The assault on Vince Farrugia of the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU was a brutish act that deserves the unreserved contempt of anyone with a civilised bone in his body. This is not a comment intended to create bias or prejudice against the alleged perpetrator, as he's done that effectively enough for himself.
Happily, Mr Farrugia seems to be well on the way to recovery and from all accounts he's as chipper as he's always been, so perhaps, one might make a crack about how his negotiating style would have led to many ministers being among those suspected, were it not for the fact that the perpetrator, alleged perpetrator to be finicky about it, is known.
The stark fact is, of course, that no-one deserves to be treated the way Mr Farrugia was, so the above crack is only marginally permissible now, as he's out of danger and, presumably, appreciative of a touch of black humour.
It was astonishing, though, how many people thought nothing of making comments in the electronic media that implied that - somehow - Mr Farrugia had asked for it and, impliedly, deserved what he had got. It takes no leap of the imagination to divine that these comments, despicable as they are, were, to a greater or lesser extent, inspired by something of a reaction to the fact that a connection had been identified between the (alleged) perpetrator and certain initiatives within the Labour Party.
The thing is, I'm not entirely clear in my mind whether in fact the way people reacted was a result of the identified connection or the cause of it.
Certain areas of the media, sympathetic to Labour, before there was any widespread linkage of the alleged criminal with the Labour Party, were already perceived by those of us who recognise these things, to be trying to spin the ugly event away from any linkage.
The problem was, however, that the spin was so heavy-handed and amateurish, so much in the manner of the Lil'Elves, that eyebrows were raised and connections reinforced. Labour's Lil'Elves' problem was worse compounded when they went into over-drive to try to insulate Joseph Muscat from the accused, not realising (the requisite lightness of touch being absent) that by protesting too much, they were dropping their hero directly into the frame.
No-one in their right minds really believed that there was any material connection between Joseph Muscat and the brutish thug who allegedly assaulted Mr Farrugia, though all being fair in love, war and politics, you can't really blame the Nationalist Party spinners for taking some advantage. There appears to have been a connection, at the political level, but it isn't such as to tar Dr Muscat with the brush of violence, not really.
But by screeching like stuck pigs, Labour's spinners turned the whole thing into an own-goal of epic proportions, as is their wont. The insensitivity of some of the comments was shocking but it wasn't just the ill-educated members of the commentariat who were to blame: the mainstream media also need to put their hands up.
Unfortunately for journalism in this country, too many operators in the field work on the premise that their masters' agenda is paramount and, as a result, they consistently seek to give effect to the maxim that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Looked at differently, they live by the creed that since whatever their "enemy" says or does is wrong, whoever is targeted by my enemy must become my hero, even if he or she manifestly and without any shadow of doubt is undeserving of my support.
And when august institutions like the Institute of Journalists lend themselves to this sort of thing by, in a different context, swooning like Victorian ladies if a handbag is waved in front of a lens, then doom and gloom sweep the land and hope fades like a guttering candle.
It's the same sort of doom and gloom that crept up on me while I was watching the Special One's outfit picking apart his old team, the one which had achieved such success when he was the boss. Much as it pains me, it has to be said that Chelsea never looked like forcing Inter's 'keeper to dirty his shirt and, in point of fact, I can only recall him making one save.
Looking at the bright side, early elimination frees me to watch the rest of the competition without the sharp stabs of annoyance that plague supporters of English football every time their favourite's unarguable superiority fails to be translated into results.
For instance, I'm enjoying watching Barca take Stuttgart apart, an enjoyment made more keen by the fact that the whining Lehman is in goal for Stuttgart.
The academic enjoyment of the beautiful game will last only until June dawns, of course, and the usual disappointments that accompany watching England trying to perform to a decent standard start to make themselves felt.
imbocca@gmail.com, www.timesofmalta.com/blogs