While the Maghreb region – and it is not the only place – is in flames as nation after nation protests and uprisings bring down long-serving leaders and threaten others, here in Malta we are debating the introduction of a civil right that should have been made law decades ago, a costly tunnel to serve the few and the Eurovision Song Contest.

I do not know whether this is a sign that in Malta we are having it so good that we can allow ourselves to discuss matters that are trivial by comparison with the plight of people who are fighting for their freedom, or whether it is a confirmation that, unfortunately, we do not really give a damn to what happens to others.

Often we complain of being isolated, but we deserve this isolation. We keep ourselves cocooned in our own little world, oblivious to what is happening around us while we entertain ourselves with petty issues. In a way, we are like immature children, only concerned with the toy we are playing with – until someone tries to take that toy away from us.

We’re so selfish that the real interest in what is taking place in North African countries – and not only there, since the domino effect has reached Jordan, Yemen and Bahrain, and will probably hit others too – only began this past week when those two aeroplanes arrived from Libya.

Up until then, much of the talk in the streets and offices was whether Glen Vella would finally give Malta the Eurovision title that has escaped us time and again, or about the upcoming wedding of Gladys ta’ Deceduti.

I still have to hear the song and I have never watched Deceduti – I do not have time to waste – but I’ve heard and read enough to make my blood boil and sadly confirm that the IQ of many people is low – very low.

It was only when the two Mirages landed at Luqa last Monday that it finally dawned on us how close we are to the region where history is being shaped, and only because we started to realise that, in a way, we could suffer some consequences. Until last week, we watched from a distance; today, we watch with apprehension, and perhaps fear too, but only because we have been somehow involved.

When, at the start of the New Year, the Tunisians rose up against their leader Ben Ali, taking several days to force his downfall, we were talking about the parliamentary honoraria, and whether ministers and parliamentary secretaries should take it over and above their Cabinet salary. We were also arguing about the crossing of swords by Valletta and Floriana local councils, following the confusion during the end-of-year celebrations in the two neighbouring localities.

When, taking the cue, it was the turn of the Egyptians to march in the streets to protest against their leader Mubarak, again taking days before they compelled him to step down, we started talking about the building of a tunnel between Malta and Gozo, or between Gozo and Malta if you prefer, considering that it is the Gozitans who want it.

Why we should spend so many millions – €150 million, it has been said, but looking at the cost of other tunnels that have been constructed or are planned, it will be much more than that – to satisfy a childhood dream escapes me. And this is not to mention how many more millions we will have thrown away through investment in the two ferry terminals and on the Gozo Channel Company, including its fleet of ships. It would be better to use such funds for health and education, rather than waste them to save a few minutes in travelling time.

In the meantime, people in Bahrain and Yemen were taking to the streets to protest against their leaders, while in other countries such as Algeria, Morocco and Jordan, things are not looking good either. So far, things have been kept under control, but in such volatile situations, one never knows what to expect next.

While all this was happening, the government and Opposition were – and still are – battling over the divorce issue. We now know that the debate in Parliament will take up to 16 March, when a vote will be taken and, following that, the country will vote in a referendum to be held on 28 May.

That we are still discussing such an issue in 2011 goes to prove that, in many ways, we are still to come to terms with changes in our society. That there are many who advocate against divorce and take up the role of a saint while ignoring the pain and suffering of people whose marriage has failed is, to me, just another aspect of the selfishness that characterises us.

It is the same selfishness that surfaced in recent days when those two Mirages landed in Malta, and finally we understood that we are part of the world, and most of all part of a region that is burning. We finally realised that our proximity to North Africa paved the way for our unwanted involvement. This time, our strategic position has worked against us, in the same way that it does when migrants want to cross over to mainland Europe.

We finally comprehended the seriousness of what is going on close to our shores, sending us to the other extreme. We have moved from a detached position to one that is typical of us Maltese – near-panic. Fuelled by a section of the media whose intention was clearly to create alarm, many are over-reacting. Some mothers were overheard telling their children to obey their teacher and “go to the shelter” if they are told to do so. I would not be surprised if there is a rush to the supermarkets to buy corned beef and luncheon meat in large quantities “just in case”.

This is, unfortunately, what makes – and breaks – us. And maybe that’s why we deserve silly songs and silly TV dramas. We are, after all, a silly nation.

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