Judging from the e-mails I receive and from even a cursory look at the blogs on the net, the gulf between reality and the official, sanitized version of things as told to us by the PN spinners is incredible. The blog of the Other Paper is not a true reflection of what readers are writing as contributions are censored before they appear on the web. I know this because bloggers have sent me the original version they sent in to the Other Paper and the bits which were censored appear in red. So much for the independent press. But in spite of the manipulation of the media by the Nat spinners, this does not mean that we cannot penetrate reality.

In the first paragraph of the first book she ever wrote, Claudine at School, Colette devoted it to an argument between the description of her native village in a geography book, and what was really there: “To me, those descriptions are totally meaningless!” writes Claudine angrily. “No, that’s not how I see it.” That is exactly how many of us feel after reading what the spinners and Sorcerer’s Apprentice, with her list of Hot Tips and entries into blogs which are utterly disgusting, write and say and the reality in which we live.

Debasing the Labour Party and all those who belong to it; trying to plant fear in the hearts of voters by their adverts and by describing a scenario which they predict will happen if a Labour government is elected, can only scare those who do not think or read. The way subliminal messages keep on being sent regarding Dr Sant’s illness is nothing short of revolting and why the archbishop did not come out with some statement takes me even further away from this lot of Catholics who inhabit this island and are immersed in hypocrisy. All we hear and read is lies and more lies. The nature of modern political campaigning, of spin, is such that it contains a thousand tiny lies and ones which are not so small. Those who indulge in blantantly lying, as we know, can always be found in the front pews and clutching their rosary beads. But people are no longer so gullible.

Clasped for so long in the centre of events those who are now in government and their spinners will be sad to have to abandon their privileged places when they will be released in an instant when events move beyond. The average man in the street sees through the games of those spinners who fancy themselves to be tacticians and analysts of the current political scene.

But I foresee that another stanza in the Nationalist saga which has now lasted far too long for it to be healthy, is coming to an end. In electoral peacetime the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and other spinners can then spend their time criticizing the Labour government as they have done in the past. But do we care a sausage?

In his column in today’s Times, Norman Hamilton wrote: “I trust that the rumour doing the rounds that a new Nationalist government will raise VAT from 18 per cent to 25 per cent is completely unfounded. Remember, we had a recent precedent when the Nationalist government raised VAT from 15 per cent to 18 per cent. Perhaps Josephine Vassallo from OPM Castille would care to officially deny this rumour?” We all hope that it is merely a rumour Norman and that yes, it is completely unfounded. Can you imagine what Vat at 25 per cent is going to be like if there are those who are foolish enough and are going to vote this lot in again? I do not wish to ask Ms Vassallo to take this matter up. It should be Gordon Pisani the Information officer of the Nationalist Party who should come out with a statement to dispel this rumour and put our minds at rest. Well Gordon, the ball is now in your court.

In a letter to the other paper Adrian Vassallo wrote: “All over the place, social discipline is going to the dogs and there seems to be no firm hand to cope with the tide.” To continue to quote him: “During the past year, a total of 112 inmates at the civil prisons were found to be under the influence of drugs, and there were no less than 38 separate occasions when drug finds were reported in the prison precincts.” It makes us all wonder. If drugs cannot be controlled in a closed and guarded place with relatively few inmates and visitors, such as Corradino, how much less can they be controlled outside prison?

I happened to zap in on a programme in which Dr Gonzi was being interviewed by Becky Montesin on Net. I had just watched her daughter, Christine, who is going to be a clone of her mummy, sing the Blue Party song, with a bevy of Nat lovers. You can access it on the Net of course. I watched Eileen with awe and astonishment. Not! Another flag-waving exercise for the gullible, I thought to myself, stretching out for a sip of my delicious Almond Tea and another Mozart chocolate. Nobody talks of Defector Montesin’s Run Rabbit Run days anymore. A convert to the Nat’s camp there she was asking the prime minister ‘spontaneous’ questions which had obviously been decided upon by Castille before. What does La Montesin think? That those watching believed she had thought out those questions herself? And I cringed as I watched the finale of this particular episode of this soap opera that the Nationalist Party campaign is proving to be. Does wannabe Montesin realise how pathetic she looked to those of us who are living in reality and not in the dream world of the Nationalists? And, her last cringing remark about everything being possible with Dr Gonzi as prime minister, a remark to match the billboard which was stolen from Sarko’s campaign, was not the end either. The robots behind Dr Gonzi who had colonized this particular tent, clapped automatically while some of them went up to him to sign their maktur, or whatever it is, emblazoned with the Nationalist emblem on it. Really, why don’t these people get a life for themselves, take to the hills or go and do some missionary work in Balzan, Marsa or darkest Africa. Absolutely cringing. And there was Georg Sapiano hovering around at the back. I understand his name will be on my ballot sheet in Sliema on election day. Will Montesin and al. show their well-known faces among the celebratory crowd once Labour wins this election? What will all those lawyer/ministers do in opposition? Take up their law practices again? Do quiet penance? I am tempted to add a poetic touch. Let me quote James Joyce in Ulysses:

How dull it is to pause, to make an end,

To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!

This ignoble thought has suddenly flashed across my mind. Will La Montesin become a Prodigal Daughter and return to Labour once they become kings of PBS again?

I’ve had another ignoble thought. There is certainly one chap I am not missing on our small screens this election. And that is David Casa, prancing around and haranguing us during the last campaign. L’Etranger is now safely in Brussels and no doubt embracing…well, the Euro of course, with enthusiasm.

The prime minister is busy distributing Pink Stamps in his eagerness to give us yet another five years of NP government. It amused us no end to hear that they will be distributing ecological light bulbs to one and all if they return to power. Are we going to have to queue in our thousands to collect them? ‘Is he intending to give them to Eileen Montesin to distribute,’ a friend messaged. I wonder. Or will distribution be in the hands of Pablo Micallef of Where’s Everybody who also ‘interviewed’ him recently? Where’s Everybody again? Vote Labour. Better safe than sorry.

I read that the official photographer of Bondiplus (yes that is who René Rossignaud is in case you didn’t know) has resigned from his position as Green (AD) councellor. His letter of resignation was sent to the Nationalist media and not to AD. Perhaps someone should teach René some manners. The letter said that he did not think that AD should criticise Lawrence Gonzi and that the Green party should not try to attract those voters who would normally vote for the Nationalists. Hmm this stance is strangely similar to the PN spin doctors and official Nationalist media line – don’t touch ‘our’ votes, they keep on saying. Which makes me think of hidden hands behind this particular letter. After all why shouldn’t a political party criticise Gonzipn if he hasn’t done the right thing? Aren’t we even allowed to do that now? Criticise the government? Panic, Panic! They are becoming jittery. Very jittery.

Roll on a change of government.