The Stupid Economy

Alfred Sant has definitely run out of PR. His latest article bemoaning the economic ills of this country is entitled "Propeller Malfunction". Electors and observers of the Maltese political climate will have caught on to the fact by now that the do-or-die point of electability come next elections will be the economy. Not that this is much different from other elections. It's just that barring some noisy ANR or Lowellian faction, tackling immigration, boosting education and health, improving transport and planning, and curtailing environmental damage will all take the back seat to one general, vague argument that will be called the Stupid Economy.

In one corner we will have Harvard Graduate Alfred Sant who is becoming ultra efficient (or should I say proficient) at pointing out how sick this state's economy has become. On the other we have the Gonzesse. The smooth operator who will surgically break down all measures into digestible amounts while still missing the big picture. One will tell us that the economy has been run stupid while the other will tell us that the detractors are too stupid to notice it is recovering.

It will be then that as an electorate we will reach a point of stupefaction of no return. We will ignore the fact that a proper environmental plan is crucial to our future economy. We will sit back silently as stipend and tertiary education budgets are slashed and our country's future competititivity lies in ruins. We will drive happily on Sunday's up roads tarmacked once every CHOGM and read about the 53 million persons represented and thousands of pounds paid to an advertising agency with as much creativity as the designer of the Ta' Qali stadium. We will watch the Grand Opening of Mater Dei and privately joke about the Mater Dejn for the hundreth time. We will ride yellow buses along impossible routes all the while smiling about this pajjiz tal-mickey mouse.

The worst part is that we will continue the farce of PRomoting PRetentious PRats into government in alternation. For while Alfred Sant keeps asking us his acid test "Are you better off now?" he fails to give us any reason to believe that "We will be better off then" when Castille Square flies the pinkish red flag again.

So let them discuss "the economy". Because they feel comfortable discussing the claptrap they come up with. Let them talk about "oil prices", "privatisations", "investments" and "reducing budget deficit". Let them distract and stupefy you with their supposed high brow practices. And on election day go out there and if anyone asks you why you still bother to vote... adopt that wankellectual look of a Minister in a discussion panel, and in as serious a tone as possible say:

"it's the economy, stupid".

***

Meanwhile allow me to congratulate MEP Joseph Muscat for mentioning the closing of Denim Thingy Ltd in the European Parliament and trying to shake up the EU for allowing such job losses to occur in Malta. Naughty EU. Of course the management of a company that blames people for not buying jeans but switching to shorts in August does not deserve being shut down and lose contracts from Levi's Inc. I am sorry for the workers. But heaven's forgive me if I ever feel sorry for such incompetent nincompoops.

I read and re-read the story and no matter how many labourites will try to blame this loss of jobs on government I still read one thing into it: INEFFICIENCY. Once again... I am in full solidarity with the 850 workers who lost their job (presumably to a cheap labour factory in Tunisia whence the original products come from).