Christmas means so many things to different people. In fact in many circles this period is just referred to nowadays as the holiday season. And since it is the holiday season, the increased economic activity is bound to come into focus. Many retailers have reported increased level of sales that they never experienced before. This is obviously due to the performance of the Maltese economy and due to the presence of a number of tourists and foreign workers.

But what about the other Christmas? I mean the real one – the one that has nothing to do with retail sales. The one that makes us feel uncomfortable because it reminds us of solidarity and the common good. These are two concepts that are becoming alien to many for factors that are social, economic and political.

The last two weeks I have written about the need to revisit the profit motive and the need for a new social contract between business and society. The profit motive in its uncontrolled form ignores the needs of others and as such can certainly have nothing to do with the common good and solidarity.

President Marie Louise Coleiro-Preca has spoken a number of times this year about the priority to fight poverty and to ensure that those who are at risk of poverty are given the necessary assistance.

The profit motive in its uncontrolled form ignores the needs of others and as such can certainly have nothing to do with the common good and solidarity

When reminded of the poor, of the need for solidarity and of the primacy of the common good, it is easy to quieten one’s conscience by claiming that we give donations to L-Istrina and Festa ta’ Generozita’ in aid of id-Dar tal-Providenza and that we pay all our taxes due to finance welfare. Yes, true, we may do all this; however, is it really  enough? Maybe we should remind ourselves of the words of the song we will hear several times over these days: “Thank God it’s them and not you”.

Fighting poverty, showing solidarity and upholding the common good mean much more than a few sporadic acts of generosity. It is thinking and acting in terms of the community. It means giving priority to the life of all and not to the appropriation of goods by a few. This is particularly important as our economy grows at a fast pace and average income registers a significant pace.

It also means fighting against the structural causes of poverty, inequality and unemployment, the denial of social and labour rights, the lack of a home, and facing up to the effects of the domination of money. Above all, it means subjecting the market to the needs of the common good and not the other way round.

Looking beyond our shores, it is recognised that the market economy is the model which created the most economic wealth. Until a better model is found, we must hang on to it. However, the market economy is flawed because it has failures – as shown by the high level of speculation in certain areas (property is just one of these areas). It is flawed also because it has been applied in areas where a market should not exist (such as the sale of human organs).

We need to place this in a local context as well. The business sector needs to be less satisfied with the generosity it shows towards those most vulnerable in society and focus more on what it needs to do for the common good and to fight poverty. The donations that are given to charities are not enough to fully meet the responsibility of showing solidarity to the rest of society.

Those donations just help to stave off the tummy ache whenever we see images of the poor in Africa or the underprivileged in Malta. The business sector also needs to set the right example to the rest of society.

A blessed Christmas to all.