Three signs identify a hypocrite. Whenever a hypocrite speaks, he lies; whenever he promises things, he breaks his promises; and whenever he is trusted, he betrays the trust in him. Tennessee Williams, considered to be among the three foremost playwrights of the 20th century, said that “the only thing worse than a liar is a liar who is also a hypocrite”.
Hypocrisy is defined as the state of pretending to have beliefs, opinions, qualities, virtues, feelings or standards which one does not possess. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is therefore a lie. The hypocrite, being false, lives a lie. A hypocrite is a liar. He conveniently tries to forget or tries to make others forget or tries to conceal his defects and mistakes whilst pointing fingers at or tries to accuse others.
The hypocrite is excellent in judging others’ mistakes or apparent mistakes whilst being a very good lawyer in his own defence when committing the same mistakes or apparent mistakes of others. Hypocrisy is dishonesty. Honesty, being a very expensive virtue, cannot be expected from cheap people. I do not have a short temper and accept many things in life however I do have a very low tolerance for hypocrites and liars.
Labour never changes
“Labour cannot afford to revert to tactics, style and people which in the past have made it one of the most morally, physically and ideologically corrupt parties which our country ever had”. This is a very strong condemnation of the state of the Malta Labour Party (now Partit or Moviment Laburista) in the eighties. This admission was not made by someone who was against the Labour Party or who had a grudge against Labour. It came from an insider of the party who knew Labour inside out and who, at the time of the admission, was in fact Deputy Chairman of the Labour Youth Movement and member of Labour’s Executive Committee. This harsh declaration was published in an article in The Malta Independent of September 1998 penned by none other than the present leader of the Labour Party, Joseph Muscat.
After this strong condemnation of Labour and the relevant article wherein it was made, one expected that Joseph Muscat would not tolerate, under his leadership obscenities, non-accountability, lies, scandals and cases stinking of corruption. One expected Muscat to ensure Labour would not revert to the eighties and become, as had been classified by him, “one of the most morally, physically and ideologically corrupt parties which our country ever had”. However, Labour never changes. One votes Labour, one gets Labour.
After four years plus with Joseph Muscat as Prime Minister, the so-called movement which he leads and which he promised to be full of ideas and ideals has lost the “clear roadmap” so-much referred to prior to the March 2013 election. Obscenities, cases of unaccountability, hypocrisy, lies, scandals and cases stinking of corruption make the headlines on a regular basis.
In 1998 Muscat declared that “Labour in the eighties was surrounded by violent elements who thought that they had all the power in their hands”. It seems that Labour of today is surrounded by other elements as dangerous, if not more, as “the violent elements” of the eighties referred to by Muscat. Today’s elements are those who Labour could be indebted to, due to promises that it could have made to them before the election, in order to obtain their vote. Surrounded by such elements, Muscat is hostage with his back to the wall.
Hypocrisy personified
On every occasion prior to the 2013 election, Muscat insisted that a Labour government would, in all cases, be guided by the rule of meritocracy. During the electoral campaign, Labour covered Malta and Gozo with billboards amongst which was one showing a lady declaring that she believes in meritocracy. Eventually, this lady was one of the many who, after the election, was “rewarded” with an appointment in accordance with meritocracy as understood only by Muscat.
Muscat’s and Labour’s battle cry was “Malta tagħna lkoll” (Malta belongs to us all) accompanied with the slogan “You may not agree with us, but you can work with us”. It was one of the many supposedly “meaningful” slogans put forward by Muscat & Co. It was one of the many slogans that Muscat used so well to deceitfully convince and which helped him attain his goal of becoming Malta’s Prime Minister.
All billboards were removed immediately after the election (probably not to allow the electorate recall the promises made). Muscat, prior to the election professed a belief much different to the one being practised by him after the election. He appears to have broken and discarded the ruler of meritocracy. The new ruler being used measures one’s contribution towards a Labour victory and/or how close one is to the clique. Merit and qualifications have been thrown overboard.
A majority of 35,107 votes in the last election does not give Muscat or his Labour Government any divine right to do the opposite of some of the promises made before the election. The mandate given to Muscat by the electorate was on the basis of his promises. Muscat has no mandate to ignore or to go against such promises.
The students, the youths, the housewife who has to see how to make both ends meet with difficulty, the self-employed, the sick and the aged, the pensioners, those in precarious employment, the employees in both the private and the public sector, the employees of parastatal companies who were promised that their company would not be privatised, and all those who were deceived into believing in and voted for Muscat’s promised roadmap are up in arms. They are witnessing how, with arrogance, hypocrisy and obvious deceit, some of Muscat’s and Labour’s promises are being turned upside down if not ignored. Muscat either had no roadmap or it flew out of his pocket when pompously entering Castille to take over the seat of power. In order to win the election, Muscat and Labour succeeded in deceiving many voters. The electorate’s trust in them is being betrayed.
A just society?
We were promised a just society – a society where everyone, irrespective of political belief should have been given the opportunity to progress and to benefit from the Nation’s wealth which would be generated. A just society with all of us and for all of us does not exist. Since a few days after the beginning of this legislature we have been witnessing obscenities by the Muscat administration where a just society for all started to mean a just society for the chosen. What sheer hypocrisy! How can Muscat face the electorate who is disgusted with his deceit and hypocrisy?
The President’s speech prepared by Government for the inauguration of this legislature declared, amongst other things, that “We have started a new chapter in the history of this nation. The time of pique, partisanship and arrogance of power will be a part of the past”. Muscat is giving a different meaning to “a just society” as pronounced in the President’s speech. We are actually living in a time of partisanship and arrogance of power – a clear example of Muscat’s hypocrisy.
An example of hypocrisy
Prior to the election, Muscat pontificated that he had beliefs, opinions, qualities and levels much different to those of the previous administration which he criticised abundantly. Muscat insisted that he always keeps his promises. Muscat’s actions after the elections compared to his honeyed words and promises prior to March 2013, show his unlimited hypocrisy.
To gather as much votes as possible, Muscat promised everything to everyone.However, after the election, his mask fell off and the Maltese are seeing and understanding the real Joseph Muscat. Really and truly we started a new chapter, we are having a change of direction – however, moving backwards instead of forward as promised.
I started by saying that three signs identify a hypocrite: he goes back on his promises, he betrays those who trusted him and he lies. Muscat and Labour are all this. A perfect example of hypocrisy.
The future of this country lies in moving forward. Only the PN under the leadership of Simon Busuttil and his team can guarantee this. Let us not be deceived again with honeyed words and promises that Muscat is capable of putting forward once more as the election approaches.