ON KEEPING MOUTHS CLOSED
My good friend, for all that we see eye to eye on nothing in the context of our outlook on political life, Toni Abela got himself into a bit of bother over abortion, to the extent that he was moved to issue a statement that despite malicious attacks on him, he remains against abortion.
I'm not too sure of the provenance of the malicious attacks. If they were from the PN side of the fence, surely this is not the first time, and nor will it be the last, that the dear fellow has been in the cross-hairs? And yes, I know I'm making a puerile reference to one of the many, many, many televisual feasts that our hero has provided for our delectation over the years, albeit ones the temptation to watch I have eschewed. One of the programmes had a representation of a sniper's cross-hairs, I seem to recall.
I don't read the PN papers or watch or listen to their media, in the same way that I don't ingest the pro-Labour outpourings or the stuff that oozes from the MaltaToday stable, so I'm not sure if this is where the attacks on Dr Abela have emanated. If they are, he shouldn't be so touchy or he should get out of the scratch and kick of political life, which latter course of action would probably be beneficial to his health and well-being.
On the other hand, if the vicious attacks came from the so-called Pro-life Movement, or whatever it is that it chooses to call itself, again, why is he so surprised? This is a movement that delights in ambushing politicians on their way to Parliament, that makes statements of the bleedin' obvious sound like they were dicta pronounced by Moses himself on the way down from the Mountain, that thinks nothing of using peculiar plastic models to make eminently ridiculous points and that raises a furore about amending the Constitution as if their suggestions were ones that had any merit.
And Toni Abela is surprised because they were attacking him? If it was they who were attacking him, that is, maliciously or otherwise. I've had people dumping all manner of effluent on me in this blog whenever I've dared to express a view that these paragons of all virtue deems be insufficiently four square with theirs, for all that I've made it clear that I am against abortion.
Perhaps the caveat that I insert, to the effect that however much I am against abortion, I would hesitate to sit in judgement on any woman who resorts to it, renders my position not sufficiently fundamentalist for the proto-Taliban amongst them.
The problem for Toni Abela, however, lies not so much in the attacks being made against him: he's a big boy and can take it. It lies more in the way the Labour movement (see, even I can make a nod towards progressive embracing of all and sundry) is seeking, at the moment, to be all things to all men and all women and all people somewhere in between.
Dr Abela, in his Dissett interview, qualified his position on abortion from being one that is "anti" to one that is "anti but...", a position guaranteed to call all manner of fire and brimstone down upon him when those who espouse uncompromising positions are concerned. To be fair on the latter, Dr Abela's exceptions to his own rule, which reportedly included the possibility of abortion not being so heinous if the child-to-be is severely handicapped, were dilutionary (a word that Mr Gates asserts does not exist) to a pretty significant degree, but I believe that this is a symptom not of Toni Abela's departure from an anti-abortion stand but of his party's innate compulsion, now that Joseph Muscat is at the helm, to include everyone all the time, even when it is patently impossible to do so.
As Toni Abela is now finding out (he is intelligent enough to know this but until it is pointed out to you, the point might escape) it is not possible to be warm and cuddly to everyone all the time. Well, it is when you're in Opposition, of course, and Labour has been there for so long that you can't really blame them for thinking it's a natural way of conducting politics.
It might be the way to do politics, but it sure ain't the way to do governance, which is why so many people are starting to realise that they need to take a position and not sit there sniping all the time.
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laurence schembri
Feb 5th 2010, 23:58
@ Antoine Vella
OK to dig-up, meaning of scraping the barrel, the word pick has another meaning.
I beg your pardon. This was brought-up in an interview by PBS Dissett a few days ago, on his expressed opinion of seven years ago, 2002, by, and I will repeat, a malicious political trick instigated by god knows who. So much so, that a certain local daily even had the audacity to call it a U-turn on his beliefs, read the blog again and see who is being malicious in this instance.
Antoine Vella
Feb 5th 2010, 21:58
laurence schembri
"To dig on a personal opinion expressed some 7years is malicious."
I'm not sure what you mean by 'dig'; perhaps you mean 'pick'. The opinion was expressed a few days ago on television.
Charles J. Buttigieg
Feb 4th 2010, 19:29
‘Jesmond Mugliett has criticised MEPA for taking Marsa residents for a ride.
The residents have been complaining about the black dust and on the fumes in Hexagon House. Lately, they have also suffered from illegal dumping of sewage.
The Nationalist administration and MEPA have always distance themselves from the residents’ concerns and always reiterated by publishing a new study.
So far, despite a number of black dust reports, no conclusive answers have been found even though photographs and footage sent by readers indicate the power station as the main source for the black dust.
Mugliett joins PN backbenchers Franco Debono and Jeffrey Pullicino Orland in questioning the decision of MEPA to give the green light to the ‘outline permit’ despite the case still under investigation by the Auditor General, following serious accusation of irregularities in the tendering process.
“From the experience of how MEPA handled the Marsa fumes problem, the authority has a credibility problem,” Mugliett.
Let’s not allow ourselves to be fooled when they tell us that MEPA is an independent authority, MEPA is a government agency and the board members, except one, are appointed by the government.
laurence schembri
Feb 4th 2010, 14:56
To dig on a personal opinion expressed some 7years is malicious.
Charles J. Buttigieg
Feb 3rd 2010, 17:30
How very predictable,22 hours of total silence and then the fools jump in where angels fear to tread.
J Martinelli
Feb 3rd 2010, 14:25
Big mouths do not only face the ire of bloggers but seem to forget that they have to face their own vote empowered constituents come time for a general election.
Unwise uttering from newcomers of the game is one thing but statements and U-turns from a deputy leader of a Party are another! Worse still, is a leader's statement which sounds like being unsure where his deputy stands on a particular issue!!
Charles J. Buttigieg
Feb 2nd 2010, 18:49
ON KEEPING MOUTHS CLOSED (Two)
In an interview on One news, he said that Richard Cachia Caruana was a more qualified person to be European Commissioner than John Dalli. He also questioned the wisdom behind letting Louis Galea leave his post to take up another seat in Europe and whether Gonzi was losing some of his best men for his own political survival.
Philip Mifsud MP, the quiet one said the PN was running out of time to repair the damage it has done to itself. “Labour today is not the same opposition it was two years ago. The opposition is present, on the ball, and reactive on many fronts, not to mention that it has more intelligence than before” Also, according to Philip Mifsud, “The PN has a lot of homework to do”
Charles J. Buttigieg
Feb 2nd 2010, 18:48
ON KEEPING MOUTHS CLOSED (One)
While we are talking about Tony Abela and his stance about abortion Lawrence Gonzi is watching his back and manoeuvring more hat tricks to reduce the bickering, squabbles and unrest amongst his backbenchers.... ‘Jesmond Mugliett, Jean Pierre Farrugia, Franco Debono, Jeffrey Pullicino Orland and now Philip Mifsud, are all with their mouths wide open and very soon Robert Musumuci will open his too. Louis Galea will now keep his mouth closed and John Dalli would keep quiet until the iron is hot.
Jeffrey Pullicino Orland questioned Gonzi’s decision to select John Dalli for the European Commissioner’s post pronouncing Richard Caruana Cachia as a better choice.
JPO, who has on more than one occasion criticised Lawrence Gonzi over several decisions taken by the Nationalist Government, is now querying whether the choice of Dalli in Brussels and Speaker Louis Galea to the European Auditor court was more motivated by political convenience rather than by the national interest.
David Seychell
Feb 2nd 2010, 08:15
@ABC "ON KEEPING MOUTHS CLOSED"
"...I've made it clear that I am against abortion."
It's convenient for you to say that you're clearly against abortion when that principle is also written in gold in the blue book. The PN's position on gay marriage and gays adoption is also well known and "coincidentally" you're reluctant to express your opinion about it and say whether you're in favour of same-sex marriages/gay adoptions or not.
So I ask you, are you an opinionist or a puppet-on-a-string?