The Americanization of Emily or Euroland
A Naybob of simian nature forwarded "a depressing article on Italy" from the IHT. "In Italy, A Winter of Discontent".
Not to be outdone, the Nattering One dredged up "Italians Dressed in Sunday Best Forced to Dine in Soup Kitchens."
The Nattering One muses... I've been a keen observer of a cultural morphing over the last forty years, the Americanization of Euroland...
The French, American, Russian and Chinese revolutions heard many a shot fired.
The revolution that has occured over the last 40 years in Italy and the bulk of Europe has occured without a single shot being fired.
Culturally, it started with the importation of American televison and movies. Graffiti was a unknown thing in Italy, until MTV and its rap music videos arrived.
The Saracenes and we do appreciate the "tagging" of ancient edifices and historical landmarks, as it blends with the cobblestone so well.
The first McDonald's in the North, opened near Turin in the early 70's, only to close its doors within 3 years.
Italians were not yet ready to eat the "porrcheria" pig's mess or the "America-nata" called fast food.
My cousin visited me in Los Angeles during the early 90's and queried about American women,
"perche quasi tutte le donne Americani, somiglia di un metro cubo?" Translated, how come so mnay American women look like a square meter? (3 ft by 3 ft.)
Translated again, why are so many women here big boned, wide glides or fat assed?
I kindly told him jokingly, not only do they act like pigs... but they eat like it as well, large portions, steak and potatoes, ClaimJumper style.
Some famous Italian & French women were of voluptuous largess, Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, Brigitte Bardot...
but most of the girls up until the mid 90's were svelte, especially the younger ones.
In 1992, much to my horror, while in Lyon, the gastromonic capitol of France, a Vespa flew by with a DOMINO'S PIZZA sign on it.
My jaw dropped as I uttered... it is the end of days when the French will eat that shit... the box tastes better than the "pizza".
By the late 90's, with the necessity of two income families, processed (with preservatives), frozen and fast food, had become common in Europe.
Auchan (Costco, WalMart clone) and other "mega chains" had driven many of the artisans and local grocers out of business.
My cousin was soon asking the same question in Italy and France as the narrow cobblestone streets became crowded with stampeding muffalo, puffalump...
and all forms of obese mall cattle. And not just the younger generation, but their teenagers and preteen grade schoolers as well.
Economically, Italy is a mirror of what has happened in the US. With the exception of much like the French, some labor unions still sound off like they have a pair (testicles that is).
Recently, Italian truckers went on strike, all other transport unions joined in, NOTHING got transported.
The grocery stores had no little or no food in them. Produce and perishables rotted in the terminals and docks.
Not even petrol was transported. My cousin had to drive 7 miles and wait 45 minutes to put gasoline in his car at a cost of €1.37 per LITER!!!
Diesel is €1.27 and CNG is €0.70. And you think our gas prices are high? Do the math, $1.45 per €1 x 3.75 litre per US gallon.
Made in Italy, just like Made in America, is a thing of the past. First textiles, then shoes, then furniture, then cars.
Much like those fancy Armani designer suits or leather shoes stamped "vero cuoio", even fine Venetian crystal "made in Murano or Burano" is actually made...
in Asia or the Eastern bloc, then shipped in for final assembly and to apply the MADE IN ITALY stamp or tag.
The tag and its application along with a lining, IS the only thing made in Italy.
If FIAT built an automotive plant in Italy, rather than Poland or Hungary, no one is left in Italy who knows how to actually manufacture...
or machine the components of a crankshaft, valve or piston assembly. But they do know how to install one, made in CHINA or elsewhere.
The Italian problem is our problem, the durable economy has been emasculated by outsourcing of labor at the margin,
and the ascendancy of the financial sector, in particular the central bank and banks.
The Italian government, much like the US, is a republic whore of a pig with lipstick, made over as a democracy for public consumption,
controlled by the elitist rich and corporations, and has been in planned and orchestrated gridlock for years.
Thats right, planned gridlock, because the more things change (faces), the more things stay the same (nothing gets done and there is no accountability).
The illusory safety net of term limits does have its purpose, musical chairs for the fools on the hill.
After a recent vote of no confidence, PM Romano Prodi resigned. Wish we could do that, but Diebold machines and dangling chads prohibit such freedom of choice...
Leaving the door open for another return of ex PM media mogul Berlusconi. (
AKA What would have happened to Ted Turner if he was born in Italy.) Talk about recycling your Eurotrash...
No wonder only 36% of Italian people trust government. Have you looked at our Congress and President's approval ratings lately?
I venture to say, even less trust them as it is quite obvious that the US is no longer government by the people, or for the people.
Much like the US, the Italians found a way to lose their competitive advantage in almost every endeavor, by emulating the masters...
of making money from thin air or vapor, the US. Allowing the banks and finance to become the controlling force in their economy was fatal.
Money shuffling and "vapore" has become the order of the day. Other than debentures, junk bonds, leveraged buy outs...
stock buybacks, esoteric financial instruments, the system produces a negligible amount of tangible end product.
The poor Italians can't even debauch their Lira anymore, as they like many other unfortunate "Euro-peon" countries...
are now stuck under Maastricht's Berlin run Euro Hegemony (The 4th Reich) Yes, the € went up 55% vs $ since the Bush leaguer took office, but...
An 800 ($0.50) lira espresso became 0.80€ ($1.16), so the price of EVERYTHING more than doubled,
while wages stayed the same or went negative in real terms.
Talk about pulling a fast one on hundreds of millions of working stiffs, nice work if you can get it.
Italy has truly become the Florida of Europe, a nation dependent on tourism, hospitality and services.
But the only thing saving the US from the same fate, is the fact that we have managed to foist dollar hegemony on the world.
Were it not for our fiat currencies ubquitousness, the US would already be the Florida of the world and at the rate we are going, still may wind up so.
Not to be outdone, the Nattering One dredged up "Italians Dressed in Sunday Best Forced to Dine in Soup Kitchens."
The Nattering One muses... I've been a keen observer of a cultural morphing over the last forty years, the Americanization of Euroland...
The French, American, Russian and Chinese revolutions heard many a shot fired.
The revolution that has occured over the last 40 years in Italy and the bulk of Europe has occured without a single shot being fired.
Culturally, it started with the importation of American televison and movies. Graffiti was a unknown thing in Italy, until MTV and its rap music videos arrived.
The Saracenes and we do appreciate the "tagging" of ancient edifices and historical landmarks, as it blends with the cobblestone so well.
The first McDonald's in the North, opened near Turin in the early 70's, only to close its doors within 3 years.
Italians were not yet ready to eat the "porrcheria" pig's mess or the "America-nata" called fast food.
My cousin visited me in Los Angeles during the early 90's and queried about American women,
"perche quasi tutte le donne Americani, somiglia di un metro cubo?" Translated, how come so mnay American women look like a square meter? (3 ft by 3 ft.)
Translated again, why are so many women here big boned, wide glides or fat assed?
I kindly told him jokingly, not only do they act like pigs... but they eat like it as well, large portions, steak and potatoes, ClaimJumper style.
Some famous Italian & French women were of voluptuous largess, Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, Brigitte Bardot...
but most of the girls up until the mid 90's were svelte, especially the younger ones.
In 1992, much to my horror, while in Lyon, the gastromonic capitol of France, a Vespa flew by with a DOMINO'S PIZZA sign on it.
My jaw dropped as I uttered... it is the end of days when the French will eat that shit... the box tastes better than the "pizza".
By the late 90's, with the necessity of two income families, processed (with preservatives), frozen and fast food, had become common in Europe.
Auchan (Costco, WalMart clone) and other "mega chains" had driven many of the artisans and local grocers out of business.
My cousin was soon asking the same question in Italy and France as the narrow cobblestone streets became crowded with stampeding muffalo, puffalump...
and all forms of obese mall cattle. And not just the younger generation, but their teenagers and preteen grade schoolers as well.
Economically, Italy is a mirror of what has happened in the US. With the exception of much like the French, some labor unions still sound off like they have a pair (testicles that is).
Recently, Italian truckers went on strike, all other transport unions joined in, NOTHING got transported.
The grocery stores had no little or no food in them. Produce and perishables rotted in the terminals and docks.
Not even petrol was transported. My cousin had to drive 7 miles and wait 45 minutes to put gasoline in his car at a cost of €1.37 per LITER!!!
Diesel is €1.27 and CNG is €0.70. And you think our gas prices are high? Do the math, $1.45 per €1 x 3.75 litre per US gallon.
Made in Italy, just like Made in America, is a thing of the past. First textiles, then shoes, then furniture, then cars.
Much like those fancy Armani designer suits or leather shoes stamped "vero cuoio", even fine Venetian crystal "made in Murano or Burano" is actually made...
in Asia or the Eastern bloc, then shipped in for final assembly and to apply the MADE IN ITALY stamp or tag.
The tag and its application along with a lining, IS the only thing made in Italy.
If FIAT built an automotive plant in Italy, rather than Poland or Hungary, no one is left in Italy who knows how to actually manufacture...
or machine the components of a crankshaft, valve or piston assembly. But they do know how to install one, made in CHINA or elsewhere.
The Italian problem is our problem, the durable economy has been emasculated by outsourcing of labor at the margin,
and the ascendancy of the financial sector, in particular the central bank and banks.
The Italian government, much like the US, is a republic whore of a pig with lipstick, made over as a democracy for public consumption,
controlled by the elitist rich and corporations, and has been in planned and orchestrated gridlock for years.
Thats right, planned gridlock, because the more things change (faces), the more things stay the same (nothing gets done and there is no accountability).
The illusory safety net of term limits does have its purpose, musical chairs for the fools on the hill.
After a recent vote of no confidence, PM Romano Prodi resigned. Wish we could do that, but Diebold machines and dangling chads prohibit such freedom of choice...
Leaving the door open for another return of ex PM media mogul Berlusconi. (
AKA What would have happened to Ted Turner if he was born in Italy.) Talk about recycling your Eurotrash...
No wonder only 36% of Italian people trust government. Have you looked at our Congress and President's approval ratings lately?
I venture to say, even less trust them as it is quite obvious that the US is no longer government by the people, or for the people.
Much like the US, the Italians found a way to lose their competitive advantage in almost every endeavor, by emulating the masters...
of making money from thin air or vapor, the US. Allowing the banks and finance to become the controlling force in their economy was fatal.
Money shuffling and "vapore" has become the order of the day. Other than debentures, junk bonds, leveraged buy outs...
stock buybacks, esoteric financial instruments, the system produces a negligible amount of tangible end product.
The poor Italians can't even debauch their Lira anymore, as they like many other unfortunate "Euro-peon" countries...
are now stuck under Maastricht's Berlin run Euro Hegemony (The 4th Reich) Yes, the € went up 55% vs $ since the Bush leaguer took office, but...
An 800 ($0.50) lira espresso became 0.80€ ($1.16), so the price of EVERYTHING more than doubled,
while wages stayed the same or went negative in real terms.
Talk about pulling a fast one on hundreds of millions of working stiffs, nice work if you can get it.
Italy has truly become the Florida of Europe, a nation dependent on tourism, hospitality and services.
But the only thing saving the US from the same fate, is the fact that we have managed to foist dollar hegemony on the world.
Were it not for our fiat currencies ubquitousness, the US would already be the Florida of the world and at the rate we are going, still may wind up so.
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