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| OPINION | Sunday, 24 February 2008 The smallness of our politics Evarist Bartolo Just over a year ago Barach Obama announced that he was running for president of the United States of America. In his short speech he called on young people to help him transform the nation. Invoking memories of Abraham Lincoln, Obama said: “What’s stopped us is the failure of leadership, the smallness of our politics -- the ease with which we’re distracted by the petty and trivial, our chronic avoidance of tough decisions, our preference for scoring cheap political points instead of rolling up our sleeves and building a working consensus to tackle big problems. .. Each and every time a new generation has risen up and done what needs to be done. Today we are called once more—and it is time for our generation to answer that call. For it is our unyielding faith that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it.”
Since then Obama’s new way of doing politics is attracting huge waves of support and his inspirational speeches have captured the imagination of many Americans. It is too early to say whether he will be the first black American president but he has certainly already brought a new moral tone to American politics and is raising it to higher levels. Five years ago Dr Lawrence Gonzi, on becoming the new leader of the Nationalist Party also committed himself to a new way of doing politics. His complacent behaviour at the University ‘Insite’ debate is another proof of how Dr Gonzi has failed dismally to change the smallness of our politics. He did not stop a group of his supporters from showing an intolerant, partisan and fanatical attitude, mostly against Dr Alfred Sant. Not only Dr Gonzi should have stepped in and told his supporters to behave in a mature, dignified and democratic manner, he should have used the debate as an opportunity to call on university students to give their contribution to change the pettiness and triviality of our politics and change our nation. The university debate should have been one of the highlights of this campaign where the four party leaders would have had the necessary intellectual space and calm atmosphere to present their proposals in front of a discerning audience ready to listen in an open minded way But Dr Gonzi allowed his rowdy supporters to shout and drown out the three political leaders they do not agree with, particularly Dr Sant by hurling insults and verbal abuse at him. In the last five years Dr Gonzi has in fact contributed to make our politics smaller not only by allowing his exhausted government to stagnate and deteriorate in every way but also by reducing a whole political party into a personal prop with the Nationalist Party becoming Gonzi PN. Any comments?
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Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email
Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email