Proud To Be Italian? Part – 1 Posted by Serena on Jan 27, 2016 in Culture
Following Geoff’s article I Don’t Feel Italian I thought I’d write a few words about my personal take on patriotism.
“L’Italia fa schifo” said a couple of teenagers one day to a rather taken aback Geoff when they realised that he was English. Personally, I wasn’t at all surprised by this phrase as I used to say the same when I was a teenager: Italy seemed so backwards, so provincial, so un-modern, so old, especially with regards to music.
I wanted real rock, metal, punk, techno, etc., not the tedious stereotypical litany of ‘amore fa rima con cuore’ full of romantic violins. That’s pretty much all there was.
Even our architecture, our cities, in fact everything seemed so old and boring to me. When I went to stay in Berlin there were all these tall smart modern buildings sprouting up everywhere. And what about those trendy German shopping centres, with indoor cafés and restaurants next to multi-storey clothing stores, with glass elevators and escalators. That’s what I wanted!
But now, as a mature adult, am I still ashamed of Italy? Well unfortunately, yes, but in other ways.
WARNING: brace yourselves for a rant, Dear Readers:
I’ve lived in several different countries on two continents, and resided in a number of different Italian towns. As an adult I lived in England for thirteen years, and naturally one’s expectations change when one experiences different cultures perspectives and infrastructures. So what is it that I’m still ashamed of exactly?
Politicians!
These are no doubt la merda (the shit), la cancrena (the gangrene) that is slowly, but inexorably destroying Italy. And when I say politicians I mean all of them, every single party or so called movement, on every level, from national government to local councils. It’s all just a filthy game that they play to protect their power, their wealth, their position. It’s a disease which permeates every aspect of our lives. And this brings me to my next object of shame.
Bureaucracy, Public Services and Infrastructure.
These are not designed to help our citizens, but rather to put them off and scare them away. The principle problem is nepotismo (nepotism). All the top managers in our public services (so called!) are chosen by political parties, no matter whether they have the appropriate skills or not (usually not!), and most employees get their jobs not based on merit, but because they have family or political links.
Walk into any public office in any town in Italy and you’ll see the same tell-tale signs. Check out the surnames and you’ll find the same four or five repeated over and over again: the mayor’s secretary is the wife of the head of the town-planning office, and their son is the chief accountant in the council treasury, and the son’s wife works at the local health benefits office, and so on. Bureaucracy, services and infrastructure are dominated by il nepotismo, and la meritocrazia (meritocracy) is almost non existent.
Okay, let’s all take a deep breath and finish with a lovely image of Il Bel Paese, shall we?
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Comments:
Gabriel:
This post makes me sad.
If you change “Italy” for “Brazil” (and related terms) in every sentence you get a good picture of Brazil too.
Nepotism is not so strong here (as it is used to be), but politicians and the political system is still the cancer of this country.
Serena:
@Gabriel Salve Gabriel, I’m sure that corrupted politicians are not unique to Italy, but here they don’t seem to be the exception but the norm. As for the nepotism, this is still very strong, and skilled people with no family or political links are forced to emigrate if they want to achieve something. All our modern Nobel prize winners have worked and done their research abroad, from Rita Levi Montalcini (Science), to Carlo Rubbia (Physics), to Modigliani (Economy). We even have a name for this phenomenon: ‘la fuga dei cervelli'(the escape of the brains).
Will it ever change?
Saluti da Serena
Wendy:
At my first Italian Language lesson two years ago, at the Dante Aligheri School on the Gold Coast, in Australia, my Italian teacher asked why we, the students, wanted to learn Italian.
My response, along the lines of loving all things Italian, the art, the music, the food (yum) the beautiful countryside etc. – elicited the following response from her: “Well, most Italians cant wait to get out of there!”
I was shocked, how could anyone want to leave this amazing country, with its history, history, beautiful towns and coastline, etc. But now that I read your despairing description of Italy and its corruption, I think I begin to understand. No wonder there are so many Italians living here in Australia ..
Geoff:
@Wendy I understand Wendy, it’s difficult to really comprehend unless you live here and are integrated into Italian society. There are many ex-pats out here (I’ve met a few of them) that manage to maintain their fantasy by never integrating and running back to their homeland when the going gets tough.
But anyone interested in Italy needs to know the reality, and Serena and myself are by no means interested in propagating the foreign tourists fantasies of pretty Tuscan towns posed before romantic fields of sunflowers, because it does an injustice to this struggling nation.
A presto, Geoff 🙂
GIORGIO:
I perfectly know that so many English persons think “We are superior” but where? I wander: What for or about if hundreds of thousands, probably millions of you (English, Americans, and persons from countries all over the world) are so “silly” (for want of a better word) to come and live in such a bad place as Italy?
Are you all simply freeloaders (is it ok for “scrocconi”?) and exploiters of Italian arts, heritage and richness –however/anyway offered and left also to your enjoyment by these Italian peasants (cafoni – politicians or not never mind!) or are you here because you consider that life in Italy is much better than the one you would have had in your small islands? Let me understand: where’s the truth? …Perhaps those “cafoni” in Italy offer you also something good? And this “good” must be at least 51%!
Come on, per favore!
Just one more example: among English persons who are living or have been living here for 20… 30… 40… years (even professors and teachers of “madrelingua inglese!”), would you be able to find the same percentage of persons speaking Italian at the same level as we Italian speak English nowadays (..and truly IMHO it’s not a very high level!)? Why that? …because “we’re superior”?
I hope you’ll be able one day to give a language lesson/blog also speaking about good things you’ve found in Italy. (I’m longing for reading it!)
If not, I will think that perhaps you can’t see them, perhaps you’re not able to enjoy them. But it’s not our (“cafoni”) fault. (Come on, I’m sure you can see and you are able to enjoy! You wouldn’t be living in such a bad country!).
Non si sputa nel piatto in cui si mangia! (Did you ever had a blog on this italian saying?)
Anyway, thanks for your blog; often it’s interesting and useful to me – Mainly from the English language point of view. Not at the same level with Italian language – unfortunately. In this case I’m really sorry for English speaking students!
Regards from a native Italian, “colpevolissimo” to vote for Italian politicians …for want of English candidates!
Serena:
@GIORGIO Salve Giorgio, una piccola precisazione: IO SONO ITALIANA!
Ho studiato al Liceo Classico di Lucca, e poi laurea in Lettere Classiche all’Università degli Studi di Pisa (110 e lode). Poi l’emigrazione in giro per il mondo a cercare lavoro, visto che non volevo fare la portaborse della mia prof per i seguenti 10 anni e tutti i concorsi erano già pre-concordati. Così dopo un po’ di girovagare sono approdata in Inghilterra dove ho fatto un Master in biblioteconomia, lavori vari e sposato un inglese, Geoff. Dopo 13 anni sono rientrata in Italia soprattutto per motivi di famiglia.
Il tuo giudizio negativo è un po’ frettoloso, infatti se leggi bene il titolo dice ‘Part 1’. Se avessi avuto la pazienza di aspettare un giorno potevi leggere ‘Part 2’. Eccoti il link: https://blogs.transparent.com/italian/proud-to-be-italian-part-2/
Comunque sono contenta che ti sei incazzato, perché un po’ di sano patriottismo fa sempre bene, anche se non cambio la mia idea sulla classe dirigente italiana a tutti i livelli. Finora ho votato, ma alle prossime politiche, se non ci sarà un miracolo, non voterò, BASTA!
Se vuoi contribuire con la tua opinione sui lati positivi e, forse, negativi dell’Italia, sei il benvenuto. A me e a mio marito farebbe molto piacere conoscere la tua opinione e penso che sarebbe interessante anche per i nostri lettori, per la maggior parte stranieri.
Saluti da Serena
Lee:
Purtroppo, fa lo stesso anche qua. Mio opinione degli stati uniti assomiglia tua d’italia. I politici, “l’insider trading” dei lavori, dei post governo… o deve conoscere qualcuno o essere ricco…o tutti e due. E qui, andiamo in dietro. Vorresti che la musica differente, dei edifici moderni, ecc. ma, qui tutti vogliono essere piu come europa. “In europa, fanno tutto giusto. Sanità, le tasse, l’istruzione …. abbiamo bisogno di essere più come loro.” NO! Non siamo diventati il paese piu grande del mondo per niente! Si, abbiamo dei nostri problemi, ma non abbiamo bisogno di scambiarli per altri!
(Come ho detto tutto? Tutto maccheronico?) 🙂
Bill Auge:
Ho ricordato molti anni fa, guardando scuolo di ragazzi mentre nel foro romanao e pensando come deve essere quello di crescere tra tutta questa storia e l’arte. Mi avete dato risposta parziale.
In Chicago e il stato di Illinois il governo e’ simile, ma c’e’ almeno pressione per cambiare.
a presto, Bill
Kate:
Serena, excellent article. I never know how to address this concept to non-Italians, typically tourists who have been to Italy and seen only the stuff of tourist guidebooks. I am an American, living in the suburbs of Chicago, and the previous commenter is correct when he alludes to rampant corruption in the city of Chicago. However, there is no sense of resignation about it; we, the citizenry, are outraged and actively ousting (and when possible, jailing) those who perpetuate the corruption. As American cities go, fortunately Chicago is the exception, not the rule. Most other American cities are not nearly as corrupt as Chicago, and nepotism in general is much less common in the US than in Italy. My feelings about Chicago, and the U.S. in general, are not remotely similar to the perspective that most Italians have about Italy, which precisely mirror your own. Over the past few years I have spent a total of several months in Trieste, living with Italian families and being exposed to the insider’s view of the country, very different from what the tourist sees. Talk to anyone who has traveled to Italy as a tourist, and all they can wax on about is the food, wine, scenery, language, and lovely people. Yet each and every Italian that I have gotten to know has the same view of the politics, infrastructure, public services, length of time it takes to get anything done, and especially the nepotism, “la raccomandazione,” that you have. Americans are also quick to describe Italians as “warm, open, and friendly,” characterizations that come after their 10 day trip to Tuscany, and based on interactions exclusively with Italians in the tourism and hospitality trades. In reality, I don’t know many Italians (from the north, at least), who would use those same adjectives to describe other Italians.
Jean Roma Abrams:
I love the lack of the modernity, the tall buildings, the shopping centers etc. they we have here in America. The beauty of Italy besides the beautiful countryside is its oldness, its history, its ancient ruins, its hospitable people and it goes without saying the food!! For this, I try to visit once a year and wish I could spend more time there.
Serena:
@Jean Roma Abrams Salve Jean!
I agree with you. Now, at my age, I love the different strata that form Italian towns, they give you a sense of their history. When I have to go into a shopping centre I can’t wait to get out of it. But then, when I went to Berlin, I was 20 years old!
Saluti da Serena
ina cumpiano:
I’d trade you your corrupt politicians for America’s soulless, corrupt ones… except that you would get the worst of the bargain@
Serena:
@ina cumpiano Salve Ina, facciamo una prova? Noi vi mandiamo Berlusconi, Renzi, Salvini e Grillo. Voi chi ci mandate dello stesso calibro di ridicolaggine? 😉
Saluti da Serena