Happy Together

 

Pawlu Borg Olivier thinks that the state, the executive, parliament and his party are one organism led by Herr General Gonzi and administered by Herr Commander Borg Olivier. Certainly this is no exaggeration and not far from the truth as in our language the word ‘gvern’ does not translate into government but it actually means party, government and state, all meddled into one entity. 

 

His blasphemous request to have access to complaints received by ministries and Government departments coincidentally comes in the wake of another scandal which did not stir the public outrage which one would expect. Austin Gatt is still playing hide and seek regarding the MITTS scandal and yet civil society and the public do not seem concerned about it. The PN’s self-anointment as the country’s eternal rulers by divine right is strengthened each time they gang rape democracy and everybody is as happy as the day before. This hideous manipulation and control of information coupled with unashamed breaches of privacy by the PN would shock and frighten anyone living north of Italy. Yet all we get here is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Goatee pontificating about transparency and privacy. If Joseph Muscat wants to really break with the archaic zero-sum politics then he should walk the walk and throw all databases in possession of the MLP out of one of the many windows at his party HQ in Hamrun.

 

A few years ago British politician David Blunkett, then Home Secretary, resigned after it emerged that he tried to speed up a residence visa application. A year later he was re-instated in Blair’s newly elected cabinet and appointed Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. A few weeks into the new administration he had to resign once again this time because he was accused of having a conflict of interest after it surfaced that during his sabbatical from executive responsibilities he took up a directorship and bought some shares in a DNA paternity testing company. In Malta politicians spy on us and on each other, lie in public about personal business interests, cling on to conflicting business interests, sanction corrupt and illegal practices and yet nobody resigns and nobody is accountable.

Nonetheless I am pretty sure that Herr Commander Borg Olivier and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Goatee share the same vision and both agree on what ‘il-gvern’ really means. According to them the term actually includes not only the one party in government but also the one party in opposition. And they happily ruled together ever after.  

 

 

Juvenile dreams

Watching foreign students and young persons, normally leftists (but not only), protest and demonstrate against governments, organised crime, dictatorships, corrupt systems and policies and for democracy, equality, freedom and justice, reminds me of the grim situation abroad and at home.

 

Watching Italian students demonstrating against the outrageous educational reform carried out by Berlusconi and armies of young persons campaigning tirelessly for change in America reminds me of the challenges humanity faces the world over but also reminds me about the depressing inertia in Malta.

 

In many ways it all started in Seattle in 1999 and since then protest movements and organisations have been sprouting all over the world. Yet it seems that Malta is immune to such activity. Is this because our young generations face no real social challenges or is it because a sheer lack of interest? Does this lack of interest arise from the lack of threats to the future or is it a result of what looks like inherent apathy?

 

It almost seems that Maltese students and young people have no fears, no concerns. It almost seems they have no dreams. Anthropologist Jeremy Bossevain believes that the only real motivation for the Maltese is family. Bossevain says “This can lead to corruption and tax evasion. Such an attitude leaves little sense of loyalty to the community or the state” This demonstrates the high priority given to family which on the other hand also results in high levels of solidarity and support, far more than in other countries. Nonetheless the aspirations of many young persons do not go beyond the family, the car, the house and the wage. Nothing going on in Malta seems to bother them unless it threatens the family, the status quo and the materialist lifestyle we have come to regard as a right.

 

It seems that the new generations live in complete isolation and breathe an air of indifference which makes them immune to global challenges such as climate change, poverty, the energy and food crisis and democracy. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule and the existence and action of civil society organisations offer a glimmer of hope and slightly dampen pessimism. Yet it seems that our younger generations are not capable of dreaming and struggling to achieve dreams which transcend immediate needs and aspirations.  Although this might not be a big worry for most, it certainly is a worry for the few who dream that another world is possible. Something must change, something must give. It’s hard to pin it down on one problem, one source of misery.

 

Maybe it’s the educational system. Maybe it’s the money. Maybe it’s the family. Maybe it’s god’s will! 

 

El pueblo unido…

It almost came as a shock….all unions are joining forces for Friday’s protest (or is it a demonstration?) The Unions rightly described this an historic event. In a rare expression of unity and cooperation the unions have shown the way forward, not only for the parties in opposition but also to the wider movement of movements, if one really exists.

 

When opposing a strong hegemonic bloc such as the PN it’s useless sticking to one’s guns and choosing self-interest ahead of unity. There is absolutely nothing wrong in having different positions, philosophies and approaches. The diversity of ideas should be a source of strength not of weakness. It’s a question of saying and reiterating all the different No’s and saying one big Yes. AD and MLP should take a leaf out of the unions’ book and show some leadership and put aside frivolous bickering and parochial behaviour in opposing and contrasting the Nationalist Party hegemony.

 

Government is in shambles. It seems the country has multiple prime ministers conducting calculator politics, cold, detached and cut off from reality. This government is all about book-keeping, spin and total outrageous control of the media. Watching the two political TV stations is nauseating but nothing beats PBS and the prime-time Stalinist hogwash offered by the omnipresent and omnipotent Where’s Everybody?

 

It is Ok to reach certain financial targets but this cannot be done if people are constantly fooled, taken for a ride and the future of a whole nation put in jeopardy. Obsession with figures is putting the standard of living and quality of life of working people and the middle class at risk. The executive and the legislative are not the boss. The people are the boss and the executive and the legislative are the employees. The time has come for the people to stand up to this constant deceit, with the Nationalist Party trying to make us believe this is a democratic country where government consults and seeks advice from everyone and everything but all it does is present our communities and civil society with fait accomplis. This is not a democracy. It is nothing but an illusion of democracy, transparency and inclusiveness. This is a five year dictatorship justified and rubber-stamped by phoney elections.

 

 

 

“Let’s be realistic, let’s demand the impossible!”

 

After a long, sleepless night, the world has woken up with renewed hope, not only in America but renewed hope and optimism in all fellow humans.

 

Obama is no messiah and certainly no socialist, he will not change the world as he may like to and he will certainly not change the world in the way others would like.

 

I cannot see him revolutionise the American establishment… free universal and public health care remains a dream, the second amendment (regarding gun ownership) will remain unchanged, the arms industry will retain its status as untouchable. Obama will keep his troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for quite some time and will demand greater participation from the allies. He has also stated that he might send his troops into Pakistan, make Jerusalem the sole capital of Israel and maintain the embargo on Cuba. In economic policy he will not change much. Obama believes that “capitalism and the free market is the best economic system ever devised to create wealth” , so do not expect any surprises there.

 

Yet Barack Obama offers an opportunity to unite the US and transform this country into a symbol of hope for the rest of the world. His story reminds us that nothing is impossible. In the last five decades the world has witnessed the introduction of the civil rights act and the end of segregation in America, the end of apartheid in South Africa, the fall of the Berlin wall and now the first black American president. All these were deemed impossible; however after long strenuous struggles the impossible became real.

 

Our planet is staring in the face of various challenges, many of which seem impossible to overcome. Poverty, growing inequality, the energy crisis, global warming, the food crisis and ongoing conflicts will not be easy to solve. Yet there is hope. Hope that a better world is possible. Hope that humans can stand up, unite and struggle together. Hope that humans can still dream and as Ernesto Che Guevara put it ‘demand the impossible’.