As much as Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tries to disenfranchise himself and his government from what is commonly known as ‘the establishment’, the more it becomes clearer that this Labour administration has been built on media hype, spin and counter spin, tactical dramatic effects and, probably the most important element within the equation, a gullible electorate way too patient and kind with its rulers be they of the left or of the right.
It is said that history repeats itself, and more so thought that tales and fables of the past where conceived to teach the commoners how not to forget the lessons learnt in past experiences.
The 19th century author Hans Christian Anderson whom amongst other works wrote The Emperor’s New Clothes, believed in educating and entertaining children with stories they will carry along through their adulthood. He wrote the story of “a vain Emperor who cares about nothing except wearing and displaying clothes. He hires two weavers who promise him the finest, best suit of clothes from a fabric invisible to anyone who is unfit for his position.” Had Hans Christian Anderson wrote the tale in today’s context he would have said that people who do not understand the intricate decisions taken by the Emperor would simply press LIKE on the Emperor’s Facebook post simply to show that they are not stupid and they fit within the ‘approval’ group.
In Anderson’s tale, “the Emperor's ministers cannot see the clothes themselves, but pretend that they can for fear of appearing unfit for their positions and the Emperor does the same. The townsfolk play along with the pretense, not wanting to appear unfit for their positions or stupid.”
Joseph Muscat’s weavers capture each and every buzzword thrown out there in the media and resize it, re configure it and re distribute it to the local audience. Just like the Emperor he seems to fail to see how utterly ridiculous he is seen when he says such things as ‘we are not the establishment’ or ‘we are the underdog’ or ‘we welcome the Panama Papers EP Committee because we have nothing to be ashamed of’.
The latest buzzword, which cropped up in a DOI press release is: ‘fake-news’. Coined by Secretary Clinton during the election for US President, Clinton and media scholars, referred to speculations on social media that are presented as news when they’re actually fake. Enter Muscat’s weavers and introduce ‘fake-news’ as the buzzword in standard official replies.
This administration should have more to offer than a façade to cover up any wrong doing by some of its persons of trust.
When the Emperor strolled the streets in his ‘new clothes’ ‘a child in the crowd, too young to understand the desirability of keeping up the pretense, blurted out that the Emperor is wearing nothing at all. Suddenly others take up the cry. The Emperor suspects the assertion is true, but continues the procession.’
This newspaper proudly takes up that role of the child.