The Italian parliamentary elections of 1921 saw fascists, which included Benito Mussolini, win 35 seats. That November Mussolini organised this movement into a formal political party PNF. (Partito Nazzionale de Fascisti). The leading fascists in this party also formed their own trade unions, the “syndicates”, to control the labour force.

After 1922, Mussolini personally took over several ministries. Sometimes he held as many as seven departments simultaneously, as well as the premiership. In this way he succeeded in keeping power in his own hands and preventing the emergence of any rival. But it came at a price as he created a regime that was over centralized, inefficient, and corrupt.

In the early days Mussolini played up to his financial backers by transferring a number of industries from public to private ownership. (Denis Mack Smith Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford University)

There is a vulgar incredulity, which in political history matters finds it easier to doubt than to examine.

On 18 February 2008, the University of Malta decided to imitate the American political debates which are being televised in the current presidential campaign in the USA.

The end result was an embarrassment for the University of Malta and a disgraceful display of well-organised students who were obviously rehearsed to take Malta back to the 1920s. All that was missing from the disgusting actions of these Boo-Birds were the black shirts that often welcomed Benito Mussolini.

One ridiculous young man, who looked more like a hostile primate rather than a student, was filmed swearing at the cameraman in a threatening manner. How civilized! Surely his parents must be very proud of such behaviour especially since both of them are supposedly professionals and so well connected to the PN.

Did these airheads who let others use them to provide political harassment really believe that by booing all the other three leaders, especially Dr Sant, they were promoting the crowning of Dr Gonzi as il duce?

University campuses must also bear the responsibility to provide the speakers as well as the audience with the rights to be heard and formal security precautions. Shame on the university administration, which should have ensured, which such a debate be democratic and failed completely to control this Maltese disgrace.

Over the last 20 years, under this present PN style of politicking, our small nation continues on its march towards vulgarity. To call this administration’s fabricated promotions of a feel good and free spending Maltese society as futuristic is blasphemous.

In the past the Maltese electorate were distracted with appeals to passions and prejudices rather than to reason, and in all respects, succumbed to intrigue and deception, of sly cunning journalism and controlled media management.

In 1984, Brian Mulroney led the PC (Progressive Conservative) to the biggest election victory in Canadian history. His party elected another majority of 169 MPs, polling 57.3 per cent of the electorate vote in 1988. Mulroney’s bold leadership on controversial issues with membership in NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), the introduction of GST (Goods & Services Tax) and stories of crime, greed and corruption, as documented in a political book by Stevie Cameron On the Take, would force him to leave the Prime Minister’s Office as the most unpopular prime minister in Canada’s recent memory.

Kim Campbell was elected leader of the Progressive Party on 13 June 1993, she became the first woman to serve as Prime Minister during Brian Mulroney’s term of office. Her premiership was very brief because in October 1993 Canadians elected a new government.

Ten years of PC administration under Brian Mulroney drastically altered the political landscape of Canada. The LP (Liberal Party) elected 177 MPs with 60 per cent of the electorate vote. The PC was relegated to only two Members of Parliament, 0.07 per cent, thereby losing party status.

EU membership

Throughout the ordeal of these last five years, it was the working class who most of all carried the burden of this government’s illusions and pretentious spending. Those that navigated Malta’s fallible European policies have now retreated to the sidelines cushioned in a President’s office and Commonwealth appointments.

Their speeches of unlimited fortunes harvested from the EU (233 million euros yearly) quietly forgotten while every tax payer must shoulder heavier taxes to service the national debt and the responsibility to be forever spending for their political follies so that this island and its working class can compete in a global economy. This expense alone represents the greatest social disease of our Maltese Islands, considering that most of the country’s assets have been auctioned off and State entities that employ thousands are on the threshold of being shut down or downsized to the detriment of a multitude of tradesmen, who because of their age will find it extremely difficult to support their families.

Do the Maltese suffering from this maniacal delusion really believe that this insane activity represents progress and enlightenment?

It took Canada 15 years to recover from the PC’s bad administration. Thanks to a shrewd and capable finance minister Paul Martin, the nation assessed the damage. First taxes had to be raised to unbearable rates to address the huge deficits. Then the Canadian dollar was devalued to 0.62 cents to its US counterpart, and last but not least some of the agreements with NAFTA were renegotiated. For example the softwood lumber agreement took years to be finally straightened out. Today the Canadian dollar is at par with the US dollar.

A great country like Canada, which is one of the richest and most resourceful in the world, had to go through the pains to achieve the gains of a global economy. Malta in the EU has to adapt differently because the question of currency, interest rates and monetary policies are no longer an option.

In this general election, the first as an EU State, Malta deserves better than those it had previously chosen to govern its land and administer its assets. Gonzi’s administration jesters in Brussels, whose propaganda appears in some of the English media, ought to realise that this Maltese nation has learned the hard way not to believe their hogwash that the EU agreements cannot be reopened with a just cause.

The EU membership negotiations had given this country the political manipulation of the masses, first through the deceit of the Fenech Adami administrations, and then the incompetence of the Gonzi government. Saying Malta should keep quiet about EU membership because it is working, is like saying the Titanic voyage was a success because a few people survived on life rafts.

Crime, greed and corruption

Without the truth, Malta’s justice system cannot serve this nation or its citizens. The requirements to tell the truth, and transparency, should apply equally to all citizens, including elected officials who hold high positions in government.

But if Dr Gonzi’s public confidence is mirrored in the attitude of his candidates, then his leadership may yet confound those of us who have looked, without success, for signs that as ministers in his previous administration, they were performing their duties to the best of their abilities rather than to reward their self-interest.

It is a fascinating exercise to watch the PN leader at his mass conferences, always happy to brush off his critics with an apparently unshakeable belief in his ageing ministers, especially when the majority of this Maltese nation is looking at them with disdain.

This Gonzi administration doesn’t understand the meaning of the words integrity or commitment. They behave more like your “pig in the trough” kind of guys who’ll hang on for grim death just to retain the perks of being government ministers forever. The Maltese electorate should be smart enough by now to kick all of the previous administration out and bring in fresh new faces to confirm the seriousness with which this nation has been looking at crime, greed and corruption. Otherwise most of these incompetent and arrogant ex-ministers will try to cling like limpets until the gullible Maltese voters extricate their fat little fingers from the greasy poles they have become accustomed to. Malta, and that includes PN voters with national pride, must vote to chuck all of them on the scrap heap where they belong. National injustice is the surest road to national downfall

This time voters are adamant about not being accomplices to witness the abuse of power and that they are disgusted with this culture of corruption. They want this Maltese nation to go in a different way because their well being and their children’s future depend on it.

It’s fashionable at election time for the PN to become opportunists, peddling cynical and pernicious falsehoods against Dr Sant to gain back their political advantage that has kept this government in power over the years through vindictive personal attacks and media manipulation with the aid of its jesters in the English language papers and its political agitators earning thousands of euros through the State broadcasting service.

A claim that the short-lived government of the Sant administration had misled and mismanaged Malta’s finances between 1996 and 1998 is one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired or printed in the Maltese media.

Personal rather than political attacks on the Leader of the Opposition do nothing to get the job done in a country that has stagnated and where workers hold their breath due to job insecurity and burdensome taxes.

Politics often takes place on a slippery slope. In politics the most important advice that this Gonzi administration must keep in mind is “that if you slip you must go down.”

This time Malta needs men and women who live above the fog. In this election Malta under a newly elected administration, both in public duty and in private thinking will discover their strong minds, great hearts, true faith and willing hands.

I know that for Malta there will be a bright dawn ahead because it is within the electorate’s power to rise to the occasion and give this country a new beginning with the government it deserves.