So he wants to look outside Europe, fine, what about Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and India? Most of these have very old relations with Malta.

How about Obama’s USA and Brazil? Aren’t these leftist enough?

He talks of close to shore investment location, Microsoft came to Malta specifically to launch into Africa.

Muscat wants to reverse the process, his strategy in line with anyone’s wish to keep the divide between the wealthy north and a poor south willing to work for subsidies by the Chinese.

I just can’t accept Labour always going for the most undemocratic of states, agreements which we’re not allowed to know and a foreign policy verging on sabotage of any improving formal and commercial relations between third parties.

We just have to go for underhand tactics or the riskiest of ventures. Whatever it is, it’s surely not European, civilised or first world.

P Shaw, do I know the type. One trait gave them away: considering success as ‘luck’.

Conversations gravitating gradually around their lives, misgivings and indolence.

Give me a Zammit Marmara’ for an ideological slanging match any day.

Daphne, another precise observation of yours. Many times I made the mistake of assuming that being properly dressed and speaking good English was not Mintoffian.

Perfect examples the ambassador to Spain, Kenneth Zammit Tabona and Norman Shaw. They stand out in a Labour croud, they are the worst snobs, and the way they move upwards is ruthless.

How very true.

During the last election campaign, I discovered that a lot of people I knew way back at university and at work through the years were rabid Mintoffians and never voted PN.

I was misled by the fact that they spoke English habitually or hung around with others whose views were very different. Now, with hindsight, I realize that they only did it out of convenience and for personal image.

These people ‘came out’ when Mintoff died, and subsequently were more ‘vocal’ on Facebook during the election campaign.

It is just that Joey has lost his sense of direction.

You do not move on from Europe to China.

You go backwards.

Bhal granc.

rattan, carpets and so on and so forth.

Zibel.

And that’s why it tasted sweet, but sour at the same time.

He sounds like some naïve, ugly, menopausal man who’s been fawned over by a gold-digger half his age, and who thinks it’s because he’s so fantastic and she’s so respectful of his wonderful qualities.