One nation, one world

Winston Churchill once stated that "I prefer to be right than consistent". Of course, it is easier to be consistent than to be right, given that the latter is a very subjective matter. Being right often depends on perspective, circumstances as well as time. Even consistency may not always be a virtue given that it could disguise a sense of dogmatism and fear of change.

Fast changing, post-modern, relativist societies are becoming increasingly wary of dogmatism. Consistency for its own sake, especially in the political sphere, is an undesirable trait and may slow down progress. Generally speaking, electorates are also becoming increasingly cynical. They realise that, often, politicians do not mean all that they say. And they do not say all that they mean. It is a form of "political licence".

Darwin's evolutionary theory proved that where there is life it is the most adaptable species which survive and not the strongest. This is also true of politicians, even though it may be argued that, in the short term, all it takes to grab power is to beat the competition.

After the recent local general elections, all the main parties are at the crossroads. As our country struggles to shed its colonial/self-reliant frame of mind and moves towards "EUionisation", new political realities and exigencies will emerge. The challenge for each one of our parties is to individually, and collectively, shape up so as to enable our society to prosper by meeting the challenges and tapping the opportunities which EU membership offers.

The Nationalist Party may believe otherwise. Fresh from a third consecutive electoral victory, it may feel complacent and satisfied with its achievements.

Alternattiva Demokratika too needs to do some soul-searching. True enough, it may feel that its impact on the local political scene has been much greater than the votes it polls. That is an achievement that should not be depreciated.

Naturally, the search light presently is on the Labour Party as it embarks on its regeneration process.

In adapting to the emerging political, socio-economic and environmental realities, the only sacred cow for the party should be what it really believes in and what it stands for.

These guiding principles and values, its core ideology, is the north star that will enable it to navigate towards its desired destination. It is this sense of purpose and key values which underwrite its differentiation and provide a gauge by which all strategies and action can be assessed. The party should never lose sight of this philosophy as it stimulates and adapts to change. Politics should not just be about winning elections, even though these are necessary to enable the party to steer the country faster towards the desired destination.

What this implies is that even in opposition the party should strive to remain faithful to its mission, that of helping build a "better" society. This does not in any way imply that the party should refrain from resorting to all those policies and action which it deems to be in the best interest of our society. The party needs to send clear signals to this effect.

However, it is the government that calls the shots. Given its one-seat majority, to be able to function smoothly the government needs a receptive opposition. The Prime Minister has another opportunity to change the local political landscape. Will he, out of enlightenment or political expediency, grab this chance? Time will tell.

Last year Nicolas Sarkozy, the son of a Hungarian immigrant became President of France. His battle cry was "Ensemble, tout est possible". Its word-for-word translation, "Flimkien kollox possibbli", was used by gonzipn as its slogan during the recent general election. Barack Obama, being smoother, opted for a close variant "Yes, we can". Now it is Walter Veltroni's turn. The slogan chosen by the Partito Democratico for the Italian general election was "Si puo fare, 2008". Is this due to a lack of imagination or a result of the "global village"?

Barak Hussein Obama is the new face of American politics. Can someone with a name that reminds fellow Americans about Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden really stand for President? Would he not have had better chances had he been a Bush or a Clinton? Still, 40 years from the assassination of Martin Luther King, the US could be getting its first black President. But there will be no fairytale ending to the "clash of civilisations" as Mr Obama is no Muslim. And to think that he has achieved fame by stating that "... our destiny will not be written for us, but by us".

Robert Mugabe is no newcomer to the international political scene. He has dominated Zimbabwean politics for the last 48 years. Today, four out of every five of his people are out of a job, inflation is running at about 100,000 per cent and there are chronic shortages of food and fuel. The results of the Presidential elections have not been announced. Mr Mugabe is accusing the opposition of cheating. Seven poll officials are due to appear in court accused of undercounting the votes cast for Mr Mugabe. Although maybe late in the day, Mr Mugabe had better learn more about the "power of incumbency".

Giuliano Ferrara is one politician who prefers to be right without too much bother for consistency. His latest stance is as a pro-life campaigner, branding his list "Aborto: No grazie". An avowed atheist, former communist Mr Ferrara has admitted that three of his former girlfriends had abortions. Perhaps it is a question of conscience. Mr Ferrara insists that he was not running for office but was contesting purely because the electoral campaign in Italy was devoid of any ideas.

Come to think of it, locally, what happened to the Partit tal-Farfett?

Fms18@onvol.net