With what's been going on this year, rumination has become the order of the day.

Many hours a week are spent thinking, reflecting and wondering how in this day and age of globalisation we are still driven by self-interest. Our behaviour is determined by the ability to turn a quick buck or gain an advantage over the rest. Collective responsibility is left to the philosophers to write about. 

Many of us support various charities, but how many of us have ever questioned the intention behind our donation? Do we donate money because we support the ethos of the organisation we are donating to, or are we donating because of the fear that we may need their help in the future? Are we donating money from the excess money we have or from money which we could have used ourselves to survive? Does this matter? I argue that it does. It determines, in a very primitive manner, who we are, whether we are driven by self-interest or collective responsibility. 

If our actions are driven purely by self-interest, we will not find the time to get involved in anything from which we do not stand to gain anything. Stop for a few minutes, get a pen and paper and list how you have been contributing to your country. It could be something as insignificant as separating waste and taking the bins out at the scheduled times, or observing the law on wearing masks where mandatory. We will get back to this list at the end of the article. 

In Malta, many believe that their elected representatives in parliament are untouchable, that they can do as they wish when in office. This belief is entrenched in years of class division, where those with low income and a low level of literacy think of politicians (traditionally from higher classes) as the godparent they can call on for a favour.

If the politician obliges and accedes to the wishes of the individual, said individual will give the politician their vote in the next election. If the wish is big enough, you may also get their family’s vote. For this type of voter, it doesn’t matter what the politician is really up to in parliament. The politician could be stripping the country of its identity and reputation. The voter doesn’t care. All that matters is that they are better off than they were before they called in the favour. 

This leaves the bad politicians in power and the honest ones fearing that they are out of their depth; what matters is not one’s passion for justice or the well-being of the country, but how sleazy and corrupt one can be. The bad politicians know this and have over the years made sure that the electorate is left in a state of political ignorance. This is easily achieved. All you have to do is underfund or cut the education and arts budgets. Both education and the arts give pupils the opportunity to think creatively and broadly about what is happening around them, about how to collaborate with each other, how to work in a team and towards the same goal, and these are all qualities which threaten the self-serving politician in power. Pushing for an education built on critical and creative thinking would spell disaster for politicians not wanting the electorate to start thinking for themselves and advocating for their rights. 

When citizens are not taught how to think and rationalise, they are incapable of improving their situation and that of others. Put simply, they become consumed with worrying about making ends meet and about their own survival. The accomplishments of others become menacing, and contributing anything to society at large is seen as putting their own success at risk. Of course, this behaviour is a blessing to the politician who is only interested in enriching themselves when in power. Let the electorate fight among themselves. All that matters is that they are kept busy enough not to have any time to think about what matters in the grand scheme of things. 

But I don’t believe it’s all doom and gloom. Change is possible.  

Let’s go back to that list. You may have listed one, two, or several things you are doing which you believe are improving the country you are living in. Some of you may have listed none because they could not be bothered with the exercise. I cannot blame you. This has turned out to be quite an unusual piece. But if you did, I ask you to check if you have included anything to do with politics. Maybe you follow the news and take an active interest in what politicians are doing, or maybe, on an even larger scale, you yourself are involved in politics, already attend protests and demonstrations through which you want to assert your rights.

If you have not, have a think about it. Your behaviour can change the way politics is done. After all, politicians are in power because we, the people, entrusted them with it.