In these days of political correctness (abhorrent concept) and blithe misconceptions about the meaning of words, it seems that being called "moderate" is taken as a compliment.

How strange.  Being described as having only moderate attributes is, I would have thought, actually a (lightly) veiled insult, especially if the person making the observation is a word-smith of more than moderate skill. 

You can see the misuse of the concept when you take in some of the comments that pop up below opinion pieces such as this, where I express an opinion that is less than completely even-handed.  I'm told, as if this were a heinous crime, that as my opinion does not reflect the other side, I am somehow being derelict in my endeavours.

Balderdash, call my opinion tosh and piffle, if you like, but the act of expressing it is precisely what I should be doing. Consequently, please don't be surprised when I describe Premier Joseph Muscat's Government, halfway through his allowed period of making the best of it, as "moderate at best". 

He inherited an economy that was functioning in the face of the perfect storm Gonzi had navigated us through despite the slings and arrows of outrageous (mis)fortune, personified by the very same "moderates" (in its full pejorative sense of being very average if not less than that) who took it against him at every turn and who were then elevated for their efforts on the change of government.

Premier Muscat took this economy and instead of driving it forward with concrete projects, started selling everything he could, or giving it away for occult consideration.  On a serious report card, truly his performance would be described as "moderate, at best".

Dodgy "university" (yeah, right) needs some land ripe for development?  No problem, give it away and when people start screeching, give away some other, probably more valuable, property, dressing it up as investment for the South, that vast area of the country approximately 3 kms from the epicentre of the North.

And this very moderate piece of governance is greeted with palm fronds and wild expressions of popular approbation by the rent-a-crowd wheeled in to celebrate the fact that Premier Moderate has pretended to change his plans.

Need to boost foreign investment, a need that has been made more impelling now that some €85,000,000 or so needs to be replaced after the "moderate" controls on how foreign companies are registered have resulted in something of a deficiency being identified in the strength of these investments? 

No problem, hock a few more passports, that will soon make up the deficit.  And while we're about it, get the Lejber Wimmin to start laying the ground for womb-rental to become a nice little earner.

Need to churn the building industry's endeavours a little, and appease the Middle Kingdom?  No problem at all, road-map a shiny new (if very, very late) power-station, give away the land needed for it, guarantee the project every which way from Sunday, and Bob's your uncle, favours returned and deals done and dusted.

Need to pay back the switchers and inject cash into the private sector?  No problem at all, at all, stand back, smell the coffee and invest in a cafe', Premier Joe did it, why shouldn't you ask him to shovel over a few million?   

If you don't have a cafe' to be rescued, do a deal on some property, or other assets you may have, and place them at the disposal of Premier Joseph, he'll make sure you get an adequate return. 

The above may not be a moderate opinion, but heck, I'd rather be called immoderate and get you thinking, the alternative is not acceptable.

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