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An obituary and crime report.
Obituaries
With deep regret we announce the death of INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM. Death was pronounced at around eleven p.m. last night, live on the main channel of XANDIR MALTA. FR BORG was present to deliver the extreme unction. TRUTH, IMPARTIALITY and PUBLIC INTEREST are left to mourn the deceased. History would possibly have recorded this moment had there been any journalists left.
Funeral services are to be conducted by WHERE’S EVERYBODY who will also be in charge of the funeral book signing service.
Crime
Following earlier reports surrounding the sudden death of I. Journalism, it is rumoured that a lynch mob is now being formed to corner the prime suspect known as the INTERNET. Unconfirmed sources insist on he fact that INTERNET’s accomplices are BLOGS and HEARSAY while their operations seem to have been financed by the VENDETTA and REVENGE clans. The future of internet communication in Malta is in peril. More to follow later.
But jacques…how can you say this? don’t you know, where’s everybody are the epitome of investigative journalism?
Pls don’t tell me that they no longer lead the country in this field…say it isn’t so!
@ Jacques – Qed tkun kiefer wisq ma Where’s Everybody…jahasra jekk ma jafux iktar esperti fil-materja xi tridhom jaghmlu. Ara x’qaltilna Rachel (ta Bondiplus) rigward mistednin:
Rachel Attard
Nigel, jiena ma nifhiemx persuni bhallek li jaqbdu u jghidu missu kien hemm persuni ohra u ma jaghtux ezempji konkreti. Kieku ma jkunx ahjar li tissuggerixxi u taghti ezemlji?
34 minutes ago
Nigel Bruno
Rachel, jien nahseb li hawn izjed esperti jew nies kompetenti hawn Malta li jistaw jitkellmu fuq dan is sugett. m ghandi xejn kontra Fr. Borg, imma dejjem Fr. borg!! jien miniex midhla ta l esperti, nahseb izjed int ghandek tkun taf…. no offenses.
23 minutes ago
How weird. I was on the same conversation on facebook a few minutes ago. Lou said he would appreciate comments on yesterday’s programme. I said simply “nah. You wouldn’t”.
Sully, I’m guessing you and nigel bruno are one and the same: its naqtghu not naqtaw, jistghu not jistaw. There. Now you can hate me too.
@ Jacques. U le – jien ma naghmilx minn dawn. Tghid ha noqghod nipoza ta dan Nigel Bruno? Billi mhux xi champion tal-ortografija, xorta ghamel punt pertinenti li hu dan : FR. JOE BORG L-UNIKU ESPERT TAL-MEDIA F’MALTA? Veru li ahna zghar imma li ghandna bniedem wiehed biss li jifhem, ma nnizzilix
I don’t recognise the emotions underpinning sentiments and fears.
Yesterday’s ersatz analysis of a caricatured concern may have possibly wanted to add to the arsenal of the powerful a new weapon that:
Promotes squalid opinion promoted by fake-intellectual hamalli, through a technique that possibly distorts and/or exaggerates emotional response to the most normal of events such as a birthday party, a photograph with Santa Claus, or one’s buttocks.
Erase the dividing line between informed mature debate and chatter/bad-mouthing/ridiculing anything from dress-code to manner of speech in a quagmire of anti-social behaviour
True that the positive and energetic essence of blogging may have been a temporary victim, but I feel that the exercise did not achieve the above possible aims.
Yes, sober blogs may have had their work temporarily cut out but the bad name given to blogging carries with it unique opportunities for sensible blogging.
If anything, this experience reflects our reality…surrounded by Ferraris we use as chicken-pens because we can not tell the difference…our émigrés have an important responsibility to work for a normal Malta.
Anyway, look forward to your follow-up forsi naqbad xi haga.
The real issue in all this controversy is not the private or public lives of public or private individuals. The issue is the method being used. And WHO is using it. And WHY. It seems that in Malta we are so used to living a false reality, a reality based on what “should” be, rather than what really “is”, that we need to make a really big effort to look at the real facts. In concrete terms: DCG´s attack is really political in nature. It has only incidentally to do with the judiciary. But it has everything to do with the Labour Party. DCG´s strategic aim is undermining the Labour Party in a very, for Malta, novel and creative way. Her first blogs about the subject, at the end of January, were a blistering attack on Marisa Micallef. DCG identifies Micallef as the ultimate source of the story regarding flying plates. Without factoring this in, any interpretation of what is really going on, would be flawed.
During the past 10 years the Nationalist Party nurtured a media machine, not formally part of it, but running parallel to it, which it used to attack in the most vicious, personal and cruel way the former MLP Leader Alfred Sant. DCG was on the forefront of this. Wheres Everybody were there too, using different methods. This media machine eventually reached its aim. Alfred Sant was definitely knocked out of the political scene in March 2008. But it might be that now, this media machine might be needing new victims. it might even be that this media machine has cut loose of the Nationalist Party, that it is not any more under the control of the Party which nurtured it. Or else, on the other hand, it still is. Once again, DCG´s recent writings use the magistrate´s story with the ultimate aim of hitting against Labour, and also anyone who would appear to be not sharing her anti-Labour obsession. In this case, Robert Musumeci.
Monday´s Bondi+ was simply a way to give more credibility to DCG, to complete the brigde between her writings and Wheres Everybody. Please do not forget, before the last elections, that in her column DCG had once advertised Bondi+ of that evening…and it turned out that there was the famous “Kemm hu pufta Lou Bondi hux?” clip. Anyone still being fooled?
Very good analysis Conan..agree 100%
@ Conan. Naqbel mieghek. Dan mhux incident li qam hekk…b’kumbinazzjoni….din hi kampanja ta mibeghda kontra kollox u kulhadd li hu assocjat mal-Partit Laburista. Issa jista jkun li in-Nazzjonalisti jew il-maggur parti taghhom ma jikkummentawx ghax isibu li huma moqdijin seww b’din il-kampanja.
conan, I agree with your analysis. But i feel there is more to it. The Labour Party does give fodder to her and the NP vilification process. OK, she is master at amplification, yet the lp needs to harness a vision that goes beyond rhetoric and must bring together a critical mass of affidabili to confirm their claim that they can do a better job at managing the nation, let alone bring about prosperity.
There are still too many individuals swimming out of their depth and these dilute the impact that genuine labour heavyweights can have on national perception.
bottom line, yes power of encumbancy and systematic vilification are real concerns. Yet Labour has to do its bit too. Joseph seems to be on the right track. His man-management and organisational skills actually came as a positive surprise. Yet progression still seems to be coming in fits and starts. Worst still the crucial critical mass of affidable is still all over the place. Hopefully the whole jigsaw does finally fit in place in good time.
in fact, the recurrence of the phrase “sleeping with the enemy” on the blog disturbed me a lot (re musemici and consuelo relationship) as did the “who are you shagging?” bit..which was so prominently displayed on pbs news (alla jbierek)…
so let me get this straight…has it now become a crime for someone who votes labour to have an intimate relationship with someone who is elected on the nationalist party ticket? Perhaps I didn’t get that memo…
if only the amoral, corrupt, rudderless, and policy-free labour party were not such an easy target! dcg’s vilification of labour is only effective because it is thoroughly credible. alfred sant was a walking catalogue of disasters, and the political scene is richer for his absence. ‘joseph’, as he is sickeningly referred to, is not doing a good job at all. the job of a party leader is to create an agenda for government, not only to score cheap political points. and before we rush to canonise ‘joseph’ (sic and sick), let’s not forget that he is a product of the labour party’s amoral vilification machine.
“Anon”´s comment above is important at this stage. Have we heard those adjectives before? “Amoral”, “corrupt”, “rudderless”, “walking catalogue of disasters”. This is the terrible harm of the destructive language used in the last 10 years within certain quarters. Meaningful discussion has become impossible in Malta today. Content has disappeared. Only adjectives count. And one has to admit. They are effective.
Conan, clearly adjectives are all that attract your attention. I mentioned the fact that Joseph is a product of Labour’s vilification machine but that skipped your attention.
For an illustration of all of those adjectives, I would encourage you to watch Super 1, have a look at the lives and business interests of some of the big-shots that Labour is wheeling out, etc.
If you want to discuss content please give me one concrete example of a ‘progressive’ policy that The Progressive Movement has endorsed.
As regards the walking catalogue of disasters, multiple electoral defeats punctuated by a disastrous few months in government should serve to substantiate the point.
You mention the need for ‘a critical mass of affidabili’, I can barely count past two. It’s not a question of a jigsaw magically falling into place. It’s a matter of some sort of vision. This is utterly lacking, and a capacity to choose people who are an improvement on the present government.
‘and a capacity to choose people who are an improvement on the present government.’
I meant ‘as is a capacity to choose people who are an improvement on the present government.’
@ “Anon” – Taf kemm Anon – imma jekk thoss li ghandek tidhol hawn biex tisma tiddabitu bis-sens ma nluekx – xejn xejn ftit break minn dik il-fossa.
Rigward il-kampanja ta vilifikazzjoni li DCG ghamlet kontra Sant – Hi (u int) tghid li kieku ma kelliex ragun ma kienx ikun daqshekk effettiv. Imma dan ir-ragunament ma jreggix. DCG fahhret lil JPO u issa qed tghajru. Jigifieri liema kampanja kinet it-tajba? DCG( jew Anon) tkazat b’Sant meta oghla d-dawl u ilma, imma issa baqghet siekta meta l-Gonzipn qed jaghmel l-istess….jigifieri meta kellha ragun?
@ Anon. Which Labour vilification machine are you referring to? There is only one prominent vilification machine operating at the moment – and it sure isn’t coming out of any Labour arse-hole….
Remember DCG commenting on the “abysmal and amoral” (there that adjective again – Anon) behaviour of Lorry Sant in trying to reveal pictures relating to the Mintoff family? And how she then went on to describe in detail the very same pics that Lorry Sant was not allowed to publicise???? “Abysmal and amoral” indeed. So very abysmal “Anon”.
@ conan… do not take anon’s comments too much to heart. They are obviously underpinned by emotion and there is no problem when one feels the need to vent one’s emotions. We all need a good rant from time to time so no harm done. One issue that is being said here is that Labour needs a vision as an alternative to the conservative pitch of present government. would you agree? and what kind of vision?
Sully, id-dawl u l-ilma fi zmien Sant u d-dawl u l-ilma fil-kuntest ta’ suq internazzjonali totalment differenti m’humiex komparabbli. Imma Malta allahares tmiss is-sistema fiskali u tipprova tirranga l-affarijiet ghax ma tasal imkien.
Dwar JPO, Alfred Sant kien cuc u laghab il-loghoba tal-PN. U le, DCG ma kellhiex ragun u ma kienetx kredibbli.
Forsi jmissni kkwalifikajt l-argument: kampanja kontinwa (u mhux ta’ gimgha) ta’ vilifikazzjoni hija effettiva jekk tkun kredibbli. Apprti minn hekk, jekk ikun hemm ftit sustanza fil-politiku, kampanji ta’ vilifikazzjoni jaslu sa certu punt biss (ez Gordon Brown).
@ remember this: I did not need DCG to teach me the word amoral, which is actually quite apt when used to describe Lorry Sant.
@ Dispassionate: the Labour vilification machine is Super 1, and the entire party media.
@ danny attard: quite right, which is why i’m loving not using my name. yes, labour needs to articulate a genuinely secular agenda, and the members of pn who feel strongly about secularising that party need to prise the doors open and let the ultra-conservative trash out. that’s not about to happen, so it would be much appreciated if people stopped letting ‘joseph’ be all things to all people and forced him to actually adopt policies about divorce, freedom of expression, gay marriage and adoption, the teaching of religion in schools etc.
“Anon”´s way of thinking is simply a creation of the adjetive-oriented media machine i described earlier. And one thing which Labour needs to do…and here i answer also danny attard…is to gain self-confidence. Labour has to cease trying to excuse itself for being itself. And needs to look at it achievements. In 1997, Alfred Sant launched an aggressive strategy of reducing the deficit ON THE LONG TERM. Yes, at a time of low fuel prices he raised tariffs…yes…to reduce local consumption and …yes…to begin addressing Enemaltas inefficiencies. This policy was though, and was defeated. The result? Come 2010…13 years later..and what is the biggest issue? Yes…electricity tariffs.
A sad consequence of anonimity. Everybody is desperate to attack the man not the ball. For heavens sake Anon is NOT daphne. Read his/her posts again without theprejudice and anger of the context in your mind and stick to the bloodysubject. The argument above all else… Otherwise feel free to change blog.
Daphne for dummies is down.
Ah yes. You remind me Fausto. Of course Daphne for Dummies is down. It is down after the subject herself threw a hysterical fit when faced with satire about herself and even blew up the situation to huge proportions by linking the author of that blog to threats and more. Little did we know at the time… It’s about time Daphne for Dummies is back online – and you can quote me on that one.
@ Anon. Oh! I missed that. Who have they vilified recently? I might have been distracted by the full-time vilification machine operated by a woman who should have more taste…
@ Anon. I agree that the word “amoral ” is quite apt when used to describe someone who hauls out or makes reference to material used for the purpose of intimidation and blackmail, hence not only to LS…
and if we really want to go crazy with our expectations, how about the reform of state media?
and then there is everything that is wrong with malta: public transport, clean energy, planning laws, electoral laws, cultural policy (which the very young, in good and bad ways, owen bonnici is not doing a terrible job of), and the list goes on.
and oh, let’s not forget cleaning out the law courts, or am i not allowed to talk about that? and while we’re at it, let’s give the judges a decent wage, decent resources, and then lots hold them to account.
perhaps a political party might also be expected to treat the integration of immigrants as the serious issue that it is.
and maybe, just maybe, we can expect an educational system that works and which we can be proud of – one that produces graduates who are literate and logical.
but that would be asking too much. so excuse me if i care.
@ Anon. Iva. Ghaliex le? Nahseb kulhadd jipretendi u jistenna li il-Labour johrog b’ideat sura ta nies rigward dawn l-affarijiet kollha. U l-PL ghandu jigi kritikat jekk ma johrogx b’ideat u inizjattivi bis-sugu. Imma ghandu jkun kritikat specifikament fuq in-nuqqas ta ideat u inizjativi tangibli u mhux ghax il-leader fartas/qasir/ohxon u l-mara tieghu ma tilbisx kif tahseb li hu pulit Daphne u ghax il-Laburisti hamalli u baxxi u hafna minn dawn il-hmerijiet. Jiddispjacini, imma meta il-kritika issir f’dan il-mod u dan l-ispirtu vendikattiv u ahdar, nibda nisuspetta li in-Nazzjonalisti m’ghandhomx biex jarmaw….flok jidefendu ir-rekord taghhom iridu jitghajru fuq ic cucati
Mela ftehmna Sully – ejja naqtghu dil-fissazzjoni bil-kritika amorali (tajjeb hekk?) li taghmel Daphne, u niddiskutu ftit l-affarijiet iktar importanti. Dil-fissazzjoni bil-blog ta’ Daphne tiddevja l-attenzjoni minn gvern li ilu li skada u oppozizzjoni li fadlilha sew biex timmatura. Fatto sta li kulhaddd taparsi jiskrupla b’Daphne u sadattant kulhadd iffissat. It’s a fecking car crash. Look away.
@ Anon – Deal. Qbilna
Anon, your priorities seem to tally with amorphous rumblings coming from labour avenue. This blessed party may still mould these into a proper to-do list.
I would expect that the what and how will be explored in the process e.g. how to reform state media, not to mention the educational system.
Now, it will be utterly stupid of the lp to publish some 900 page document to have the np creeping up on the eve of an election repeating ad nauseam ‘repeater class’.
Yet, from your agenda, emotional energy and intellectual texture, I would think that the lp would certainly like to have you on board with your inputs related to your area of compitence if they really mean what they say about moviment. I honestly think you should give it a try.
On a differet note, i am not at all with you re your ‘Joseph’ objection. We normally address a person using his preference…my name is edward but please call me eddie kind of think. I see no prima facie cause to be so upset by the choice of Joseph. Personally, if i ever met the guy i would address him as Dr Muscat, (put it down to the age-gap perhaps) but if he insists on calling him Jospeh, then it is the polite thing to do. Regards.
danny, thanks for your kind words. as for joining the ‘movement’, both geography and a desire to preserve my sanity prevent this.
i’m afraid that i don’t share your optimism. it did not take tony blair years to begin to transform old labour’s policies, and it did not take cameron years to turn the tories into something approaching an electable party. labour can adopt popular policies and be wise about keeping their mouths shut on other things. it doesn’t take a genius to lead opposition to an unpopular government.
i suspect that they haven’t articulated a vision because they lack one. i desperately hope that they will start to adopt clear policies as a party because they will be in government sooner or later. hopefully, once they are in government, pn will wake up and realise that it is their retreat to a core group shut away in a windowless room that led them down to the opposition benches.
on the ‘joseph’ issue (or non-issue), it stinks of spin to me, but that’s just me and it isn’t important.
and in related progressive news: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100223/local/muscat-does-not-see-divorce-being-on-pl-election-programme
@ conan…self confidence…agree in full. All the competent people I know who are committed to the lp are very confident in their abilities. It is those who are punching way above their weight that dilute this confidence and keep prancing about trying to hold on to whatever status they perceive for themselves. May i add that this is not just a lp issue, but a national issue too. And if i were to look at progression, I would say that things are improving within the lp as i see (at least from my limited vantage point) more square pegs being matched to square holes.
Re biggest issue today, i certainly do not think it is the w@e conundrum. This is but a symptom.
The main issues as I see them are Governance and the preservation of the basic democratic cornerstones.
@anon – agree fully with your take…preservation of sanity is a more real obstacle to distance :) but then hey, someone has to do it, i suppose.
Small technical note to all: When replying to a particular comment use the reply button just beneath it – it makes it easier to follow the thread.
Sorry I missed last nights’ party but I was invited at this place where I watched two babes have a bath while chatting about scandals… howzat eh? Pity there are no photos on facebook.