Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1197486
OPINION 23 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 JANUARY 2020 Welcoming the prodigal son Michael Falzon micfal45@gmail.com THE parable of the prodigal son has always been some- what of an enigma. After the younger of two sons asks the father for his inheritance, and the father grants his son's request, the son squanders his fortune, eventually becom- ing destitute. He is forced to return home empty-handed and intends to beg his father to accept him back as a serv- ant. To the son's surprise, he is not scorned by his father but is welcomed back with celebra- tion and fanfare. Envious, the older son re- fuses to participate in the fes- tivities. The father explains to the older son that he is all he has... but the younger brother was found after being lost. People who had resisted taking a decision are naturally scornful of others who – after some time – come to regret taking that same decision. This is the natural immediate reaction of people in this situ- ation, even though with some deeper thinking, they should rejoice at the development rather than foist the obvious 'I told you so' reaction on those who have come to regret their previous stance. In the current Maltese politi- cal situation, it seems that the so-called switchers who opted for Joseph Muscat in 2013 and in 2017 and who are now regretting their decision, are being faced with "I told you so" sneers rather than with an enthusiastic "welcome back". This is happening with both factions of what was once one PN. And this is not helping the PN's cause one bit. I do not expect the Daphne fan club to open their arms and welcome those who regret that they had been lured by the siren song of Joseph Muscat's movement. The club's arro- gant, self-righteous pride does not allow them to see that far into the future. Their sneering includes insulting behaviour to anyone who is not in their good books – to the extent that they have even asserted to themselves the decision as to who has a right to pay homage to the assassinated journalist. But I did expect the PN leader, Adrian Delia, to state explicitly that the PN under- stands why so many switch- ers had decided to vote for Joseph Muscat and welcome them back into the PN fold without any recriminations or silly sneers. The PN should even say that it was not the switchers' fault really, as they only reacted to how the PN government end- ed up doing things. The PN, in fact, should pray forgiveness because it was all its fault and not the switchers' fault. The fact that the PN has not embarked on this line of thought is worrying to me because it exposes the short- sightedness of the current PN leadership. The current situation is a chance for the PN to regain much of its lost following – not be sneering at switchers but by welcom- ing them back and honouring them by rejoicing for their long-awaited return. Reading postings and mes- sages in the social media, I get the impression that many PN faithful tend to sneer at those who dare admit openly that they were wrong when they voted for Muscat's so-called movement. I am sure that there are others who refuse to come into the open because of this reaction. These people should be admired for their courage, not sneered at for their past misjudgement. In the poltical arena, rejoic- ing for those who come back to the fold sounds strange, but it is the only way that makes long-term sense. The lesson of the parable of the prodigal son is one les- son the PN should grasp and understand properly if it is to rise again from the doldrums it finds itself in. Perturbing message The deputy prime minister who is contesting the Labour Party leadership election, Chris Fearne, has gone on record 'promising' that the PN will not govern for as long as he is alive. He calls this wild statement a 'vow' and reacted to criti- cism of his stance by saying that he will go on repeating it. "When I die, they can write on my tombstone that the PN were never elected. Instead of RIP, they can write RIPN," Fearne is reported to have told a crowd at an activity in aid of his Labour leader- ship campaign. This message might have encouraged some Labour Party card-carrying members to vote for Fearne in the leadership contest – but it belies a mentality that cannot go unchallenged. I would have thought that Chris Fearne respected the Maltese people much more than this 'vow' of his shows. I always thought that Chris Fearne was a respected person but he has sent a very perturb- ing message. He has managed to come across as a fanatic and – sadly – has also managed to distance himself from all persons of good will who are not Labour Party fanatics. I have no doubt that Fearne's words will come back to haunt him in the future. That is no good start for 2020. Perturbing prospect Writing in The Washington Post recently, Sarah Kaplin recalls that ten years ago, the UN released its first "emis- sions gap" report detailing the disparity between com- mitments made by nations to reduce greenhouse gases and what is needed to meet global temperature targets. It esti- mated that countries should be curbing emissions by about 3% per year. But that hasn't happened. By the final year of the dec- ade, the planet had surpassed its 2010 temperature record five times. Hurricanes devas- tated New Jersey and Puerto Rico, and floods damaged the US Midwest and Bangladesh. Australia and the Amazon are ablaze. Global emissions are expected to hit an all-time high this year. The 2015 Paris climate ac- cord – the first-ever global agreement to limit warming to "well below 2 degrees Celsius" – was considered a definitive breakthrough. But, again the promises made at that meet- ing fell short. According to the latest emissions gap report, temperatures can be expected to rise 3.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. Right now, most countries are not on track to meet even their most modest targets. The world is already about 1 de- gree warmer than it was before humans started burning fossil fuels. Global annual emissions have increased 4% since the Paris agreement was signed. And the average concentra- tion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the highest in human history. That is no good start for 2020. The lesson of the parable of the prodigal son is one lesson the PN should grasp and understand properly if it is to rise again from the doldrums it f inds itself in I would have thought that Chris Fearne respected the Maltese people much more than this 'vow' of his shows