J’accuse : The New Labour Stupid

It’s been ages. If a week in politics is long then almost a month getting married, going on a mini-moon (that’s the trendy half honeymoon while waiting for the real thing) and becoming an uncle immediately after that, while also marking your 36th year of existence, is not only a mouthful but a googleplex of eternities. When the celebrations and tsunami of emotions had subsided, I half expected to look at the papers and find a changed world armed with a strong euro abroad and a Labour government that took over from GonziPN after the latter had imploded.

“Hożż fl-ilma.” Which is a much better expression than “Yeah right!”and accurately conveys the idea of how far off the mark my wild imaginings had been. The events over the past month have given us two incontrovertible truths that will be rather difficult to change in the foreseeable future. The first is the confirmation that the eurozone and EU nations are in one hell of a big mess. The second is the sad unmasking of the empty Opposition that has long gone past its sell-by date and has failed the expectations of all those willing to give Joseph’s New Labour a chance.

The new republics

First let’s take a look at the Europe of Merkozy where words like “spread” apparently no longer excite bunga bunga masters like Berlusconi. What name should we give to this crisis now that it seems to be definitely here to stay? Is it just a Debt Crisis? Is it limited to an economic maelstrom of sorts or does it extend beyond the confines of stocks, shares, bonds and hedge funds?

The more I look at the crisis and its immediate effects, the more I am convinced that from a wider angle (and that includes a longer span of time than the proverbial week in politics) we are at an interesting turning point for our market-oriented democracies. The liberal-democrat world as we know it was of course built on the will of “we the people” constructing the basic elements of government − for the people by the people. We were brought up in a world of checks and balances where politicians were supposed to be elected to responsible positions at the helm of nations, guiding them in a principled manner for the “common wealth” of the people. Sure we had the extremes of socialist sharing and liberal laissez-faire but the ties that bound us were clear. We were all servants of the law because we wanted to be free.

What now? When governments from Spain to Greece to Italy collapse (or if you like, politely step aside) and allow the infamous “technocrats” to waltz in and attempt to minimise the damage we are witnessing a paradigm shift. The paradigm shift is one where “we the people” don’t really end up calling the shots but “they the number crunchers expecting quick results on spending and debt” insist on who (or at least what type) of person should help the leviathan weather the economic storm.

“They the number crunchers” would not have sounded so nice on the 4th of July in 1776 (although a Freemason or two signing the document would not have minded) but the truth is out there… our elected politicians risk becoming less and less relevant during the economic downturn unless they prove to be able captains when weathering the storm.

The real Opposition?

Which brings me to what has been going on in Malta. We jumped from a confidence vote and early lessons in constitutional law to Tonio Fenech’s budget that was thankfully lacking in holy talk and concentrated on substance. The budget should have been (and is mostly) about the government and its plans for the economic side of the business of government. It was also inevitably a bit of a pre-electoral budget: not so much a handout budget but one that was criticised in some quarters for dispensing sugary goods to the elusive “middle class” (seems more like “everyone” to me) and families.

From where I am sitting, we heard more noise coming from the Opposition and its Internet mouthpieces than from the government benches and apologists… and boy was the noise an ugly cacophony. Squeezed down to its bare minimum, the collective ensemble of Labour intelligence (if you excuse the clumsy oxymoron) boiled down to the tired clichés of “pizijiet” (burdens) and “cost of living”. It’s 2011, Joseph Muscat has had three years to restyle and redefine what Labour means and they are still investing all (that’s a big word) their capital in one basket: public discontent − whether real or fabricated.

Discontent is good for pitchforks and takings of Bastilles, but in the complicated world of the New Republic it takes much more than the unnerving capacity to hypnotise part of the people into a whinging collective to become eligible to run the country. This however is a Labour collective that INSISTED (my caps) that the budget discussion be held in a vacuum away from the European reality that are the governments and markets of Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Were it not for a last minute reaction by Brussels-based Prof. Scicluna, you’d have thought that our government-in-waiting was edging towards Mintoffian isolationism once again. “Il-Haddiem qabel il-barrani” and that sort of claptrap, which should have long been confined to forgotten chapters of the annals of history, were back to being order of the day.

The Christian Democrat DNA is back

The likes of Karmenu Vella and Anglu Farrugia thus became easy targets for the flotilla of calm sharpshooters ever prepared to highlight Labour’s deficiencies. For once, so long as they kept away from personal insults, J’accuse could not but agree with the necessity to expose the fake promise that is New Labour. New Labour is turning out to be a stupid reshuffle and deprives the nation of a valid Opposition that would be necessary at this point in time to refresh the waters with new ideas.

Trust the Nationalist Party to morph into the second Opposition at this very moment. After almost two years of being browbeaten into accepting the fact that the state of affairs in social rights is not exactly kosher − from censorship (expression) to divorce − the PN has done what J’accuse has been stressing it should do ever since the first blogpost back in 2005. This weekend’s General Council has a new document before it that is a revisiting of the “Basic Roots” document that is the bible of Nationalist Party thinking.

The document outlines the Nationalist “fingerprint” (I sense that someone would have loved to mention DNA but had to settle for second best). “Our roots” is a return to understanding “what the Nationalist Party believes” and “how it will set up to bring into effect its beliefs”. The new document is an opening − a reaction to the discontented within the party who for the past few years became a vociferous second Opposition − from the backbenchers to the lost votes. This was a rallying cry for the “umbrella party” to redefine itself. If the motion is backed with sincere plans and a clear step-by-step approach to proper legislation and affirmative action, the PN will have made giant steps into filling that value vacuum that made it look ever so antipathetic to the discerning voter.

Values

Number crunchers might (only just) save the moment economically, but a politic that is built around the dignity and potential of the human being and recognises the diversity and fragility of the world we live in can be worth a hundred saving funds from many a European bank. If the PN is ready to put its values where its mouth is then it has just leapt forward, far ahead of the tantrum-throwing toddler who just wants his moment of fame to toy with the lives of a nation. Rather than complaining about supposed “U-turns” by “GonziPN”, the Labour ensemble would do well to notice that it is already late (very late) as it is − they do not only need a proper economic plan but also a clear framework of values to convince many of us that they are even worth considering.

And now Simon

A big welcome to the world to my first nephew Simon − thanks for waiting for my wedding to be over (you’ll soon be told how much your uncle loves being in the spotlight). There’s a brave new world out there full of interesting things waiting for you to discover them. Take your time… God willing we’re here for a while and as you might soon find out… change happens fast. Really fast.

 

www.akkuza.com ist verheiratet − (I’ve been dying to be able to say that one). The blog is back too following the nuptial happiness. Cheers to everyone for the patience.