Italy barely functions. Yet its people are happy. What explains this?
Comment: Dear Newsweek scribes, it's all very well to write disparaging articles about Italy (of course you lot are better than anybody else) but, i wonder, should you not be more concerned about the stinking stae of your sinking economy?
Ciao
Comment: I have to agree. Italians ( I being one)are short-sighted ; we reflect our past ( made of thousands of wars against each other without really accomplishing anything substantial ,if not a whole lot of bureaucracy) and our government . What Italians really want is an easy way out, they just have to make sure that others don't "see "it ( and even in that case , we haven't done a great job) so you'll notice Italians with the latest and most expensive trendy outfit and most expensive cars without having enough money in the bank to pay their loan( don't ask how they bought the car though .) and that's why the industries Italy excels in are fashion , cars, etc) .We are represented by what we are and what is really and truly disappointing is that it will not change. Have you noticed our politicians after the fall of the government ,are the same and have just changed the name of the party they belong in ? At this point after the elections in the US, Bush might as well show up as a candidate (the only candidate) with different color hair. Well I could go and and on and probably never stop. I believe we need help. And that help is not within Italy.
Comment: It is a shame!!!!
Comment: This article, I think, is intended to make all people, Italian and non Italian be a little be aware of what is happening in Italy. There is no point to take it personally, it is great to be able to share views, ideas, opinions and criticism (although this it is not our favorite). There is no point in taking phrases and twisting them to justify or explain things that most people that live or have lived in Italy already know. We have to look at the general picture, and understand and accept that Italy as beautiful as it may be, has big problems and unfortunately they are not so easy to solve. As for Venice? I will have to believe that is being saved when I see it.
Comment: Posted By: elisa32 @ 02/21/2008 10:24:02
"Comment: The thing is that most Italians think they are at the same level of other Europen nations such as Germany and the UK and don't think there is much to change."
What?? What do you say, Elisa. Yes we are zimbawe, no television, nothing. Yes sure we dont know!!! Incredible.
"When you tell an Italian there is such a thing as drive-through banking (in the USA) or that the government gives a family money for their children every month (in the UK) they think you are kidding."
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
I announce you, genius, that italian state gives money for children to family, of this poor italian primitives, just as your fabulous country! Incredible.
"They don't know better, how can they take responsibility for something they don't know?"
Si. Sure. Ciao
Ok people.
This is my last post here.
I believe it's correct say goodbye to you.
Stay well, people.
Ciao
Comment: Excellent article, Yacopo Barigazzi, Barbie Nadeau and Christopher Dickey.
Yes its so.
Italy is crasching down. I know. BUT
ehehheh
Italians are happy!! Yes people! Happy! Did you hear?
Why?
They say that "things with friends and parents are ok!"
Did you understand? ahhahahhahah They are happy! and so...
Goliardic! wow!!! they are in excstasy (cause they stay well with parents and friends) while their country is in agony, and do you know why??
ihihiihi
Cause this stupid auto-smiling italian, lives in his family-centric society and he knows, this nullity, that his MOTHER will solve all his problems!
AHHAHAHHAHAHAHH
Always i asked myself:
Why Her Majesty, the acid English (like i call you, oh, only in myself, sure, not in public!)
hates so much my smiling!
Boh!
Maybe a day i will understand this misterious thing!
Bah! Maybe
Excellent.
Comment: Venice will soon be protected from all high waters.
We are astonished to read in the article Agony and the Ecstasy appearing in the international edition of "Newsweek" on February 16 that the project to protect Venice from high waters "put forth by Berlusconi was shelved by Prodi".
Quite the opposite. Implementation of the project began in 2003, 40% has now been completed and financing amounts to ??? 2,443 million with respect to a requirement of ??? 4,271. The project will be completed in a total of eight years and will definitively protect Venice and the entire lagoon area from high waters, even in the light of pessimistic forecasts for a rise in sea level.
The go-ahead for implementation of the project was decided by the Berlusconi Government in 2003 and confirmed by the Prodi Government in 2006. Work has never been interrupted. Currently a workforce of 700 is active in the 15 km work site at the three lagoon inlets, with spin-off employment amounting to at least three times that figure.
The news given in your weekly is therefore incomprehensible and entirely without foundation.
To verify the above and the work underway through up-to-date images, we invite you to visit the sites of the Ministry of Infrastructure www.infrastrutture.gov.it and its local organ, the Venice Water Authority, www.salve.it.
Consorzio Venezia Nuova
Venice Water Authority Concessionary
Comment: Venice will soon be protected from all high waters.
We are astonished to read in the article Agony and the Ecstasy appearing in the international edition of "Newsweek" on February 16 that the project to protect Venice from high waters "put forth by Berlusconi was shelved by Prodi".
Quite the opposite. Implementation of the project began in 2003, 40% has now been completed and financing amounts to ??? 2,443 million with respect to a requirement of ??? 4,271. The project will be completed in a total of eight years and will definitively protect Venice and the entire lagoon area from high waters, even in the light of pessimistic forecasts for a rise in sea level.
The go-ahead for implementation of the project was decided by the Berlusconi Government in 2003 and confirmed by the Prodi Government in 2006. Work has never been interrupted. Currently a workforce of 700 is active in the 15 km work site at the three lagoon inlets, with spin-off employment amounting to at least three times that figure.
The news given in your weekly is therefore incomprehensible and entirely without foundation.
To verify the above and the work underway through up-to-date images, we invite you to visit the sites of the Ministry of Infrastructure www.infrastrutture.gov.it and its local organ, the Venice Water Authority, www.salve.it.
Consorzio Venezia Nuova
Venice Water Authority Concessionary
Comment: "Agony and the Ecstasy
Italy barely functions. Yet its people are happy. What explains this?"
That you didnt understand nothing
Comment: Why, if my country is in agony (yes, sure) i must be not well with my friends or my family? What? What is this! :)
If 70% answeres i'm well with friends or family, it dosn't mean that Italians are happy! just a bit ridiculous, yes?
There is no reason i have to stay not well with family and friends if my country and my life like Italians is in agony, sure. It's banal! Why! :)
It's a colossal missunderstanding, banal if i think to journalists, not people in the street!
So the answere to the question ( What explains this), can only be:
That you didnt understand nothing.
It's so clear. So banal.
Comment: P.S. re: Sardinia.
You bet there are less homicides in Sardinia due to "vendetta" than those granted in US prisons, and "universities" by "democracy".
Comment: at least we are not envious...
Comment: At lest we are not envious...
Comment: I am an american living in Italy now for 5 years (florence/prato), and I can say with certainty that there are two essential problems with Italians and their modern culture.
Numer one is "la furbizia". It's kind of like being "sneaky" or sly and Italians consider it a sort of social intelligence. It is a way of getting around something (rules/buracracy/mamma, etc) to get what you want or need. The book "The Dark Heart of Italy" explains it well. Italians have always had to figure out another way to get what they wanted or needed because nothing ever came easily, for obvious reasons. I personally find it creepy.
The second thing is that Italians are, I'll put it this way, "All talk and no action." Why haven't Italian citizens stood up for themselves? Sure they protest, they go on strike, but all that ever does is give them a long weekend and leave me without transportation for a day. It's because they DONT SHUT UP. Go ahead, take a trip to Italy, get a coffee at ANY bar, and even if you don't understand a word of italian, you will hear everyone complaining about something. They call it talking, but it's complaining. And at the end of the story, they go home, have dinner (or a 3 hour lunch at home) complain some more, watch the news, complain some more, watch some bad, totally biased tv (theres the Left channels and the Right channels) go to sleep and start the same thing over again. They pay too many taxes, have no benefits except for the WHOLE month of august for vacation (probably to distract them), and if they get sick, they might accidentally get aids from an untested organ transplant (didn't you guys hear about that? Michael Moore, you should come to Italy.)
Of course, I have chosen to live here, for love, and i do love Italy, and thats what makes me so angry and frustrated. i keep trying to figure out how i can help...but honestly, there is nothing I could do. And thats sad.
Comment: P.s. if you lived in Prato you must have seen thet people here worked very hard honestly to have what they have now,not asking anything to anybody..before complain try to know things....you're not in the US..Italians are very different in cultures and mentality...read the history and also the modern history and the evolution...look at the Veneto for example
Comment: biancolina, creepy is a term that it's better using in other moments. Like for example killing people to take their oil. Or killing people flying with your military airplain few metres from the ground, in a country that is not your. It's better using creepy in this moments.
I really dislike that you are so sad, Biancolina. Really. I'm really frustrated for this. I know. You dont figure out how you can help poor Italian people! Oh, my God.
I give you a solution not to be sad in my country, cause this really destroy me.
Stay in America.
Comment: Make this:
stay in america.
Comment: I am an american living in Italy now for 5 years (florence/prato), and I can say with certainty that there are two essential problems with Italians and their modern culture.
Numer one is "la furbizia". It's kind of like being "sneaky" or sly and Italians consider it a sort of social intelligence. It is a way of getting around something (rules/buracracy/mamma, etc) to get what you want or need. The book "The Dark Heart of Italy" explains it well. Italians have always had to figure out another way to get what they wanted or needed because nothing ever came easily, for obvious reasons. I personally find it creepy.
The second thing is that Italians are, I'll put it this way, "All talk and no action." Why haven't Italian citizens stood up for themselves? Sure they protest, they go on strike, but all that ever does is give them a long weekend and leave me without transportation for a day. It's because they DONT SHUT UP. Go ahead, take a trip to Italy, get a coffee at ANY bar, and even if you don't understand a word of italian, you will hear everyone complaining about something. They call it talking, but it's complaining. And at the end of the story, they go home, have dinner (or a 3 hour lunch at home) complain some more, watch the news, complain some more, watch some bad, totally biased tv (theres the Left channels and the Right channels) go to sleep and start the same thing over again. They pay too many taxes, have no benefits except for the WHOLE month of august for vacation (probably to distract them), and if they get sick, they might accidentally get aids from an untested organ transplant (didn't you guys hear about that? Michael Moore, you should come to Italy.)
Of course, I have chosen to live here, for love, and i do love Italy, and thats what makes me so angry and frustrated. i keep trying to figure out how i can help...but honestly, there is nothing I could do. And thats sad.
Comment: well yoo can be right for one hand ,but you just talking generally and you say nothing..maybe you must know more things before talking
Comment: To you neve :)
well yoo can be right for one hand ,but you just talking generally and you say nothing..maybe you must know more things before talking
Comment: Hi,I live in Prato in Tuscany and i can say that... it's always the same problem..Everybody says "italians" like ...once you have a country you have the same people everywhere,same culture,same mentality...I agree with pisolo1973 when he writes we still have two Italy..
In my region the garbage recycle is more to the 40% and in some areas of my province we reached the 73%.I know my area very well and the people here worked very hard,but paying al ot af taxex for nothing in change.
I think that if you have the garbage in front of your house you don't have to wait for the others to clean,but you organize yourself to do something.every small thing done by one person is a brick of something bigger...but you must have the same mentality everywhere otherwise it doesn't work...That's why we have two different countries.Answering to Vipera i can tell :why don't you go and talk to them to make them changing their mentality..How???
It's not so easy,even for the honest people who live there
There are things in my region we have to change i agree and I fight everyday to change,but I can't do anything for who doesn't want to change the mentality in that area of the south.too far away..The organized crime is most in three region campania,calabria,sicily since ever and it's been exported to germany,US australia and the north. in Milan for example there are areas of immigrants of calabria where they pay the Pizzo to each other..like in Germany..
Unfortunatly for the young people who would like to change all this sh...
Most of them students,that have no chance in the south,they have to move to have a better life..do you still think it's a national problem??ask them how they live there,ask them how difficult is to be honest there.If you are not a mafioso you have a "mafiosa" mentality there,expecially in calabria where it's everywhere
Prato is full of people of the south,the first ones arrived here in the 60s.We had the same problems we're having now with the new immigrants.Now they are well integrated,fortunatly for them and for us.but they never went back to the south for logically reasons.
If you vote for somebody here you can find the honest person,logically the bad person as well.
But if you vote in the south you vote for the mafia of the left side or the right side.That's why many people(the honests ones) in the south don't go to vote.
Yes we're still the country of 1800...just few things chanched.
I don't consider myself italian or european,I'm a citizen of the world,but i see the differences.
If you want to change what is around you ,you first have to change yourself.
Comment: "I don't consider myself italian "
Yes, i see.
Me not. I consider myself Italian.
Comment: "But if you vote in the south you vote for the mafia of the left side or the right side".
Ok neve. Problems with south things in Italy. It's ok.
Neve... south things.
You know, history is imposrtant. Study history of your country, and you will understand many things, but first of all, i understand if English generalize so easy, but please, let's try to be Italians. This is our problem, Neve. We are always deviuded, always one against other, left right, north south, catholic laicals, student teachers, and so on. This is our drama. And believe me, Neve. I come from the south del nostro bellissimo e sofferente paese. If i go in Prato, i dont need to integrate. Neve.
Comment: "The organized crime is most in three region campania,calabria,sicily since ever and it's been exported to germany,US australia and the north. in Milan for example there are areas of immigrants of calabria where they pay the Pizzo to each other..like in Germany.."
Yes, i agree with you. But in Bergamo, that is more in the north than you, there are, like you know if you see news in your country, most of the great industries that made affairs with mafia.
Comment: you don't need to integrate now if you are a good person...why would you do...but i was born here and my parents as well..we know what happened with the first immigrants...the same thing that is happening now with the new immigrants..the same thing that happened in the US new yourk ,chicago,meaburne ecc
Comment: p.s. the small and medium industry made the italian economy...full of people who paied taxes and worked honestly..it's not the same thing in the south...most of them worked illegally...what do they give to the country???
Comment: yes,bad people are everywhere,but they come from if you have a country where these things ars allow.you see...even if you have industries,some industies,that make affairs with mafia in the north that's because it comes from the south and find bad people in the north as well,mafia not from there originally(that's hostory,read it )..like in germany or US..
Everybody knows it...or you agree with mafia as well..
Admit it please,the reality is this
..I don't need to read the history,i know it...but you need to wake up and do something to change the bad situation of the south,not always talking about the fault of the history...
Please we cant' stand it anymore...In one word things are better in the north and very bad in the south..and it's not always somebody else fault
You're from the south,but you work in the north because there you found a job,easier than in the south..
Comment: Simply:
You didnt understand my words.
Ciao, concittadina che non si sente Italiana.
Comment: The article ???Agony and ecstasy???, in Newsweek of Feb 25, states that the Prodi Government has ???shelved??? the project to safeguard Venice, promoted by the previous government. This is simply wrong: the current Executive has never thought of leaving Venice sinking into the lagoon.
The MOSE (the acronym in Italian for Experimental Electro-mechanic Module), referred to by Newsweek as a ???10-year multibillion-euro project???, is a system of movable dams able to insulate Venice from the Adriatic Sea in case of high tide.
Since in office in May 2006, the Prodi Government has confirmed the decision of carrying on with the MOSE and has allocated almost one billion Euros to it: 463 million in 2007 and 400 million in January 2008. The Government has also given the final go-ahead for the building of the mobile bulkheads, which represent the core of the project.
Would you consider that project shelved?
Press Office
Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Italy
Comment: I wish I were just as optimistic and proud as my my fellow countrymen/women. I'm not! The reason being that Italy seems to have crashed under the weight of globalization. We simply didn't see it coming. So, we didn't plan ahaed, preferring to raise walls between us and the emerging Countries like China and India. We've been so naive to believe that without research we'd carry on being competitive. We have great minds, great researchers who are mistreated and left with no option but virtually flee the country for survival. Creativity is no longer enough, it takes planning and hard working for the common good instead of waisting time protecting each his own little privilege. Sovranational committments are actually setting the agenda and these, in addition to the huge debt, have made national politics weaker and weaker. We are downgrading real fast. One component of the complex Italian scenario is thriving, though, thanks to the heavy absence of the politics: that's the Vatican!!
Comment: To change the country?
Perhaps to solve our problems. Not to make again many mistakes that we make! Not to change our country.
We love our thinking.
If you dont like it, its your soul. You are English. I'm Italian. We are different and i love it.
Kiss
Comment: You must admit that this way of thinking is what has gotten Italy where it is now. I am not saying change the laws... ENFORCE them. I am not saying change your food... it's one of the best in the world... I am saying Italians should reflect on what is happening to their country and make their own minds and vote, and be involved in their own communities (not only when there is a "sagra") and complain not only amongst themselves and know who is in power and challenge what they say... and then Italy will change...for the better.
Comment: Believe me.
I admit all. I love prisons, not only ENFORCING laws! I know, believe me , we are always never a community. I know. It's our problem. This. Not our culture!
Your mistake is that you see Italy only about food or other folkloristic things. Like all English. You always believe to be the best and that the world is "Folklore" Do you know Italian culture? Our thinking about life? I dont want our thinking about life changes. It's so different from anglo-sassone. And i love it. I know our mistakes and our problems, but i love my country, i love my soul, i love italian thinking and i dont want that it changes. It's not that the problem. Try to understand better Italian culture, not only speacking with someone about coffy, and you will undestand that its not a problem.
Bye
Comment: It is true, you cannot blame politicians for all of Italy's problems. You have to look at the Italian culture to try to understand how complex it is. I have been in very very long conversations where for example you only talk about coffee and where it is made best, and how is best to drink it, and how much it costs, people share their memories of their best coffee, etc and at the end of the conversation everyone has their own say, but nobody actually agrees on where to get the best coffee in town! This may seem a funny example, but this translates into everything, politicians talk about the same things over and over and never really arrive to a solution. There is also the problem of confrontation, Italians in general do not confront, they follow. I have been in business meetings for hours and at the end of the day, nothing got said or resolve because no one makes a stand...and if you do, you are considered "polemico". To change the country, you have to change the way people think... how can you change that?
Comment: We think it's time to open our eyes.
We can't only accuse politicians for this situation; even if we can't change the political system by ourselves, we should open our mind window and see what's happening outside our home.
It's not true that Italians are happy in this situation. They just prefer finding happiness somewhere else, inside their family or with their friends.
Instead of watching the world pass it by on the screen of a TV, we should understand that media is giving us a distorted image about how things are going on, we have to try to change our way to face the problems.
Finding happiness inside family or by going out with friends doesn't help to solve the problems, it's just a way to divert from facing what we consider the "other people's" problems.
We have to become conscious that the other people's problems are relative also to us, because we can consider them in an other point of view, that is as problems of our entire community.
A group of students from Padova
Comment: We think it's time to open our eyes.
We can't only accuse politicians for this situation; even if we can't change the political system by ourselves, we should open our mind window and see what's happening outside our home.
It's not true that Italians are happy in this situation. They just prefer finding happiness somewhere else, inside their family or with their friends.
Instead of watching the world pass it by on the screen of a TV, we should understand that media is giving us a distorted image about how things are going on, we have to try to change our way to face the problems.
Finding happiness inside family or by going out with friends doesn't help to solve the problems, it's just a way to divert from facing what we consider the "other people's" problems.
We have to become conscious that the other people's problems are relative also to us, because we can consider them in an other point of view, that is as problems of our entire community.
Comment: Yes, problems. Never "Italians".
Yes, few kids, but they dont kill people.
Yes, not extraordinary for business, but we dont destroy a country to take away their oil. We dont kill people and kids (look at numbers, English) to make business.
Yes. Problems.
Antonio
littlewing1313@yahoo.it
Comment: Italia, amore mio.
Io ti amo, così come sei.
Sofferente.
Comment: ....the solution?? Declare war to a neighbor country like Monaco or Switzerland on an ordinary Friday, and surrender on the following Monday. Then everything will start functioning......
Comment: This article fails to mention one modern Italian paradox: despite the family-centric reputation of Italian society the birth rates in Italy are alarmingly low. Italian are on the verge of dying out. Maybe Italian mothers and Catholic church should join hands to make Italians more reproductive.
Comment: Maybe its an economic problem. Genius.
Comment: Italy just needs to copy the best practices from the countries around them, with regard to improving the investment situation and hence getting back some growth in this economy. We need fiscal controls and effective punishment for the unethical behaviour which exists throughout all politics and government related jobs. Anyone who is asked to pay over 50% in taxes, has to hire people for life, and has to work with a bureaucracy and ridiculous costs like we have here would do anything to avoid this system. Clean up the mess inside the dishonest self serving political system as an example to start with, then maybe others will start to believe again in this country. Naples is just a metaphor for the whole country. Dirty, old, disorganized and run poorly. Kick the bums out, I say!!! Send us Barack, please!!!
Ron Marx
Milan
Comment: The recipe for Italy is really not very complicated. Unfortunately Italy has been given the poor quality of politicians which they asked for, superficial, corrupt and unable to manage anything in a professional way. In any other country, the democratic system is capable of 'throwing the bums out', but in Italy, people are resigned to this helpless state of affairs for some reason. Patriotism? No way, unless you insult their country, then suddenly, everyone becomes 'Italian'. For sure there are wonderful things about living in this country, but they are overshadowed by the uncertainty and lack of a clear future of hope with real programs. The politicians here don't need to reinvent the wheel, they just need to be able to copy what has worked for the other countries around them, like Spain, the UK, France and the US to name a few. This takes courage, the ability to communicate clearly to a fairly ignorant population about these questions regarding change and growth. It's disgusting to hear the empty words of 'solutions and hope' from our political leaders, who have proven time and time again that they're only capable of holding on to power and lining their pockets, not interested or capable of guiding Italy into the future. We need a revolution here, where taxes are halved, controls for evasion are finally in place, punishment for unethical behaviour is real and quick. It's not so difficult, just learn to copy from the best, not the worst. Italians are all clever theives at heart, the worst possible attitutude one could have in a situation where coming together for survival is what is really needed, and getting rid of the old guard is just the beginning. We need a Barack Obama here, believe me.
Comment: ...because italians are used to listen to manipulated media that brainwash them with good and positive news like "being first in the world about fashion, food, soccer, racing cars". So people feel happy, they don't have access to any other comparison with other parts of the world....
Give an italian a good portion of spaghetti and a tv game of his favourite soccer team and he will forget about the national air carrier Alitalia, the disservice of the rail network, the eternal waiting list in public hospitals, the perpetual union strikes, the infamous public education system, the incredible system of Justice, the pressure of mafia, ndrangheta, camorra, sacra corona unita. Luckily, more and more italians have started using Internet and so a new window is being open to the outside world and they can see how prehistoric is becoming their country. It will take decades before a self esteem sentiment will spread among younger generations of italians.....let's hope
Comment: The picture of Italy is more or less the one painted in this article....but....BUT I'm tired of reading everywhere about young italian fellows not willing to leave their homes. Are you kidding me?
I just turned 25, and since I'm 19 I'm trying to leave home! I'm studying at university, working as employed and I have a very little own business. But still I can't make it out of my family's house!
Have you got the slightest idea of how much frustrating can it be? Everyday's it's a long effort and battle against odds, old infrastructures, delays, taxes! Italian people are happy? Well, I can only speak for myself but I'm not! And no one hears me no matter what I try to do to speak up.
I am worried all day long I won't make it. I start to loose the will to roll up my sleeves to achive something. I'm loosing the sense of it....and you dare to call this happiness? you dare to tell me that young people and italians in general are happy with the situation? Stop asking senators, or university researchers: try asking your questions to enterpreneurs, workers, students! I live nearby Milan and I should feel lucky for this. I can't imagine the people living in the South right now.
Francesco Rossi
francesco.rossi@malpensaonline.net
Comment: Feb 20, 2008
Let???s face it. In every problem in any country, the government is always to blame, but come to think of it, it is the people of that country are to blame. Like for instance the overpowering garbage in Naples, the people of Naples should come together and do something. I notice these days, there is no more unity, it is always I, I, and I, no more we, we and we.
The people of today no longer have compassion, love, care and kindness. If someone dies on the street, no one will bother to care, people will just pass by and do their own thing and never bother to care.
I feel sorry for the children of today because the world that their parents would leave behind is no longer the world that we know of.
Ask yourself, if you don't change within you, nobody will do it for you.
Nilda S Hidalgo-Batzes
Comment: Let???s face it. In every problem in any country, the government is always to blame, but come to think of it, it is the people of that country are to blame. Like for instance the overpowering garbage in Naples, the people of Naples should come together and do something. I notice these days, there is no more unity, it is always I, I, and I, no more we, we and we.
The people of today no longer have compassion, love, care and kindness. If someone dies on the street, no one will bother to care, people will just pass by and do their own thing and never bother to care.
I feel sorry for the children of today because the world that their parents would leave behind is no longer the world that we know of.
Ask yourself, if you don't change within you, nobody will do it for you.
Nilda S Hidalgo-Batzes
Manama, Bahrain
Comment: An excellent article that depicts the real problem of the country: an individualistic, disrespectful culture that keeps people from getting together, prioritise problems and decide - instead of pulling together to grow, everyone is fighting to protect his own personal privileges and take a larger part of a cake that is smaller and smaller every day. Whether it's a job in public administration that has been created without real need, or an uncompetitive business relying on public contracts to survive (and corrupting civil servants to get the business); whether it's a MP that has a much higher salary and benefits tnat any of his European peers and still uses public money and influence to hire his wife and sons as consultants for inexistent jobs or a taxi driver in Rome who protests when the city wants to give more licences - and yet the number of taxis per person in Rome is the lowest in Europe - or a member of the "army" of fiscal assistants needed not just for companies or wealthy people but for just about anyone, because governments make the tax declaration more and more complicated every year and only a professional can sort it out to avoid sanctions while in France, for instance, it's a 4-sheet form --- it's always the same story; instead of pulling together, simplyfing things, creating new value, everyone is just fighting to keep his own part of privileges that is being eroded by the loss of competitiveness the country is going through.
Don't be misled by the two Italys and the private vs public sector approach: yes it's all true if you look at the country from the inside but if you take a more global approach, it's simply a country that hasn't learned what building value, making decisions, and let the best people win with fair rules means. We're in a prisoner's dlemma where everyone is waiting for some other to move first, and everyone is standing still, while just about every other country is moving forward.
Comment: It's the usual article full of opinions that remain on the surface of the real facts. First of all you have to consider that there are two Italy. The northern part which ranks between the three most rich regions of Europe and the southern one (Naples and its trash included) similar to the third world countries. The first one is the home of a vital presence of SME (small and medium enterprises) which constitute the real Italian economic strenght. Ferrari, Fiat and Armani, despite being an excellent example of the Italian entrepeneur spirit, are not the only economic pillars of the country. Moreover public services and civil spirit are far compared to the southern ones. For instance in Milan the recycling of the trash represents the 50% of the total compared with the 5/10% in Naples. This part of Italy is fighting hard. There is an actual problem of payroll level, price are comparable to Paris or London while salaries to Athens or worst. There's a saying: "salaries are still expressed in "lira" while prices in "Euro". But I don't find anywhere that Italian unemployement level is lower than the French one (Paris banlieu riots...), that the public health system (with exceptions, of course) ranks between the first ones in the world (USA? Michael Moore? Rings a bell?) or that Milan has one of the broadest fiber optic network or the most important fair/exposition system in all Europe. There's still hope.
Comment: uffffffff............
dio mio, dio mio
che noia
Comment: well, sorry to disappoint you guys but italians are everything but happy right now, and who's writing to you is totally pissed off about the mud into wich neglected and irresponsible politicians led into. I'm 30 with a pharmacy degree and i earn a paycheck as in the States an housekeeper does, plus i 've gotta face every day insane payments (do you know we pay taxes just because we own a tv? or for the car property?! there's not a public office without lines and every medical check is about to take you away the whole day through delais and crappy customer service. yes i love the town where i'm born, i love my family and friends but this country doesn't deserve young willing people anymore.. we can't just always look back to our past and admire architecture, museums, artist and beautiful cities. Today's life is about have a chance to build a family, a career and not trying to survive squeezed by taxes and insane cost of life. I want opportunities and this country doesn't offer it anymore. Sad, sad, sad. it's so embarassing to face the rest of the world. within a year i'm outta here. promised
Comment: ... not only foreigners, also italians love their country and hate it at the same time. For example me! It's a country full of art and full of junk. A country full of great architecture and with orrible huosing developments and suburbs whose design has no interest in the community's needs at all. A country with the better cars in the world for rich people (Ferrari, Lamborgini, Maserati) and the worst for the working class (FIAT). A country with a taxation level so high that people do everything (legal and not) to avoid to pay. A country with a high level of democracy that is not able to do anything. A country with a system of laws appreciated in all the world (on paper) but not respected by its citizens (in the real life). Where you can see the richest man as president guiding a nation full of debts. A country where lobbies have the real power and don't want to let it go and politicians aren't strong enough to CHANGE! Sad but true. I would like to leave this mess but I love it!
Comment: ... not only foreigners, also italians love their country and hate it at the same time. For example me! It's a country full of art and full of junk. A country full of great architecture and with orrible huosing developments and suburbs whose design has no interest in the community's needs at all. A country with the better cars in the world for rich people (Ferrari, Lamborgini, Maserati) and the worst for the working class (FIAT). A country with a taxation level so high that people do everything (legal and not) to avoid to pay. A country with a high level of democracy that is not able to do anything. A country with a system of laws appreciated in all the world (on paper) but not respected by its citizens (in the real life). Where you can see the richest man as president guiding a nation full of debts. A country where lobbies have the real power and don't want to let it go and politicians aren't strong enough to CHANGE! Sad but true. I would like to leave this mess but I love it!
Comment: Italy...love-hate relationship. A foreigner will always be a foreigner, no matter how hard one tries to integrate. Family is very important and in fact is the only thing that really matters, people complain about the government, but hardly anybody actually votes. People don't pay fines, don't respect traffic lights, pedestrians, they make their own laws and know every single way to scam the government and insurance companies. It there is a law, they already know the way to get around it... at the same they are one of the most loyal people I have ever met, and once they become your friend, they are your friend for life and will do anything to help you in a time a need. They are kind, loyal, but sometimes naive as they think Italy is the best thing that happened to the world, because the goverment censors everything and in a way "brainwashes" the population to think that there is no other country in the world better than them. Italy...love it-hate it.
Comment: Hi.
Frankly speaking I am really astonished by these mails, full of prejudices: Italy is beautiful but Italians don't do anything, they are so happy about the current situation, a foreigner will be always a foreigner.
Listen: I am a 42 years old manager, woman, in an high-tech company (yeeeesss, there are high tech companies in Italy!!!!). Of course I don't like the Italian situation, I don't know who I am going to vote in the next elections, but I am proud to be Italian as a lot of Doctors, Lawyers, Professionals, Engineers, etc. are.
There is a statement in the paper saying that it would be better to basically erase Italian mothers since they are one of the causes of the problems in Italy. Are we crazy? How do you expect to leave your house when a lot of young and not young (more than 30/35) get a basic salary of 800 Euros/month and in Milan a single bedroom, kitchen, bath, living room (smalll) has to be paid about 800/1000 Euros/month? And you need to eat, dress, maybe buy a book or go, for once, to a movie.
You say Change. Well, something is moving, people is tired of having thieves in the Parliament, don't doubt of it.
But we don't want an armed revolution. We are a civil Country and I can tell you that Italians are working like hell for few bucks, much more than other Countries (and I was on the field worldwide to witness it). So don't be so general. It is so easy to judge without providing any constructive hint, just so easy.
Comment: One thing is to judge, and the other one so different is to state the facts. I am passionate about Italy, I lived there 10 years of my life, not a tourist passing through, not a student. A woman, worker, mom, who saw everyday the problems of living in Italy and the beauty of living in Italy. There are many problems and there could be many solutions, but the ball gets passed around and you know that most politicians with the real power are over 60, Italy needs young minds in all fields with the will to change and most important stand up to the old ways.
Comment: The article is spot on. Italy???s potential may be great but currently it is only perceived as the nation of pasta, dolce vita and corruption. Italians need to take responsibilty for their country???s fate if they want to be taken seriously again by the rest of Europe.
Comment: The article is spot on. Italy???s potential may be great but currently it is only perceived as the nation of pasta, dolce vita and corruption. Italians need to take responsibilty for their country???s fate if they want to be taken seriously again by the rest of Europe.
Comment: The thing is that most Italians think they are at the same level of other Europen nations such as Germany and the UK and don't think there is much to change. When you tell an Italian there is such a thing as drive-through banking (in the USA) or that the government gives a family money for their children every month (in the UK) they think you are kidding. They don't know better, how can they take responsibility for something they don't know?
Comment: Despite, or rather, because of being a Catholic, I will watch "Caos Calmo" at the earliest possible opportunity. On the part of the Church, to fulminate against it on the basis of one mild sex scene is completely and utterly ridiculous. I'm not even sure Pope Benedict knows about this piece of "criticism" coming from his subordinates. The way you depict the movie, it is a wonderful satire on what it could mean to be an Italian these days and has tremendous teaching potential for other nationals as well.
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