Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1510993
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 NOVEMBER 2023 COMMENT The Skinny Malta, shrunk down EDITORIAL A battered middle class and Muscat's shenanigans PAGE 2 JOSANNE CASSAR Importing workers with the right skills - now, why didn't we think of that before? PAGE 5 If you deconstruct our GDP, domestic demand is a huge component of that. Ideally, we start seeing a shift and making sure that our export activities become much more competitive and productive JP FABRI | PAGES 8 - 9 What are we skinning? A recent and well-document- ed spat of public fights among youths in Valletta, revealing disturbing trends of anti-social behaviour. Why are we skinning it? Be- cause unruly youths are a perennial bugbear and scape- goat, and which of those two beasts you pick to charac- terise the phenomenon says a lot about your stance on this, and other similar issues. But can we really charac- terise this as an epidemic of urban violence? Depends on which side of the soapbox you're sitting on, I suppose. I sit on the side of the soap- box which doesn't condone excessive public disturbance, in Valletta or elsewhere. Per- sonally speaking, I would have characterised the in- sanely loud and discordant live 'music' which has as- sailed the capital following its most recent gentrification drive as arguably even more offensive than groups of hor- monal teenagers lashing out at each other - and occasion- ally, diners and passersby. That's quite a silly statement to make. Is it, really, though? I mean... live music doesn't assault you or disrupt public order. Go stand in the middle of Merchants Street on virtual- ly any evening and then come back and say that to me again. But the loud music gives you a fair, advance warn- ing, while unruly youths can pop up from nowhere. I would recommend a simple change in attitude here: con- sider such 'disturbances' as an added condiment to the already 'powerful' musical entertainment -- an immer- sive theatre performance. It's still a shame that one's experience of the capital city has to be tainted by youth- ful 'gangs' causing mischief, annoyance and making a spectacle of themselves. For years we've had to deal with the complaint that Valletta is 'dead' in the evenings, and that we wanted it to become more like other major capitals that enjoy a 'bustling' night- life. Well, now it's happened. But what people wanted was to have their pick of comfortable eateries and watering holes, where they can escape to and spend their money in... You can't have one without the other, bucko. If you want a city that's 'alive', you have to be ready to take in all forms of life. I am concerned about these kids, though. Is anything being done to check on them. There's been quite a bit of pearl-clutching and calling for 'discipline' and the need for parents to do their bit. That seems very action- able and not general at all. The bars will be hiring security, for what it's worth. Imagine if they're al- so charged with polic- ing the music. Now that would be money well spent. Do say: "Youth violence is never a pleasant topic, but it's also an inevitable aspect of most capital cities, and if we're going to indiscriminate- ly expand Valletta into an en- tertainment district, we need to be ready to accept some of the fallout. Or better yet, go for a solid rethink of how we're treating our capital city." Don't say: "These brawling youths are nothing but the nemesis-spirit raging against Valletta's gentrification." No. 216 - Republic Street Irregulars RAPHAEL VASSALLO 'Vitals is the new Egrant'. Discuss… PAGES 10 - 11 MICHAEL FALZON A populist budget PAGE 7