Lessons from the story of Cyrus

John Milton made a strong warning to humanity. In his epic Paradise Lost he alerted us that “Revenge, at first though sweet, bitter, ere long, back on itself recoils”. Indeed vengeance may backfire. In our lived experience we encounter ample evidence of this.

The story that is currently overwhelming the national agenda is heavily tainted with this bitter taste of retribution. Cyrus Engerer’s saga exploded rather unexpectedly at the peak of a rather dull, but heated MEP campaign. The media and the public were suddenly regaled with a compelling story of sex and scandal. The criminal court found a high profile MEP candidate guilty of internet revenge against his former lover. It overturned a ruling, taken in May of last year, which acquitted him. His former lover had the strength to forgive and move on. But the prosecution appealed and the new sentence led to the candidate’s downfall. Mr Engerer’s political contenders made a meal out of him.

The Opposition is having a field day releasing the details of this drama. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat risked broad criticism and strongly defended the former candidate. So it is in our polarized society. One party attacks; the other party defends. As both sides lock horns, each side responds to the tactics and agendas of the other. Ironically, the same undercurrents that divide us tend to connect the experiences of the entire population. On one side, Mr Engerer’s case was framed as a premeditated criminal case of “pornography”. On the other side the Prime Minister boldly stood by his “soldier of steel”.

Some wish to make us forget that Mr Engerer has already been heavily penalized. Long months of demanding campaigning and door-stepping were suddenly erased as he was forced to withdraw his candidature. The sentence also dampened his short-term political prospects and this is a hefty price for him to pay. Yet, the Opposition seems intent to see his head roll; it is pressing the Prime Minister to remove him from his public roles.

In its insistence, the Opposition seems to be relishing the sweet smell of its own revenge against Mr Engerer, who deserted the PN ranks soon after the advent of the divorce referendum. It is now seeking its pound of flesh closest to the heart of its former disciple. As it stepped up its pressure it even accused Mr Engerer of homophobia.

In the past I have collaborated with Mr Engerer on civil rights matters and feel that in spite of the suspended sentence that has tarnished his profile, we cannot discount or ignore his drive for LGBTI rights. The gay community and MGRM can vouch for his unconditional commitment. People who worked with him in the liberal wings of the two main parties must also acknowledge this. On top of the spin, Mr Engerer’s contribution to the civil rights agenda cannot be suddenly erased, no matter how heavy-handed the demonization tactics that are currently being employed.

Engerer’s contribution to the civil rights agenda cannot be suddenly erased, no matter how heavy-handed the demonization tactics that are currently being employed.

In politics the sweet smell of revenge is almost always short-lived. One hopes that this campaign does not get any dirtier as all contenders stand to lose in mud-throwing exercises. What is at stake is public trust. As in Milton’s Paradise, trust is easily lost but it is extremely difficult to regain.

Mr Engerer’s story leads me to a second argument. Internet revenge against former lovers and close family members is unfortunately very common; much more frequent than we may assume. The idiom ‘all’s fair in love and war’ is said to be a century-and-a-half year old axiom. Human beings have long established intimacy between the realms of love and hatred.

With the rise of the internet and the social media, the boundaries between our private feelings and public actions are becoming increasingly blurred. While all is fine while the sun shines, relationships may suddenly turn sour. In the digital age people must sharpen their competences to protect their reputation and interests. This current saga is a clear warning.

Merely five months ago the islands were similarly engrossed by the story of girls who sent compromising selfie pictures, which were spread online by jilted boyfriends. Then the girls naively assumed that their privacy and intimacy would be respected. Nevertheless the selfies gave the rejected individuals the power to take revenge.

With the rise of the internet and the social media, the boundaries between our private feelings and public actions are becoming increasingly blurred.

There was much disdain and criticism directed towards the young girls who appeared in the selfies; few people sympathized with their plight.  No action was taken when their nude self-portrait photographs were widely shared on social networks and mobile phone apps.

According to one lawyer, theirs was a case of adult porn among consenting adults. This claim was made even when one of the girls claimed that the pictures were lifted from her stolen mobile. The girls were blamed for their naivity and for succumbing to the pressures of a hypersexualsed world typified by exhibitionism.

Social media offers wonderful possibilities for us to communicate but we must be fully aware of our vulnerability. At stake there is our personal reputation. People that are closest to us may hit where it hurts most. While we should not become paranoid, we must be careful. Loving partners tend to share everything but it is now evident that passwords and PIN numbers should stay under our own control. We must learn how to protect ourselves in case things turn ugly.