As I promised when I first started this blog, I did set a few
prospects in sight when I left the cold north in order to explore the exotic
south. One of them was that I wanted to know how the Italians themselves look
at the future of Italy.
Because, while the rest of the world is pointing their fingers at Italy, with your economy gone wild, your horny politicians who is more interested in getting laid than actually running politics and you brutally high level of unemployment among young people, Italy still remains. To the rest of the world Italy is a sinking ship where even the captain jump off board as the first (to soon?). But while the world is laughing, how do Italians look at their country?
I experienced firsthand the general misbelieve there is to the country, when I told people that I wanted to live there. “You must be either blindly naive or damn stupid if you think you can just go there and jump first in line for a job.” That was the general reaction. Even from Italians I got the question: Why would I want to move to a country where almost half the people are fighting to get a job? And those who got a job, are working under unacceptable terms because the power between supply and demand is completely unbalanced in favor of the employer. The first reason is that yes, I am probably naive and seduced by the warm climate and friendly people, but secondly, here is why I really want to live here:
What separate Italians from complete disaster and what I believe eventually will turn this country back on track is the level of unlimited love for their country. Italians love their country even more than the Americans love deep fried stuff (and that’s a lot). This quickly becomes clear when you have spent some time there. Even if the economy is completely fucked (there, I said it) and the political regime is a money sucking machine that gives to the rich and takes from the poor. Even then, this has not changed the fact that Italians still believe that things can turn. I see two general reactions when I talk to Italians here about the future of Italy. One is the people that makes a large and forgiving gesture with the hands and tell me that Italy will be fine: We will find a way, people will fight, and there are still jobs to be created. The second is the people that still think things might turn at some point, but they have left the country until that day comes. These people I like the most, because they don’t feel that they in any way have left the sinking boat by working in another country. They are not really “cheating” on Italy, they feel. They are just bringing money from another country into Italy. And common to them all is that they all want to move back one day.
That sort of patriotism I only see in Denmark when some guys have the nerves to burn our flag or if people don’t want to eat hour meat balls or drink our “snaps” (hard liquor that tastes like death and fire). Other than that, we piss on our country, literally. We don’t love everything about it, the way Italians do and I am pretty sure if the economic situation were the same in Denmark we’d all emigrate. Probably to Italy. That would run out of pasta and wine in two weeks.
In conclusion, the dead serious believe in a country that is hanging in the balance is something I want to experience firsthand. I want to be here when things turn for the better, but even if it doesn't I’d rather be in a country with real problems that a country where the biggest problem is that a giraffe was put down due to regulations.
Because, while the rest of the world is pointing their fingers at Italy, with your economy gone wild, your horny politicians who is more interested in getting laid than actually running politics and you brutally high level of unemployment among young people, Italy still remains. To the rest of the world Italy is a sinking ship where even the captain jump off board as the first (to soon?). But while the world is laughing, how do Italians look at their country?
I experienced firsthand the general misbelieve there is to the country, when I told people that I wanted to live there. “You must be either blindly naive or damn stupid if you think you can just go there and jump first in line for a job.” That was the general reaction. Even from Italians I got the question: Why would I want to move to a country where almost half the people are fighting to get a job? And those who got a job, are working under unacceptable terms because the power between supply and demand is completely unbalanced in favor of the employer. The first reason is that yes, I am probably naive and seduced by the warm climate and friendly people, but secondly, here is why I really want to live here:
What separate Italians from complete disaster and what I believe eventually will turn this country back on track is the level of unlimited love for their country. Italians love their country even more than the Americans love deep fried stuff (and that’s a lot). This quickly becomes clear when you have spent some time there. Even if the economy is completely fucked (there, I said it) and the political regime is a money sucking machine that gives to the rich and takes from the poor. Even then, this has not changed the fact that Italians still believe that things can turn. I see two general reactions when I talk to Italians here about the future of Italy. One is the people that makes a large and forgiving gesture with the hands and tell me that Italy will be fine: We will find a way, people will fight, and there are still jobs to be created. The second is the people that still think things might turn at some point, but they have left the country until that day comes. These people I like the most, because they don’t feel that they in any way have left the sinking boat by working in another country. They are not really “cheating” on Italy, they feel. They are just bringing money from another country into Italy. And common to them all is that they all want to move back one day.
That sort of patriotism I only see in Denmark when some guys have the nerves to burn our flag or if people don’t want to eat hour meat balls or drink our “snaps” (hard liquor that tastes like death and fire). Other than that, we piss on our country, literally. We don’t love everything about it, the way Italians do and I am pretty sure if the economic situation were the same in Denmark we’d all emigrate. Probably to Italy. That would run out of pasta and wine in two weeks.
In conclusion, the dead serious believe in a country that is hanging in the balance is something I want to experience firsthand. I want to be here when things turn for the better, but even if it doesn't I’d rather be in a country with real problems that a country where the biggest problem is that a giraffe was put down due to regulations.
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