Readers here know all about MTS and non-MTS.

It seemed a good idea to explain the idea to Telegraph Blog readers. Done here, with a nice stormy seas picture:

Hence the core diplomatic policy conundrum: over what timescale is success measured?

One of the metaphors I deployed to explain Bosnia’s problems to bemused Whitehall officials was the tall, steep sand-dune. You rush at the sand-dune and try to get to the top, but find yourself stuck. If only you had seen that strong tuft of grass over to the right before you made your dash! You could have reached that and tried to pull yourself upwards. But any movement towards it or in any other direction makes you slide backwards.

From good if over-optimistic or even naive intentions you can end up in a hopeless place, where no good move is available. This is why the eurozone problem is so difficult for our top policy-makers.

Eurozone leaders designed an ornate gondola for drifting affably round the elegant decay of Venice. They now find themselves swept by an unimaginable (or at least unimagined) current into horrible stormy seas.

The vessel is sinking! No life-jackets! The Greek can’t swim! The German is hooting that everyone tighten their belts! The Frenchman blames capitalism! The odious Brits preferred their own shabby dinghy: they watch with cynical amusement from choppy but still (they believe) manageable waters.

Basically, the eurozoners have allowed themselves to get far out of their depth. And they smugly refused to pack any safety kit.

I swung by the FCO today for a quiet adult chat about repatriating powers from the EU. What does that mean, if anything, and how might it be done or at least systematically attempted.

Many interesting points emerged. Some unexpected, to me at least. Watch this space.

Plus, a Scary Thought about FCO consular work: what would HMG do if Greece’s money system crashed during peak holiday season, leaving a million Brits stranded there with cash machines not working?

The FCO mind boggles.