Guest Commentary: Are There Any Brave People In Castille?
The excerpts below are from an article that was published in the New York Times and that was written by an unnamed senior official of the Trump administration. In Maltese terms: It would be as if these words were written by a minister or parliamentary secretary or a highly ranked political appointee at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
“[W]e believe our first duty is to this country, and the president continues to act in a manner that is detrimental to the health of our republic.”
“The root of the problem is the president’s amorality. Anyone who works with him knows he is not moored to any discernible first principles that guide his decision making.”
“The bigger concern is not what Mr. Trump has done to the presidency but rather what we as a nation have allowed him to do to us. We have sunk low with him and allowed our discourse to be stripped of civility.”
“There is a quiet resistance within the administration of people choosing to put country first. But the real difference will be made by everyday citizens rising above politics, reaching across the aisle and resolving to shed the labels in favor of a single one: Americans.”
The article, which sent shockwaves down the White House and Washington, details efforts made by people around Trump to protect the the American republic against Trump’s “worst inclinations”. The author admits “many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr. Trump’s more misguided principles until he is out of office”.
The message this person is sending is clear: Loyalty to the country comes before loyalty to the president.
“The progressive agenda is being derailed by people who, in some cases quite literally, are pocketing the dividend of success”
Can you imagine, say, Lovin Malta, ever publishing an article of this sort describing the daily resistance efforts against Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s Chief of Staff Keith Schembri – the person insiders describe as the real boss behind the scenes?
Sadly, I don’t. Not because Lovin Malta, or any other independent Maltese news organisation would never publish an article of the sort. Simply because probably such a piece would never be written in the first place.
This is the fundamental difference between Washington and Malta right now. In Washington, people with guts are taking a principled stand. In Malta, some people are ready to blame everyone except themselves for their lack of vision and courage.
Labour in government has done some great things: Gay rights, free childcare and full employment. These are successes that deserve to be celebrated.
But the progressive agenda is being derailed by people who, in some cases quite literally, are pocketing the dividend of success. They are giving themselves titles of all sorts. In some cases they are getting the benefit of government contracts and public property. These people are acting as feudal lords, while posing as liberal reformers.
These people are acting as feudal lords, while posing as liberal reformers
Worse, the progressive agenda lies buried under the weight of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Instead of seeking to find out the truth at all costs, some at the OPM appear to be satisfied that the investigation to find out who wanted Daphne dead is languishing. Lawyers for the Caruana Galizia family have rightly called for the establishment of a well-resourced public inquiry into Daphne’s murder. The OPM, through the Attorney General, slammed the suggestion as “unsubstantiated claims, baseless innuendo, and incorrect information”.
Sadly, no progressive within the Muscat administration is standing up to these people or seeking to truly restore the progressive agenda. If you were to meet them, they would probably tell you, “It’s difficult. You don’t understand.”
Why? Do you think this person who chose to stand to Trump is having it easy right now? Just head to Twitter and see the barrage coming from Donald Trump.
Bravery is never easy. It emerges from the depths of frustration at seeing a vision being stymied. If you lack vision, then you will not feel the burning passion, therefore you cannot be frustrated and will obviously not choose to be brave. Do you even believe in what you say? Or are you simply posing, hoping to get a better job?
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