Italian Trash.

Pictures of trash kindly provided by "Juliet Whiskey."

Disclaimer: I do not hate the Italian people. I love Italian food. And everything on this blog is only semi-serious. In addition, I live in Pittsburgh, so in some ways - I'm living in trashy Italy. So if you take offense - I issue my regret in advance and ask you to "Simmer Down."

Italy is home to approximately 60 million people. Italy is a very photogenic country, with what appears to be very warm and passionate people, serving probably amongst the best food in Europe.

So you may be wondering - why is he starting a post about Italy by calling it trash?

Exhibit #1 - I did not stage this photo.
Even if I wanted to I couldn't have selected a more powerful juxtaposition of images. We see a woman - pushing what I presume to be her baby in a carriage. Passing by what appears to be... unsorted trash. If you look closely, you can see bottles, cans, and other recyclables thrown together with what appears to be vegetable waste and other organic trash.

Not Cool.

Exhibit #2 - Italian trash removal service? The model of efficiency. Bag waste. Load waste onto small barge. All done in a neat and seemingly orderly manner.

I've always been puzzled at the Italian paradox. It is arguably a first-world country. It is in Western Europe, was an early member of the European Union, and is frequented by tourists from all over the world.

But at the same time - it is a dump [click to see Neapolitan trash]. It has been labeled the "Sick man of Europe."

According to the CIA's World Fact Book, Italy's average GDP per capita is approximately $31,000. When I first saw this statistic - I was like... really? That low?

For comparison? Slovenia, which only gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, has an GDP per capita of around $30,800. Even my humble (not really a state) place of origin has an GDP per capita of $33,000.

I thought I might have been unfair. So I worked real hard (for blogging standards anyway) to find redeeming industries and products from Italy.

Here is a list:

1. Mozzarella. Unfortunately there has been several significant instances of dixoin making its way into buffalo milk used in the production of mozzarella. The situation was bad enough that the European Commission got involved. Fail.

2. Cars. How can the nation that brings you the Zonda also bring you anything from Alfa Romero? Have you heard of Fiat? Apparently they make great Pandas. But a car company desperate enough for a partnership with Chrysler? Fail.

Alfa Romeo? Interesting cars if you can actually get one to work, but good luck - they're even less reliable than the worst Detroit made cars during the WORST years during the US auto industry. Epic Fail.

Lamborghini didn't actually build cars that worked with any frequency until Audi-VW-Porsche took it over. Not Italian enough.

Pagani? Engine supplied by Mercedes-Benz. Not Italian enough.

Ferrari? Well... I guess they're Italian, but its famous horse emblem is actually borrowed from Stuttgart in Southern Germany. So there may be some borrowed engineering heritage. Undecided.


3. Political leaders?

The country that gave the world Il Duce Benito Mussolini and Silvio Berlusconi.

Mussolini had ridiculous thoughts of grandeur about recreating the Roman Empire, and lent his face to silly advertising like the picture to the right. Mussolini invaded Greece - then got beaten back to the Balkans by the Greeks, prompting Mussolini to beg Hitler to provide Germanic support (I guess we should thank Mussolini for leeching German resources). Fail.

Berlusconi...





OK - it is a fake. But it illustrates a point. Really... there is so much negative things to say about this guy I think it is more instructive to just read his Wiki page.

In conclusion - the Italy we see on beautiful calenders and travel shows is slowly disappearing. I say visit Italy soon and visit it often - because in fifty years it'll be about as pleasant as the Philippines (which I will cover in the future).

EDIT - An Editorial Board member has reminded me of gelato. Indeed, it is indeed a redeeming product from Italy.