Free the economy is a dream I share with many as is evident from articles in the media and social media posts. However, a high percentage of people in Malta and in highly-developed countries are unconsciously enslaved by an economic system that regards success in life as synonymous to how much money one is capable of earning over a lifetime because financial wealth is equivalent to prestige, power and social status.
In our society, it is a social norm to dedicate more than three quarters of one’s energy to accumulating as much wealth as possible and, in the process, we forget and lose by the wayside all that makes life worth living: good relationships, quality time with loved ones, hobbies we once had a passion for and the enjoyment of the natural environment which nurtures us, to mention just a few.
I am not an economist and, so, I hope the thoughts I’m sharing, which are of local and global concern, could be valid and pertinent and may prove useful.
What do I mean when I say free the economy?
Free is a commonly-used word and we all like to think we are free. Yet, it is a mistaken idea to reduce the meaning of freedom to simply doing what one wants. True freedom arises from an inner knowing that guides us to act according to what is good for us, for others and for the environment because all is interconnected and one’s actions, whether positive or negative, affect the whole.
There is always human dignity in truly ‘free’ actions and these do not succumb to the general driving force that compels the majority to continue working to earn more and more and accumulate possessions, luxuries and territories all for themselves, with no thought of ever having to leave everyone and everything behind anyway. Yet, this lifestyle is considered the epitome of true freedom.
The definition of economy, which comes from the Greek oikonomia, is ‘good management of the house’. Unless ‘good management’ refers to a happy environment that offers a safe space where each member can develop his full potential as a human being and experience true joy, I hardly think ‘good management’ refers solely to financial status. And so it is for the economy of a family, a nation and the whole world.
I would like to mention three points which I feel are central to our economic well-being.
Firstly a ‘household’ is a space for the family or for those who share the space and time together in a relationship. Yet, in our society, sharing time together is relegated to a couple of hours a day or even less because we are forced to work long hours so that the family can afford a decent living.
Why, may I ask, can’t society offer us the freedom to decide so one of the parents can stay home with the children in their early years and welcome them home when they return from school? Instead, childcare is glorified to assure that both parents can go out to work. This may make for a stronger workforce today but surely for a weaker workforce tomorrow.
In a recent article in The Guardian, A. G. Burke writes: “If a child’s early experiences of care giving are inconsistent, insensitive or indifferent... this damages our ability to connect with others but creates self-loathing that can destroy a life.”
We can hardly claim that we are building a strong economy on foundations such as these.
A second point I cannot fail to mention is the issue of the environment, which is, after all, our ‘common home’ (as recently defined by Pope Francis) and the government we elected is supposed to manage this household wisely and justly for the benefit of all who live here and to preserve it for our children and for future generations.
However, on this little island, which has the eighth largest population density in the world, developers and entrepreneurs are allowed to eat away the land for personal profit with the excuse that they will becreating more jobs and more wealth for the population. In the meantime, our island is being systematically turned into one concrete jungle and into an unhealthy space to live in for all.
Family and environmental issues and social poverty are important indicators of what a true ‘strong economy’ is really about
Instead of renovating old buildings, of which 30 per cent are empty, and shifting the economy therein, we continue to ceaselessly eat away at our countryside and to construct high-rise, soulless buildings depriving the surrounding areas of sunshine, creating more traffic congestion and further polluting the air.
All this supposed ‘wealth’ that we glorify so much is changing our environment into an unhealthy space to live in, with the excuse that, for instance, our extremely rich garigue is ‘wasteland’.
Ultimately, no amount of wealth can buy us back our environment once this is compromised and where is our commitment to safeguard our health and dignity as Maltese citizens?
A final point that gives reason for concern is poverty, which is obviously multi-faceted and it would be presumptuous of me to generalise. However, a few points I can mention may throw some light on an economy that would seem to benefit from a greater freedom for its members.
I will mention examples of cases of social poverty like huge discrepancies in salaries between high-ranking executives and managers and ordinary employees, widespread corruption in high places and institutions and scandals among politicians and their minions that have become the order of the day.
The social situation has a huge impact on our ‘home management’ and, therefore, our economy. Yet, jobs in the social welfare sector are on the lowest salary scale. Why do our schools have to share counsellors or social workers or nursing staff between them? Why are social and care workers assigned to agencies where burnout is so common because of shortage of staff due to lack of funds?
A society based on a truly ‘free economy’ should provide ample care for the people who provide such services and for those who benefit from them, thus targeting the weakest of the household.
As I highlighted in the begininng, the issues I have mentioned here are both of a local and global nature.
I truly believe that we get the politicians and create the society we desire. For instance, in the last election we voted for manifestos promoting ‘economic stability’ and we should be proud that our nation has survived the economic crises. We may indeed have more money in our pockets now because of certain initiatives such as lower water and electricity bills. But is this all we aspire to?
Are we truly enjoying more freedom thanks to our economy and a better quality of life in the true sense of the word or are we unconsciously succumbing to a system which is progressively enslaving us more?
Is every member of our household, our island, enjoying more dignity?
Family and environmental issues and social poverty are important indicators of what a true ‘strong economy’ is really about.
Are we awake and aware enough as citizens to monitor our politicians and demand of them that they act on our behalf and for the good of all citizens in our household in the name of a strong and truly free economy?
tonimifsud@yahoo.com
Anthony Mifsud is involved in school management and is a member of CLC Malta.