Rotten to the core

rotten_akkuzaThe scandal relating to the concrete supply at Mater Dei Hospital is turning out to be a fitting metaphor to describe the fate of Maltese politics.

In the first instance we are gradually exposing an extremely deficient system that existed back in the mid-nineties that somehow or another allowed for the provision of sub-standard building materials for a hospital. Do not for one moment allow yourself to forget that it is a hospital that we are talking about. Along with schools, hospitals are probably one of the more socially sensitive infrastructures whose standard and quality mirror the heart of a nation -this is not to say that using deficient building material in order to construct any other type of building would have been a mitigation of any kind.

The formula for this horrible state of affairs is the tried and tested combination of commercial interests that work their way (either through influence or through direct involvement) into the corridors of power. The businessman and the politician will then work together to earn a quick buck on the backs of an electorate blinded by the passion for partisan flag-waving and alternation. The metaphor becomes ever more apt when one of the protagonists (shall we say suspects) turns out to be a career politician who managed to remain a sacred cow for one or other of the parties at different times in his career. No amount of irony was spared when his decade-spanning involvement in local (and now European and World) politics mean that somehow or other he was involved with the health structures of the nation under both parties in government.

But this is not about John Dalli. This is about the politics and political system of our nation. For I say that the metaphor remains apt to this day. Whether the guardians of the nation in the mid-nineties are to be found accountable for any corrupt sales of deficient construction material when building a new national hospital remains to be seen – what is sure is that someone has to pay. It will be another notch for the pro memoria of the twisted insanity of the post-Mintoffian generation of politicians.

What we have today is another government that is intent on hiding the truth or using parts of it to its gain. As of this month Muscat’s government is strongly testing the resilience of democratic sustainability and sovereignty. While the masks had fallen a long time ago, a long line of inexplicable decisions have provided clear hints that the Taghna Lkoll ideal has long been dead and buried and that Muscat has lost the plot.

It is hard to identify where it all began. Was it the full-frontal assault on the environment that did the trick? Was it the blatant lies relating to all that is Zonqor? Was it the slip relating to the Qala Yacht Marina? Muscat had tested the waters with the Hunting Referendum and wrongly gauged the slight victory obtained by those intent on preserving the status quo of wrongly appliying a European directive. Even today his appointees in the Ornis Committee defy all odds with relation to trapping. yet, Muscat’s defiant attitude on environmental issues is not a deal breaker on democratic standards. It is after all the prerogative of his party in government to espouse a suicidal destructive environmental policy.

No, the non-democratic chasm of Muscat lies away from these “minor” spites to our environmental heritage. It lies dotted within political appointments and appointees that are starting to betray their ineptness but still remain defended by the Prime Minister himself. It lies within a Cabinet Code of Ethics that has just been announced and that exposes Muscat’s money-hungry coterie for all its hypocrisy. It lies within the recent decisions relating to government property used to line the pockets of friends of friends (oh they are back but louder and clearer) from the Premier Cafe farce to the latest Gaffarena pot of gold.

It lies with the appointment of judges and magistrates in full defiance of the reforms that were being proposed by his very government. It lies with a “What’s all the fuss?” attitude combined with the “Tu Quoque” retorts that have long been dried of all significance and only serve to reinforce the strong perception of arrogance. It lies with the regular rubbing up to despots and tinpot country leaders and running around with a begging bowl while seemingly ignorant of the atrocities and democratic deficits that exist within the nations of these much adulated partners.

It lies with the belief that the national heritage and national identity is there solely for Labour’s politicians to plunder and sell to the highest bidder. With the passport scheme Muscat began to sell our mind and identity, with the lands that he has taken to expropriating, selling under cost, or plundering from their natural value he is selling our body and heritage, as for our soul, it has long been sold to the first devil to turn up at our doorstep promising Muscat a bit of money, an investment for his developer friends and a photo opportunity in which to prance around like some latter-day Mussolini on speed.

It’s a disgusting state of affairs in which nothing is sacred – not even the institutions that should stand as a guarantee. Under a nationalist government the faulty concrete foundations were laid at Mater Dei Hospital. At the same time the rotten core of all that is wrong in our political system had begun to take root. Today we find ourselves the inheritors of a hospital that is unsafe and of a government at the helm of a political system that is ready to implode any minute.

Joseph Muscat’s Labour has its hands deeply tied and entwined with the same kind of businessmen as existed in the mid-nineties and set the path for the Mater Dei disaster. It is beyond redemption. Hope, if any, lies first of all in Simon Busuttil and his managing the re-foundation of the nationalist party before going on to re-found the Maltese State. It must be patently obvious by now that the nationalist party needs a reconstruction from the roots and not simply a renewal. A new style of politics, a new style of engagement and a new style of leadership.

Speaking at Zonqor Busuttil did say that the biggest task for his party is not to be different from Muscat but also to be different from his own party in the past.

Those words should be printed out on a concrete slab at the entrance of PN HQ. Preferably on good, sound concrete… sound enough to build the basis for a brighter future ahead.

 

 

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The Road to Perdition

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One of the most repeated mantras under the last administration was that it was too arrogant. Arrogance had become the byword for Muscat’s opposition, stirring up the people’s hatred and chips until they could take no more. One would expect that after two years of Labour government we would have anything but an arrogant government.

Not. Joseph “What is all the fuss?” Muscat is on track to break all negative records even in this department. This would already be worrying were it not for another not too insignificant detail. The real problem is that Muscat’s arrogance is directly related to one of the most basic tenets of liberal democracy – the right to property and its enjoyment. In this field Muscat has run rampage like no other before him managing to begin to belittle the feats of his hero Mintoff.

Public property is anything but something that is intended for the general enjoyment of the people. In Muscat’s eyes it is there to be raped and sold to the shadiest investor. From Zonqor to Qala the alarum bells are ringing while the Prima Donna in Castille gives us the modern day version of Marie Antoinette with his “Let them eat cake” being the “What is all this fuss?” His cabinet of incompetents can only just back him up in this tyrannic saunter through the res publica – most of them have vested interests in some jaunt or other whether it is strip clubs or property to be developed.

“Qieghdin sew” is an expression that offers meagre consolation. This morning we woke up to the news that through some wheeling and dealing of government sponsored expropriation another individual managed to make quite a few euros. Arrogance? Expropriation – the word of tyranniesthat evokes the ghost of South American socialist (read fascists in disguise) manouevres. So a couple of farmers own the land where Muscat wants to make a cheap sell to place a scam university? No problem – we will move them around because their land is in the way.

The laws that are supposed to be in place to safeguard these democratic basics such as the right to enjoyment of property and the protection of the res publica are also in danger of being rendered useless. This governmenthas become the masterind of the watering down of our legal system. It creeated a momentary illusion of competence by introducing haphazard laws granting social rights. That was the equivalent of the opium for the general public. All too peased for having obtained the long awaited rights by hook or by crook (mostly by crook and false promises) they rushed to anoint the law-maker as expert. Anyone criticising these laws as patchwork that fails to fall within the lines of a general social project would quickly be branded a conservative defender of the fools who for too long ignored the signs of change.

The institutional set-up that should help with legal safeguards is long eroded. MEPA and its likes are full of upstart proto-philosophers busy licking the arses of those in power hoping to get a piece of the cake even if such piece only means a bit of verbal recognition every now and then as well as a keen following of blind minions. The courts are gradually succumbing to a nomination game that is all but neutral and threatens the pilars of separation of power. And all the while the chips on the shoulder against the old, arrogant PN (GonziPN?) are proving to be resilient.

We could blame the arrogance of the former guise of PN that brought us into this mess. We could continue to whinge about how the former government lacked ears to listen. Some among us could even bask in the short-lived sunlight of “I told you so” smugness. All the while though the nation is being dragged into undemocratic ignominy by a far worse adversary than has ever been seen before.

It is time for some people to set their pride away and invest in practical options to bring about change as quickly as is possible. Even if that means holding their noses and backing a party they believed they would never back.

It’s imperative that they realise this now. The future of the nation is in balance and they will have much to answer for if they do not realise it.

 

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A Chimney Sweep Movement

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Maltese politicians have no balls. Rather the few balls that might have existed in the political milieu seem to be held firmly in the grasp of the construction industry. As we all know “quis testiculos habet, habeat cardeam et cerebellum” (he who holds the balls, controls the heart and mind). This is no news really.

Much before the Labour Taghna Lkoll movement openly went to bed with the Malta Development Association fronted by Mr. Sympathy Sandro Chetcuti it was no secret that for a political party to be successful it had to be supported economically by the construction industry. No money meant no party. From the early eighties to this day this was the main mantra. At its heyday in power the nationalist party and its secretary Joe Saliba had the infamous  JS list of benefactors. On the eve of the last election rumours were rife of dealings at a mysterious floor of Labour HQ linked to promises and deals with businessmen.

The sadder news for Malta is that of all industries to control the agenda for political parties we are lumped with a most unscrupulous counter-intuitive one. Yes, counter-intuitive, because on a tiny island that is but a spit in the Mediterranean where real estate comes at a premium, the main result of the most successful lobby on the island is a constant need of construction and space for construction.

Yes, it is a heritage of the nationalist party days when indiscriminate, unplanned construction was encouraged. So you suddenly have an industry that feeds on the need to build, build, build. It is barely regulated whether you look at it from a health and safety perspective or from an environmental/urban planning perspective. The secret formula is Got Money, Then Build. The seafront from Paceville to Valletta, the Bugibba front, and a myriad atrocities pock marking the scarce surface of the area are a witness to this. Have we forgotten the latest plans before Zonqor and Qala exploded into the scene? Do we forget that there is a beach planned to be built just opposite Manoel Island? Right there where even ducks might not dare to swim.

It is a vicious circle that can only be explained by analogy. Imagine that a magnate arrives in Malta with the grand idea of setting up a monopoly in the Chimney industry. What? I hear you ask, there are no chimneys in Malta. Exactly. It’s a monopoly in the waiting. I’m surprised no one thought of it yet. Pre-election he sets up a couple of meeting with some Joes from the party that seems to be about to get into power and promises are made – possibly even money is donated (remember Sandro Chetcuti and his “I donate to everyone” statements?

Once his chosen party is in government the plan begins. A new law is introduced obliging every household to have at least one fireplace with a chimney exit. Some penny-a-paper professor is commissioned to produce a report explaining how energy efficient it all is and before you can say “Legal Notice” the law has shot through parliament. The industry is ready and set up. Chimney installers, chimney maintainers and chimney repairers. The PM is beaming with this great plan that brings “many new jobs” to the island and also helps the poor people who have had such energy inefficient household before.

One minute Malta needed no chimneys. The next, because businessmen and polticians said so Malta becomes a chimney state. Far-fetched? Think again. Ask yourself why the tiny spit in the Mediterranean with a tiny surface area has such an important and burgeoning construction industry.

You have the developers and politicians to thank.

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Movements and the art of ODZ maintenance

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Chapman Taylor know something that most of us don’t. Or so it seems. It’s par for the course for Muscat’s government – surprises are sprung, agreements are made without consultation and, of course, electoral promises are broken without losing the beat. Chapman Taylor of Milan jumped the gun by “mistakenly” announcing that they had been awarded the project for what is termed “the development of an unused quarry”. The announcement came complete with pictures of a yacht marina and tourist village, a stones throw away from the idyllic bay of Hondoq.

The architect’s firm has admitted that this was a mistake since the adjudication process is still ongoing. Sadly for Muscat and his band of transparent and meritocratic men this is just another in a long series of projects (we’re still debating the Jordanian Builder’s Toy University in an ODZ) that are sprung on the public as a fait accompli. This one is environmentally and politically sensitive since once again the government would be playing with the shoreline as well as giving the go ahead for a project that would have a huge impact on the environment both on and off shore.

Which brings me to the discourse regarding movements. That this project will be as vociferously opposed as the Zonqor Visa-Machine for Upmarket Arab Sons and Daughters should be taken as read. That the newly created Front Harsien ODZ will take up this baton should be inevitable. The real question is on the long-term destiny of this kind of movement. I have already hinted that the party in opposition should not be shunned or pushed away because of its history with the environment – rather – it should be obliged to commit and tie its destiny to a holistic plan that is based on preservation and enhancement of our environmental heritage.

Does that transform the environment and ODZ into a political football? It has to. It is useless bringing up old grudges and pointing fingers at the PLPN system and claiming that this has to be a political-party-neutral effort because that only means relegating this issue to a knee-jerk/NIMBY kind of issue that has to work in fits and starts every time the party in power decides to steam roller over any form of environmental obligation.

The PN is at a point of transformation. It is at the point of defining its long and short term goals. This is the time for the “movements” to strike and force the PN to become a stronger, more effective and more decisive force than what the AD has ever been. The agenda for environmental protection must become the PN’s because that is the only way it can become part of the system rather than constantly in battle with it.

Muscat’s “movement” has been uncovered as a travesty. His courting of the environmental lobby has been proven time and again to be just words for short term game. There is no space for a real environmental agenda in his plans because it jars deeply with his dealings with constructors and vendors. He has chosen to keep the Sandro Chetcuti and Jordanian investor cards closer to his chest. He still believes that his job-creation words can charm the population into submission and acceptance of hideous plans that threaten our eco-system. If not that than the false battle against the elite in mimic of his hero Mintoff should do the trick.

Movements have a temporary and transitional role in our system. They are intended to influence the parties that matter in a system that is sadly and insufferably a bi-partisan tragedy. For too long have we tried to be convinced that the third way could be an option by driving a wedge in between the parties of the status quo. While in theory it should and would work, in practice it faces a system that was scripted and written for the preservation of the bipartisan alternation notwithstanding the dangers of a race to mediocrity. The weakest link in the system is actually the citizen who reinforces it with his vote.

It is only in moments like these – of crisis (in a philosophical sense) – that movements can play a role. By taking control of the PN agenda on environment and forging it in a lasting way that can guarantee the creation of positive policies for present and future generations much more can be achieved. Obviously this does not mean relinquishing the role of opposing current projects.

The battle to preserve Zonqor and Hondoq and their surroundings has only just begun.

Podemos.

 

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I dreamt a dream

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It’s been a long while since the last Zolabyte. When my friend put this status up on facebook with his reflections on the scandal that just hit FIFA and the possible links to global politics I could not but ask for his permission to reproduce it here as a guest post. Here is HB’s dream. Sometimes they are so close to reality that you need pinching to know if it is true.

Ho visto un film fighissimo, o forse ne ho sognato la trama. l’FBI, quelli vestiti come will smith in MIB e con il furgone dell’a-team, dopo che gli Usa vengono ingiustamente defraudati dell’assegnazione dei mondiali 2022, inizia ad indagare sulla FIFA massimo organo mondiale del calcio. La trama si infittisce gli stessi agenti devono prima fare un master in calcio, non avendo la minima idea di cosa si tratti e vanno a Boston da Mr Pallotta a chiedere di cosa si tratti, lui di tutta risposta li porta al Fenway Park a vedere una partita della ASROMA. Lì loro capiscono che si tratta di uno sport di squadra dove 2 team da 11 uomini giocano senza mazza (e senza palle alle volte) inseguendo il pallone su un diamante cercando di insaccarlo dentro ad una rete invece che di lanciarlo il più lontano possibile fuori dalla tribuna. Il tutto condito da gridolini di scherno e da gesti teatrali quali cadute in seguito a sfioramenti, sorrisi ammiccanti e competizioni di hair-style e tatuaggi.

Capite la basi continua la caccia all’imperatore del male Joao. Il brasiliano malefico non viene accusato di avere agevolato i mondiali nel suo paese, ma di averlo fatto in Russia e Qatar. Mentre per il Qatar si capisce l’astio degli USA, sconfitti nell’assegnazione proprio grazie ad un pugno di Petrodollari, per la Russia si fatica a trovare un movente che spinga l’FBI ad indagare. Sono noti i rapporti di stima reciproca e fratellanza universale che legano gli USA alla Russia. Il film si trasforma in un noir di altri tempi dove gli USA per vendicarsi dell’onta subita dal Qatar, grazie all’ausilio dei partner occulti arabi noti fan del calcio a stelle e strisce, indeboliscono l’economia Russa (in fondo gli USA sono signori non se la prendono con un popolo quello qatariota che ha già la natura contro ed il cui nome potrebbe far parte di ogni farmaco mucolitico della terra) pompando greggio come se non ci fosse un domani e portando in ginocchio l’economia Russa, nel frattempo il demone russo invade l’ucraina di cattivi propositi, concedendogli 4 miliardi di dollari di prestito e sconti a gogo sul petrolio. Per festeggiare si prendono a pallonate aerei malesiani come se piovesse.

Questi russi non sanno festeggiare in modo composto dirà poi “il portatore di luce” Obama. Gli USA ora si vedono minacciati. Non possono arrivare secondi anche nella gara degli aiuti Umanitari. Offrono 3 miliardi di aiuti della UE e Impongono alla UE stessa una serie di sanzioni economiche che sta mettendo in ginocchio non la Russia ma l’Italia, sanzioni che troppo non piacciono alla Germania (primi partner economici europei della Russia) ma gli interessi del pallone vanno salvaguardati e allora avanti tutta. Arrivano al gesto supremo cambiando la costituzione per permettere di vendere lo shale gas all’estero mostrando così tutto il disinteresse economico. Tale sprezzo viene notato e lodato dal mondo intero. A donetsk per festeggiare fanno saltare in aria l’aeroporto. Ahi ahi la vodka.
Nel frattempo in Italia disperati per la situazione economica venutasi a creare per colpa della Russia , lotito chiede di spostare l’ucraina perché dice che potrebbe, come bacino di utenza portare più vantaggi rispetto al frosinone, ma la ciociaria intera si solleva ed in forma di protesta solleva caci a mo di panuelada (il lancio del cacio va da se sia sport tradizionale delle terre che hanno dato i natali tra gli altri a San Gaspare del Bufalo, San Silverio e Sant’Ormisda). Lotito il moralizzatore offeso ma mai arreso medita vendetta.

Qui finisce il primo tempo, come ogni buon Action-movie americano la produzione nota di aver quasi finito il budget e tagliando di qua e di la, fa durare il secondo tempo 20 minuti. L’europa si rende conto che forse la Russia può tornare utile e la Merkel come una gattina inizia a fare le fusa, l’Isis conquista l’iraq, minaccia mezzo mondo ma gli Usa non centrano nulla e per imparzialità non intervengono. Assad resta il demonio, ma essendo i siriani troppo seghe a calcio bisogna fargli capire in altro modo che non è gradito, il verde rettangolo di gioco non fa per lui.

In ucraina i fascisti danno dei fascisti ai comunisti e viceversa.Si stanno organizzando tornei da oratorio alla memoria di Peppone e don Camillo. In Russia l’economia risale, in Italia la merda sa sempre di merda ma abbiamo l’expo (di merda mi dicono i ben informati). In finlandia si chiamano 1,5 milioni di riservisti, sperando di allearsi nuovamente ad una germania forte per distruggere la russia del pallone. Purtroppo per loro la federazione del pallone tedesca, per non farsi parlare dietro, immatricola solo oriundi da chiare origini non ariane. In svizzera paese neutrale per definizione, vengono arrestati tutti i vertici della FIFA escluso il diabolico JOAO. Il pallone è tondo, gli Usa sono il bene, il Qatar deve cambiare nome assad ha da mori.

Sono curioso di vedere il sequel…

 

HB

*****
Zolabytes is a rubrique on J’accuse – the name is a nod to the original J’accuser (Emile Zola) and a building block of the digital age (byte). Zolabytes is intended to be a collection of guest contributions in the spirit of discussion that has been promoted by J’accuse on the online Maltese political scene for 10 years.
Opinions expressed in zolabyte contributions are those of the author in question. Opinions appearing on zolabytes do not necessarily reflect the editorial line of J’accuse the blog.
***

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The Lie of the Movements

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When Joseph Muscat came up with the idea of backing a Jordanian builder’s plan to try his luck with owning a university, and when Joseph Muscat agreed to place this trial run uni on public ODZ land, he had no idea of the movement that would build up against him. This is the generally accepted storyline as it is evolving. Muscat makes a pact with the devil and sells off another piece of prime national land and suddenly everybody who counts is up in arms united against the tyrant’s move.

The question of whether or not the university is a legitimate educational enterprise or whether it is really a trojan horse for well-heeled arab youngsters to get their temporary visa into Schengen as a bonus add-on to a pay-as-you-go diploma has been mostly set aside. The political debate as it is has almost entirely swallowed the spin that this is a bonus for education in Malta (or as Varist infamously put it  – breaking of the university monopoly in Malta).  Some academics have started to rumble about the lack of transparency in this regard but most of the rumbling is and has been about the violation of Malta’s ODZ – outside development zone – rules.

Muscat helped push the disdain factor to new limits with his “by hook or by crook” approach early on. This managed to unite a number of different lobby groups under one banner – the newly formed Front Harsien ODZ (Front for the Protection of the ODZs). It’s a simple banner to fall under – if you have Malta’s ODZ and their preservation at heart then you can join. The founders were quick to point out the apolitical nature of the front – in the farcical Maltese style of apolitical that still defies real definition.

The actual political milieu had also begun to have its say. While the Front could boast of the support of various NGOs and of course of Alternattiva Demokratika – ever consistent in its environmental battles – its ranks were soon boosted by the rationally vociferous Marlene Farrugia and her husband Godfrey who is also the whip of the Labour party. We also had the admirable Desiree Attard – a Labour councillor in Marsascala who joined the ranks of those opposing the rape of ODZ land.

Was this a Movement in the making? Is this the opportunity to plant a Podemos or 5stelle? Probably not. The only way the Front Harsien ODZ could rally sufficient support is by staying out of actual politics. Popular movements in Malta – real ones with political stands not faux movements glued together with the sole aim of achieving power – can only be created around issue-specific moments. They can be partially successful if they prove not to have a long term ambition of becoming a party (as in contest an election).

Front Harsien is an important reaction of civic society. It is destined though to remain an issue specific blip on the political spectrum. Which brings me to the party in opposition. A number of backers of the Front Harsien have been quick to shoot down any attempt by the PN to make the issue its own. Their reasoning is that the PN track record on development does not allow it to take a stand now.

In many ways this antagonistic approach is flawed. Given that the Front Harsien has no aspiration to become a political movement, the second best thing it could do is to engage directly with the parties in their respective roles. Right now engagement with the party in government means opposing its plans to ruin ODZ whenever they crop up. Engaging with the PN intelligently would not mean acting as though it is the same antagonist as when it was in government. This is the time to get clear, precise commitments from the PN about how it would act when it inevitably – one day – is in control of the reigns of power.

Getting the PN to clearly commit to protect ODZ’s in the future is as much of a victory for the Front Harsien as would be preventing the PL government from ruining the ODZ at the moment. Exponents such as AD’s Cassola and Cacopardo would do better than rant about PN ‘hypocrisy’ because in realpolitik terms when it comes to safeguarding the ODZ it gets them nowhere.

Get the PN to commit and commit clearly and half your work is done. The other half is more difficult. Get Muscat and his jordanian partners to keep their hands off the ODZs… then the work of the movement is done. And the lie of the land will have taken a good turn.

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