Being absolutist

After reading the obituaries in The Economist, Richard Matrenza informed us (October 31) that he came across a line which "shed a very strong light for me on a very sensitive and delicate subject" and which he wished "to share with readers, in particular Maltese in Malta".

With all those melodramatic words, which give the impression that Mr Matrenza is a contemporary Moses, it comes as a bit of a downer to learn that Mr Matrenza was referring to the platitude "Nothing is absolute. Nothing is forever", which he seems to have discovered very late in life.

Mr Matrenza's epiphany was an event of great moment. He goes on to tell us that "a certain European Commissioner responsible for enlargement, by the name of Gunther Verheugen, has been visiting our shores and has been lecturing and hectoring us in absolutist terms". For having so grievously sinned, the EU Commissioner deserved some fire and brimstone for Mr Matrenza, from the peak of Mount Sinai, ordered that "Mr Verheugen is invited to refrain from being absolutist and using scaremongering language".

What I find strange is how Mr Matrenza, standing so high above us mortals, should not have each and every "absolutist" within view. He missed a certain Labour Party leader, by the name of Alfred Sant, who has also been lecturing us in absolute terms. A similar invitation from Mr Matrenza to Dr Sant, asking the MLP leader to refrain from being absolutist and from using scaremongering language, would be most welcome.