Public opinion or silly perceptions?

I have never believed the dream that Malta is a Republic 'founded on work' as Dom Mintoff had put it in the first article of our Constitution, and have concluded that our Republic is founded on 'envy', rather than on anything else!

The comments posted in news portals confirm that we are mostly jealous idiots. When a woman was accused in Court of corrupting a young boy who was a minor, many commented on the 'luck' of the boy, exposing the shocking sexist attitude of the majority of the Maltese: an underage boy sexually corrupted by a mature woman is lucky while an underage girl sexually corrupted by a mature man is the victim of a scoundrel. Other comments on Courts sentences reflect a mediocrity that is incredibly presumptuous.

One can hardly discern where serious public opinion ends and silly perceptions begin.

The reactions and comments after the publication in the press of the declarations of assets by ministers and parliamentary secretaries reflect some 'popular' - alas - perceptions about people in power. Many are not only convinced that power corrupts but that all members of the executives are 'ex ufficio' corrupt, as if on taking their oath of office, Cabinet members are immediately beset by a devil that makes them see money-making opportunities in every decision they take.

Stating that some strange decisions could give rise to warranted and unwarranted suspicions is one thing, but believing that ministers and parliamentary secretaries must perforce be corrupt is the most contemptible attitude that the citizen can adopt towards the political class. Refusing to believe that the great majority of politicians are honest and motivated by the wish to see a better Malta - as distinct from their intellectual capabilities - is an unjustified disparaging stance. It is as if every five years, some 250 honest citizens choose 65 thieves to represent them in the parliament.

Some of this is the fault of the politicians themselves who have got used to shouting 'corruption' too often and too easily in order to besmirch their adversaries. The result of this irresponsible way of doing things is that when there really is a major case of corruption, it is considered as a matter of course and the seriousness of the situation ends up diluted. Even worse is that when corruption is suspected, the common conclusion is that there must be a politician behind it when, in fact, most cases of corruption point out other players in the machinery of the State.

What is even more dangerous is that this common negative perception is leading to less valid people becoming involved in politics and the vacuum so created is being filled with persons who would not otherwise move to the front in the political arena. This sad fact is not exclusive to any one party, but is found across the political board as demonstrated by the sorry state of the level of the political discourse emanating from all Maltese political parties.

Unreasonable prejudice against people in politics only serves to deter serious people from entering politics, and unless the current trend is stopped, Malta is doomed to reach the point when only charlatans present themselves as election candidates. The people then would certainly get the government they deserve!

This is a pity, of course. If people are honest with themselves, they should no doubt conclude that notwithstanding the nation's birth pangs, its teething troubles and its turbulent teenage years, the Maltese political class has been instrumental to make Malta what it is today. The Maltese have managed to create a State which is economically viable despite all odds against the very possibility, a State that exhibits a high degree of stability and maturity despite some tremendous economic and political shocks experienced over the years.  

Almost 50 years after Malta attained independence, the Maltese have a much higher level of literacy and education and a much higher standard of living than ever before. Malta is a EU member and is one of the most successful micro-states in the world.

These facts demonstrate, beyond any reasonable doubts, the great leap forward in the wealth and well-being of all of Malta's social classes - an achievement reached through the efforts of all of Malta's political class, warts and all.

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An obvious trait in the Maltese character that is immediately surmised from comments in news portals is the propensity to denigrate all that is Maltese.

This is as ridiculous as adopting the other extreme by insisting that one should always believe that Malta's potential is necessarily equal to the world's best. It all boils down to the way some of us Maltese think: the universe is divided into two equal parts, Malta and the rest!

Some people are grumbling because this year's Isle of MTV concert is not going to feature any Maltese singers or bands - an issue that the producers of Xarabank considered to be a good topic for discussion in last Friday's edition of this programme in which, incidentally, I participated.

I strongly feel that subsidising this concert is not the most cost-effective way to boost our tourist figures for various reasons.

The idea that urbanised densely populated Malta could be a clubbing destination in competition with non-urbanised sparsely populated islands is a non-starter. We should be boosting tourism in the lean months rather than in summer, and it should be obvious that some tourism niches are mutually exclusive: official tourism policy cannot opt to be in favour of Malta being for everything at the same time.

The argument ran that since public funds are subsidising this concert in Malta, local participation is a must.

This is a concert with high level pop music artists of an international level and finding a different Maltese singer or band of this level every year is a sheer impossibility, unless you believe that Malta is equal to the rest of the universe.

Saying as much is not tantamount to discrediting Maltese talent but simply being realistic.

Moreover, in the past, Maltese participation was for local consumption only as, more often than not, it did not figure when the concerts were broadcast on MTV - a fact that says it all. In their quest for Maltese 'patriotism', some of us seem constrained to adopt silly extreme positions - an attitude that is nothing but a sad reflection of our inferiority complex.

This is, after all, why some react by believing that Malta is equal to the rest of the universe!

Meanwhile, the silly comments in cyberspace keep going on unabated.

The author is a popular commentator and a former PN Cabinet minister