George Orwell said that “speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act”. The truth is that Maltese politics is going through a rough period. It seems the people are having a hard time believing anything coming out of the mouths of politicians. In reality, one cannot blame them.
Throughout the years, many promises have been made which have either not materialised, been forgotten or even dumped along the way. To add insult to injury, there were, and still are, many accusations of corruption, bribery, lies and a variety of cases relating to government financial mismanagement. Over the past weeks, we have also had a local council crisis that has seen mayors resigning due to different allegations.
People are losing hope and confidence in politicians as they notice the way politics in Malta is being used and abused. But, as the saying goes, hope dies last. And, as history has showed us time and time again, people’s hopes are only kept alive by a virtually untouchable treasure but a necessary evil known as “promises”.
However, the people are not as foolish as some politicians portray them to be. It’s true that sometimes they might perhaps not see the big picture but they know what’s going on between the sheets. They are literally fed up being first used and then dumped. The “impression” that many seem to be friends before a general election but you are then a complete stranger after the result, is in fact a reality.
Funnily enough, in Malta there are still people who believe that our little country is a “holy island” full of “holy people”. Perhaps they think in this manner because it suits their social need or just fits their desire to want to control a rapidly changing way of life. It is not God who is trying to halt progress in Malta, wants to prevent divorce from being implemented or ban some artistic productions but it is those manipulating His words for their own selfish interest.
The biggest gift God gave men was freedom of thought, expression and choice. Therefore, those in the seats of power, especially the Church, are duty-bound to respect the thoughts, expressions and choices made by the people. Teaching morality is one thing, forcing it down somebody’s throat is another. Every individual has the right to decide for himself what choice he or she wants to make. It is all a matter of free will, right?
It also seems that our country is doomed to continue suffering certain very dangerous habits which are still practised with the excuse of being part of our cultural heritage. Due to the fear that political parties might lose precious votes they are still allowing this insanity to continue. What a pity, considering that lives are being constantly lost for the sake of power.
Only when the Maltese people start thinking with their heads and not with some other organ will Malta have a chance to move ahead. By voting for people who support dangerous, antiquated habits and policies, Malta is condemned to continue being a country with an antiquated vision. Period.
So, one problem stands out clearly. Outdated politicians stuck “emotionally” to numerous past-their-due policies who are making the unnecessary pressures on a constantly evolving society should re-think their position or call it quits. The world is constantly changing and politicians need to change with it. Alas, not all think this way. That qualifies as a major problem because these politicians are, or can be, holding the reins of power and, therefore, can make all the difference.
Lately, we heard about the worldwide phenomena relating to extremely close election results. This is a clear sign that people are displeased with a political system that keeps failing them as years progress. Political insensitivity has proved to be the primary consequence of a ballot downfall time and again. This factor in Malta is becoming more visible each passing election and, if ignored, will one day eventually result in a very poor turnout and political disinterest by the majority of people.
People are the real factor behind power. Politicians need to fix this in their heads. They are elected because the average person in the street gives them his/her trust. They are just there to work out the best policies in the best interest of the country and its people, not for themselves. Sadly, this is not always so. Not everyone in politics has the same agenda and this is the sort of danger people need to be aware of.
In interesting times such as these, one must muster all one’s inner strength and find the time to reflect on what really went wrong. Believe me, there is always a plausible explanation. Nevertheless, coping only with an explanation does not solve the problem. One must understand that change can only materialise if one really believes in it.
The writing is on the wall.