“After you, Dr Farrugia”
Published:
July 29, 2014 at 11:02am
The prime minister would have barged ahead of her without a second thought on the basis that women are chattels and as the rescued man he was the most important person on the plane so should go first, ahead of the woman who saved him.
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I can imagine Dr Farrugia pleading with Mr. Galea to go down first and the latter insisting that she should take the honour.
A gentleman goes down the stairs before a lady and goes up the stairs after her.
But I see your point.
[Daphne – No, not in circumstances like that. There’s very little you can teach me about these matters. In situations where the ‘lady’ – horrid word, really – should be the centre of attention, and where he risks obscuring her by emerging first, he emerges afterwards. That was my point.
And here’s another point: the rule on men walking ahead of women down the steps and behind them up the steps is the same one that applies to pavements and the man walking along the outer edge. It conveys protection – the weak woman might fall down the steps or fall off the pavement – and not respect. Allowing a woman out first, on the other hand, conveys RESPECT rather than protection. To walk ahead of a woman like Dr Farrugia, who has just been negotiating with rebel militias in a war-zone when the chicken men escaped, just in case she takes a tumble down the steps, is an INSULT not a sign of respect. The truly well-bred or naturally well-mannered have an innate understanding of any situation which enables them to adjust their behaviour accordingly: walking down the steps ahead of, say, Mrs Muscat, but walking down them behind Dr Farrugia.
I really hate having to explain these things because I worry that it might make me come across the wrong way (and since when has that ever been a problem, I hear you ask) but sometimes, one just has to.]
Yes, yes, yes. As I said, I see your point.
In fact Mr Galea was the perfect gentleman by giving her all the credit for the favourable outcome of the situation.
This episode has shown one basic fact that we must not lose sight of – that this nation still rests on the competence of professionals. The famous “par idejn sodi” that people thought we can do without. They’re still there in the background. Only just, though.
This aberration was bound to happen one day or another – that we hand over control to a bunch of clowns. Unfortunately we do need to be reminded every so often of the abyss that exists beneath our feet and which can, if we let it, engulf us all.
This was one lesson which came at a relatively cheap but still unnecessary price. I’m sure there will be others along the way. Let’s hope they won’t cost too dearly.
If this incident has shown us anything about this nation, it’s that the professionals are few and far between. Microstates cannot and should not attempt to go it alone, blinded by patriotic pride. Asking for help from your allies (do we have any) is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of responsible government. And it earns you respect.
U fuq kollox hi l-konslu u naħseb li hi kellha toħroġ l-ewwel. Għamlet x’għamlet. Fuq il-gazzetti r-ritratt ta’ Dr Farrugia mas-sur Galea riedu jġibu għax huma kienu l-protagonisti mhux il-qabda żatat li marru jilqgħuh.
Possibbli l-ġurnalisti li għandna llum ma jafux x’inhi l-priorità. Kieku kont jien l-ġurhnalista l-mikrofonu l-ewwel ma kont nagħtih lil Dr Farrugia, wara lis-Sur Galea u l-aħħar imma mhux lanqas jekk ikun fadal ħin lil wick Laskri, jekk ikun fadallu xi jgħid. (Insomma xi jgħid kien isib anke jekk jirrepeti).
I have never seen Prince Philip precede the Queen while descending the steps of an airplane!
Instead of trying to make an issue of who shoud have done this or that, we should all congratulate all those involved in solving this tricky situation.
Dr.Farrugia, and I’m sure she wasn’t the only one involved, all did a good job.
I’m certain that Dr. Farrugia was obeying instructions from the Prime minister and his cabinet, and they should be congratulated as well.
[Daphne – Don’t be ridiculous, Mr Loporto. What would they know that she does not. It was the other way round, which is why they had to eat dirt and call her in.]
Who would Mrs. Daphne put the blame on, if the mission had misfired?
Guess who.
Vintage Loporto.
Che cagasotto.
How on earth do you, Mr Silvio Loporto persist in dishing out such stupidities.
If Joseph Muscat was instructing Dr Farrugia, then he should have gone to Tripoli himself and conducted the operation there. Besides there were the other four big heads and two small ones who could have replaced him. They were there at the airport yesterday showing off.
Oh, sorry wait a moment – he couldn’t cancel his date with David Cameron and Prince Charles.
What rubbish. Muscat was busy being photographed with Important People. He had no time for trivialities like someone else being kidnapped in Libya.
Dear Daphne,it’s the third time you called me so.
How about being a little bit original?
I never said that Dr. Farrugia should not be congratulated, but after all she was just doing what was expected from her and I am certain she was given instructions on how she had to treat this delicate situation.
This is the usual procedure.
She was acting on behalf of her government and I don’t think she was given a free hand, she must have been consulting with the cabinet all the time.
replying to Mr Loporto: She was not doing what was expecting of her but went above and beyond that. May I remind you that the same Government who roped her in urgently to perform what was quite a risky mission, had suspended her and persecuted her for months? Another might have said no, do your dirty work and let me enjoy see you flounder … She didn’t, she just did her job like the consummate professional she is.
Silvio, with your reasoning, if Dr Farrugia was ‘just doing what was expected of her’ she did not need to be congratulated. Run of the mill dealing with terrorists. I wonder why Malta’s ambassador to Libya did not do the job himself if it was such an easy matter.
She did not need to receive instructions from someone hundreds of miles away. Hers were the only feet on the ground there and she was the only one dealing first hand with killers whilst others sat in comfort preparing for their long and dangerous trip from Castille to Luqa Airport to meet the press.
Martin Galea made it an absolute point of thanking Dr Farrugia.
Visibly shaken, but not stirred.
Daphne
I have to be honest with you, there have been times when I have felt embarrassed having to go up stairs behind a lady. Don’t ladies also feel it? I mean those short skirts and long legs?
[Daphne – I can’t remember, Chico. It’s been a while. http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Ecclesiastes-3-1/%5D
A real gentleman, allowing a lady to disembark first. Well, if it was not for Dr Marisa Farrugia, he would still be in captivity.
Dr Farrugia has a PhD in Arabic, she is a woman and Maltese the right attributes to deal with the captives and secure a release of the hostage. Dr Farrugia is a very intelligent, down to earth unassuming person. She deserves to be promoted to ambassador and not hounded out of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
All credit to Mr. Galea for insisting and giving due credit to ‘the woman who saved me’. Not the government who saved him, but the woman who this government dismissed yet fell back upon (what a U-turn), admitting the sheer incompetence of Taghna Lkoll appointees.
Or was it because they were dealing with it ‘delicately’ and ‘in silence’ without ‘fanfarunati zejda’?
Re Mr.Pace’s comment, you do well to explain. Going by the book is exactly how Magistrate Aaron Bugeja treated the Birdlife case.
Full marks for Mr. Galea’s manners here. Dr. Farrugia was technically still in charge of her mission – that of delivering Mr. Galea safely to his destination – his family, relatives and friends in his own country.
Yes, she leads at the front. This is besides basic manners. She is the one who will, so to speak, “consign him to his dear ones” and to show that the mission was accomplished.
Can I safely assume that the prime minister has already nominated Dr. Farrugia for the Gieh ir-Repubblika or whatever it is the highest honour of the state?
Minn fommok għal fomm Alla. Biex jippoppa aktar għandu mnejn jinnomina tafx! Imma la hi verament kapaċi mhux aħjar jaħtarha ambaxxatur mill-ewwel?
How it’s done.
http://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2014/07/24/foto/l_arrivo_di_meriam_a_roma-92271700/1/#1
The PM remains, with the foreign minister, behind his man, Lapo Pistelli.
Renzi and Mogherini then gracefully decline answering any questions, directing journalists at Pistelli.
http://www.ilsecoloxix.it/p/italia/2014/07/24/ARjHIWMB-meriam_italia_arrivo.shtml
Renzi pushing the microphone away, a clear indication to journalists it’s not his day.
But even that gave il Giornale and Libero an excuse to accuse the PM of ‘presenzialismo’.
Notice how La Repubblica, pretty much pro-Renzi, crops photos to highlight Meriam and Pistelli.
Secolo’s video pretty much shooting the official photo session taking place.
In this case, the PM’s presence required, the EU presidency welcoming Meriam AND indirectly making a statement.
Muscat’s too bloody gross to fathom such nuances. Kurt Farrugia hopping around and generally pushing everyone aside stark confirmation.
Dr Marisa Farrugia is a career diplomat and knows the protocol.
This government suspended her from work and then had no choice but to eat humble pie and call her back for this mission.
Il-hobz tih lil min jaf jieklu, sur Prim Ministru.