Bad advice from a bird
For the next election, which is just around the corner, I recommend less Twitter and more street...
Ignacio Lillo
Malaga
Martes, 6 de junio 2023, 11:04
After the electoral thrashing some have had, I hope they finally get the message. One thing is reality, which shows itself in number of votes, ... and another is Twitter, which is a parallel universe and really bad for giving sound advice. Elisabeth Noelle-Meumann’s theory of the Spiral of Silence becomes fully valid in a brief analysis of the messages and trends of this network. The supposedly majority voices, those that make the most noise, tend to silence the rest? And then comes the truth, plain and simple, in the form of an absolute majority for Francisco de la Torre, who has been the most voted candidate even in the epicentres of political controversy, such as the old town (tourist apartments) and Repsol land (towers). What is most criticised on social media is massively supported by the voters. Little more to add.
Anyone who doesn’t know the reality of Malaga could say, because of what comes through this channel, that it is a disasterous city, where no one can live unless they are practically a millionaire; and which has severe social differences and terrible problems. The reality is that Malaga is a thriving city, a reference for thousands of people from other provinces who come to make a living; it attracts talent and companies; it is a fashionable city for national and international tourism, and the dream place for many to live. And this is the basis of the problem, because residential demand far exceeds supply.
Social media has tried to polarise the campaign debate around several symbols of the mayor’s administration, and the first one is the Torre del Puerto. From the results, it seems it will only disturb the landscape for a few, although it may be very noisy; while the majority either don’t care or see it as an opportunity for work and business. And what about the urban forest and the dilemma over the Repsol towers? It has not occurred to any advisor to think that for most of the neighbours in the area, what they see is an opportunity for their old apartments in the area to be revalued, as has already happened in the Martiricos area.
But what is really shocking is the frontal attack on tourist apartments. It is clumsy to lose sight of the fact that thousands of families eat every month, or supplement their meagre pensions, thanks to that. And they are many more than the young people affected by the housing shortage, who undoubtedly need to be helped, but by offering facilities to buy their own home, which is what most of them want.
In short: for the next one, which is just around the corner, I recommend less Twitter and more street...
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