In 2019 in an interview on Frontline, Steve Bannon clearly outlined the strategy adopted by Donald Trump. "The real opposition party is the media. Because they're dumb and they're lazy they can only focus on one thing at a time. All we have to do is flood the zone. Every day we hit them with three things. They'll bite one and we'll get all of our stuff done. These guys will never be able to recover".
It seems that Robert Abela and his government are adopting that very same strategy which Bannon termed "muzzle velocity". Abela's Labour, like Trump's MAGA, is truly flooding the zone. The shocking decisions, the terrible scandals, the ridiculous U-turns, the bizarre appointments, the shameless direct orders, and the staggering abuse are unrelenting. There's hardly a single day without a new Labour calamity.
If it's not the 17 Black magisterial inquiry and the arraignment of Keith Schembri, Konrad Mizzi, Brian Tonna, Yorgen Fenech, Karl Cini and Paul Apap Bologna, it's Fort Chambray. If it's not Robert Abela's obstinate refusal to table his declaration of assets and those of his cabinet, it's the Standards Commissioner having to "urge" the Prime Minister to publish those declarations "as soon as possible". If it's not Clint Camilleri and Clayton Bartolo colluding to hand over tens of thousands of taxpayers' euro to Amanda Bartolo, it's a devastating Ombudsman report on the horrifying abuse of vulnerable prisoners by Byron Camilleri's golden boy Alex Dalli. And when you think there can't possibly be any more filth to dredge up, more putrid refuse rises to the surface.
The breakneck speed at which Labour's rancid muck keeps coming at us leaves the entire nation breathless, unable to keep track of what is really going on. The last eye-popping scandal is simply pushed out of the collective consciousness by the next story of sleaze. And many have stopped listening, stopped bothering. Many have just switched off, shielding themselves from the disconcerting slurry. Others have simply got used to it and assume this is just normal. They've come to believe this is how it's always been and how it will always be. That's exactly what Labour wants - a population that feels helpless, that believes things can never change and that all politicians are the same.
Robert Abela simply overwhelms the country, floods the zone. From his hostile rhetoric against independent journalists to vicious attacks against Jason Azzopardi, Abela keeps us running on that hamster wheel, making it harder and harder for us to mount any coherent resistance. Robert Abela thinks this is his country, it's his government and he can do as he pleases. If he says ordinary citizens should not have the right to request magisterial inquiries, then citizens will be deprived of that right. This is his policy on the hoof. His pride is dented and he swiftly orders his Minister of Justice to draw up legislation in record speed to rob us of our rights. He tries to convince the country that he's doing it to prevent abuse. Abuse by whom? By the ordinary powerless citizen with little to no resources. Is this who Robert Abela is trying to protect us from? Who is the real abuser here? Is it the ordinary citizen or is it Abela's oligarchs and cabinet ministers who wield enormous power and control?
If Abela wants Jason Azzopardi's protection to be withdrawn, Azzopardi's protection is withdrawn. That's an act of astonishing callous, reckless cruelty driven by a profound weakness. It's a reflection of the smallness of Abela's soul. Robert Abela doesn't just want to be Prime Minister. He wants to be Malta's undisputed all-powerful tyrant. He wants us to believe his power is total, because if we believe it, we'll also believe we are helpless and can't do anything about it, and won't.
If we're consumed by Labour's latest outrage we can't really look closely at the previous one. The rapid fire of Labour's shocks prevents us from recognising Abela's staggering incompetence. His projection of strength obscures the reality of his towering weakness.
When he withdraws Jason Azzopardi's protection it's not strength he displays - it's his fragility. Abela's weakness stems from his compromised position. He knows there are too many skeletons in his closet and he can't afford any more of them to be exposed. Strength comes from the knowledge that you have nothing to hide, that nobody can ever catch you out. That's why Robert Abela is petrified of the truth. He is obstinately refusing to table his declaration of assets. He's defying the Standards Commissioner and keeps it secret. He's frantically denying freedom of information requests. He refuses to give journalists a straight answer. He's desperately trying to stop any more magisterial inquiries. He stupidly continues to defend his ministers' actions.
Bravado aside, Abela's political capital is thin and getting thinner - as that devastating Maltatoday poll shows. His approval rating is dwindling rapidly. Bernard Grech is beating him by 10% amongst Gozitan pensioners, Labour's staunchest demographic.
Now in his panic he's planning to rip up the electoral districts. He's ruling like a dictator because he's too weak to govern like a prime-minister. He's unwilling to seek consensus or agreement on any issue. He's just flailing and scrambling. It's totally embarrassing.
What Abela tries to project with his machoism is command and control. What we see is decadence, decay, chaos and panic. Robert Abela won Gozo easily in 2022. Now it's flipped. The swing away from Abela's Labour is a massive 15%. Robert Abela isn't building support, he's haemorrhaging it. He's not fracturing his opposition, he's uniting it. Labour better do something about it, fast.