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Weekly Editorial    

Week 11 Year 2 - Monday, January 28th 2013


"this is italy"

A year has gone by and a lot has happened. Our country is undergoing major changes. We are ready to build a bridge towards our future. True, we are sitting on a mountain of debris, but ready to go and that is enough to inspire us and summon a huge energy, confidence and enthusiasm. The whole nation is in a ferment - "Yeah, what about the prevailing general apathy then?" - "Sub don’t start now."

We are changing quite a few things. Take for instance the wreckage of the cruiser Concordia which occurred in January last year. In the midst of a disgrace a tragedy was averted. Is not quite clear as to whether the move was intended or not, but taking the cruiser close to shore and landing it on the reefs has in fact contributed to saving many lives. The removal of the wreckage was due to start in June 2012. What is certain is that the ship was not moved from there. For all sorts of reasons which I will not list, but mainly unfavorable sea conditions, there have been serious delays. Obviously another date was set: September 2013. However, as we’ve been pointed out, the cruiser is slowly but surely sinking. This could lead to further complications. But who cares, after all the more complicated the more the removal operations will cost. I wonder who will pay for it? Question comes natural, we’re in Italy. Moreover, who cares if the entire contents of the cruiser (capable of hosting 4000 people) spills into the sea causing an inevitable, imperceptible but massive ecological disaster, on which a thick curtain of silence conveniently dropped. Yet the environmental havoc last summer was quite obvious for all to see. A strikingly beautiful coastal area, a protected natural oasis, the whole coast from the Gulf of Poets to lower Tuscany, bathed in waters of an undefined color. The havoc was blamed on the fact that a number of water treatment plants were out of order. How strange, so many breakdowns right in the middle of summer season. They may well have contributed to a certain extent, I'm not arguing, maybe even more so then we were led to believe?. For this situation actually occurred at a most appropriate time. As in the end, the dreaded and highly contested auctioning of the licenses of local bathing establishments was scheduled for a later date still to be determined. It goes without saying it's just a coincidence. Every now and then a bit of luck is what it takes, to think luck is said to be blind! On those reefs the Concordia sank, there it still sits presently and there ... it is likely to remain. Because this is Italy.

A year marked by changes. Open parentheses. How does Merkel get around to charming so many illustrious out of their wits? it puzzles me! Close parenthesis. The Monti government has done a priceless job. It has produced more "numbers" over a year than any other government that preceded it. In only one year, while Monti administered his "lethal medicine" to the Italian system, a staggering 364,972 businesses filed for bankruptcy. Roughly 1000 every day. It is even pointless to discuss consequential unemployment rates or the number of homeless this government has engendered, nearly 200,000. Impressive numbers before which Monti has duly asked for us to be patient and allow time for the medicine to take effect. Just as if Italy had cancer and as a result we needn’t panic if our hair falls under the impact of the therapy? The point is the population is not a great big wig! and individuals are not single strands of hair! How can such educated and cultured gentlemen fail to distinguish themselves from common executioners? Still I'm not upset with Monti in any particular way, not at all. Of course he causes massive hair fall, but amongst our politicians, there are those who'll cause something else to fall. There's enough for everyone. Now, if we were to endorse this (questionable) method (do we have an alternative I wonder?), the problem now are the upcoming elections. What are we to do, interrupt this cure? change doctor? year after year, we are fed the same nonsense. Government in, government out, new faces vs old faces, right, center or left as it is, it’s always the same constant back and forth, build and dismantle. There’s a piece for everyone. And then the infallible slogan, one that never fails an election - do we have a case of 1968 bugaboo? or is it we’re playing in anticipation ? - "make way for the young!" - oh yes, nice one! no really, congratulations, to all of us who still believe in it! meanwhile years go by and generation after generation, we’re all growing white hair. But nothing ever changes. Because this is Italy.



by lalitwist
Note 1 - about SUB ref. Monday, December the 5th 2011 "About a Druid and his mushrooms"


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