this will only affect people on the other side of the ocean but while we are immersed in navel-gazing exercises and dabbling with redefining Maltese concepts of political correctness (wrongly, I hasten to addf) the bite of the current treatment phase of the financial armageddon will definitely be felt in Malta too. I can’t wait for the next government to reopen the whole “Hofor” speak. The really cool (it’s sarcasm Jim, but you wouldn’t know it) thing is that the two options we have: Inhobbkom J or a New Faction of PN could both choose to blindly blame it on the Gonz while navigating the economy into darker waters. Spiffin.
To Do or not To Do
I currently have the attention span of a bluebottle fly in a rubbish tip. That is probably why blogging on J’accuse has become even more sporadic than is usual in the desert of the summer months when most people do not even sit at their pc’s anyway. In any case the appointed date for the joining of fates approaches at breakneck speed (1hr/hr) my mind seems to have wandered into a capsule which I timeshare with various to-do lists that are my curse.
It’s not like I have to plan Malta’s new transport system or anything but in between little chores related to nuptial preparations, moving of houses and final touches at the workplace before the long Ferragosto, I find myself swimming in a sea of shifting deadlines that defy any attempt of self-control.
There. That has to be it for the day. We hope you have enjoyed this running commentary of random ramblings from the greyish skies of Luxembourg. Have a good one till the next post. And don’t forget we are also on tumblr for the experienced browser’s perusal..
You can change all the bus systems that you like. One fact remains. No matter what the new system there is always one factor that is a constant. The Maltese. Apologies for the blogging lull. Summer. Wedding. Work. That’s what’s keeping us away. Now go explain this to Joseph Muscat and Manwel Delia.
Our commenting on recent events have catapulted J’accuse into the fence of “nationalist apologist” in the eyes of many a partisan reader. There is a very simple reason for that – whenever w analyse the ills of our political society we always seem to conclude that this is a result of PLPN politics. Readers who have the tendency to (even subconsciously) want Labour in power and PN out at all costs tend to not like this conclusion because they would love to believe the alternation of government to be the solution to this kind of ills. Our most poignant observation – that alternation will only bring in same, same but different – is anathema to anyone who is itching to have their best linked power circles in power. Plus ca change… (Note: This is a long post – read it in snippets for better enjoyment).
Cyrusgate – They thought it was all over
It isn’t now. The police swoops on pater et filius Engerer shortly after the famous/infamous “switch” to Labour by Engerer Jr reminded a few of us of the haranguing of Dr Harry Vassallo (then AD Chairperson) right before the election in 2008 (see the end result here). It was not, in other words, the first time that the long arm of the law moved with curious timing and with apparent synch with the needs of the party in government. The public reaction this time round was louder because it was not insignificant AD who is “never in the news” (never did so much bullshit uttered by so many make so little sense) but newly baptised Labourite Cyrus. The young upstart who had been enjoying his meteoric rise to the political limelight was suddenly the subject of investigations relating to that conservative anathema that has the bad habit of popping up recently: porn and the dealing thereof.
We sat back and watched events unfold: from the morning indignation at the news of the police investigations to the afternoon defences by the police commissioner and the head of the Pm’s private secretariat, to the calls for people’s heads by Joseph Muscat (ever the flamboyant populist, blissfully unaware of the wider picture). Having heard the story from the press and press conferences we can draw a few conclusions from this latest track in the Cyrus LP.
“The Tangled Web”
I will start from the end. 1984 has often been cited on the social networks but 1984 and similar Kafkesque novels imply a hidden Big Brother that is centrally organised and operates intelligently. I would like to offer a different hypothesis. What if what we are talking about is a multiplicity of power structures that have been nurtured over time and thrive in the stale, unproductive environment of PLPN generated politics? Forget the metaphor of a gene-pool of PL or PN DNA and think in terms of stagnating mentalities in a cesspit of power-sharing. It is a world that most people know about but that we have become numbed by: failing to react with indignation when we see things happen.
The cesspit has generated Malta’s version of backhanders, nepotism, favours and a rota of privileged elite. It is the machine behind the skipping of the queue (thanks to recommendations and connections) and behind our race to the bottom (because of the absence of a meritocracy). The reason most people cannot bring themselves to criticise it is because at least in one point in their lives they have made use of it with a wink, wink, nudge, nudge attitude: and comfortable in the idea that “cosi fan tutti“.
What has this got to do with people like Edgar Galea Curmi and Police Commissioner Rizzo?
On a personal level, I am Cyrus’s Confirmation Godfather and care a lot for Cyrus and his family. I am deeply upset by the way certain elements in the media are manipulating two unfortunate incidents of people I deeply care for with the sole aim of defaming the Prime Minister and the people around him. As a result of these malicious stories, I have instructed my lawyer to institute libel proceedings against MaltaToday.
Let’s leave the “manipulation” bit for a little later. Let’s get into Edgar Galea Curmi’s head for a second. A Nationalist Secretary to the PM has just told the press that he picked up a phone – upon instigation of New Labour Cyrus – to call the Commissioner of Police. Somehow Edgar seems to be comforted by the idea that Cyrus (by then a representative of the opposition party) was present when he chose to phone Commissioner Rizzo.
That in itself is a big fail. When Edgar Galea Curmi calls Commissioner Rizzo there can be only two ways to interpret it. Either he is calling him in a private capacity and speaking to Mr Rizzo in a private capacity OR it is the Prime Minister’s Head of Secretariat calling the Commissioner of Police. Now given that EGC did not call Commissioner Rizzo for a convivial chat but was actually asking about events falling under the official capacity of Mr Rizzo we can safely rule the first option out. This is worse than a Minister taking a private jet plane for a private trip for example. We have an “admission” as to the content of the phone call – and it was not a private matter.
The point though is that EGC seems to be somehow comforted by his “private” link with Cyrus thanks to having been his Confirmation Godfather. The unfortunate connotations of the word “Godfather” will not help EGC’s cause much. It is also interesting to note how a relationship deeply steeped in Catholic tradition can still create such bonds in a Malta that is still shedding it’s conservative bonds. EGC’s manner of thinking is not unique. Our PLPN society is built on webs and connections and networks. You publicly move up the ladder and before you know it you are wheel in the power machine: sometimes using that wheel’s power in complicated rituals involving the exchanging of favours. Within that power system lies an unwritten rule that family and close friends might be given an added consideration: it’s private you know. Think of the last time you saw someone getting his friend through on the VIP list in some nightclub and then think wider, bigger.
“The Indignation”
The phone call between Galea Curmi and Rizzo is dangerous not because a PM Secretary has enquired about the operations of a part of the executive branch. This might, in other circumstances be entirely justified. If we were to accept that the PM’s office is worried about police action being shackled by political considerations a phone call might be the start of a wider enquiry: a public, official enquiry. The nature of the phone call and the justification makes the whole thing collapse on its face though. That kind of phone call can never be justified with private links. It is a public phone call with public repercussions (which is also why EGC should be less worried about “malicious interpretations” at this point).
Joseph Muscat would have been entirely justified for his indignation at the phone call and calls for resignation. But – and here comes the but – what Joseph failed to factor (unless he has already cynically factored this) was Cyrus Engerer’s role behind the infamous phone call. If, as Edgar Galea Curmi says, the phone call was made upon instigation and in the presence of Cyrus then we have the ultimate example of PLPN twisted thinking. Some people would say “the Lord is my witness” but in our convoluted way of thinking in the cesspit of our politics what better and stronger an argument than “a man from the opposition is my witness”?
What many people will not see is that behind that kind of justification lies the very existence and spinal column of PLPN networking. They can and will work together if necessary. In most other instances EGC’s phone call would have been ok by their standards. It could, after all, very well be Joseph’s head of secretariat in a few years time who is returning the favour. The only problem here is that Cyrus is a hot potato at the moment and Joseph can rarely resist a foray into quick vote grabbing fields. By pointing his finger at EGC though, Muscat has also inadvertently (or full-knowingly) pointed his finger at Cyrus. Muscat probably knows that right now (as we said earlier) he can get away with murder… and is probably banking on the fact that voters will be too preoccupied with the hubbub to be able to see the side of the equation that implicates his own party’s latest prodigal son.
“The Police”
A few words on the police. I have discussed this case with card-carrying Labourites and card-carrying Nationalists and moderates. Three hypotheses stood out. “The Nationalist Revenge” – a policeman in the Sliema District out on a payback mission for Cyrus’ defection. “The Big Brother Revenge” – this elaborates further with various power circles from the PN fold implicated as instigators for the police action (imagine the pressure from a district heavyweight who has been royally pissed off at Cyrus for example). Thirdly “the Sacrificial Lamb” – with a labourite push (either labour-leaning police alone or with the connivance of some Labourite politician) to use Cyrus in order to damage the government’s credibility even further. Nobody seemed to subscribe to “the Harry Vassallo Option” – in August 2008 the police report into Harry’s case showed that the timing was simply due to incompetence and slow working of the police force.
Even without proof to confirm any of the three theories what impresses me most is the fact that strongly convincing theories can be advanced that involve power-circles topped in each case by members, sympathisers and well-wishers of the two political parties. To me it matters little at that point whether one or the other turns out to be the hero/villain in this particular case.
What matters to me is that I would like to see both wiped out of their concentric circles of influence. What turns me into the cynical armchair critic that I am is the realisation after so many years that the system is so inbuilt into our thinking that it is near impossible to get it to budge one inch.
Se vogliamo che tutto cambi, bisogna che tutto rimanga lo stesso – what a motto for the PLPN mentality.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodies? asked the wittier on social networks. Who will guard us from our guardians? Maybe we should stop worrying about our guardians and ask a more important question:
“Who will protect us from ourselves?“
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don’t they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,
If last night’s reports turn out to be true it seems that the PM got over any qualms that he might have had of meeting hunger striker Emmanuel Cini. The reports also mention a fruity break to the hunger strike when Cini ate a kiwi. It was Emmanuel’s 10th day of striking and the hype around the man had all but subsided. While the positive side might still be that Cini did not meet a useless death for the sake of a transport reform, the whole story has given us loads to reflect about the way our press reacts in the face of such stories – not to mentiothe lack of ethics demonstrated by political opportunists.
Since I know that no matter what I write in this post I will be labelled “PN apologist” I thought of giving it a direct title and spare the superficial readers the typing. The final divorce vote has been taken and by now we all know which way the vote went. The conscience of the MPs who reflected the will of the referendum majority trumped that of those who still believed majority had nothing to do with what they decide. A majority of MPs, acting on their conscience, voted in a private members bill and Malta has been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century thanks to the will of the people.
It’s funny how even the most “liberal” of commentators seem to have written this off as a Labour victory of some kind. True, they have not gone to the extreme of constitutional expert Luciano Busuttil who first posted this on facebook:
TODAY WE SHOULD PUT AN END TO THE DIVORCE SAGA WITH THE ‘LABOUR GOVERNMENT’ PASSING THE LAW TO REFLECT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE!
Then, in a bout of euphoria he went on to impress us with his constitutional savoir-faire by adding:
IL-PRIM MINISTRU HU DAK LI L-PRESIDENT TAR-REPUBBLIKA JARA SKOND IL-KOSTITUZZJONI LI KAPACI JMEXXI MAGGIORANZA FIL-PARLAMENT. ILLUM IL-PRIM MINISTRU KIEN PARTI MILL-MINORANZA.
The “liberals” are busy pounding Lawrence though and let’s face it Lawrence could have only done worse had he donned a cassock and kick started an impromptu rosary in parliament. Fact is though that those busy pummeling Gonzi should be doing so with equal (or variable) measure to Joseph too. They still don’t get it do they? It’s one thing pooh-poohing Gonzi for sticking to his guns and voting Nyet all the way to the final vote and it’s another transporting this to the land of wishful thinking and collapsing governments. Here are a few inconfutable facts as to the why and because:
we had a free vote (and yes, Joseph is back to calling it frijvowt – see Times interview and his reply about Adrian Vassallo). Our parties did not oblige their members to vote in favour or against. As JOSEPH said – everyone was free to vote as he thinks. So NO – neither Labour nor PN or any faction thereof can claim to have in any way been part of the vote. We’ve dealt with this before and it remains a true constant.
the biggest consequence of the free vote is the shattering of Luciano Busuttil’s inexpert dreams. This was not a financial vote. It was not tied to the doing or undoing of government. It was a Private Member’s Bill in which EACH AND EVERY MP VOTED ACCORDING TO HIS CONSCIENCE. The vote was simple – do you accept the divorce bill or not? What does that say about the “KAPACITA LI JMEXXI MAGGIORANZA FIL-PARLAMENT”? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Because this vote does not tell the President who has the confidence of the majority of parliamentary members. It tells the President WHAT the majority of MPs voting on a specific motion decided. Punto (and unfortunately for constitutional beginners) e basta.
What lessons do we learn? We learn that Gonzi stuck to his principle till the end. We learn that he was comfortable with voting no after ensuring that the will of the people is respected. That made many of us think less highly about Dr Gonzi. We also learnt that Joseph’s labour refused to take a position. More importantly we learn that Joseph’s labour is willing to take advantage of giving the false impression that it has a position on something – when it had nothing of the sort.
If anyone has been proven right by the turn of events then that must surely be this page, this blog and this blogger. Our two parties have confirmed their abdication from representative politics.
Voting PN next election translates into voting in chaos. A party without identity and values is not a party that can come up with proper programmes.
Voting PL next election translates into voting in absolute opportunism. Their weathervane approach to policy is extremely dangerous and is no guarantee for proper policies and programmes either.
Last Saturday I posted what I called a “Cyrus WTF moment” on facebook (it was later picked up by bloggers elsewhere). To me it illustrates the manner in which many have fallen for Labour’s non-policy hook, line and sinker. Others might put my statements down to “high handed opinions from abroad“. We’ve been there before – incidentally when we were told by PN stalwarts to shut up because they did not like what we were saying… it seems now that the weathervane has shifted for the Labourites and Joseph lovers to tell us not to interfere because we live abroad. Moviment Tindahalx indeed….
The Cyrus WTF moment :
“Engerer says that whilst he and Opposition leader Jospeh Muscat do not agree on issues such as same-sex marriage, Muscat is open to be convinced on the contrary.” – and thank f**k for that….
The tragicomic news items from the island never cease to surprise but the story of the rise and fall of Emmanuel Cini in the sympathy ratings in the Maltese press is as intriguing as ever. For those who have been too busy complaining about omnibuses or owling, Emmanuel Cini is the man who is attempting to become Malta’s Marco Pannella by going on a hunger strike until Minister Gatt resigns.
The story – accompanied by a daily vlog (video blog) – of the weakening Cini did hit the headlines by his second day of starving. It was pushed by the pinker of the press (MaltaToday & Maltastar) and then picked up by the village gossip angle of the Times. Being the christians that we are (especially when the subject is white and not coming in a boat from North Africa) the papers were quick to emphasise the disabilities and illnesses of this particular individual – gunning for even more empathy from Joe Public.
By Day 4 there was something weird in the air. No direct contact from the ministry, the usual labourite barks hanging onto anything remotely anti-government and the pink press milking whatever was milkable. Then came Cini’s daily vid and his clumsy attempt to distance himself from what he called Labour’s “squeaky clean” image. Apparently this martyr did not want to “tarnish” Labour with his deed (How could such a commendable act tarnish Labour we wondered? Then we wondered why all this fuss about the “squeaky clean”).
There was an uncomfortable silence about this man’s travails. Sure, the TGITTCB crowd and the usual hobby-horse anti-government bitching elevated Cini to hero status but the reluctance of the press to dig deeper stood out.This morning Joe Camilleri from the National Commission for Persons with Disability politely refrained from joining Mr. Cini’s cause. Surely there was something everybody knew but was reluctant to mention.
Then came Daphne to the rescue. Her pachydermic memory (and a few tips from the blog commentators) unearthed another side of Emmanuel Cini (if you excuse the weak pun). Suddenly the hunger-striker became the gay porn star with a track record of more than half a screw missing. Apparently it did not take much to unearth his earlier life in porno stardom.
So what kept the press from delving deeper? If this man had been in the news earlier why were not newshounds’ instincts alerted? Is this a sign of incompetence or is there more to it? I have a feeling there is more to it in the sense that once you eliminate the average PL-friendly press who can get more mileage out of the striker if he is a victim and not a pornstar you are left with journalists who might not feel it is right to question the motives of someone who is “putting his life on the line”. In other words Emmanuel Cini, the dying man, is untouchable because he is sick and dying.
Nobody would dare question his recklessness. Nobody would question whether Arriva and Minister Gatt are worth dying for (are they?). The weakness of the press is not always politically motivated. It could have a lot to do with our modus operandi and values. It could also have to do with being lazy: the dying man story was as good as it got for some: why look further?
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