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Tie Your Brother Down

“Nationalist MP Peter Micallef said yesterday that the result of the consultative referendum on divorce would in no way tie him down when the vote on the Divorce Bill was held.” The plot thickens.

Isn’t Peter right? It all boils down to the meaning of the vote that he exercises in parliament. Is it Peter‘s vote and his alone – making him free to tie it down with his heavy (or light, as the case may be) moral convictions? Does it belong to his constituency or the couple of thousand electors who rushed to casually elect  Peter to his cosy seat in parliament? Would a quick head count among his electors convince Peter to vote in accordance to their will?

On the other hand does his vote belong to the nationalist party that worked so hard for men like Peter to get to his p’mentary seat? In that case Peter could only follow the PN’s guidance and in the event of their “position” (we don’t like divorce but our MPs will have a free vote) he is granted a one off chance to use his vote according to his cerebral and spiritual likings.

So what of the people? Peter is not Muammar after all. He cannot say “they love me all” and he definitely knows where they can stick their collective advice in a consultative referendum. It is consultative after all and this particular MP has been admirably frank and open about his position as to how much he values the opinion of the people in this particular consultation.

But is Peter wrong? How can he be? This has become a free for all in lascivious political nonchalance. It is what happens when we cut ourselves loose from all the “lawyering” and “legal niceties” and “verbal somersaults”. Parties with no position except for the fact that they have unleashed a collective of pussyfooting MPs to do as they like. Disquistions on referendum questions that are ultimately purely consultative – and as such allow geezers like Pete to say “I won’t be tied by the people”.

Which is why J’accuse still insists that there is only one way divorce can and should be introduced. On a party manifesto that wins the election and introduces the right to remarry via a legislative motion in parliament. Business as usual in a normal world.

In un paese di coglioni ci mancano le palle. – J’accuse 2011.


 

Appeasement

At 8pm on the 27th September 1938, Neville Chamberlain, UK Prime Minister broadcast to the nation:

“How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas-masks here because of a quarrel in a faraway country between people of whom we know nothing”.

The “people of whom we know nothing” were the Czechs, Slovaks and Germans in the Sudetenland. Chamberlain would go on to sign the Munich Agreement with “the German Chancellor Herr Hitler”. A year later he would be declaring war on Herr Hitler following the invasion of Poland.

Peace in our time? Go tell it to the rebels in Brega.

Reality Bites

The Times reports that Alex Vella Gera and Mark Camilleri, respectively the author and the editor in the Li Tkisser Sewwi saga, have been acquitted of publishing pornographic and obscene material. So much for “censorship” then. It’s not like the fuss was not necessary, it’s not like there was no need for a discussion as to why a University rector might feel the need to involve the boys in uniform because of his fears about the content of a piece of writing.

This is a huge wake up call to all those who have been yelling about fascist governments and censorship. J’accuse pointed out, time and time again, that the law is there to be applied and that we could not yell censorship unless the courts of law actually thought that the law on pornography applied to the content. We will have the fury of literati bearing down upon us again but the naked truth is now written in the court judgement handed down by Magistrate Audrey Demicoli. Stories like Li Tkisser Sewwi are not considered pornographic or obscene under Maltese law.

So what are we left with? An overzealous rector and a police force that once again gets trumped in court (pole dancers, obscenity and pornography – all in a days work). On the other hand there will be less excuses for the illuminati of this world to yell “censorship”, “oppression” or “fascism” at some trumped up ghost.

Ironic as it may seem* reality does bite every now and again.

*phrase sponsored by PG’s tips.

Also on the subject:
Mark Biwwa’s : Violence and Obscenity Maltese Style

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Six Years of Quality Blogging

Today J’accuse turns six. We’ve gone a (very) long way since the 10th of March 2005. Both the national and international blogosphere have changed tremendously as befits the speed of change in the ether. From the definition of Wankellectual (first introduced on the 15th March 2005 when some bloggers had no idea the blog world even existed) to today’s commenting of the Jasmine Revolution we’ve seen all sorts of changes.

J’accuse never underestimated the power of the net. Thanks to  Mark Vella (Xifer – let’s give credit where it is due) and his constant nagging, I set up a blog and we kicked off somewhat hesitatingly back then. Six years. That’s an eternity on the net. We like to believe that although we provoke and criticise we do so fairly – in the supreme interest of the discovery of the truth. In fact, notwithstanding so many changes we insist on keeping one thing constant: quality blogging.

Which is why we urge you not to be selfish. Pass the word and share the (free) links. J’accuse… the truth if I lie… will still be blogging for a time yet (so you don’t have to).

Merci
Jacques

Interesting Facts (will be updated)

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Here’s a blogroll from our first year (2005), give us a shout if you recognise your blogname (I’ve put some authors in brackets). This, my friends was Blogosfera Mark I (apologies for the absence of (mostly dead) links:

Quod Principi Placquit

Triq il-Maqluba (Antoine Cassar)
Malta 9 Thermidor (Fausto Majistral)
Books & Beans (Pierre Mejlak)
Inutile de Dejeuner (Gybexi)
Wired Temples (Robert Micallef)
Ajjut! Ajjut! (A.O.)
Neebother (Justin BB)

In alio pediculum

Xifer (Mark Vella)
Tgedwid
Xemx u Xita (Alex Vella Gera)
Nigredo (Nigredo)
Waweasill
Bananazzurri
Chef Condom
Toni Sant (as himself)

Illiud Latine dici non potest

Diverse Ramblings (Maltagirl)
Kenneth (the guy from Mellieha)
Lost in Thought (Sharon Spiteri)
Rites of Passage (hmm)
Thea (…) Planet
Hsibijiet
il-Krizi…u kif teghlibha (Alex Vella Gera)
Rupert Cefai (Bertu)
L-Istrordut Kroniku
Le Pont Mirabeau
Mill-Art (AVG)

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For all of it’s current lease of life J’accuse has been based in Luxembourg City. It will be moving (along with us) by May 1st to Dondelange, a tiny village on the outskirts of Luxembourg City – follow the move on J’accuse.

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Non Sequitur is the longest running rubrique of J’accuse. It has not yet reached 100 posts.

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Last year J’accuse introduced the Zolabyte – a running series of guest posts inspired by the original J’accuser Emile Zola.

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J’accuse was awarded a prize for quality blogging at thê THINKABOUTIT! blogging competition organised by the European Journalism Centre (EJC).

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J’accuse is also available on twitter, facebook and as a column The Malta Independent on Sunday.

Speaking of Heroes

BBC news is reporting that Malta may be objecting to an EU decision to extend sanctions on Libya. As fighting in rebel held territories worsens with heavier attacks by Gaddafi’s forces Malta seems to be shuffling its feet when it notices that the sanctions might hurt its own pocket:

A European Union decision on whether to extend sanctions on Libya is being delayed by objections from Malta. BBC Europe business correspondent Nigel Cassidy understands that Malta fears further sanctions could damage some of its companies. Diplomats from the 27-nation EU bloc are discussing a freeze on dealings with the Libyan Investment Authority. – BBC news

While the local minded connoisseurs of international intrigue might be busy racking their brains trying to link Gaddafi to the Labour party (of course the safety of Libya’s insurgents depends on Labour’s kitty) our representatives in Brussels are hedging on the possibility of some effective action. J’accuse already warned that the façade of our “hero brigade” might melt away faster than butter in the August sun.

What use is it, really, that we tut-tut about financial comptrollers shifting Gaddafi’s money from beach to island when our own government is unable to get in line and squeeze the bastard’s finances dry?

Business I hear you say? It’s not just John Dalli who has those interests is it?

A testing time for Heroes

La Stampa reports another wave of immigrants landing in Lampedusa. By ten o’clock last night four boats had arrived in less than 6 hours carrying 218 persons. The Libyan border with Tunisia is one massive refugee camp while the south to north migration seems to not have been deterred by the troubles in North Africa. This combination, added to the fact that the last thing on the mind of North African authorities is the policing of the ships leaving their ports, threatens to become an explosive nightmare and an eyeopener for the likes of the Swedish Foreign Minister.

Intanto non si ferma la nuova ondata di sbarchi di immigrati nordafricani sull’isola di Lampedusa. Dalle 22 di ieri sera sono state quattro le imbarcazioni arrivate in poco meno di sei ore, con a bordo complessivamente 218 persone, tra cui una sola donna.

Will the Maltese authorities work just as hard to provide a safe haven and a promising future for the waves of refugees and immigrants that are bound to start hitting the island as the weather gets fairer? Will the heroic and valiant efforts put at the service of the international community be maintained? This could be seen as a crisis as well as an opportunity. This is our chance to show the Swedes, the Canadians, the Chinese, the Russians and any other country that has been using Malta as a bridge for evacuation that there really is no difference between a boatload of Somalis, Eritreans or Sudanese fleeing a war-torn country and a Frigate-load, Hercules-load or Catamaran-load of Canadians, Chinese, Croatians or you name it fleeing a war-torn country.

This is when the Heroes with a capital H will begin to shine.

 

Photo from Wall Street Journal.

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