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Apology vs Apologia (defining moments in language and history)

1 a : a formal justification : defense b : excuse 2a
2 : an admission of error or discourtesy accompanied by an expression of regret <a public apology>
3 : a poor substitute : makeshift

Source: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

If the implication of an admission of error accompanied by an expression of regret is less distinguishable than the defence of one’s opinions then it must necessarily be an apologia and not an apology. Not so synonymous after all.

Viz in re:

Galileo Galilei: Eppur si muove! (The Universe)

William Jefferson Clinton: I have never had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky. I’ve never had an affair with her. (Lewinsky)

Richard Nixon: I regret deeply any injuries that may have been done in the course of the events that led to this decision. I would say only that if some of my judgments were wrong, and some were wrong, they were made in what I believed at the time to be the best interest of the Nation. (Watergate)

Pope Benedict XVI: “Here I would like to pause to acknowledge the shame which we have all felt as a result of the sexual abuse of minors by some clergy and religious in this country.Indeed, I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured and I assure them that as their pastor I too share in their suffering. These misdeeds, which constitute so grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation.They have caused great pain and have damaged the Church’s witness. (Australia)

Guidelines to Public Figures (Mark Sitrick – $400/hour apology consultant)

A) Try not to make a mistake.
B) If you make a mistake, be brutally honest about it.
C) Never get into any sort of cover-up mode because that will cause you more trouble than the incident itself.

“You have a sense of what the public accepts and does not accept. It’s common sense. Murder, no. Genocide, no. Having sex with a hooker? Yes, if you apologize.” – Mark Sitrick (a.k.a Wizard of Spin)

This article and accompanying Bertoon appear in today’s edition of The Malta Independent on Sunday.

Arse-Null

Right. First of all I have to get a question off my chest before I explode. Is Arsenal FC worth imperilling a shaky government and a political career to boot? I mean Arsene Wenger does manage to turn a youngster (stolen from other clubs’ academies) into a decent footballer. The French savant with the sportsmanship of Vlad the Impaler has assembled a team or two that can play champagne football against Barnsley or Chernomorets Varna before they pass out like a group of underage wannabies when the time arrives for them to rise to the occasion. But the question remains: Does this damp excuse for entertainment football in North London really justify the breaking of an ethical code and spreading of red tomatoes on the face of the government?

That was a rhetorical question. For there is only one team that could possibly merit such slavish devotion and high-level risks, and all it has had in common with Arsenal are Liam Brady and Patrick Vieira (and a cameo appearance by the guy from the Gilette ad). Yet, it would seem that Minister Tonio Fenech values the Arsenal so much that he opted to hop on a privately owned jet plane and buzz off with some friends to the Emirates Stadium. Said friends, as we all know, happen to be the Maltese equivalent of the “jet set” (apologies for the pun) and are not exactly the kind of people who you would say have no interest in the outcomes of various economically related issues in our tiny political scenario.

Minister Fenech did say a few things in his defence, first and foremost among which was the mother of all defences: “Lawrence said that I could”. Which could be an interesting defence in certain circles devoted to a fast track sanctification of our Prime Minister but which counts as much as the number of champions league trophies in the Arsenal trophy cabinet (you guessed it… none) among those of a more neutral persuasion. Have I got news for PN politicians. Lawrence’s acquiescence is neither here nor there in the final judgement on what constitutes ethical behaviour.

31 years young… happy birthday bro!

Reader Danny Attard has made an interesting point in comments to the previous blog post. He highlighted a question that I had posed back on August 7th in the post “When the Rule of Law is a Gambling Act” when I asked the following:

‘So. We have a list of questions for Mr Fenech. How do “lacunas in the law” in March become “evident” certainties in August, enough to justify a police raid?’

No answers have been forthcoming as yet, but the question still holds.

It’s 2009 and the students at the University of Malta have caught the progressive flu. In a move that is definitely intended to mimick the more progressive politicians (read twisted ideas of cool and trendy) a new organisation was launched on campus. While you could be forgiven for thinking that the name Pulse was so extraordinarily passé and out of touch you are now allowed an intellectual barf bag into which to expel your natural reaction to the absolute dimwitted name that Move tends to be.

The twenties had Avanti! and now the noughties have Move. What did the latest addition to the heartland of promising politicians have to propose upon its birth on campus? Why if not that absolutely progressive, earth-shaking, monumentally mind-blowing suggestion that condom machines be installed on campus! I had to double-check in the hope I was wrong but hey… nope… like a latter-day Joseph Muscat on a stipend, Move will strive for Condoms on Campus.

As though we did not have enough rubber johnnies climbing the political greasy pole already.

L-impjegati funzjonarji tal-kumpanija nazzjonali tal-energija irrabjati. Ghandhom ghad-deputati parlamentari li ghogobhom izannznu abbozz ta’ ligi sabiex il-kumpanija li jahdmu maghha tigi ipprivatizzata u tinqasam f’kumpanija ghal kull belt kbira – jigifieri Lussemburgu u Esch-sur-Alzette. Il-haddiema dlonk ghollew lehenhom kontra il-mishut mostru “privatizzazzjoni” u t-tfal tieghu “incertezzi tas-suq” u “nuqqas ta’ permanenza” kif ukoll il-bastardi tieghu “nuqqas ta’ xoghol” u “downsizing“. Mill-ewwel is-sindakati hargu bil-ghajta solita taghhom “Issa Daqshekk” u gheddu li jaghmlu hafna storbju u frakass jekk id-deputati ma jirtirawx din il-proposta oxxenament ridikola.

Mhux hekk ghamlu d-deputati u allura il-haddiema tal-kumpanija nazzjonali tal-energija twahhdu fi protesta u bhall-folla ta’ Ruzar qamu f’daqqa jghajjtu u joholqu “pannes” u “bloquages“. Qatt ma fhimtha din tal-istrajk li iktar ittellef lic-cittadin komuni milli lis-superdeputat li jasal ghax-xoghol bid-driver u li ma jkollux laqghat qabel wara nofsinhar. Sadattant eluf ta’ eluf ta’ lussemburgizi, frustieri residenti u transfrontalieres qded jidghu ghax il-bozzoz tal-mija ghorrief tal-kumpanija tal-energija qazzu l-alla tal-energija pulita u ibblukkjaw kull triq principali go nofs id-dukat. Ma nafx liema simpatija riedu minn ghand il-popolin – votant u mhux votant – imma din tal-karba u dimostrazzjoni rari tikkonvincini dan l-ahhar.

Issa erhili nghaddi mill-Petrusse, Gare, Pfaffenthal u hekk biex nasal ghal Kirchberg flok sewqa ta’ hames minuti kollox minn Belair ghal Kirchberg dirett. Kollha hela ta’ hin … u energija.

Din il-bloggata dehret l-ewwel fuq Kinnie & Twistees. Kont ilni tlettax-il xahar ma nikteb fuq dak il-blog. Bidu gdid?