Tony Zarb and John Bencini would like us to think that Malta is facing the same difficulties as those being encountered in Spain, Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

And so they have come up with the idea of holding a mass demonstration, which they say is a non-political event, against the high utility rates. Didn’t they already hold one some time ago, in November 2008, if I am not mistaken? That time they had the CMTU and UHM on board too, but since then the latter two unions have shown more maturity and are tackling the issue in the best interests of the nation.

Tony and John seem to have taken the cue from unions in the countries mentioned above, who have held protests and called industrial action against the measures that were introduced to combat the economic crisis.

“If unions in Spain are demonstrating, then so should we,” John must have told Tony after speed-dialling his number. “Yes,” Tony replied. “Did you see what is happening in Greece? Let’s go for it. Issa daqshekk!”

The difference Tony and John do not see is that the demonstrations held in these countries were spontaneous, not planned two or three weeks ahead just to try to drum up as much support as possible. But Tony and John know that the situation in Malta will never get workers to protest spontaneously, so they had to plan their event weeks in advance.

Spain’s unemployment rate rose to nearly one fifth of the working population, the budget deficit in Greece and Portugal went up to 12 and nine per cent respectively, and the Irish government ordered a 14 per cent cut in wages.

Malta? We still had the COLA increase and the government will be giving each and every family part of the extra expenses incurred because of the new energy rates. But Tony and John want to take to the streets and march hand in hand anyway. They seem to be doing a lot of things together these days.

Not only this. They said that they would be meeting everyone and anyone in their quest to make their voices heard in the build-up to the event. But then, didn’t the General Workers Union boycott an MCESD meeting in spite of being the one who called for it in the first place? That time, the GWU lost the chance to sustain its position on the matter, and instead chose to hold a press conference at which Tony supported John and his idea that Forum should be part of the MCESD.

But now Tony and John want to meet the Archbishop too. They’ll do anything to be seen on camera. It’s a pity the Pope will be coming in April – they would have asked to see him too.

On another matter, the MUT had the cheek to express its concern that Minister Dolores Cristina would not be able to give as much attention to the education sector now that she has been given more tasks. Well, she would certainly have more time to focus on what really matters if the MUT did not put so many spokes in her wheels.

***

I can’t understand the British.

For decades they have published photos of topless young women in their newspapers, have porn magazines on the middle shelves and speak of sex in their newspapers just as much as they speak about politics.

But then they are scandalised and turn all prudish because a football player, John Terry, was caught having an affair with the former partner of a former colleague. They crucified him publicly and called on the national coach, Fabio Capello, to remove him from the captaincy. Some even went as far as suggesting that he should no longer play for the national team. So far, Capello has accepted the first suggestion but has ruled out the second.

Why all the fuss? Is John Terry the only man in England who has cheated on his wife?

The decision to replace him as captain would have made sense if John Terry had not acted as a captain should while representing England, such as missing training sessions or regularly turning up late for them, or spending nights out before crucial games, or by not giving his best on the field of play.

In other words, Terry should not have stayed on as captain – and should even, perhaps, have been removed from the national side – only if he failed to perform his professional duties. That he had an affair on the side does not come into the equation at all. That is for him and his former colleague to settle on a personal basis. The national team should not have been involved.

John Terry is a footballer. He is not a politician who regularly speaks on family values, nor a magistrate sitting in a family court. Neither is he the editor of a Church newspaper. He is a man like everybody else, and what he did had nothing to do with his professional life.

I prefer the stand taken by his club coach, Carlo Ancelotti, who kept him on as Chelsea captain in spite of all the hype that broke out once the story was made public. Ancelotti said that what Terry did in his free time is none of his business and did not impinge on his professional attitude. And that is how Capello should have responded.

The irony of it all is that, to replace Terry, Capello has named Rio Ferdinand as the new captain. Ferdinand had been suspended for eight months for forgetting to attend a drugs test in connection with his profession.

So Capello prefers to have as captain a player who ignored his professional obligations to attend a drugs test, leading to a long suspension that deprived his Manchester United team-mates of his services for eight months, while at the same time keeping him out of the 2004 European championships, thereby weakening the English national team.

The British media applauded this decision, forgetting the way they had massacred Ferdinand at the time of his misdemeanours.

I really can’t understand the British.

***

Franco Farrugia’s verbal diarrhoea – pun intended; after all, he took offence at what I wrote about the mess dogs leave behind them; who knows, maybe he likes to dirty his shoes – made my day.

Let me tell you why.

Just over a month ago, he sent me an email telling me that after an article I had written about the Malta Union of Teachers, he had decided to boycott the newspaper. But a few days later he sent a letter to this newspaper’s sister daily about another article, and now he has replied to mine.

How’s that for consistency?

I hope Mr Farrugia is more consistent in the classroom, and that he doesn’t tell the boys to do something one day, and the opposite the next.

My, my… Mr Farrugia slipped – again, pun intended – on this one. And maybe he did not dirty only his shoes.

[email protected]