I think that technically I should be able to get out of the house at this point. Any delay in doing so is really based on excessive caution on my part, particularly by trying to avoid screwing up the last three days of my supposed holidays in the sun before returning to the carribean excesses of Luxembourg. The thermometer gauge finally returned a constant result of 37 degrees on the celsius scale and the dry cough has relented in the last few hours – I even got a good’s night sleep after dozing off at the end of another wonderful episode of the Big Bang Theory.
In the world of news the greatest football club ever to grace the turf of grounds around the world has completed its trio of Brasilian superstars by finally announcing the official transfer of Felipe Melo from rivals Fiorentina. Also, Captain Del Piero has put pen to paper and will end his football playing days with the team that acknowledges his status as one of the greatest players of all time.
I notice from today’s paper that I am not the only one who is alarmed by the further transfer of power to the Prime Minister. The MEPA reform has lit a few alarm bulbs here and there – not in its direct substance but rather due to the long-term repercussions it may have. Others seem to blame Astrid Vella and the FAA for the unfortunate turn this reform has taken but they are far off the mark. Astrid or no Astrid the reform would have gone Gonzi’s way anyway. Astrid Vella has as much to do with the accumulation of power under Gonzi’s wing as she does with the price of fish.
J’accuse has long written that the state of affairs of Maltese politics and the dearth of competent individuals and policies can only lead to a gradual disintegration of whatever was built in the early nineties. The legal framework for a series of competent authorities might have been put in place with the intention to safeguard the individual through the proper application of the rule of law. What happened next though was that this very framework was assaulted by the woodworm of corruption, nepotism and political careerism from day one. Combine that with the spineless political class that works on marketing (disguised in “results driven” bullshit) and you end up reaping what you sow – a disaster after another.
You need not look as far as MEPA to get an idea of what a testicle-less authority is like. The whole issue of the Oaths by MEP Candidates will turn out to be an example of deference to a mouldy political class that has thrived on its ability to clone itself in all quarters while being ably marketed by today’s real thugs: those who will silence any criticism through personal assault and an infinite series of argumentum ad hominem. Next time Gonzi takes on another power under his wing, don’t blame Astrid… blame your voting habits.
13 replies on “Notes from a Hypochondriac in Recovery”
The only person/party responsible for the proposals regarding MEPA reform is Lawrence Gonzi. To suggest otherwise is to imply that he is too weak to make his own decisions.I agree with you Jacques – people reap what they sow.
So, what did AD sow to reap such disastrous results, even worse than the PN’s?
He’s back. And he’s digressing again.
Ad are screwed, big time. They got no votes and have to start again. Discussing them now is as useful as discussing what to rename Pluto and whether it is a planet.
Discussing the PN reform that undermines basic tenets of rule of law is slightly (ever so slightly) more relevant at this point.
The people who are worrying about the fact that plsnning decisions “will be taken by the politicians again” seem to be under the illusion that there has been a time when they weren’t.
Consider this. After all the reports, EIAs, recommendations and what have you, planning decisions are taken by a vote of the board, and the voting is not bound to observe those same reports, recommendations and what have you. And who are the people who vote? The persons appointed by the Prime Minister at his sole discretion, that’s who!
So the only difference between now and those “bad old days” is that, then, the politicians took the decisions, yes, but they took them upfront and bore the responsibility for them. Now, the politicians STILL take the decisions (by proxy) but they have the luxury of MEPA to act as a combined screen and lightening conductor.
Ok then. Let me stick to the reform and ignore the political propaganda. What power do you imagine will be accumulated under the PM’s wing? Do you know what policy-formulation entails in practice? Which specific MEPA policies do you think the PM will change so as to favour developers and speculators?
I have posted some answers to these questions in Daphne’s blog if you care to read them so I’ll spare myself (and you) the chore of writing them again here.
Nice try, Antoine, but you’ll have to do better than that to recruit more members for The Coven.
I suppose it must be getting a bit claustrophobic, reading the same half-dozen people saying “Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full….”.
I wish I could say that your own try is nice too Ettore/Ganni Borg (do you ever use your real name?) but I won’t because it isn’t. You were very anxious to be part of Daphne’s blog too, after all, desperately resorting to using multiple psuedonyms…but never mind.
What about the questions I asked in my previous post? Do you think you can answer them? One of them?
Your attempts to at ferreting out identities – as amusing as they are unsuccessful (I have no idea who this Gianni Borg is)- are just another example of the bullying tactics emplyed at The Coven …. “Be careful what you say cos we know who you are….”
Have you ever considered playing the ball instead of the man?
Perhaps you would care to comment on MY previous post?
@Jacques
How did my comment give rise to Antoine’s off-piste remarks? Must be a touch of sunstroke.
@Claire
Not sunstroke but deliberate digression (yes, Jacques is right). We’re bound to get a lot of that in the foreseeable future. But digression is, at best, desperate tactics. It can hardly substitute for strategy.
@antoine
That we are on the subject of sunstrokes (courtesy of Claire), can you as assiduous gentleman-in-waiting at the court of DCG enlighten us on the subject of the MADC advert on her blog? Is someone at MADC suffering from sunstroke? Who had the bright idea of associating MADC’s good name with DCG’s venomous blog?
Claire, I’m sorry you’ve suffered a sunstroke. You should be more careful about staying in the sun – you know what they say about blondes.
Well, now that we’ve got the personal pleasantries out of the way, perhaps you might deign to answer some of the uncomfortable questions in my post. Only if you do have answers, obviously.
Antoine, you must be blonde then – as you’re the one who seems to be suffering from sunstroke. I prescribe loosening up a bit, getting a life and some time away from toxic blogs (not this one). That might help. Keep me updated (and wear a cap to keep your blonde locks out of the sun)