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.
