According to the iSurvey carried by The Malta Independent on Sunday on 24 April, the abstainers increased from six per cent in 2013 to over 17 per cent; while the uncommitted, mostly genuinely confused persons, make up close to 13 per cent. These numbers together amount to a staggering 99,000 disillusioned people!
The matter in hand is serious. There is no more room to play about, neither as spectators nor participants in crowd scenes. There is no more sitting-on-the-wall watching the political tennis, listening to the words, not digesting same, and more often than not quite unable to figure out things for oneself!
Indeed, we could do better without the cheap rations dished out thus far; such as gaining some advantage or obtaining a concession or permit not normally available to the standard Żeppis. Or for that matter, even more cheaply, being subtly ‘asked’ to surrender, one’s vote while being ‘invited’ (as a paying guest) to some coffee morning, only to be told what to think and what to say; while being drummed into submission, moulded into cohorts of red or blue automatons!
On the contrary, for the audacious this is the right time to make substantial gains by sticking to their guns, being counted in favour of the brave, new development, albeit incomprehensible and unimaginable to conservatives.
The good, young, fresh brains in the 15- to 25-year-old bracket should be the ones most concerned as their future lies ahead of them. If it’s to be of any worth, the future doesn’t come ready and tailor-made from heaven but must be built the bare hands sometimes at great sacrifice.
Our youth ought to be better addressed and informed as intelligent creatures. They ought to be encouraged to move ahead, and not held back. They should gradually learn the ropes to be responsible protagonists, as they face a much higher risk if they remain indifferent, idling away the time. In a moment of lucidity, they should realize and positively react to the present situation, quite regrettably revolting in so many aspects.
Far too many seem to live in an unconscious symbiosis. They do what others expect of them. I challenge all to seek their own way and discover themselves. That can only happen if one detaches oneself from the wishes of others. One will never find oneself if one remain inwardly bound by such wishes. One will irreversibly compromise one’s way between conforming to others and doing what one wants. It’s only when one stands on one’s own two feet that one can really communicate in freedom. I call for communication between mature people, independent people!
The movement which is trying to save Europe from further self-destruction, DiEM25 and its adherents on the local scene, while exposing the theatricals being enacted in Brussels by the self-acclaimed ‘moderates’ of both major inclinations, afford us, members of the Progressive community, a solution to the fiascos of the present dictatorship. The recent ominously serious Austrian crack which developed shook the building to its foundations and brought the once loudly-applauded Schengen to the floor again. Likewise, without doubt, DiEM25 is also bound to have a telling effect locally, once political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and give an appearance of solidarity. A recent case in point is the ill-conceived and unfeasible GM-TV, GozoMalta-TunnelVision!
Ramon Borg-Bartolo
Sliema