Four times in the hands of Paul

It seems to me that those who cried out that we are now for the second time in the hands of Paul have very short noses where the iceberg tip ignores the massive reality underneath. Indeed, the first Paul who came to Malta to make us more morally civilised was only one of many Pauls. Some infidels say that he never really came to Malta, that he was passing by, heard a lot of laughter, shook his sandals and passed his way. Which is definitely not true.

What really happened is that he came here, shook some viper by the neck - whose poison he didn't give a duck about - and placed the venom in the mouths of some Maltese who started laughing uncontrollably. In any case, he was a person who experienced some skirmishes with the Christian Democrats - whom he hounded incessantly. I do not, of course, blame him, for they had promised him smooth roads lasting at least 30 years. These actually developed serious faults, which made him tumble from his chariot, after only a few weeks. He never, after this, trusted the Christian Democrats, whom he started calling Demi-Christians - insisting that they were lucky he was using such generous terms.

Next came Paul the artist whose successes abroad with the creation of a Mediterranean Column inspired him to create one here. Troglodytes, who had been lurking in the dark corners of their grottos enjoying their hard-earned beef with friends of friends, came out to attack him as they claimed he had aroused their dirty, fertile subconscious while disturbing their hypocrisy. He had to take his creations abroad where they were more appreciated by people who had survived the Troglodyte period.

Paul, an administrator of our capital city, soon made his august, grand-masterly appearance and was determined to boost the local art scene of our hard-earned independence by bestowing on it two capital city festivals with foreign names. Notte Magica followed Notte Bianca - and to foreign limbo with patriotic, linguistic pride.

Spiritual leader Paul was elected to refine the task that the first Paul had no time to finish when he was called abroad to lend a hand and a head. Some years ago, inspired by the democratic ideals of Vatican Council II, the Malta College of Parish Priests had cried out loud that it was only fair that they be consulted in such matters. Two bishops were indeed elected since then and it seems that, at last, these were the result of democratic Christian voting among the religious. Only the extreme sceptics doubt this. And they are easily contradicted by hysterics yelling: "In his hand he's got the whole world".

All these Pauls and their friends had their February 10 national public holiday coldly beheaded by an administration that had just lost its third local election. But arrogance has nothing to do with it.

Heads and ears

This is not an advert for a shampoo but an attempt at understanding political strategy. Writing in this paper on December 4, Robert Musumeci states that the PN "is a party that has always managed to read social trends correctly and react in a readily manner". I don't see good strategy here since post-mortem analysis by PN-employed commissions have declared that the PN must become closer to the people and keep its ears close to the ground. It never suggested placing one's head in the sand. And, pray, what are "readily manners"?

Cannabis

I was told that, as a non-conservative, I am perhaps avant-garde enough to believe in the decriminalisation of cannabis. Not at all! I don't see the correlation. Cannabis is a dangerous drug and a person who considers it with benignity is anti-social. Indeed, I am avant-garde enough to believe that cannabis' cousin tobacco is not being hounded and criminalised fast enough in Europe. This is very gradually happening and only in about 10 years' time will tobacco in Europe have become a dangerous substance in the law book. Ten years too late!

Droll Malapropism

Some Latinist politicians, who have failed to impress as debonair Latinos, sometimes try their hand at appearing elegant and sexy by slipping some French expression into their volubility. Some time ago I heard a minister speak of commanderie in a horrible Franco-Maltese accent when he actually meant camaraderie. On solemn occasions one must contain guffaw and guggle and remain serious in an audience, although it risks breaking one's stitches.

John's rehabilitation

Hearing the Prime Minister speak in poetic kindness of "John", one gets the impression that the next step will be the rehabilitation of John Dalli. But, in Christian Democracy, this should not be taken as a logical conclusion. Watching people mill around Mr Dalli in Valletta the other day wishing him justice in 2007, one realises that this man enjoys a certain popularity and credibility which cannot be ignored. This man suffered anxiety and injustice at the hands of his own party and his right to reinstatement as a minister is being incomprehensively denied. This is the rough and insensitive way the PN treats its own children. Are you surprised at the clumsy treatment it offers its adversaries? It's enough to make one stop using the expression Demi-Christians and adopt the more appropriate one "unchristian".

If I understand you correctly

Some animators of television discussions have the unquailing habit of stopping a speaker and asking him/her: "If I understand you correctly, you are saying that...?" The tele-viewers have, of course, already understood the speaker but the animator wants to shut him up by doing him a favour and clarifying his message. The end result is that the speaker manages to express only a tiny fraction of his ideas quickly suppressed by benign transparent bullying. Obviously, the animator ends up being considered intolerant by tele-viewers he has treated as persons full of cholesterol between the ears.

More bullying

Bullying is the result of an inferiority complex camouflaged as a superiority complex. It is the expression of ignorance compensated for by psychological and violent imposition. It is the suppression of the civilised by the uncivilised. Action has recently been taken against school bullying as a result of a case revealed by maltastar.com. Bullying in schools and places of work has always existed. The bully expresses his/her Neanderthal behaviour after judging that s/he will get away with it. Bullying is indulged in by cowardly boys and girls, young and adult, in all sorts of ways. It takes the form of harassment of another person who is quieter, weaker, different, more intelligent or civilised.

While many are shocked at bullying, most are not prepared to attack the roots of bullying. Examples of events that promote bullying abound. These include violent "sport" such as boxing, bullying against animals such as animal circuses, bird and fox hunting, bull fighting, legislation without voting or consultation, decisions taken by employers without consultation of the trade unions, thrusting of religious activities and noises such as petards and church bells on the peaceful non-confessional and legislating for majorities while ignoring minorities.

Bullying is often the result of hypocrisy. In fundamentalist societies, the least bit of exposed human flesh is criminalised while films containing the most disgusting of violent scenes are considered adorable children's fare - with the result that innocent children are turned into delinquent bullies with the blessing of a society that smiles at revolting violence in films and video games. Then society asks: Where is all this upsurge of criminality coming from? It's mostly, my dear, from your serene enthusiasm at placing your child in front of a screen where man harms animals and man harms man... and enjoys it.

Turning green to grey

If one had to compare the number of square metres of countryside Malta had on January 1, 2006 and on January 1, 2007, one would realise that greedy development has been mercilessly munching away at our green and turning it to grey. What will remain on January 1, 2008? The destruction of the countryside brings with it physical and mental illness. It's the sign of a decadent society.

Dr Licari teaches psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics and geolinguistics at the Department of French of the University of Malta.