Those who are clamouring for the setting up of another political party, besides the Labour Party, the Nationalist Party and the ADPD, are talking drivel. There is already another political party. This is the Party of Moaners and Groaners.

They are very active on Facebook and the rest of the social media. That is the thing they are able to do extremely well: moan and groan on their keyboard. Everything else is too harsh and hard for most of them.

Their party hymn is an adaptation of Did Ya, the 1960’s song of the rock group The Kinks:

“Groaners moan and reminisce about the good old times and whine, whine, whine.”

They look around them and see a lot of corruption, untoward dealings and myriad abuses of all sorts. They are fully conscious of the criminal scheme of buying votes by giving millions of euros in disability pensions to persons who had no right to them.

Reading court reports they now know that there was also a criminal scheme to give a driving licence to those who could not drive properly.

The moaners possibly followed an interview with a high official of the Chamber for Medium and Small Enterprises who said that, in Gozo, private enterprises had to change the opening times of their establishments. The reason being that many people got a job with the government in exchange for their vote. They do just a couple of hours ‘work’ and then they go to their normal job with the private enterprise.

The bishop of Gozo courageously denounced this criminal behaviour.

Moaners should be intelligent enough to suspect that there are countless other corrupt schemes.

Some moaners are genuine, acting the way they do because they have lost all hope; a feeling I understand and empathise with. However, others simply want to invent a justification for their inaction as they are too ashamed to be seen doing nothing. Some camouflage their inaction by feigning the role of objective observers who analyse from a distance. Others find refuge in bothsideism. “Corruption was always present in our political scene.” “All are equally guilty.”

Still others put on a lion’s mane while commenting on Facebook and the social media. There they are courage and fighting spirit incarnate. “We shall fight them on the beaches, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,” they exclaim with such fervour that even Churchill would be put to shame.

However, when push comes to shove, they are just blah, blah, blah.

When the battle cry sounds, they are full of excuses: “I work with the government.” “I have an urgent appointment.” “I have a full-time job and a hobby to take care of.” “I have a family to support.” “This will get us nowhere.”

Instead of looking around you and all the time dictating what everyone else should be doing, why don’t you ask yourselves what you are doing?- Fr Joe Borg

Then, they once more cover their cowardice by retreating to their keyboards, or armchairs, or cocktail parties, where they can moan or groan to their heart’s content, picking holes in the strivings of those who stick their neck out. These moaners and groaners today are all praise and nostalgia for Eddie Fenech Adami and quite rightly so. But there was also a time when the Party of Moaners and Groaners strongly attacked Fenech Adami. I remember a speech he made in conjunction with the May 1, 2001 celebrations, during which he rubbished the moaners and groaners targeting him in his inimitable assertive way.

What really enrages me about these armchair moaners and groaners is their criticism of activists in political parties or in civil society. The moaners say that the activists are not active enough, that they could do more, that they are not aggressive enough. For several, this criticism is nothing more than a puerile attempt to justify their inactivity.

Undoubtedly, activists in political parties or in civil society are not perfect. They happen to be human too and so they do make mistakes. They do have a full-time job and a family, so they have limited time. They know something or a lot about one thing but are not savvy enough about many others. They have their own ideas but do have limited financial resources to put them into practice. The harsh reality is that the list of defects can go on and on.

But the basic truth is that most are doing the best they can. They are sacrificing their family time. They risk being attacked and disparaged. They lose money as many opt for not having a part-time job. Some are not in the good books of their employers, who even warn them. They strive on despite the unfair criticism of the armchair moaners and groaners.

The activists are doing their best and paying a price for it while the groaners are doing nothing. The activists in political parties or in civil society deserve our respect, praise, cooperation and help. I really do admire them.

This does not mean that they should not be criticised. They should learn from criticism and strive to pull up their socks when they falter.

On the other hand, I have no respect for the armchair moaners who refuse to join the fray; but I dare proffer them some advice. Instead of looking around you and all the time dictating what everyone else should be doing, why don’t you ask yourselves what you are doing? Get involved and stop moaning.

This is perhaps the angriest op-ed that I have ever written. I did pen it as I am fed up to the gills by this shameful behaviour of many of the moaners and groaners. And I do not care one hoot if they now put on their lion’s mane to become keyboard warriors and attack me on Facebook.