"Don't worry, be happy" says Robert Abela

Gavin Muscat

It seems as if the casual and apathetic attitudes that have been criticised in the past months have gotten to Prime Minister Robert Abela whose recent statements seem to enforce his populist views. At first, it was only fair that we wait and see how he performs his role as prime minister. After all, he had just taken the hot seat from the supposedly resigning Joseph Muscat and in the first months of his tenure, he had to face a pandemic that was totally unexpected.

However, his statement about how the hypothetical concept of the second wave of a pandemic has not gone down well with health workers and citizens. Abela brushed off the questions about the second wave and claimed that the only waves that he could see were in the sea. It seems as if Abela needs to brush up on his history. 

The icing on the cake was the announcement that people who had been fined in the past months for gathering in groups larger than two (and then four), would be refunded and he went on to say that these people were not criminals but had made genuine mistakes. The announcement was met with backlash from a large amount of people who felt that the work of the health authorities and the police had been completely wasted. Personally, while I may agree that these people are not criminals, there is simply no logical reason to refund the fines. 100 euro is not a large enough amount that would cripple a person financially but it should have served a rightful punishment for those who chose to ignore the rules. 

In conclusion, it seems as if arrogance is back on the political menu and only time will tell whether Robert Abela will be able to gain more trust from the Maltese people who have been worried sick if the pandemic gets worse. 

The death of Maltese journalism?

Gavin Muscat

An unexpected pandemic was certainly something that would have impacted nearly every industry in the world and for the first time in decades, Malta has faced one of its toughest challenges yet. Newly elected Prime Minister Robert Abela has had to face a worthy opponent in his first months and his performance has garnered mixed reviews.

However, there is no doubt that the nation will be able to pull itself out of this mess but one industry that may not survive the battle is the local journalism industry. Newspaper sales have obviously decreased due to the pandemic and the advertising rates, which were already lacking, have been diminished as companies have been forced to put their focus on other areas for now.

Plans have already been announced to include financial aid for media organisations but much more has to be done in order to ensure that the media outlets are left with no resources when the pandemic fades away. The lack of trust from the average Maltese reader presents a problem that no amount of money may solve and unfortunately, the numerous conspiracy theories that litter Facebook and poison the minds of our elderly are of no help to true media outlets. 

The appointment of medical figurehead Charmaine Gauci was seen as a great move as her presence seemed to calm the masses who were cooped up in the houses. Her responses to the incoming questions from hearty reporters were rather enigmatic at times and it was clear that she was not able to disclose anything she wanted but in these conditions, it seems as if we will look back on her occupation as therapist for your Maltese family quite well.

It may difficult to admit it for some people but the need for quick journalism has never been this sought for in the past. The worries of readers were quite prominent on local social media and it has got me thinking whether it would be right to assume whether journalism has proven itself to be an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic. John Lorinc thinks so...

It's not about the money(or is it?)

We can all agree that money makes the world go round.We'd all love to reside in a utopia that doesn't value the concept of money and we can all get anything that we want at the blink of an eye for no cost. Unfortunately, this is a world that neither me and you will ever live in. Until this changes, we have to simply make do with the fact that if you want a service or a product, you will need to fork out cash. Cash that you had to work for, of course.

Luckily, I live in a nation that, for the most part, follows the European Union's regulations and as such, our healthcare is free of charge here. In addition to that statement, one can also say that the quality of the care that is provided is adequate and although some critics will complain about the longer waiting times and lack of professionalism, no one can argue that free is always better than paying. Of course, this is not always the case in other countries. The United States can maintain that they provide one of the best health care facilities worldwide but the drawback is that it would cost you an arm and a leg. Maybe even two legs...

According to CNBC, in 2016, the United States had spent around 18% of its GDP on healthcare. Compared to other nations, this was double that of what they had spent. So where does this money go exactly? Wages, test costs and medical services take up the bulk of this. Doctors who work in hospitals can enjoy one of the highest wages and it only makes sense. Another contributor to this large amount spent is drugs. The recent COVID-19 outbreak has brought out the worst in some people, unfortunately, and some patients are reporting that their insulin is being sold at prices up to 350 dollars. A far cry from 1920 when the scientists that developed insulin sold the patent for insulin at just 1 dollar. It is quite a shame that the work of Frederick Banting and his aids cannot reach as many people as they would like.

"Insulin does not belong to me. It belongs to the world."- Frederick Banting

 

Call it greed or call it good business practice, no can deny that more and more people are struggling to keep up with their payments and the health of many is taking its toll. Despite my criticism of the Maltese government and its many wrongdoings, I will concede that there is at least one sector that hasn't been beaten and exploited and is working ever so hard for the people who need it.

How not to handle a bad situation 101

Impending doom, another war looming over our heads, fires in Australia and a new disease that's sending people all over the world in a mass panic. It's safe to say that 2020 (or the new decade if I may add) has not had the most inspiring start. Such bad situations are to be expected and with the media becoming much stronger than ever before, we are now faced with the issues of every nation on the planet. From a messy divorce between Great Britain and the European Union to the Australian Prime Minister making sure that every living being in Australia hates his guts, it's no wonder that politicians and companies spend thousands upon thousands on public relations to ensure that their reputation is preserved.

However, no amount of money can preserve sheer stupidity and downright awful decisions. The general public is a cruel entity and as the spirit of rebelling is alive in everyone of us, it's only natural that we fight for what we believe in. Even if it means being silenced, beaten to a pulp or outright murdered unfortunately, this is only inspires us even more. In fact, one can clearly notice that since Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered, her work has gained her even more notoriety and now, her attempts at unraveling the corruption and crime in the Maltese system have become well-known all around the world.

The same can be said for the Hong Kong protests. What first started as a large-scale protest against the Chinese overlords, has evolved into riots that were previewed to every single user on the internet. So much for the Chinese government trying to silence the protesters...

No disease nor any threats will stop these protesters from fighting for what's right

The internet is probably one of the easiest ways of learning about the crises that are popping off in the world. Combined with the mobile phone which allows you to broadcast what's happening in front of your very eyes. Thus, it' easy to see why it has become so difficult to silence pretty much anything. In a matter of a few days, it became public knowledge that four people in Malta had been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus. There was simply no point in trying to stifle this fact. People would have found out somehow and it would have only caused even more panic.

Nevertheless, only time will tell if the general public will grow more restless with the shortcomings of their leaders and if they will take matters in their own hands.