Most of us would claim that we know what a mirage is - an optical illusion. Something that appears to be but that turns out not to be. Something that offers an illusion, as in false hope, that then turns out to be just that, as in an illusion.
In nature, a mirage is normally caused by atmospheric conditions - the appearance of a pool of water in a desert or ahead on the road - generated by light being bent as it passes through different layers of hot air.
In politics and society, a mirage is also similarly caused by ‘atmospheric’ conditions – the appearance of progress, well-being, human development – generated by manipulated or ‘bent’ messages that pass-through layers of heated air.
This ‘miraging’ or ‘bending’ creates distortion in the appearance of things, routinely resulting in erroneous or deformed interpretations in our brains. Consequently, in society at large and in politics in particular, many of our dominant illusions have little to do with reality but take (mis)shape in the public and individual mind.
While this outcome is glaringly obvious among ‘believers’ around Trump or Netanyahu for example, so too is it the case here in that mirage of the Mediterranean, Malta. Very little, if anything, is what it appears to be or is said to be. While Malta has always been afflicted by ‘mirage syndrome’, it has now reached advanced levels of delusion.
Officially, Malta is one of Europe’s pre-eminent success stories and yet, even a cursory glimpse of that myth reveals it to be little more than a mirage, a very expensively manufactured mirage and one with increasingly severe consequences for the vast majority of Maltese.
Currently, we are experiencing three ‘stand out mirages’ (there are, sadly, many, many more) which illustrate the high degree of delusion that afflicts many.
The first such mirage is what we can term ‘real deal’ syndrome. We have all observed it, we can describe it in some detail, we read and hear about it on a daily basis, our ‘leaders’ talk endlessly of it and yet everyone knows it to be the mirage it is. The police know it, the AG knows it, the courts know it, our body politic knows it and most of all our town squares know it.
The Vitals-Steward mirage promised a substantive ‘real’ health initiative, but on first inspection turned out to be anything but that. The promised health ‘oasis’ evaporated into thin air, leaving nothing but a severe collective headache and a massive hole in the public’s finances.
Inevitably, the ‘real deal’ spoken about was realised in the bank accounts and the careers of some mirage magicians.
A second and popular mirage example is the official ‘Sustainable Malta’ mirage.
Time and time again, we are encouraged to believe that the current growth trajectory for both Malta and Gozo is sustainable and is ‘planned’ to be so. This specific mirage was again conjured from thin air by Robert Abela while launching the Labour Party’s election campaign last April. It also theoretically underpins Castille’s Project Green, the now shredded concept of eco Gozo and the 2021–2030 Gozo Development Strategy.
While the official policy chatter continues to genuflect in the direction of sustainability and environmental integrity and protection, everyone, everywhere knows this to be yet another illusion, one of truly mega proportions. A quick glance at any of Malta Tourism’s external advertising offers a telling insight into this particular mirage. Anyone familiar with the reality of Gozo’s ‘development’ knows it is anything but sustainable even in the immediate short term.
Underpinning the previous two mirages is the ‘mother mirage’, officially known as Malta Tagħna Lkoll [A Malta for All]. From its very inception as a political slogan, this image of the country’s future post 2013 was not just an illusion, but more importantly a deception conceived with malign intent. As has often been noted, Malta Tagħna Lkoll was rapidly replaced by Malta Tagħhom Biss [A Malta Just For Them].
Yet this original mirage is still being peddled to the masses – the illusion (now a full-blown delusion) still possesses the power to enthral. Just like any run of the mill magician’s tricks, it offers sleight of hand, fast and slippery words, fakery and advanced deception. It also contradicts the reality with which we are all familiar to our cost.
Our land in all its beauty and richness is in imminent danger of simply being a textbook mirage.