Labour's Lost Valuables

By far, my favourite politician to hail from the MLP's ranks has to be Lino Spiteri. The Maltese political scene might have been an all too different one had he been in Alfred Sant's place all along. To be fair, sometimes, it is easier to speak and write objectively when you are on the sidelines. We saw this was the case with Johnny Cash yesterday. Today Lino Spiteri's article continues on the same theme. I will paste what Lino has to say in ths post in the hope that some wannabe political guru (a wanguroo?) at Herbert Ganado reads this blog.

Apart from the jabs at the statements by Gonzi and Busuttil that left many an incredulous jaw hanging, Lino has this to say:

"The local council elections result underlay another point transmitted by Dr Gonzi. He asserted that the EU was "a guarantee of the country's success even in terms of the economy". How can anyone prove that? EU membership offers a net balance of advantages. To exploit them, Malta has to achieve the necessary conditions that would still be required had we stayed outside the EU. Technological innovation, competitiveness and investment in means to produce and export goods and services are the requisites. Even if met, there is no certainty that they will be sufficient to yield sustainable success."

And exploiting the EU we do not seem to be doing. Correct me if I am wrong but the biggest bit of news about investment in Malta comes from Dubai. Smartcity sounds like some 16th century philosophers Utopia and I am baffled that there is no catch in the deal. Lest I am misunderstood I will repeat that it sounds beneficial and I am glad the deal is on. I am just slightly concerned that in the same period the US of A - a staunch ally of the UAE insofar as Middle East questions are concerned - deemed it fit to refuse an Emirate investment into four major ports in duh!merica worth billions of dollars. Even the republicans (my oh my) voted against such investment much to the chagrin of Dubya.

But back to the EU tool. Exploiting it? We seem to be making a shabby job of it that's what. Free movement of persons is limited to the pride of walking through the fast lane at airports once you have coughed up enough dough to finance at least seven flights on Ryanair in Europe. The free movement of goods applies until said goods enter our ports then our stevedores set about undoing whatever freedom existed thereanent (yes it exists). The free movement of capital sounds like a good thing if only there were more capital doing the shifting. Should I go on?

What little exploitation is had - such as funds for roads - is so badly marketed that we the people barely understand what they should be so appreciative about.

Beyond that there is another fundamental question. One on which I have been at loggerheads with various PN intelligensia from day one. The people do not owe the PN anything for getting them into Europe. Strange as it may seem the decision was up to the people to make. The PN, as a christian democrat party with European aspirations had a logical, inevitable, DUTY to take up the baton and form the vehicle used by the people for entry. The only points that the PN would win in that round is for reading the obvious where that bungling, "shoot myself in the foot" party better known as Labour transformed itself into a dyslexic analphabetic mumbler. Otherwise, the PN, like AD for what matters, simply transformed themsleves into the tool for the people to use to gain entry.

The people were destined to get in there. They chose PN (and more would have chosen Ad were it not for the former PM's theatrics on the ve of elections) to get them in. There. Since when does performing one's duty transform itself into a service rendered against payment? I'm afraid this concept of "the ungrateful electorate" is as blind as the concept of "the stupid electorate" that Labour hangs on to so dogheadedly. If that does not change, PN will definitevely have shifted into the category of the unelectable before long. Sad thing is that AD seems to be slipping slowly in that direction too.

As one French comedian would put it.... in the 80s and 90s we suspected that the politicians were taking us for a ride. Now... we know for sure.