NAGĦAĠ
Smajtuha żgur il-ħrafa tan-nagħaġ ta’ Bendu. In-nagħaġ kollha, għax għandhom moħħ ta’ nagħaġ, imorru wara l-kibx (muntun) imur fejn imur, imqar jaqbżu warajh minn irdum għal isfel. Il-ħrafa hi karikatura tal-folla bla moħħ li tiġri wara mexxej li jaf jgħajjat, imqar ma jkun kapaċi għal xejn ħlief biex jgħajjat. Milli jidher l-istorja ma tgħoddx għal-lum biss, għax ħames mitt sena ilu Rabelais kiteb rakkont jixbah lil tagħna bin-nagħaġ jaqbżu l-baħar u jegħrqu. (par. 1)
L-istorja mimlija b’każi fejn eluf kbar u saħansitra miljuni ġrew lejn ir-rovina wara kibx imħeġġeġ, jekk mhux miġnun. Biżżejjed insemmu poplu sħiħ, kbir u qawwi, li tkeskes minn Hitler. (par. 2)
In-nagħaġ għadhom magħna. Narawhom f’meeting politiku. Il-kelliem iħambaq u jippriedka, x’aktarx b’leħen eżaltat, u l-folla tisma’. Kultant jgħolli leħnu nota jew tnejn, u l-folla tinfexx iċċapċap. Narawhom f’partita futbol, meta plejer jagħmel mossa provokanti, u eluf ta’ partitarji erħilhom jitmasħnu, jekk ukoll ma jmorrux jaħbtu għall-avversarji. (par. 3)
Illum ix-xjenza wrietna bil-provi li ebda bniedem ma hu kopja eżatta ta’ xi bniedem ieħor. “Kull bniedem hu uniku u irrepetibbli,” qal il-Papa. Il-marki ta’ subgħajja m’humiex il-marki ta’ xi wieħed jew waħda minnkom. Lanqas ma huma ta’ xi ħadd li għex qabli jew li għad irid jitwieled. U bħal truf subgħajja, moħħi u moħħkom huma uniċi. X’rigal, dan li tana Alla! U kemm ma nistmawhx kull meta nħallu lil ħaddieħor jiddeċiedi għalina. (par. 4)
Għeżież żgħażagħ, tkunux nagħaġ. Aħsbu b’moħħkom u imxu kif tgħidilkom il-kuxjenza. Taċċettawx b’għajnejn magħluqa kulma jgħidulkom. Tħallux il-moda tkaxkarkom. Emmnuni, jagħtini l-biki meta nara żgħażagħ fl-aħjar tagħhom jaħlu l-ħin, l-enerġija u l-flus biex, flok jistrieħu, imorru jqattgħu s-sigħat ta’ bil-lejl f’sala mudlama u mimlija duħħan, jixorbu, jekk ma jiħdux id-droga, u jiżgijjaw bħas-slavaġ tal-ġungla. (par. 5)
Ma rridx nagħmel priedki. Għandkom moħħkom, u għandkom il-kuxjenza li bla heda tgħidilkom x’inhu t-tajjeb u x’inhu l-ħażin. Jekk tridu, tafu tagħżlu t-triq dritta, dejqa kemm hi dejqa, li twassalkom għall-ġid li jibqa’ u jiġbed fuqkom ir-rispett ta’ kull ċittadin onest. (par. 6)
(addattament minn Nagħaġ ta’ Kilin, artiklu li deher fil-ħarġa ta’ Mejju 2001 tas-Sagħtar)

They would buy them but not wear them.

They would be too scared.

Cowards.

Min juzahom jirbah bin-numri imam l-percezzjoni wara l-esperjenza personali tbiddel l-attitudni.

Mhux kollox huwa mitluj sakemm ma jghaddiex tul ta’ zmien ghax imbghad il-bidla issir ijtar profonda ghalkemm fuq superficjalita.

Or rather, as used in market terms, herd instinct. It’s where one decides on another’s move without thinking.

The Italians description is better, as a herd is on the move but a pack attacks.

They worked on the concept of audiences, broke them down, segmented them and targeted each of their primary wishes.

Transformed these wishes into the strategic aims of the party and its electoral manifesto.

They then identified the candidate star to represent each one of those groups and courted their egos. The billboards and “I’m in” came next.

Think about it, we’ve all read and seen the marketing game being unfolded in front of us.

Then the Labour Opposition shouted about the lack of civil rights, the bad state of hospitals and of the prison, the many refugees, cancer BWSC, the 500 euro increase, Arriva and Enemalta corruption, instilling an image of a bad government. The staged cross-over by the three stooges to PL asserted this too.

Whilst in the meantime, a whole visual campaign emphasizing the possibility of a future better Utopia was unfolded. Green grass, blue sky and the national flag were all played ad nauseam. Videos with known actors and posh voices all played on this.

Not being IN was old-fashioned. PL became a ‘want’. Something like the latest iPhone or Nike.

The masses did not have a chance of escape. It was Joseph or nothing.

And now disillusionment is fast creeping in. The product offered is not what was sold.

No wonder freedom of speech is the first thing that gets attacked. If it wasn’t for this blog probably much of what has and is happening would not be noticed.

Genuinely good leaders should have the ability to identify the reasons for this state, and shake people out of such stupor.