As in a gong for the bloody klikka. If you’re a household name, you’re on the honours list. Peasants decorating peasants.

So many things to smile about, eh?

Agree 100%. I personally know some people who at the age of 28 have 2 degrees, four Masters and a P.hd. I don’t have a doctorate in Maths, but does that not seem mathematically impossible? On the other hand I know other people who earnt their doctorate at the age of 40 after almost uninterrupted study starting at the age of 22. You can’t tell me that’s fair.

Employers are increasingly ignoring these titles and looking instead at proved competence.

Yes, when people do that I feel so embarrassed for them.

He doesn’t have any degrees in economics. His doctorate is in business management and his specialism is in public organisation at a macro level. He has done little economics.

Emmy Bezzina does it all the time on The Times.

Mertu? Is that like in “Meritokrozija”?

Also (and this is NOT referring to Dr, Muscat but is a general comment because I am fed up of bigheads flaunting their Doctorates at every occasion) let us not be too impressed with titles. The quality of a Doctorate does depend a lot on what area one focused. And especially on the University one got it from. There are Doctorates and then there are Doctorates.

It’s typical of post-(British) colonial societies. It’s one way to distinguish yourself from the common rabble who hold neither power, nor honour. It’s all very embarrassing.

He claims to be an economist or, at least, allows the little people to think he is.