The inspiration for this writing is the latest act of Shakespearean drama Julius Cæsar, federal Australian version, where Brutus (Peter Dutton, Minister for the Interior) and his colleagues knifed Cæsar (Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister) after having repeatedly declared they were kissing his hand. Et tu, Brute?
Yet for me, the most emblematic scene of the unscrupulous dynamic of political power was that of Mathias Cormann, Liberal leader of the Australian Senate, who today declared loyalty to Turnbull, the morrow to Dutton and the next day to Scott Morrison, who ended up being chosen Liberal leader and therefore Prime Minister after Dutton’s colleagues seem to have miscounted the number of Liberal members of Parliament in support.
Some time ago there was an interview with Barnaby Joyce, until very few months ago the ex Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the National Party. To tell you the truth the person does rub me up the wrong way, but in this interview he did say something I thought rang so true. When asked who he trusted in politics, he answered that he trusted no one, and without saying so explicitly, this included those in his own party.
Loyalty? What loyalty? You must be kidding!
In this country, loyalty does not exist, and not only in politics.
Take the commercial sector. You will find many companies making offers that seem very attractive and advantageous for some product or service, but if you’re already their client and contact them to express an interest, you are likely to find out that the offer is only for new customers. This means that advantageous conditions are intended for those who are disloyal to other companies, whereas existing loyal customers are disadvantaged. How’s that?
Or else you might have a contract for service with regular payments with a company, and this issues an almost identical service with better conditions you’d be eligible for, with the company advertising here and there on the media but does not advise its existing loyal customers directly at their well known address. Therefore the latter would need to discover for themselves this opportunity better than the one they already have, take a decision and do what is necessary to get in touch and negotiate the change.
You might say this is not such a big deal, and wouldn’t the outcome be the same? The answer, well known in commercial circles, is that this generally does not happen. The first reason is that people are far too sidetracked with their daily life to be fully in tune with what’s going on around them, and even if so have far too many complications in their life to find the energy to try and understand what is in their own interest.
So what do the businesses do? They stay quiet, say nothing, and smile. 1-0. Or 10-0.
Why do banks have so much power to fleece you with fees after you’d have entrusted them with your money, for them to use in enterprise and make their own profits? Is this their thanks for your loyalty?
Why do electric power utilities present you with lists of charges that make it difficult for you to make comparisons with others? Is it not to prevent you from finding out what is the best deal for you?
Why does an internet service provider provide an ‘introductory’ price for its services, not available to its own loyal clients some of which may have been its customers for years?
I’m sorry to say that only one main loyalty exists, that to my own pocket and my own interests, to the detriment of everyone and everything. What a world!
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L-ispirazzjoni ta’ din it-tħarbixa ġejja mill-aħħar att drammatiku Xeksperjan Ġulju Ċesri, verżjoni Awstraljana Federali, fejn Brutus (Peter Dutton, Ministru tal-Intern) u sħabu taw bis-sikkina lil Ċesri (Malcolm Turnbull, Prim Ministru) wara li kienu stqarrew ripetutament li jbisulu jdejh. Et tu, Brute?
Imma għalija, l-iktar xena emblematika tad-dinamika bla skrupli tal-poter politiku kienet dik ta’ Mathias Cormann, il-mexxej Liberali fis-Senat Awstraljan li llum iddikjara lealtà lejn Turnbull, l-għada ddikjara lealtà lejn Dutton, u l-pitgħada ddikjara lealtà lejn Scott Morrison, li spiċċa magħżul kap Liberali u għalhekk Prim Ministru hu wara li sħab Dutton jidher li għaddew ħażin kemm kellhom membri Liberali tal-Parlament li appoġġjawh.
Ftit ilu kien hemm intervista ma’ Barnaby Joyce, li kien deputat prim ministru sa ftit xhur ilu u kap tal-Partit Nazzjonali. Ngħid il-verità ma tantx għandi demm mal-attitudni tiegħu, imma f’din l-intervista qal waħda li rajtha tant veritiera. Meta mistoqsi lil min jafda fil-politika, wieġeb li ma jafda lil ħadd, u mingħajr ma qalha espliċitament, lanqas lil dawk tal-partit tiegħu.
Lealtà? X’lealtà lealtà? U ddaħkunix!
F’dan il-pajjiż, il-lealtà ma teżistix, u din mhux fil-politika biss.
Ħu l-qasam kummerċjali. Issib li ħafna kumpanniji jagħmlu offerti li jidhru sbieħ u vantaġġjużi ferm għal xi prodott jew servizz, imma meta tkun diġà klijent tagħhom u tikkuntattjahom biex turi interess, aktarx jgħidulek li dik l-offerta hija biss għal klijenti ġodda. Jiġifieri li l-kundizzjonijiet vantaġġjużi huma intenzjonati għal min huwa żlejali lejn kumpanniji oħra, u klijenti eżistenti leali għall-kumpannija jiġu żvantaġġjati. Togħġobkom din?
Jew inkella jkollok kuntratt għal xi servizz bi ħlas regolari ma’ kumpannija, u din toħroġ servizz kważi identiku b’kundizzjonijiet aħjar fejn tkun eliġibbli għalih, u l-kumpannija tagħmel avviżi ‘l hawn u ‘l hemm fuq il-midja, imma ma tibgħatx tavża lill-klijenti leali tagħha fl-indirizzi tagħhom li tkun naturalment taf. Allura dawn tal-aħħar iridu jiskopru huma li teżisti opportunità aħjar milli għandhom diġà, jridu jieħdu deċiżjoni u jaraw x’jagħmlu biex jikkuntattjaw huma lill-kumpannija u jinnegozjaw il-bidla.
Tgħiduli mhix ħaġa żgħira biex tagħmel dan, u mhux xorta dak li jkun jasal? It-tweġiba, li jafu tajjeb ħafna l-kumpanniji kummerċjali, li ħafna nies ma jaslux. L-ewwel għax ikunu wisq aljenati bil-ħajja tagħhom ta’ kuljum biex ikunu għassa ta’ kull ma jkun qed jiġri, u imbagħad għandhom wisq kumplikazzjoni f’ħajjithom biex isibu l-enerġija biex jippruvaw jifhmu dak li hu fl-interess tagħhom stess.
U l-kumpanniji x’jagħmlu? Joqogħdu kwieti, ma jgħidu xejn, u jitbissmu. 1-0. Jew 10-0.
Għalfejn il-banek għandhom daqshekk jedd li jisolħuk bil-miżati minn fuq li afdajtilhom flusek biex ikunu jistgħu iħaddmuhom u jagħmlu l-profitti tagħhom? Dak il-grazzi tal-lealtà tiegħek?
Għalfejn il-kumpanniji tad-dawl jippreżentawlek lista ta’ ħlasijiet li jagħmluhielek diffiċli biex tqabbilhom ma’ dawk ta’ kumpanniji oħra? Mhux biex ma tindunax liema hija l-iktar waħda li jaqbillek tkun magħha?
Għaliex kumpannija tal-internet toffrilek prezz ‘introduttorju’ għas-servizzi tagħha, li ma jibbenefikawx minnha l-klijenti leali tagħha li ilhom magħha ġieli snin kbar?
Jiddispjaċini ngħid li teżisti lealtà waħda prinċipali, ċioe dik lejn il-but tiegħi u lejn l-interessi tiegħi, akkost ta’ kollox u ta’ kulħadd. X’dinja hux?
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