Correction: The salaries, the staff, the political appointments, the media events were there. But there was little else besides.

Depends on what you mean by “join forces”. Mine isn’t that large of a force.

At least the noises and apparent good will were there. Of course the system would have to be pushed. Of course there was the need of somebody with vision.

But it would have been possible.

Now it’s all gone.

[Daphne – They are not to be made in Malta, but only assembled here from parts made in China. Read into that what you will.]

George, you mention but two of the so-called Malta-China investments, when in fact only Malta was investing as all costs had to be repaid to China.

To those add the decorative glass factory in Marsa (another flop), the rattan works in Ta’ Qali (also a flop) and the biggest of all the 1000-worker Spinning and Weaving, also at Ta’ Qali (the major flop) where all machinery brought from China was only fit for scrap and where the building served up to some time ago as a counting hall during successive elections.

You forgot to mention the Ta Qali Carpet Factory and the Kappar industry.

I hope it does. I hope we fucking starve. Because what this country needs is shock treatment.

I hope the Maltese economy collapses, I hope the Chinese enslave everyone, I hope they take our homes, cars, flatscreen TVs, Xboxes and iPads. I hope they rape our wives and daughters, and I hope they lead us all in chains to the paddy-fields so we can pick rice for our new overlords.

China is the real enemy of Europe. And those fools Norman Lowell and Kevin Ellul Bonici go on about the Jews.

I hope they’ll make me work extra hard in the paddy-fields because I’d love to raise two fingers to the switchers, pimps, scoundrels and especially the Mintoffians and tell them “I was right, and you were wrong”.

And I’d raise two fingers to my Chinese guards too. Then I can finally smile as I watch them place electrodes to my testicles.

Then I can go to hell and meet Mintoff.

Bubu, I have already tried to get in touch with you through Daphne to no avail. I believe Malta is too small for those of us interested in real R&D to act independently, but together we will be able to make a difference. Should you wish to “join forces,” I’m sure Daphne could put us in touch.

When Joseph Muscat and Konrad Mizzi laud China’s purchase of 35% of Enemalta, and the assembling of PV panels from parts made in China and shipped to Malta, I remember those times when Dom Mintoff announced to the nation with great pomp that the Chinese government had agreed to build the Red China Dock which was supposed to compete with the Japanese shipbuilding industry, and a chocolate (Desserta) factory. Eventually both investments proved to be massive flops.

Who knows what will be the fate of the new Chinese investment? Would it meet the same fate of the Red China Dock and the Desserta Factory? I hope not because a failure in the energy sector would have a disastrous effect on the whole Maltese nation.

The religious fanatic conservatives never really understood R&D so it’s not as if a Labour government will bring about a catastrophe in academia. Indeed, most academics never understood R&D either. They’re just sitting back in their tenured chair, milking the system for all it’s worth.

Oh and by the way, you swallowed too much PN bullshit if you really thought Malta would become an R&D centre.