Category: Articles

Categories
Articles

J’accuse : Midnight in Malta

This week I watched Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen’s latest invitation to an hour or so of light pseudo-intellectual engagement, and enjoyed every bit of the movie. Gil Pender, the protagonist played by Owen Wilson in this modern fable, is a Hollywood scriptwriter who happens to be in Paris with his fiancée while struggling to write his first novel. We witness Pender’s attempt to write his novel while trying to satisfy the needs of his rather shallow and socialite fiancée.

There is no real depth to Woody Allen’s characters in the movie but this is probably because he is busy eagerly exploring psychological themes. “Midnight’s” recurrent theme is very topical, especially in our current political climate, and deals with what is called “Golden Age nostalgia”. Our writer protagonist is plagued by this nostalgia and ends up travelling in time to the age he craves for most − Paris in the 20s. There he gets to meet his heroes from Scott Fitzgerald to Hemmingway, from Dali to Buñuel (Allen and his surrealist obsession) and while interacting with them he discovers, among other things, that even these people − living in what he considers to be the best age ever − themselves craved for a better age in the past: La Belle Époque Paris.

Nostalgia

“Midnight” is about artistic nostalgia. Over the past week we have witnessed a twisted form of nostalgia on our own shores. In between storms and floods that laughed in the face of the “Ghaqal” and “Serjetà” adverts, we were regaled with a battle of historic political propaganda. Political anniversaries tend to be more pronounced when the year is a multiple of five. There is no other reason for this than the fact that we think in decimals.

The 25th, 30th or 80th anniversary of an event has no deeper meaning than the 21st, 32nd or 11th. This is more so when the occasion is one of remembrance and not a celebration of endurance or longevity of some record. It’s one thing celebrating a long stretch of time − like an Independence anniversary or the founding date of a club for example − but remembrance is not about the time that has passed but about the meaning of what is being commemorated. On 11th November we do not go around counting the years since 1918 − we just remember and honour those who died for our freedom. That is the point: “Lest we forget”.

Which is why the fact that 25 years have passed since the tal-Barrani incidents should not be the main reason for remembering what happened and what we believed we were fighting for at the time. Yes, I definitely count myself among those who believe that this kind of episode in our history should not be forgotten and should be one of the learning blocks in the building of a nation. It is also not out of a twisted exercise of “balancing” between historical truths that I also believe that the “Interdiction” period for example is also part of our collective memory.

Luce

What happened this week though did not feel like remembrance. Remembrance does not use history as an instrument for current political campaigning. The feeling you got was that the memories were being used as a warning against the current Labour clan because they would bring us more of the same. As an unnamed blogger put it: “It’s like asking those who lived through the Second World War to dismiss a Nazi that seeks power. Forgive maybe, forget never.” By that rationale Labour would be eternally unelectable because it could never shed the historical links to an ugly past. Which is rubbish. There is a reason why the Nazi party has been outlawed and the Labour Party hasn’t.

That was the Nationalists shooting themselves in the foot by attempting to turn history into contemporary electoral propaganda. Then came the Labourites − and they went one better. I watched a clip from the ONE TV programme Inkontri that supposedly chronicled the work of post-1987 government till today (To see the full clip go to the blog www.akkuza.com on the post called “Daqqiet ta’ Harta”).

I felt physically sick. First it was evident that the effort was a counter-reaction to the tal-Barrani PN series. Worse though was the fact that it was clear to anybody with a brain between his ears that this was an effort at blatant political revisionism. Revisionism is not even the word. This was creative fantasy that falls to the same level as holocaust denial. You’d think that the PN governments since 1987 were run by a clan of Mintoff’s friends − from Ceausescu to Kim-Il Jong through Gaddafi.

The Labour Party still cannot come to terms with the fact that in a liberal society you do not lock up or gag people like Lou Bondì and Daphne Caruana Galizia but you get the right to answer and argue back or ignore them. The irony of watching the Inkontri presenter stand outside PN HQ and complain about how in today’s society the right of free expression has been completely negated, was in all probability lost on the fawning viewers.

Golden Age

Back to Allen. The nostalgia for a Golden Age is described psychologically as a form of escapism. It is a form of denial of modern realities. The Nationalist Party might have committed a faux pas when appealing to the sense of solidarity that many of us had in 1987 when the call for “Work, Justice and Liberty” gave us an instant rush. The faux pas was not about remembrance but about its abuse. The distraction effect from today’s’ troubles is minimal and to be honest the transference of the sense of optimism and hope experienced at the time is nigh impossible. Better keep their feet to the ground.

As for Labour, the problems run deeper. Nostalgia does not help much but the past keeps raising its ugly head even when “those bastard Nationalists” are minding their own business. There’s worse. Labour acolytes must have experienced another psychological phenomenon mentioned in the Allen movie: “Cognitive dissonance”. Wikipedia describes this as “the discomfort caused by holding conflicting ideas simultaneously”.

When psychologists first studied cognitive dissonance they looked at groups that had predicted imminent disasters (such as the end of the world). They looked at what happened when the prediction failed − and noticed that such groups grew “by sharing the cult beliefs with others they gained acceptance and thus reduced their own dissonance” (Wikipedia). Another example often given is “smoking”. You know it is wrong for you but you smoke anyway − the two thoughts coincide uncomfortably in your mind.

Loyalty and Creed

Nostalgia is about thinking of the golden ages of our respective parties and of the events that made them stronger. Engaging heavily in nostalgia at the moment is very probably a form of escapist denial − a failure to engage with current issues and the present. The dissonance in the voters’ mind is between the side of him that wants to see his party as a solution − come what may − and the side of him that is beginning to see gaping flaws in the way forward that is proposed.

Muscat’s 51 proposals from another planet must have induced cognitive dissonance in many a Labour sympathiser. It was evident even in the comments on J’accuse. While the Labour Party was evidently pitching the list as a set of solutions (see the official email sent out explaining how Gonzi has only got questions but Muscat has solutions), sympathisers still insisted on “giving Muscat a chance” or about how this was just a “general plan” not the solution itself. Even given all the evidence in the world that the 51 proposals was just a list of propagandistic blah-blah, the Labour side of the brain fought desperately to “believe”.

Striking Twelve

The Belgians finally got a government this week. On 2nd December, the first day of government, a general protest was announced and thousands took to the streets protesting against the austerity plans. That baptism of fire was not enough though − an issue of Belgian government bonds was oversubscribed on the very same day. The news at the end of the day was about the mixed messages being given by the Belgian people (for a change). Was this an episode of national cognitive dissonance?

Whatever the case may be, we would do well to pull our socks up and leave nostalgia to historians. At times like this, positive governance and clear direction is not a luxury but a basic necessity − the less political games and distractions the better. Decisions such as investing in sustainable energy and power as well as reforming a justice system cannot and should not be taken lightly. The less time spent in futile propaganda wars the better.

It’s either that, or it’s midnight in Malta.

 

www.akkuza.com has been blogging non-stop since 10 March 2005. We haven’t stopped writing and you haven’t stopped reading. That’s a good enough reason to keep at it.

Categories
Articles

J’accuse : That Bohemian Planet 51

Is this the real life? Or is it just fantasy?I think I’ve mentioned before the popular Chinese curse that involves wishing someone: “May you live in interesting times”. Well, it does not get any more interesting than this. French intellectual Jacques Attali (listed in the top 100 by Foreign Policy Magazine) has been quoted as saying that the euro might not survive Christmas – the common currency will drown sometime between Black Friday (that’s last Friday) and St. Stephen’s Day.Here is this week’s leader in “The Economist”: “The chances of the euro zone being smashed apart have risen alarmingly, thanks to financial panic, a rapidly weakening economic outlook and pigheaded brinkmanship. The odds of a safe landing are dwindling fast”. Help! I’ve added the “Help” bit (just in case the end-quote escaped your attention) and “Help!” is just the kind of default mode disposition you’d expect a normal citizen to have in this crisis-stricken period. At least “HELP”… if not “What shall we do about it?”During a lift conversation with a German work colleague of mine conversation shifted to things trivial (as it always does in elevators) so I asked her somewhere between the fourth and third floor whether she believed she’d be shopping in Deutsche Marks (or the German Dollar) come Christmas eve. She looked at me with the kind of resignation that Angela must have reserved for Silvio and said “I’ve stopped thinking about it. My grandma always said that you should always worry about things that you can do something about. If it’s got to happen, it will happen.” Ah. These practical Deutsche Mensch (und Womensch).Caught in a landslide. No escape from reality. You’d think that given the current circumstances even the nation that believes itself to be a planet of its own right would “come down to earth” so to speak. You’d think. Hollywood must have taken up the offer of Tonio Fenech’s new residence scheme and is now a permanent part of our lives thanks to the screenings offered by our supposed leaders and leaders to be. The purveyors of fiction from all sides of the house have contrived to collude in the creation of a mind-boggling, reality-twisting cocooned fantasy carrying along with them most of the citizens of Oz.

Tonio Fenech gave the nation its budget not so long ago. Since then the Prime Minister has taken it upon himself to ignore the accusations of doctoring of figures (and such wondrously magickal words as capital expenditure) and concentrated on proving how under his leadership Malta is weathering the storm. My question (since questions seem to be the order of the day) to Prime Minister Gonzi would be: Has Malta decided to think like my German friend and opted to concentrate on matters that are within its control? So we can’t save the euro but what is our plan for the crisis? If so what is our default plan for the day the euro dies? Do we need one? Surely not everything is “Ward u Zahar”. (Sweet smelling roses).

I’m sorry to be the one to ask PM Gonzi this question but the PM-in-waiting seems to be busy working on Malta’s first ever space program. Or so I gather from the evidence that is available. Well yes. I am about to criticise “Inhobbkom Joseph” again. I was told more than once this week that since my return from my nuptial escapade I seem to be digging my critical talons deeper into Joseph’s flesh than is to many a Labourite voter’s liking.

Open your eyes. I had quite an argument with Bertu the cartoonist this week. After I had, as usual, described the toon that I would require to accompany this week’s article he challenged me to convince him first that Joseph Muscat deserved more attention (and picking on) than the Gonzi government (and budget). Hot on the heels of his objection came one or two comments on facebook accusing the Great J’accuse of not balancing his repartees out and “picking on Labour too often”. Like it’s a game. I cannot stand this bloody “mhux fair” reasoning.

Here’s one reason that should suffice. Joseph Muscat wants to be the leader of this country. “Iss, imma Gonzi IS the leader now” I hear them object. Fine. What the Labourite advocates of par condicio (balanced criticism) fail to realise is that my concentrating on Muscat and what he has to offer implies a decision to not consider the “GonziPN” option next election. Yes dears. The average non-flag waving voter would have to go through that mental process that begins with thinking “So. I do not like what the Gonzi government has done for X reasons so I will definitely not be voting him back into government. Let’s see what “the others” have to offer”.

Look up to the skies and see. Well yes folks. As i put it to Bertu, if I have a stomach ache or an ulcer that is bothering me I do not reach for my grandpa’s old hunting rifle and aim in the general direction of my navel. Yes, you’ve guessed it – a gastroenterologist will do the trick most times. So if you believe that there is a problem, studying the right solution is not an exercise in “opposition bashing” but a careful check to see if there really is someone better to take the reins of the country into his hands. And tough shit for your dreams of a flag fest and carcade if the tests prove there isn’t.

Anyway the wind blows doesn’t really matter to me. So as the Labour-lites were showering plaudits on their Dear Leader for his supposedly wonderful performance in producing a larger number from his hat than did Lawrence Gonzi (51 beats 10 –  booyakasha, raspberry and italian ombrello for good measure) J’accuse and plenty another pundit actually contrived to read the 51 “proposals”. For our reaction please refer to the post “51 proposals from another planet” on www.akkuza.com.

We were not amused. There was a children’s movie that goes by the name of Planet 51. The first words of the trailer describe another planet “Somewhere far, far away. There is a place where life is simple. Children are care free. And everything is pleasant”…. Planet 51. Muscat’s 51 “proposals” were written for this kind of planet. A planet oblivious to the universe around it where “everything is pleasant” and a few catch phrases (not to mention empty phrases like “We’ll give priority to fishing and farming” or “Youth before bureaucracy” – did they forget “Age before beauty?”) are supposed to magic away everyone’s woes.

Easy come easy go. Right before Tonio Fenech’s budget speech we were regaled with the sad scene of opposition bench members “daring” the government to mention the European crisis. You could see them ROTFL-ing and LOL-ing every mention of Greece, Spain and the European instability. After the budget we got Joseph Muscat’s proposals that are so intangible and detached from actual workability that they might as well be from another planet. Planet 51. Yet the nation remains divided and it is evident from reactions on the net that the mental sieve that is required by your average voter in order to make weighted choices is conspicuous in its absence. The next election is round the corner, there’s a record-breaking economic crisis out there and we still vote on the basis of tribal instinct.

Got to leave you all behind and face the truth. It may be jarring for many who would love to see the back of the Gonzi government that some like myself persist in surgically dissecting the Muscat option. We get called “armchair critics” (iss how easy) by people from both sides of the spectrum. In this case it is our realism that hurts. What we see from here is a nationalist party that is shedding most of its uncomfortable elements – JPO announced that he will not run again (will Labour woo him too?), Austin “Bulldozer” Gatt is on his way out and meanwhile there is a never-too-late rereading of the Basic Principles.

Muscat meanwhile is fast becoming a predictable populist puppet of easy words and shallow promises. Which does not mean they will not work. It takes big balls to prioritise your desire to run a country above the need to have a plan of how to run it once you’re actually in the driving seat. Big balls or a particularly devious mind driven by ignorance. Is this really a little silhouetto of a man we are seeing before us? One for whom nothing really matters, anyway the wind blows so long as it gets him to Castille?

In the end, when the curtain falls it is up to the audience to applaud or to boo. Joseph Muscat gave us 51 proposals in answer to Lawrence Gonzi’s 10 questions. If you are willing to believe that the 51 proposals are the solution that this country needs in these interesting times then you deserve a Labour government. Those who don’t believe the 51 proposals don’t deserve a Labour government, but at the rate populist feeling is going it seems that they’ll get it anyway.

That. In short. Is the beauty of democratic government.

www.akkuza.com has always been biased. We declared a journalistic passion for questions and a search for answers as from the beginning. Which makes us biased in our quest for the truth. This article is dedicated to the memory of one of the great philosophers of the twentieth century: Farrokh Bulsara a.k.a Freddie Mercury.

Categories
Articles

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.

Categories
Articles

This missive comes to you from the fair city of Frankfurt. I’m here with a troop of Maltese expats to visit the International Book Fair that is being held over the weekend. Last night was mostly dedicated to savouring local foods. In this case “local” meant a variety of pieces of meat served boiled on a bed of sauerkraut. It’s no surprise that this country is never short of money.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, is wasted − even when it comes down to eating bits of animal.

We ordered a mixed plate of Frankfurt specialities that is supposed to be washed down with Apfelwein. The mixed platter came after our mandatory goulash as a first course and turned out to be an assortment of boiled meats and sausages ranging from some poor cow’s tongue to the liver and blood sausages that hang on to the plate like a sad afterthought.

Thrift, I was saying, is redefined here and the only time the cook seems to have loosened his hand is with the fat used to pan fry the oven potatoes that accompany the festival of arteriosclerotic ecstasy. Never was a hungry crew’s appetite dampened so quickly − our eagerness to sample the local fayre vanished instantly and we vowed to try more familiar fields for tomorrow’s meals − back to the more familiar grilled, barbecued or roast.

The Publishing Industry

I learnt this week that the European Publishing Industry is “the world leader in its field, employing 135,000 people and contributing €23 billion to EU GDP.” (Education & Culture Commissioner Vassiliou). That’s quite a large sum of money. Living in Luxembourg we can easily witness the flourishing French publishing world and the same can be said of the UK, German and Italian world of books. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s (Saturday) visit to the halls of Frankfurt’s Messe to be able to see first hand what is buzzing right now in the field of publication.

We are lucky to have obtained the services of an elite guide for the fair. We’re due to meet Malta’s latest international laureate − Immanuel Mifsud, fresh winner of the 2011 European Prize of Literature. Immanuel joins a list of unsung Maltese heroes who have broken new barriers outside the country. He’s also a former blogger with his “Il-Blobb tas-Sibt filghaxija” that was one of several literature related blogs that existed for a while on the Maltese blogging scene.

The Zenger Affair

One of the books I am currently reading (yes, I do have that habit of starting many books at the same time) is “New York” by Edward Rutherford. It’s a novel that follows the fate of different families in New York through the ages. Last night I read about the incredible case of John Peter Zenger − the printer of German origin who found himself in the middle of a landmark libel case in 1733. It’s important to note that at the time libel − or seditious libel − was a very grave crime since it normally was instituted by a person of authority who felt that his person had been smeared or libelled by someone else.

In essence, libel was a convenient tool used to quell criticism. Here was a libel case under a Common Law inspired libel law being tried in colonial America. Having published a series of articles criticising the Governor of New York, Zenger was to be tried by jury and what happened on the day of the case changed the course of libel law and its application. Until the Zenger case, “truth” was no defence in the case of libel. Whether or not the facts alleged to be libellous were true was irrelevant. Essentially, once it was proved that a particular bit of news was libellous, proving that such news was factually correct would not change the verdict. Until the Zenger case that is.

Alexander Hamilton, speaking in defence of Zenger, convinced the jury that accepting this kind of criterion would mean leaving a strong instrument of censorship and control in the hands of authority. Allowing the defence of truth would allow such institutions, like the free press, to perform their function within the system of checks and balances in our society. Hamilton’s role in the case also led to a new saying “if you want a good lawyer, go to Philadelphia” (Hamilton was a Philly man).

Press on

I am a strong believer in the role of the press, of books and of ideas in the functioning of a proper democracy. As John Milton wrote in his Areopagitica − “He who destroys a good book, kills reason itself”. There’s much truth in that. A nation, even a small nation such as ours needs to recognise the value of authors recounting different narratives and ideas. Authors provide opportunities for reflection; they may provoke and challenge or they may charm with vignettes and pictures of our society. In any case, the worst we could do is to censor the truths they tell about ourselves.

The press too needs to recognise the dignified importance of its role. It needs to shed the baggage of politically manipulative impostors who have burdened and sullied its image. Local political talk seems to focus on futile accusations related to partiality and the elusive mantra of absolute impartiality. Journalism does not need eunuchs or hypocritical gurus and coaches posing as the voice of objective impartiality. It needs clear ethics, clear ideas and above all the accountability that allows it to shout “publish and be damned”. Give me a journalist with a declared bias any day rather than the sanitised pantomimes that have neutered our thinking with the extended sagas of Broadcasting Authority illusions of par conditio (equal treatment).

That’s all from the city of books. It’s 1 o’clock on Saturday morning so I can only wish you, as one of the greatest journalists would wish his listeners, “good night, and good luck”.

 

www.akkuza.com and www.re-vu.org will feature reports from the Frankfurt Book Fair

Categories
Articles

J’accuse : Studies in Theatre

According to a possibly apocryphal story that is doing the rounds on the Internet, Steve Jobs watched the launch of the iPhone 4S from his favourite sofa in his home in Palo Alto. The man hailed as a visionary by the world’s press purportedly snacked on apples and rice pudding throughout the performance of Tim Cook: the man who had been the new anointed presenter of Apple’s latest breakthrough. The “source” claims that at the end of the show Jobs smiled as if to say “all things are in good hands” but did not utter a word.

The story is not exactly “Acts of the Apostles” material but you can see where the cult of Jobs is beginning to take shape. Jobs the visionary, the prophet of all things new, the philosopher with a positive attitude about misfits and changing the world. Here was a man who had influenced the globe − the whole world − with his ideas. It was beyond innovation. Innovation is “only” about improvement − making things better. Jobs went one step further. He made things “different”. A Times (UK) columnist put it neatly: Jobs did not give people what they wanted − he gave them products they could never have imagined.

It is somewhere there − the blasphemous fine line between innovation and creation. This prophet of the age of technology challenged the status quo − and won. No matter what he was “creating”, how far his philosophy took him, what Jobs did best was standing on that big empty stage and work the audience into an elevated sense of expectancy until, with the wave of one hand (and click of a button), the latest step in the Darwinian evolution of Apple goods was unveiled.

Yes. Steve Jobs of the limited wardrobe and unlimited intelligence was a master of theatrical presentation. He may have sat back and just given us his products through the usual channels of marketing but he chose to break barriers there too. Apple became a symbol of desirability and speciality − taking brand fidelity to new frontiers. And much of this usually culminated in the special launch events theatrically prepared and magnificently executed by the man who wanted to challenge our way of thinking and whose legacy will live on for much, much longer. Thank you Steve.

Wucking fankers

On Student’s Day this year we were regaled with a bit of amateur theatrics that took place on the university quadrangle. The dramatis personae included, the MegaloMinister Austin Gatt and a set of ministerial groupies, a cross-section of the student body, a couple of journalists faithfully following the ministerial route, and a hitherto unknown Theatre Studies student who goes by the name of Nicolà Abela Garrett. First impressions count, and the first impression we got was of a student who was mightily miffed because of the Arriva Disservice and who voiced such “miffiness” in no uncertain terms by directing a series of expletives to the minister who sleeps soundly at night. Such “miffiness” was couched in expletives of a rude-ish kind and was dutifully reported by the reporters-in-waiting in their respective online and printed papers.

My first reaction was “bravo” to the girl followed by a secondary reflection on the irony of it being Student’s Day. Oh how times have changed since the days when a critical word or two directed at government ministers would be interpreted as an invitation to a herd of thugs for an impromptu “rag day” in tal-Qroqq featuring the accessories of bare fists and knuckledusters. Any inquiries a propos the past should be directed (among others) to Michael Frendo (then esquire) − and no, Deborah Schembri, remembering the past is not an issue of political convenience.

Well done theatre studies student then. A child had finally stood up and told the Emperor the truth about his clothes. Wouldn’t it be great if more people thought and spoke their mind (and voted with it) than just Abela Garrett? What happened next − from all sides of our political power spectrum was an unfolding of scenes in our very own theatrical scenario.

One sees red

The media machine for the Opposition took up its position for scene two. Abela Garrett was projected to heroine status notwithstanding her choice of vulgar language that surely was not fitting for our sede sapientae. Nothing wrong there of course; however, those blessed with a long-term memory could detect a certain hypocrisy by the red media when it came to “judging” students and their ways.

RWD (that’s rewind) back to the last election when a young Caruana Galizia junior invited a cameraman of red persuasion to “f*** off” in no uncertain terms. The very same journalists (and party) that seemed to be exalting Garrett’s proficiency today had taken quite a different tack at the time − pushing the “indignated” buttons. At the time, no opportunity was wasted to call students all sorts of words − FFW (that’s fast forward) to today and all seems to have been forgiven.

Abela Garrett went on to apologise for her language but not for her outburst. The apology was also covered in all the papers along with a sort of investigation/witch hunt into the identity of the individual/individuals who in true MI5/CIA style had stopped Abela Garrett and given her a “talking to” while asking her for her particulars. Conspiracy theories flew across the Internet boards until it turned out that the “bully” in question had acted “spontaneously”.

Spontaneity

Mr Xuereb, a MITA employee, defended his vigorous questioning of the foul-mouthed student by claiming that his was a spontaneous and undirected reaction. The implication is clear − this is not a ministerial investigation with possible repercussions. It was an individual taking the matter into his own hands. Interestingly though, “spontaneous” was his defence and “lack of spontaneity” was the main criticism directed at the solo protester from the blue corner of the spectrum.

Apparently, according to the likes of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Lou Bondì, the fact that Abela Garrett’s protest was premeditated somehow lessens the value of the protest itself. Funny. I remember how both these advocates of spontaneous protesting defended Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s not so spontaneous antics in the run up to the last election. We have it from the horse’s mouth − in a recent interview with Josanne Cassar, Pullicino Orlando recounts how he was prepped and trained for those eventful days. In JPO’s words: “I was instructed by Richard Cachia Caruana and Joe Saliba to chase after Alfred Sant whenever he spoke publicly, in order to confront him when he did mention me”. Back then it seemed all very worthwhile for the Caruana Galizias of this world to defend the JPO charades to the hilt. Bah. Plus ça change.

Since when does preparing for an act of protest make it any less effective or truthful? It seems that the Times of Malta has sacked Mr Bonanno, the journalist who told Nicola about Gatt’s visit. Of what pray is this young hack guilty? Of telling Nicola about Austin’s visit? Why? Was it secret? It’s not like it’s a frame up to which he was accomplice. Had there been a false story and had he willingly accepted to become an accessory to it then sure, sack the guy. Here though we had a journalist losing his job because instead of following up on a fax announcing a protest in Valletta he “took his notebook” to the scene of a pre-planned protest he had learnt about via Facebook.

Theatrics and the public

Nicola Abela Garrett chose to enact her own little drama. She planned an ambush on Malta’s sleepy minister. It was well executed and actually got much more attention than is normally reserved to Ministerial hecklers in the standard press. The script included a few lies such as the bit about the bus from Attard to Naxxar and the missing of lectures (What lectures? Very few lectures have actually taken place since the launching of Arriva). She does not lie though when she voices the anger of all commuters who have had enough. As I said earlier − good for her.

The reactions to Abela Garrett’s very public showing were typically overblown. From the Labourite praises on the one hand to the character assassinations by the usual suspects in the Nationalist fold on the other. We are not new to political theatricals. Our very polarised television programmes that are supposed to be investigative are just well-rehearsed Q&A sessions with every pre-selected invitee playing his part. It was amusing this week to watch Lou “indignado” Bondì get hot under his collar on his blog (Lou, a blog?) about a new Saviour Balzan programme during which Balzan interviewed one of the abuse victims.

Bondì would have wished Saviour to ask a few questions that Bondì had prepared but, unsurprisingly, Saviour failed to pick up on this invitation. Bondì knows full well how crucial it is to the theatrics of TV for a programme’s presenter to control the questions as well as the panel of invitees. It’s theatre Lou − and the bad actors’ mask soon falls off on its own so there’s no need to worry about Saviour and his bias… it conforms fully to the journalistic standards on TV that you have so gotten us used to.

Curtain call

That’s all I have for this week. Actually I have more but time and space constraints play their part − as do editorial deadlines. I’d like to borrow the Apple philosophy statement for my concluding lines. I adopted this philosophy for J’accuse when I started the blog and I like to think, every now and then… that I still have that streak of craziness in me that obliges me to think different. Thank you again Steve Jobs.

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

www.akkuza.com is running on slow at the moment due to other commitments. Bear with us and in the meantime enjoy the new flourishing of blogs in Malta’s volatile blogosphere. Most of all: Think Different.

Categories
Articles

J’accuse : Patients and their virtues

In case you were wondering, yes, I did survive my bachelor’s weekend in Italy. There’s nothing like spending some quality time with close friends who can second guess your every whim and fancy without batting an eyelid. It would indeed be a great world to live in if we all managed to live together like bosom buddies without feeling the need to justify our existence by highlighting our differences.

I only bought one book in Bologna − “Costruire il nemico” − a series of essays by Umberto Eco. In the first essay, Eco speaks of the need that has always existed in society of “constructing the enemy” and of the different manners in which such an enemy has been constructed. The essay is a roller-coaster ride through history that chronicles this historic “construction”: from Cicero’s depiction of his Catiline enemies, through the early Encyclopaedia Britannica entries on “Negroes”, through historic views (by “others”) on Saracens, Hitler on the Jews, Boccaccio on women or whoever else on whatever other category has been unlucky enough to be pigeonholed as the detestable enemy.

“(…) sin dall’inizio vengono costruiti come nemici non tanto i diversi che ci minacciano direttamente (come sarebbe il caso dei barbari), bensi coloro che qualcuno ha interesse a rappresentare come minacciosi anche se non ci minacciano direttamente, cosi che non tanto la loro minacciosità ne faccia risaltare la diversità, ma la loro diversità diventi segno di minacciosità”.

Think different

They say that a week is a long time in politics so I thought that an unplanned pause from the blogging and political scene would mean a return to topics new. Not really though, it was only last week that I was commenting on the farce that was the MUMN’s badly managed PR about the supposed stress caused to the entire Maltese health system by 16 (yes, sixteen) Libyan patients (one has sadly passed away since then).

Meanwhile, Dr Gonzi has declared the ITU closed for business in a very pre-Arriva bus-driver style declaration of “Full Up”. The MUMN, eager to stay ahead in the national foot-in-mouth championships couldn’t resist another jibe at the country’s political priorities. Apparently, the MUMN must have felt that crassly insinuating that Libyans should not be treated before every last Maltese national gets his taxes worth is not enough. So what better way to up the ante than to engage in further stereotypification. And what better “class” of citizens to use than the “Gozitans”?

They did get the headlines on the papers: “Gozitan patients lacking same political commitment given to Libyan patients”. This either means that the patients from Gozo are not as sufficiently politically committed as their Libyan counterparts (not dying for the patria are we?) or − as the “given” in the title seems to insinuate − there is not sufficient priority being given to the needs of Gozitan people coming to Malta for treatment.

Forgetting this grammatical cul-de-sac for a minute, it is absolutely ridiculous of the MUMN to actually bring this particular card out of their twisted set of lobbying instruments. The “Gozitan” cause is useful to politicians who want to specialise in a “minority” niche (if it’s not the South then it’s Gozo or Sliema or Siggiewi) and turn it into something really, really special. It is also useful to particular columnists who tend to thrive on a bit of Gozitan beating every now and then − they do so by spuriously linking localised examples of very Maltese ignorance to one particular geographic corner − as though what happens in Gozo never happened in Bisazza Street, Rabat or Cospicua.

I know. I’m biased. But what should that change? Are we stupid enough to erect barriers on the spittle of an isle we call home? What next? “Siggiewi patients deserve more attention in Maternity Ward?” And where the hell are the ethical principles that should be the foundation for a caring profession? For heaven’s sake − doctor, nurse, scrub, whatever − if you are in a caring profession then I’d expect you in the very least to be seeing each and every patient as just that: a patient. It’s not an ID Card that you have to cure; it’s a burn, a bullet wound or a severe case of chicken pox.

“Gozitans, Libyans, Siggiewi people, Xewkija people” − that’s not the language for nurses or their representative association. It’s the dangerous language of politicians who are prepared to go down the route of “great minds” before them… a geezer named Adolf comes to mind. Don’t worry though. This should all change with the news of Gaia the dog found in a skip. All this fuss about dying Libyans and underprivileged Gozitans will soon be sidelined to favour the plight of Malta’s latest animal hero. I wonder if the Animal Welfare Centre has a policy about particular breeds. “What? A boxer? No siree… we’re politically committed to Chihuahuas, Spaniels and Whippets…. “

Different strokes

Paul Pace and the MUMN chose the wrong imagery in order to highlight what might be a legitimate complaint of theirs. If our hospital system is understaffed, if patients (no matter what ID card status) are not being given a decent service and if there are other such similar problems, then there is no doubt that it is the business of a body like the MUMN to bring this to the attention of whoever may change such things. On the other hand, the dangerous game being played of fuelling discontent with the language of hatred is absolutely not done. There is no reason on earth for a nurse, doctor or hospital receptionist to treat one patient differently from another on the basis of nationality − or (heaven forbid) the village or town he is born in.

All too often we fail to discern the dangers of the divisive language that we really employ in our dealings with political affairs. Yes, it is my usual gripe but our dualist way of seeing things − black or white, blue or red − does not help us in any way. Thinking different requires a logical leap and a change of old customs and habits. It requires first of all that we collectively look in the mirror and realise the absurdity of our current situation. We need to concentrate on “knowing ourselves” more than on “knowing/constructing our enemies”.

Just read through the news and you will see what I mean. It’s not just sick individuals putting dogs in skips. It’s permits being issued to an establishment that will manufacture gas metres away from a fireworks factory. Worse still, just look at what the two parties are packing as marketing material for the next election. We had GonziPN selling you bundles of “Pride” while MuscatPL promised the masses that a PL government would give the people “Hope”. Hope? Pride? Talk about intangible faff. I had a dream where I filled my car tank with “Hope” and then proceeded to pay the station attendant in little “hope coins”. “That’s all I’ve got mate… but at least we got a change in government”.

Sunny Michaelmas

We had a sunny Michaelmas up north. That’s the 29th September. Apparently it means that we will have a mild and possibly sunny winter. Tell that to the stork who is gracing Gozo with its majestic presence. Do you follow the news like me − with that sinking feeling that any moment now the next update will say “Stork shot dead over the sea”? Why does it have to be like that? Where do we find all this darn hatred and anger that we unleash on a regular basis?

The ancient Greeks had the words “Know thyself” inscribed on the entrance to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. Sun-Tzu, the Chinese philosopher is attributed the saying “Know your enemy” in his Art of War. That’s some classical thought that is valid to this day. We might do well to do some introspective reflection − there’s time yet for the construction of another round of enemies − we’re only a few months away from full election fever anyway.