In 1807, François Isaac de Rivaz designed the first car powered by an internal combustion engine fuelled by hydrogen. In 1886, the first petrol- or gasoline-powered automobile, was invented by Karl Benz.

At the beginning of the 20th century the automobile was a plaything for the rich.  Most models were complicated machines that required a chauffeur conversant with its individual mechanical nuances to drive it. Henry Ford was determined to build a simple, reliable and affordable car; a car the average American worker could afford. Out of this determination came the Model T and the assembly line - two innovations that revolutionized American society and moulded the world we live in today.

Great inventions indeed that changed life, communication, travel and the economy in enormous ways.  The car industry became the lifeblood of cities and the need for petrol became a priority for Western countries. 

From the start of its use, the car also had other consequences.  Accidents.  Sometimes fatal. People began to crash cars or get run over.  Does that mean that we should condemn the inventors or manufacturers of cars? 

This twisted reasoning, it seems, is being applied to apportion blame on the PN for having created the Financial Services industry in Malta, for Konrad Mizzi’s and Keith Schembri’s predicament with regards to their Panama and other offshore accounts.  Likewise, women are often blamed for rape because they were wearing a provocative dress or not enough of it.  Does it excuse the rapist? 

The PN made the system legal, is the general excuse.  Therefore Konrad and Keith and the Prime Minister as prime defender of the pair, cannot be blamed for making use of it.   Perversely, blame the PN for legalising this mechanism and tempting people to use it, seems to be gist of the counter argument against the “not nice” of Panama account holders.

Therefore, let us take the cars off the roads because they are the cause of accidents.  Worse still, in the case of these two drivers, blame the car’s faulty brakes and forget completely that they were driving without a licence and without insurance and indirectly caused harm to pedestrians and other drivers who have to carry the premiums for their avoidance of it.

 

When the previous government built up the financial services sector in Malta, they did so with complete respect of the law and put in place the required mechanism to prevent it’s mis-use and to ensure a good reputation for our country to thrive in this field.  The professionals who offer this service are well aware of what constitutes good practice and what does not.  Consequently, this sector contributed successfully to the economy, to jobs and the attractiveness of Malta to foreigners too. 

The new labour were quite aware of the wealth being generated by this economic sector and made sure to let people know that they would be a pro-business government and continue to support Malta in its financial services growth.  But along the way they must have taken a slightly wrong turn and ended up in a ditch.  Once they were hauled out, they blamed the car and its inventor.  Naughty Dr Gonzi.  You should never have gone and made a success of Malta.  Now look what’s happened!  Our own Dr Mizzi and the super businessman at the side of the Prime Minister have both got into trouble for using the system which is legal but which should not have caused them problems.

 

Inspector Clouseau: It is possible that his intended victim was a man and that he made a mistake.

Dreyfus: A mistake? In a nudist camp?

Clouseau: Nobody's perfect.

(from A Shot in the Dark, 1964)

 

We are expected to accept the arguments, the excuses, the insults and the hopeless scenes in Parliament, with sloppy members positioning themselves like cats in the sun, licking themselves and every so often lashing out with their claws. 

Besides the usual deflections, this time falling so dreadfully at their own feet, we had the axe coming down.  Muscat’s own admittance that the Labour win was engineered and won by the Muscat – Schembri partnership.  Switzerland hadn’t worked so they now needed a special approach, one that would break the so called Monopoly of the Nationalist government over the past 25 years. 

 

How dismissive of not only the Labour party’s own candidates who apparently are only there for poor window dressing, but also of the electorate who has not, contrary to Muscat’s claims been living under a monopoly but with free elections in which they chose to elect a Nationalist government over a Labour one, prior to the most recent election.  Incidentally, Dr Alfred Sant’s two year stint as Labour’s Prime Minister of Malta does not register at all for Dr Muscat.  A mere blip on the blue expanse of the PN.

And for good measure why not also knock down the current leader of the PN, Dr Simon Busuttil by calling him a “Pseudo Leader”?    Such desperate words giving the impression that he is in a desperate and totally frustrated situation.   Here are the Abba of the labour party and they cannot be allowed to enjoy their Waterloo in all its victory and manifestation because of this honest guy who insists to do his job.

Some distraction in the middle of all this mud is needed and a trip to watch a football match is just the thing for the boys.  Act normal.  Pretend that you are above all the riff raff of the media and the opposition and independents. 

Meanwhile, in Israel, the state comptroller issues a report accusing PM Benjamin Netanyahu of not disclosing details of foreign-funded trips a decade ago whilst we in Malta are still waiting for details of Dr Muscat’s family trip to Dubai in a luxurious hotel earlier this year.

The impression coming from Castille remains one of defiance and recrimination towards critics, the media and the law and the general public.  But the public have patience and a long memory.   Football and Eurovision are not going to be enough to make them forget the smell of corruption growing stronger and more pungent by the day.  Others who will still be happy with the sight of the PM in Burger King can order their fries and whopper and squeeze the sauce. 

The rest will be there come another day, to speak the truth and restore some normality to this comedy of errors. 

“Hello? Yes. There is a beautiful woman in my bed, and a dead man in my bath.”

 (from The Pink Panther Strikes Again, 1976) 

The really serious and illiberal state we are in as a country is the lack of investigation by the institutions and authorities who are meant to be responsible towards the people and act upon the very obvious indications of wrong doing.  The other is, why wouldn’t someone who has a dark cloud over them, want to clear themselves of suspicion?  Instead they try to feed the public the idea that they are the victims and that their conduct is the hidden desire of every human being and they are the heroes to do it and have the approval of the highest institution of the land.  Now, truly, they have delivered on their promise of accountability and transparency.