Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblott, in their book How Democracies Die, state: “All successful democracies rely on informal rules that, though not found in the constitution or any laws, are widely known and respected.”
Precisely because we have lost our moral compass and there seems to be no written specific laws to protect our environment and to keep us away from using corruptive practices, our society has reached a stage where doing what one likes is the rule of the day.
Laws are flagrantly and openly being ignored and broken because we lost all sense of religious and ethical values. We are living in a ‘laissez-faire’ society.
Many, unfortunately, are so enslaved to party politics that unless good policies are promoted and blessed by their respective leaders there is no hope that they would be adhered to. A big responsibility, therefore, lies with the leaders of the respective parties who have to instil in their followers the need to move away from partisan politics and embrace national and universal values.
It’s interesting to note the difference between the way Evarist Bartolo, the former Labour minister, is commenting on local hot issues today and the way he used to act (or not act) when he still formed part of the Labour government. Many ask: why now? What stopped him from publicly criticising his own government when be was still in power?
There is only one answer: because then he was ‘enslaved’ to the system – to his party – to his government.Now, at last, he is a free man – he is himself and what he states is being dictated by no hidden agendas. So, the only way forward for our country to start a new page is for each one of us to be ourselves.
Luckily, we do have individuals and associations who, irrespective of the partisan politics ‘malady’, speak out publicly and feel proud of standing up to be counted. Local councils are realising that their prime responsibility is towards their local community and not to their party.
Lately, the Qormi council objected to plans to turn a private garden into an apartment block. In Żurrieq, residents formed an association and are raising funds to file a court appeal against a Planning Authority permit to develop Nigret farmland.
It has also been reported in Times of Malta that residents on the Strand, in Sliema are furious because of the growing disturbance on the once tranquil seafront due to ‘lawless’ entertainment areas that have encroached their relaxing space. The list goes on and on.
We need to convince ourselves that our voices count and can be effective. “The power of the people is much stronger than the people in power.”
The ‘Xebbajtuna’ protest, which was held last month organised by environmental NGOs and supported by a large number of organisations across civil society and which was attended by numerous people from all walks of life and political parties, says much about the devastating state of our environment.
The developers, through their overdevelopment, have taken over our country.
They are the ones who are dictating and designing our road map. How apt were the words of Andre Callus from Moviment Graffitti on the day of the protest when he said: “We are fighting against big monsters – against the monster of greed, corruption and injustice.”
We are living in a ‘laissez-faire’ society- Raymond Azzopardi
“You have the power of the money; we have the power of the people,” Callus stressed.
Joining such protests is one of the fundamental attributes of our democracy. Together with free speech, protesting publicly against malpractices help to recover lost ground and make the authorities aware of their wrongdoing.
In his book The Power of the Powerless, Václav Havel states that the primary aim of such public protests is to have an impact on society.
“They demonstrate,” Václav asserts, “that living within the truth is a human and social alternative. They help to raise the confidence of citizens; they shatter the world of ‘appearances’ and unmask the real nature of power.”
It is only when we shed off our biased blinkers and loosen ourselves from those manipulating minds that enslave us that we can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
In his latest article entitled ‘Getting the politicians we deserve’, Bartolo lamented: “How many more people, buildings, cars and the corresponding increase in schools, hospitals and general infrastructure can we cater for without collapsing?”
He went on to state that “we need voters who are ready to turn away from shortsighted and crony politics”.
To make us aware that we are being illusioned by what our politicians say, I shall refer to what was published on June 11 in Times of Malta.
While our prime minister, in his opinion piece, brags that “Malta’s economy witnessed a remarkable surge during the first quarter of 2023 and our growth was two-and-a-half times that of our peers in the European Union”, it was reported, in another article, that the latest Eurobarometer figures published reveal that only 36 per cent of Maltese people believe that the country is going in the right direction.
Enough is enough. If we are going to go on masking the truth and live in a lie then, no national examination of conscience, as Bartolo suggested, shall bring about the so much needed change for the better.
Ray Azzopardi is a former headmaster.