Decent arguments

Stanley Clews (Political Futures, February 4) seems to be irked because I have my letters published, in which I critisise his GonziPN. He wants me to tell him “what Joseph Muscat has to offer when in government”.

Besides the fact that Dr Muscat has even given 51 replies to Lawrence Gonzi’s 10 questions, if Mr Clews is so curious, he should join the majority – including The Times and all other newspapers, except for the Nationalist Party ones, of course – that are clamouring for a general election now. If Dr Gonzi finally accedes to holding the election without further procrastination, then Mr Clews will be able to satisfy his curiosity.

True to form, Mr Clews imitated his “Great Leader” by trying to scare readers from voting for Dr Muscat and the Labour Party by referring to Dom Mintoff’s daughter, Yana, who addressed the recent PL general conference. Mr Clews referred to her speech in order to hint that if Dr Muscat and the PL win the election, the Maltese people may “return to the Mintoff days, when we had to smuggle in toothpaste, spaghetti and a bar of decent chocolate”.

At least, when I write I do my best to make arguments which make some sense. If I had to use the same logic – or lack of it – of Mr Clews, I would then write that women should not vote for the PN because the PN was officially against the vote for women in the past.

Or that young voters should give Dr Gonzi the thumbs down because the PN had voted against the lowering of the voting age to 18 years when the Labour government had legislated in favour of giving the vote to 18 year olds! Or pensioners should all vote for Dr Muscat and the PL because the PN had been against the introduction of the two-thirds pension for all! And mention all the other welfare state legislation that was systematically opposed by the PN in the now distant past!

If I were to use such arguments in this day and age, I would be insulting the intelligence of readers. Even though they make more sense than mentioning “decent chocolate, toothpaste and spaghetti”.