Isteriżmu

Li għaġġibni fl-aħħar ġimgħat kien it-ton isteriku tal-Oppożizzjoni Nazzjonalista. Veru kienu qed jagħmlu akkużi gravi kontra l-gvern. Imma aktar u aktar messhom ippreżentawhom b’mod biered, preċiż u ċar.
Id-diskors li ntuża serva biex jiżvaluta l-messaġġ. Wassal lill-Kap tal-Oppożizzjoni biex idawwar il-kanuni tiegħu kontra kull min ġie quddiemu u li donnu mhux lest jiżfen iż-żifna tiegħu. Ħafna drabi bl-imġiba tiegħu, lili tani l-impressjoni li qed jagħmel stqarrijiet mingħajr ma kellu f’idu, jew kien miss b’idejh, l-evidenza sħiħa li wasslitu biex joħroġ bl-istqarrijiet li għamel.
Dan xejn ma jawgura tajjeb għall-iżvilupp politiku futur ta’ pajjiżna. Jiftaħ il-bibien beraħ għall-aħħar vizzji moderni tat-tmexxija statali fid-demokraziji tagħna: l-użu ta’ aħbarijiet foloz imxerrda mill-midja soċjali biex joħolqu kontroversji politiċi fażulli mill-bidu sal-aħħar. Stil isteriku sostnut idaħħal lil min jużah fi sqaq, fejn gideb u nofs veritajiet jitħabblu flimkien biex jimminaw id-demokrazija u kull sens ta’ fair play.
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EVIDENZA
Meta xi ħadd jagħmel allegazzjonijiet, hu kruċjali li qabel int tasal għal ħaqq dwarhom, tkun żgur li flejt tajjeb xinhi l-evidenza. Aktar ma tkun serja l-akkuża, aktar l-evidenza trid tkun xierqa. Jiġifieri bbażata fuq fatti li jistgħu jiġu konfermati b’rabtiet tajba li ma jiddependux dejjem mill-istess persuna.
Fl-aħħar ġimgħat dan kollu ntesa. Ġejna mitmugħa stejjer sensazzjonali mingħajr ma nħass li kienet ħaġa siewja li tinġab evidenza li ssostnihom.
Fl-imgħoddi, jien kelli x’naqsam ma’ ħafna każi ta’ skandli u abbużi. Ma niċħadx li fi drabi, għaġġilt biex nakkuża mingħajr ma kelli t-trufijiet u l-provi kollha f’idejja.
Imma ma rajtx qabel dan l-aħħar, ġirja daqshekk bla nifs biex jittieħdu bħala s-sewwa magħruf, akkużi tal-aqwa gravità, sempliċement għax kienu qed isiru.
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JOE CASSAR
Mhux darba jew tnejn ikkustinjajna fuq politika imma mhux ta’ spiss. Għamilna hekk b’nofs tbissima għax ma stajniex nargumentaw wisq fit-tul; it-tnejn konna nafu li għamilna għażliet differenti fil-politika u mill-bqija ma kienx wisq jimporta. Miegħi, kien jippreferi jitkellem dwar letteratura li kienet tinteressah bla qies; u wkoll fuq tifkiriet taż-żmien li qattajna fil-Liċeo tal-Ħamrun.
Kien bniedem ġentili, mogħni b’intelliġenza li ma kienx jiddejjaq jaħbi. Naħseb li l-ħajja politika kienet tqagħbru, forsi tnikktu. Ma tantx stagħġibt meta sirt naf li ddeċieda li jitlaqha għal kollox.
Wara, mhux l-ewwel darba li tkellimna bit-telefown, u għat-tul. Mill-ġdid l-aktar fuq letteratura u r-rabta tagħha mal-ħajja. Bqajt insegwi l-paġna tiegħu fuq kotba f’“In-Nazzjon”, miktuba b’reqqa.
Inħsadt u sogħobbija ħafna bl-aħbar tal-mewt tiegħu. Nagħti l-kondoljanzi profondi tiegħi lil familtu.

English Version – Hysteria

What I found surprising during the last weeks, was the hysterical style adopted by the Nationalist Opposition. True, they were making extremely serious allegations against the government. But surely for this reason, these should have been presented in a cool, precise and clear manner.

The language used ended up devaluing the message. It led the Leader of the Opposition to open fire against all those who crossed his path and did not seem willing to dance to his tune. Many times, his behaviour left one with the impression that he was making statements without having at hand, or without having directly examined, all the evidence that had led him to make the statements he made.

This does not augur well for the future political development of this country. It opens the doors wide for the modern vices that are polluting statecraft in our democracies: fake news spread through the social media that are then used to trigger totally fake political controversies. A sustained hysterical style beckons towards a stalemate where lies and half truths, garbled together, end up subverting democracy and all sense of fair play.

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Evidence

When allegations are being made, it is crucial to ensure that the evidence being presented has been evaluated in depth before one comes to some conclusion. The more serious the allegation, the more robust must the evidence be. Which should mean that at least, alleged facts can be confirmed through consistent cross-checks that do not depend always on the same source.

In past weeks, all this has been forgotten. We were fed sensational stories without it being considered necessary to bring along strong supporting evidence.

In the past, I dealt with quite a number of scandals and abuses. I cannot deny that sometimes I hurried to make allegations without yet having at hand all the bits and pieces of the evidence.

But till quite recently, I never saw such a rush to take as accepted truths, some very serious allegations, and this simply on the grounds that they were being made.

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Joe Cassar

More than once or twice, we argued about politics but not at all often. We would do so with half a smile for we knew our dispute could not take too long; both knew we had made different choices in politics and for the rest, that hardly mattered. With me he would prefer to discuss literature, which greatly interested him; as well memories of the years we spent at the Hamrun Lyceum.

He was a gentle person, endowed with an intelligence which he was not afraid to hide. I think the political life must have caused him pain, perhaps sorrow. I was not too surprised on learning he was quitting.

Occasionally later, we would have extended conversations on the phone. Again mostly on literature and its insights on life. I continued to follow his carefully written book review page in “In-Nazzjon”.

I was surprised and much saddened by news of his death. I send my profound condolences to all his family.