It is now official: for our government, solidarity means siding with the powerful against the weak.  The government-appointed members on the Planning Authority followed the official diktat and sheepishly voted for the monstrous db group project. The government preferred Silvio Debono of db group over the people of Pembroke, St Julian’s and Swieqi as well as future generations.

The powers that be confirmed once more that given a choice they opt for the big-moneyed bullies.

We should not be surprised. Government’s appointees on the Planning Authority had preferred the Gasan family over the people of Sliema and the Fenech family over the people in the centre of Malta. Remember the Priapic towers in Sliema and Mrieħel? Or should we describe them as the middle-finger towers that the big-moneyed bullies donated to the rest of the community?

The official policy line today is: if you are a millionaire we’ll make you a mega-millionaire as the richer you are so much the better; for the rest small or large crumbs. This is certainly not an option for the common good, but, one reasonably assumes, that it is done for the good of some. 

It is now official and written with large letters on all government ministries: Robin Hood does not hunt the barunijiet (credit due to former Labour MP Alfred Sant’s attack on the baruniniet pre-1996 election) but Robin Hood hunts with the barunijiet and for the barunijiet. In the case of this latest obscenity the only ones who voted against the barunijiet are the representatives of the Nationalist Party, the representative of the NGOs, the chair of the Planning Authority (who should resign if he respects himself) and the mayor of Pembroke.

This perversion of the meaning of solidarity was confirmed just one day before Archbishop Scicluna made a heartfelt plea for solidarity during the homily on the occasion of the Mass commemorating Independence Day.

The official policy line today is: if you are a millionaire we’ll make you a mega-millionaire… for the rest small or large crumbs

The Archbishop quite rightly noted that many today put more value to the individual and national interest over the common interest of the family of nations. He appealed for solidarity with future generations when taking decisions that have an impact on the environmental heritage of our country, on the cultural, historical, architectural and archaeological legacy as these shape our quality of life but also the quality of life of future generations.

Had he spoken a day before it would not have made any difference as in a country where the big-moneyed bullies are so strong that their money does not just talk but screams, solidarity in reverse is the natural option.


Last week a religious priest was freed of the accusation that he took sexual advantage of a vulnerable woman but was found guilty of improper sexual acts in public with a consenting woman. He was given a suspended sentence of one week in prison.

His acts, both immoral and illegal, are to be condemned. The usual engineered pack of trolls cut him to pieces on Facebook and with him they tried to massacre the rest of the Church.

But when Cyrus Engerer in 2014 was found guilty of what amounts to revenge porn the same pack at first produced a deafening silence. But after Prime Minister Joseph Muscat designated him as a ‘soldier of steel’ they roared approvingly to high heavens.

The victim was not empathised with or supported. The guilty party was awarded a big and juicy plum in Brussels.

The same pack of trolls is now pushing for him to be given an even juicer plum: a seat in the European Parliament.

Two weights, two measures or just another example of solidarity in reverse?


The former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was in court last week accused of a total of 21 money laundering charges. Up to a few months ago no one dreamt that this would ever be possible. All indications pointed towards his victory in the elections that were to be held on May 9, 2018. He had strong support and the opposition was divided, their leader in prison.

Then what seemed impossible became possible. An alliance was formed between the 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad and the opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. Mahatir was a prime minister for 22 years and it was he who had appointed Najib Razak to follow him as prime minister. Moreover it was he who was ultimately responsible for the prison sentence given to Anwar Ibrahim.

Mahatir and Ibrahim were enemies, they came from opposing political parties and deeply hated each other. But both realised that faced by the personal corruption of Najid Razak and that of his government they had to act fast. They swallowed their pride. They were wise enough to realise that unless they unite Razak would comfortably win the election. United they won the election. Razak’s corrupt government lost.

The wisdom shown by Mahatir and Ibrahim seems to be in very short supply over here.

joseph.borg@um.edu.mt

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