One of the Economist’s leaders this week is entitled “Zombie democracy” and essentially discusses the concept of majoritarianism. Modern democratic governments are elected by popular suffrage and are formed on the basis of majority rule (cue the discussion on representation,...

Edward Snowden is on the run. The US government is attempting to get the former CIA employee and contractor for the NSA  extradited after he shared classified material with the international press – namely with the UK’s Guardian. Snowden’s first leak activity took place in...

You may or may not have heard the news about the closure (and then reopening) of the national TV station in Greece. The ERT is Hellas’  pride and joy that for many represents the Greek heritage. Samaras’ government had decided to shut the whole business down with the hope of...

So they set up a Foundation to organise national festivities. So far so normal. This is after all the Malta of Saints and Fireworks where every raħal worth its globigerina limestone has at least one Kumitat tal-Festi. This is the country of the xalati and illum il-festa tagħna so the...

When the party in government fails to notice that it is actually in government after more than hundred days that it has been warming the seat of power then what you have is a bomb that is ticking away waiting to explode. While the nationalist party’s Rapport tat-telfa (Election defeat...

If it is up to the victors to write history then the losers are busy writing reports. That is just what the PN has just finished doing and it has published an executive summary of this analysis of the 2013 election result. Chaired by the papabile Anne Fenech the committee produced a litany of...

Much like what happened in the case of his new clothes, the emperor’s purse and his dealings with it tend to be talked about in a very circumstantial manner. The norm is either that of criticising the corrupt wastage or applauding some genius plan – much depends on which side...

Kemm idum Malti il-Malti ta’ barra? Hemm xi sustanza fl-eteru li żżommu Malti għal dejjem jew hemm xi punt li minnu ma jistax jerġa’ lura? Malti tibqa’ għal dejjem għax Malta art twelidek u Malti l-ilsien li tagħtek ommok (jew forsi xi sekondarja wara ħafna tlaqliq,...

A news item on a Belgian radio last week spoke of how students were turning to new forms of income to subsidise their studies. One form of income was a new service being provided whereby students agreed to perform cleaning services (the French term is “technicien des surfaces”)...

You’ve probably by now seen the news clip featuring Charles Ramsey the saviour of the 10-year captives in Cleveland, Ohio. News crews have been roaming the neighbourhood trying to obtain different angles from neighbours in the area. How long had you lived nearby? Had you noticed anything...

Ai primi degl’anni novanta facevo le mie prime incursioni nel mondo della politica. Un attività decente nella gioventù del partito democristiano maltese (ufficialmente ed anacronisticamente Partito Nazionalista) andò a combinarsi con una fame di informazione nutrita da settimanali...

If René Descartes and Anselm of Canterbury met in a fictitious room in some other dimension we cannot be sure what the resulting conversation would be. Provided they overcome linguistic difficulties of sorts (but heck, if we create the fictitious room we can create a Douglas Adams Babel Fish...