From my article in The Sunday Times today:
“These cronies, utterly bereft of talent, who smiled inanely at the men-only late-night dinner parties with Schembri or at Muscat’s over- the-top birthday parties in Girgenti, ran the branches of government.
“They had the job of planning for our electricity needs, of keeping hospitals working, to make sure the food supply does not break down, to ensure a constant flow of water and milk, of ensuring the country has the infrastructure to allow businesses to thrive and the superstructure to shelter the weak, the sick and the poor. For anyone looking close enough, their failure was easily anticipated. Those lacking in foresight were stunned by the catastrophic collapse of the last weeks.
“Abela blamed it all on climate change. That’s like the builder of a straw house blaming the wind for ending up homeless. Or to use a maritime metaphor the notorious pleasure yachtsman would understand, it’s like a drunk captain who ran the ship aground blaming the reef he ignored until they hit it.”