Today the islands celebrate Freedom Day, 46 years after the British Forces left Malta, but are we really free? And do we really want to be?
In the self-proclaimed ‘free world’, from Europe to the United States, in Australia and Canada, ‘freedom’ is proudly proclaimed as a fundamental value, a key human right of the individual. Here we are lucky to live, largely, according to the values we choose without fear of oppression (although, in musings on freedom it would be wrong not to mention that, despite major advances since 1979, there are still some glaring gaps in workers’, women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, for example. There’s more work to be done.)
Our democratic political system gives all citizens an equal voice – in theory at least – and we can contribute to the choice of leader and speak our minds on the streets. We can express ourselves openly, and decide upon the paths we wish to follow in pursuit of success and happiness within a nationally-agreed framework. This gives us the impression of national autonomy, and a sense of free will.
But is this freedom genuinely any freedom at all? Consider the influence of other countries and powerful corporations on our everyday lifes: we abide by EU rules, pay tariffs on certain goods manufactured in other parts of the world, and most of us carry Google in our pockets and access most of our information via its algorithms or those of Apple or Meta. These organisations impact hugely on our society’s awareness of global events and opinions, the products we buy, the expectations and trends that shape our public discourse, the financial constraints upon us and laws that govern us.
And which of your own choices are truly freely made?
Despite big talk about free speech, we’re all constrained to some extent in our communications with others, by our relationships with family members, with the boss or our political party. How we speak and interact on a daily basis depends upon our judgement of what’s appropriate – or not – based on a shared understanding of life, Maltese culture and the ideologies of the wider world.
So, no, we’re not free, either as a nation or as individuals, but don’t despair. Complete freedom would be anarchy – who wants to be in a Maltese island version of Lord of the Flies? Can you imagine the potential savagery on Love Island without the steadying influence of the ever-present camera? These may seem like wildly different scenarios—one is a reality TV dating show, the other a classic novel about stranded boys and their awful attempt at self-governance—but both involve a group of people isolated from the outside world, forced to form their own social structure, and dealing with the pressures of group dynamics, power struggles, and human nature at its rawest.
Studies in social sciences seem to show that we’re at our happiest in a structured social setting (whilst noting that happiness itself is a social construct). We’re told, and you’re free to believe it if you like, that being part of a community reduces stress, and improves mental and physical well-being. Pope Francis described the freedom of a Christian as “a very special freedom, quite different from what is commonly understood. It is not freedom to do what one wants, but the freedom to freely do what God wants.” It feels good to be good to one another.
So while there are still large segments of the global population for whom any sense of freedom is only an ambition, on Freedom Day it’s good to celebrate the freedoms that we do have, and remember that freedom, like all good things, is best in moderation.
