We are witness to a society and a political elite that have aborted norms, etiquette and normal rule of law for a hedonistic, amoral, nonchalant, everything-goes attitude. A society and political elite that has serious difficulty in distinguishing right from wrong, value from non-value, good from evil. Such an elite is not fit to govern.
A recent European survey regarding corruption (‘paying’ for a service that you are rightfully entitled to or else not entitled to/‘paying’ to get a ‘contract’/‘job’ that is rightfully someone else’s) revealed that Maltese ethical/moral attitudes are quite low. Such attitudes expose one to black-mail and collusion with criminals.
Deciding that whatever I do, in attitudes, living and sexual behaviour, are ‘personal’ decisions that affect no one, is infantile and irresponsible. A Godless, amoral/immoral society and political elite lead nowhere but to chaos. All such behaviour leaves victims. One cannot expect that those transgressed are not going to fight back. ‘Silencing’ those challenging their crimes, ‘morally’ or ‘physically’ eliminating them, becomes the trend. This is the situation we are presently living with in Malta.
And we expect other nations, as well as the EU, not to observe and take drastic action to restrain and bring us back to the sane attitudes that govern others! Typically, ‘populist’ utterances such as “they should look at what they are doing!” and “this is muscle flexing with weaker nations” divert attention from confronting reality.
It has become very clear that we have reached an unenviable threshold: part of our political establishment is incapable of expressing an ethically-binding answer to what is right or wrong.
It is with a sad heart that we have to recognise that a good many Maltese have become Godless- Eugene Teuma
There are truly shades of grey; the abused anecdote goes: “you cannot judge a person’s actions since you do not know the motives behind that decision.” But when it comes to public office, there are no grey areas, issues are black or white. One is expected to act above standard and without blemish. Lawmakers are meant to observe the law and be shining examples to us.
Ethics is the basis to human living. It is with a sad heart that we have to recognise that a good many Maltese have become Godless.
Irrespective of what faith one adheres to, everyone, including atheists, are bound by ethics.
Hiding earnings in offshore accounts, tax evasion, not declaring one’s true income, money laundering, going to shady places, making use of prostitutes, misusing taxpayers’ money, not declaring expensive ‘gifts’, cheating openly on your marriage partner and communicating with criminals are serious ethical issues. Anyone caught or suspected of such a breach of trust towards the Maltese people should resign immediately.
In spite of what our spin doctors would make us believe, tax evasion (not declaring one’s income) is completely different from tax arrears (not paying in time your declared income tax). Mixing the two issues is puerile and immature.
Our behaviour is being observed by the international community. Malta is almost still in the same situation it was since it was hijacked by a group of corrupt, cheating, power-hungry ‘elite’ of untouchables.
This does not augur well for our greylisting to be removed. We are not going to be out of the woods any time soon.
Local politics has been reduced to a comic act. A comedy that is fast progressing into a financial and ethical disaster.