I am not capable to do any house or car maintenance. I rely totally on others. Whenever I’ve tried to lay my hands on tools, I’ve only manged to make things worse. This becomes even more accentuated with computers. Information technology is a fascinating tool. However, the efficiency of my office is seriously disrupted once something goes haywire. Everything is put on hold. The contact details of my computer technician can be found everywhere at the office. In a recent conversation with him after a minor hiccup, he stressed a point - garbage in, garbage out. This caught my attention. In the context of information technology, GIGO means that regardless of how accurate a program’s logic is, the result will be incorrect if the input is not right.
While the term is most frequently used in the context of computerised processes, GIGO can also be used to refer to any decision-making process where failure is inevitable if the right, appropriate, accurate and diligent decisions are not secured. The GIGO label fits like a glove to all parliamentarians embroiled in scandals and alleged cases of corruption.
Character assassination in the political and public domains is not unusual; however, people should make every effort to decode between the predictable political tug-of-war and founded allegations of corruption. Our small community cannot afford a make-believe government. There are no two ways about it; corruption is a crime and should be addressed with a strong hand by the competent authorities. Whoever the politician may be.
People should not be allowed to form a biased opinion against genuine politicians because of the dishonest few. Thick-skinned, self-centred, scheming politicians, with illegitimate connections, should be unmasked. This needs to be addressed before irreparable damage is done.
We are at the moment treading on very thin ice.
Numerous claims of deceit and corruption are not unusual in the political arena; however, no politician has ever served time behind bars for these reasons. The forms of alleged corruption have varied and shifted with the times. Brown envelopes have given way to electronic transfers.
People from various walks of life have, and still do, serve time in prison for minor and less serious offences. The current scandals are yet another series of episodes associated closely with politicians and their immediate connections. It should be of no huge surprise that, human nature being what it is, spineless politicians fall for kickbacks. Unless singled out and pushed to take full responsibility for their actions or inactions, a whole generation of politicians is on the verge of being discredited completely. All politicians, irrespective of on which side of the House, are being put in very bad light.
This is becoming just as bad, if not more serious, than the actual alleged cases of corruption. The current political upheaval, fired by the considerable number of cases of corruption and scandals, has put government in a tight corner, where crisis management is the order of the day.
On Sunday people showed that they are prepared to put both feet firmly down.
Like any credible salesperson, a politician should only promise what is legitimately and ethically correct. People want to deal with politicians who they can trust and rely on. People have had enough of political empty promises.
Politicians in other countries have served or are serving time behind bars because they were involved in corruption. Last month, Ehud Olmert, former Israeli Prime Minister who had served for three years, started a 19-month jail sentence. He was indicted on five criminal counts - obtaining by fraud under aggravating circumstances, fraud, breach of trust, falsifying corporate documents and tax evasion.
The deceased Socialist Italian Prime Minister Bettino Craxi escaped the law, by fleeing to Tunisia in 1994, and remained a fugitive there protected by Ben Ali's government. He repeatedly declared himself innocent, but never returned to Italy where he had been sentenced to 27 years in jail because of his crimes of corruption.
A promise is a promise. It is acknowledged and judged positively if honoured. But if one party to the promise pulls a fast one on the other part, the injured party will rightly so draw its own conclusions and will decide on where to draw the line and when that line has been crossed.
The line has long be drawn and crossed.
The Prime Minister is expected to take decisive actions for the sake of the nation. Kicking Deputy Leader, Dr Konrad Mizzi and Chief of Staff, Mr Keith Schembri out would be a start.
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