Hope Dies Last. Malta Is Killing My Hope.

When your eagerness to contribute to society is never appreciated but mercilessly stymied and put into question in this country, just pack up and go elsewhere.

by Franco Rizzo

Collage by the IotL Magazine

 

“Each one thought of himself and what the Money Pig might think about him […]”
“The Money Pig” by Hans Christian Andersen.

 

Let me be honest: I am absolutely fed up of a country full of frustratingly senseless societal contradictions, with an unmitigated power imbalance between the ruling and the ruled. A country that continuously undermines individual and collective initiative, never seems willing to take any relevant concrete action, and, worst of all, scapegoats the most vulnerable for all its ills. Yes, I am talking about Malta.

Malta is such a country where enthusiasm seems to change nothing. There’s only so much care you can afford, before it starts impacting you negatively, physically and mentally. My exasperation at this situation has reached such an extent, that giving up no longer seems an unreasonable choice to make.  

 

Unbearable Institutional Lethargy and Public Apathy

The direct action by KEA and Moviment Graffitti in front of the PA was indeed admirable; they have always been consistently at the front line to put pressure on authorities to change policies. Yet, are these actions proving as effective as we wish them to be? Is anyone listening?

Somehow, the average person now seems to be wilfully disregarding their own disadvantaged position, to come in full support of a spineless political class ever so subservient to Malta’s own 1%. When activists point out these apparent faults, they are—bizarrely—labelled as privileged brats “who just do nothing, don’t have a job, and just smoke pot”.

The lack of admiration for the wonders of our thriving economy has become a new deadly sin. Apparently, those failing to venerate the ‘great achievements’ of  Malta’s ruling class are ‘traitors’ and an obstacle to ‘progress’.

 

 

The list of all faults is too long: zero accountability of public state officials, unaffordable housing and rents; human rights abuses, both in and out of detention centres and the continuous rise of hate speech and racism. Glaring workplace abuses—be it health and safety issues or harassment— and exploitation are commonplace. Add to this a widening gender pay gap, mishandling of domestic violence by police and complete withdrawal from discussing an abortion policy at an institutional level. The educational system has copious flaws; policies are ineffective and teachers are overworked. Overexploitation of environment and rampant construction are all too obvious to be even pointed out. Last by not least, an inefficient transport system and hours spent in traffic drain energy and exhaust hope.

 

It seems there will never be enough calls for action, policy proposals, reports—and, in some cases, deaths, too—before authorities, so intent of keeping the status quo, start addressing these concerns responsibly.

 

Activism-Hijacking Erodes Trust in Activism

At times, activism seems to achieve the opposite of its goals. Rather than weakening up the grip of the ruling class, Graffitti’s actions, though unintentionally, happened to assist it. Case in point is the despicable U-turn of Gzira mayor Conrad Borg Manche, who gained popular support by posing side by side with the activists in Manoel Island in 2016, only to then toe the party line and guard “the developers’ rights” to turn one of the few remaining open spaces into a rich people’s playground.

I must say that the lack of consistency and devotion from some of the former prominent activists was the final nail in the coffin of my hope.

 

We have all witnessed Mark Camilleri turning from a “political” victim unjustly targeted by a medieval censorship law, into a political instrument who gladly accepted the Gieh ir-Repubblika award from a Labour administration marred by numerous scandals, which Camilleri defends tooth and nail as Malta’s only true workers’ party, when it so evidently abandoned any semblance of socialist principles.

Neither should I leave out Michael Briguglio who disavowed his activist credentials in favour of a party which, truth be told, was never particularly keen on anti-capitalist activism. Now that felt like the ultimate betrayal and a huge blow to the activist community.

The waters are now murky. So I began wondering ‘Who represents me?’ How can I be sure that any activism is not motivated by a desire to cash in partisan dividends, as in the case of Manual Delia and the Civil Society Network? How can anyone be sure that today’s activists will not ditch their principles for a well-paid servitude to the ruling class tomorrow?

 

Small State Turbo Capitalism (Dubai 2.0?)

Malta’s mantra nowadays is the Darwinian “get rich or die trying”. So how will it ever retain a sense of compassion, solidarity, of community and the common good?

I have lost count as to how many persons have expressed regret at not following a desired career path in life, to make constantly unappreciated sacrifices for a more acceptable, unsuitably paid line of work. It is completely unjustified to brush off these concerns with a simple “such is life, suck it up, move on, be grateful, it happens everywhere”.

This might come as a surprise to some, but it is certainly not OK to treat human beings as an expendable resource, as cogs in this inhumane growth machine that does not reward workers for their labour and routinely crushes them to death. Does anyone care? Another day brings a fresh portion of clickbait hysteria and—voilà!—yesterday’s breaking news quickly evaporate from public memory.

 

No, I do not want to be expendable. I want to be a valid individual, a contributor to a fairer, caring community. Can Malta fulfill this yearning? I’m afraid not. While I’m decrying public apathy, I am afraid that this very apathy is going to consume me too.

Of course, such malaise is not unique to Malta. Of course, all of the above is happening elsewhere in the world. Still, it’s a poor excuse. This may come across as naive, but I believe that other societies, despite their apparent faults, strive more to safeguard fairness and a level playing field. Societies that flood the streets to hold their governments accountable, with no obvious, blatant partisan interests.

Malta feels like it has long disregarded those safeguards in the name of “economic progress”, aspiring to become Dubai 2.0.

 

Leave Everything Behind

This was not an easy conclusion, but I’ve decided that, in the face of such wilful indifference and apathy, the most radical action may be to leave everything behind.

When your eagerness to contribute to society is never appreciated but mercilessly stymied and put into question in this country, just pack up and go elsewhere. Go and experience failure without the fear of constantly being reminded about it, and further ridiculed and reprimanded. Go wherever being a responsible citizen will be truly appreciated within a community that values you as a person, not as a commodity, a resource to be exploited and silenced.

 

 

It’s never easy, but no one ever said it was. Whether you’re in a comfortable position to pave your own way out, or in need of help to make that breakout, dare leave and don’t feel guilty.

You would not be “abandoning” Malta, as some might have you believe, when it has long abandoned you to the whims of unmitigated liberal capitalism. You might return one day, with your energies and enthusiasm restored, to struggle for a fairer Maltese society. Nevertheless, with that being said, don’t hold your breath.

In the face of such wilful indifference, stagnation, apathy and disregard for individuals and communities, the most radical action might be to give up on Malta after all.

Franco Rizzo is a Maltese freelancer and photography enthusiast in his 30s, who feels more at home when he’s away from home.