Premier Joseph Muscat's Office declined to comment on Joe Grima's possibly illegal outburst on his Facebook page where the President was referred to in not very complimentary terms.

Apparently, at least insofar as the OPM is concerned, if you're Joe Grima, you can say whatever you like and however you like, because your opinion is sacred, like those cows that amble about the streets of Mumbai, causing congestion and mayhem but untouchable because they're holy.

"The Government does not control what people say on Facebook", we were told, though perhaps the words "though it would dearly love to, like our Chinese best buddies" were left out, for all that they were probably muttered in pectore.

Actually, Premier Muscat, you might not understand this completely, but yes, in certain circumstances the Government should and must "control" what people who represent it, and are paid by us to do so, say. This control is exercised by means of making it pretty damn clear that there are codes of conduct to be respected and for words of condemnation to be voiced in the event of disrespect being shown.

Incidentally, disrespecting the President is a specific offence under the law, another small point that the Office of Premier Muscat seems to have not bothered to take into consideration.

I resent Joe Grima saying what he likes, vulgarly and crassly, and his boss not even making a passing reference to this, except to hide behind the pseudo-liberal claptrap of "we don't control people's opinions". Truth be told I resent the fact that my money is being used to fund Grima's retirement, for very little, if any, value received that anyone can see, and if he's going to be allowed to spout garbage about people, racist garbage at that, this is going too far.

Well, it would be going too far, but this is a Government that sees no harm in shovelling lorry loads of cash in the general direction of a minister's wife and telling us that she's our consul in some god-forsaken town in China when this doesn't actually seem to be the truth.

Oh well, if Premier Muscat doesn't mind Joe Grima being crass, vulgar and libellous, I suppose i can feel myself free to describe Premier Muscat as any manner of vile being with horrendous proclivities, as long as I do it as an opinion on Facebook which the Office of Premier Muscat has said it does not control.

But obviously, I won't, because I'm not Joe Grima.

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