As pop artist Andy Warhol once said, “In the future everybody will be famous for 15 minutes.” It turned out that wasn’t enough for some people who have had to resort to other measures to get their time in the limelight. Some people are forever uploading photos of their every waking moment in their claim to fame. Others are slightly more creative. Kim Kardashian famously “broke the internet” posing nude and balancing a champagne glass on her butt.

Labour MP Etienne Grech can’t very well do that, so he has to resort to other measures to claim his time in the sun. Usually these involve popping up with non sequiturs or madly irrelevant suggestions.

For example, a couple of years ago he had struck horror in our hearts by suggesting that  studies be commissioned to create access to Fomm ir-Riħ bay. It did not occur to Grech that the prospect of having this tranquil scenic spot ruined by a great big concrete path, a gaggle of kiosks and sausage rides was appalling. He just looked at a beautiful unspoilt cliff and suggested that we see how to stick a slide or lift or escalator or something else down the side. Luckily that was soon forgotten.

But now he strikes again. His last foray into the  media limelight took place last week. He stood up in Parliament and told the Church to butt out of the political fray and to refrain from repeating the mistakes of the past. The Church’s role should be limited to its spiritual mission and teaching the Maltese how to be at peace with each other, he said.

And although he was okay with the Church pronouncing itself on divorce, he wasn’t okay with it stating its position on environmental matters such as high-rise buildings, or corruption scandals. The Church should shut up and put up – and leave the stage free for luminaries such as Dr Grech, we presume.

I find it supremely ironic (and annoying) to see that a member of Parliament elected in a democratic system doesn’t seem to have a clue as to what the democratic process involves – and that he’s very hazy about the right of freedom of expression.

There’s the very strong possibility that by attracting all attention his way, Mallia detracts attention from what the PN is doing

In a nutshell: in a free and democratic society anybody can say what he pleases so long as there is no lying involved. Anybody should be able to voice his opinion freely about any subject matter imaginable. This holds true even if the speaker or writer isn’t particularly well-versed in the subject he is talking about.

So – to give a purely hypothetical example – I may think that certain doctor politicians should stick to discussing haemorrhoid treatments and not propose ways of ruining national beauty spots. However, I would never demand that he shut up and not express himself. His opinions should be weighed and considered on their individual merits. We can then dismiss them if we think they are ridiculous. Or we can take them on board if they make any sense.

What we cannot do – in a democratic society – is demand that someone shuts up. This holds true for everybody – from bloggers to the Church to Dr Etienne Grech.

■ These days politics is all about catching eyeballs. As in practically every other business, it’s become all about catching people’s attention. The greater the visibility, the greater the probabilities of success. It worked with Donald Trump as it had worked for so many others (just think of the number of local celebrities and newscasters who have been elected).

I guess that this is a factor for the Nationalist Party’s assumption of Salvu Mallia as a star candidate. The idea behind it is probably this: if he can raise some sort of social media buzz, column inches and media attention, then it’s all good.

As a media strategy I suppose it’s better than quasi-invisibility. But there’s the very strong possibility that by attracting all attention his way, Mallia detracts attention from the Leader of the Opposition and what the PN is doing. In effect, the star candidate would become the tail that wags the party dog.

It’s already been the case for the last two weeks, when Mallia’s actions and reactions to them have dominated the news – practically pushing everyone off the media stage – from his own leader to Prime Minister Muscat to self-declared “global winner” Juncker.

I don’t know how desirable that is as a media strategy. Every time Mallia expresses himself in his typical earthy and colourful way, the media is going to hone in on that. It’s easier, it’s quicker and more entertaining than typical political party fare. But if Salvu’s soundbites are all the media is going to concentrate on, who is going to be paying attention to the PN and its leadership?

drcbonello@gmail.com

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