I agree with you that the qualities you mention may be absent in other appointments too : particularly two previous ambassadorial appointments to China under the PN government.

I am referring to Saviour Gauci and Karl Xuereb – their appointments which fell far below the yardstick you prescribe as to what qualities the best ambassadors should have.

Your play on words on what an alternative to a legal career can be is quite amusing: I wonder what a healthcare career would compare to – a funeral management career perhaps?

If my buddies admired and praised me half as much as some of the subjects of this blog, I’d be a happy man.

What is it with you people? Each time Daphne writes about some ridiculous personage it’s “I’ve known him since childhood, he’s diligent, he’s bright, he’s an asset to our country, he comes from a frugal family of hardworking geniuses”, and other tripe.

Can’t the man defend himself?

Indeed Mr. Permanent Secretary – what do you intend to do about this? Will he be allowed to carry on, ghax Malta Taghna Ikoll. So now we have individuals who have not lived in Malta for years looking after our interests. Way to go George.

Same goes for our man in Australia. Prosit tassew.

A real cosmopolitan would understand the appropriateness of dress and image. An ambassadorship is not a personal post. He represents a country and his manner of dress and self-presentation should reflect that.

[Daphne – David, I have suggested this before as tactfully as I could, but I really think you are out of your depth here. You are too literal-minded, and you don’t have what is required for the contextual analysis of people and situations. You are the sort of ‘innocent who thinks himself cunning’ to whom a snake-oil merchant is able to sell snake-oil by producing ‘certificates of approval from important personages’.]

He has made a success of his life in a number of fields, while living in various parts of the world. Today he should be a real cosmopolitan.

Clifford is an asset to the Maltese nation, and I”m sure he will make a success in his new assignment as our Man in Beijing.

Obviously he had no gloves, so he had to pull his hands up into the jacket sleeves to protect his fingers from the cold wind blowing in his face.