A sneak peak into Italy and what Europe should be

[unfilteredJW]

If you think polling organisations do not manipulate their datasets, you are so incredibly naive that talking to you any further is a waste of time.

If this is true, you can provide evidence of such.

[Slant]

Maybe you don't know this, but Italy is like a blueprint for Europe.
Italy is divided in 20 regions, and every region, while all being Italian, share A LOT of differencies. Dialect, political views, cooking, general ways of living can change quite drastically. Infact living for example in south italy is a completely different experience then living in north italy.

You literally just described every European country. Just sayin'.

[Deleted]

You literally just described every European country. Just sayin'.

I think he actually described every country, period. Except maybe Monaco, the Vatican, or Luxembourg. (Although I am now imagining gangsta style battles between East Side and West Side Cardinals, and it is somewhat entertaining.) Speaking from the position of someone who has been to quite a few European countries, I do however think that's a bit more pronounced in Italy than it is in, for instance, Germany. Napoli is a lot more different than Milano than Aachen or Frankfurt are from Berlin. Granted, those being cities I've spent at least a couple of weeks in at a time, so that is purely my personal experience and opinion.

As for on the topic, the EU is brilliant, and I'd be tentatively positive about a future federalisation, but I see no reason for it to be pushed now. I could argue with my Greek, Polish, Spanish, Romanian or German (and even the Sri Lankan and English ones, too) friends here about a variety of things we don't agree on. But we realise at the end of the day, sitting on a table with at least 3 nationalities, a couple of times weekly is something great and positive.

[Mittens]

The EU won't succeed unless northerb Europe and Germany start doing something or they get rid of the Euro.

[Deleted]

You literally just described every European country. Just sayin'.

Yes and no. While this is true for most of them, the differencies are not as marked as here in italy.

[Cosmic Janitor]

If italy post roman empire is a blue print for the EU, then the EU is indeed doomed.

[Slant]

I think he actually described every country, period. Except maybe Monaco, the Vatican, or Luxembourg. (Although I am now imagining gangsta style battles between East Side and West Side Cardinals, and it is somewhat entertaining.) Speaking from the position of someone who has been to quite a few European countries, I do however think that's a bit more pronounced in Italy than it is in, for instance, Germany. Napoli is a lot more different than Milano than Aachen or Frankfurt are from Berlin. Granted, those being cities I've spent at least a couple of weeks in at a time, so that is purely my personal experience and opinion.

Well, you could argue for that. But people from northern Germany have actual trouble understanding people from Bavaria. I'm not even talking dialect, where anyone would be hopelessly lost in Frankfurt that isn't from Hesse, etc. But this is me nitpicking. I think his point is valid either way. Just saying it's true for most countries, like you said.

[Deleted]

YOu can maybe consider Europe as a "Giant Italy"

Funny, Mussolini thought the same.

[Deleted]

Yes and no. While this is true for most of them, the differencies are not as marked as here in italy.

Nah, you're wrong. The difference is just as marked in France, Germany and the United Kingdom to name a few. To give you an exemple, and since I'm French : in france you have a mediterranean South and a "nordic" noorthern part just like in italy. Half of france uses olive oil to cook things, the other half butter.


Then you have local differences, probably even more marked than in italy : Brittany in the north west is Celtic through and through, and was not part of the Kingdom of France for a very long time. They share some ancestry and quite a bit of their culture with Ireland. Their dialect has nothing to do with French or any other french dialect (Breizh atau !). In the east you have Alsace and Lorraine which are as much german as they are French in ancestry. Their dialect is german in essence (but barely anyone speaks it anymore).

In the north you have a culture very close to the Belgian one. They speak the chti'.

Then you have the south west and the south east, with their own languages, where they play rugby rather than football (historically). You even have a further division in the south west between the Landais and the Basques, the latter being one of the most ancient people of Europe, speaking a language related with no other language in the world. One of the theory is that they lived in Europe prior to the current populations and were chased to the Pyrhenean chain. You also have Corsica which is more Italian than French in essence. Not to mention Paris, which is its own beast with its own posh and arrogant culture.

Food is obviously entirely different between regions, and "french restaurants" don't really mean anything. Cultures and genetic vary wildly between regions, because France has actually been influenced by most of western Europe. It's not totally mediterranean, not totally nordic, somewhere in between.

germany has a lot of difference between its Lander, and the UK is quite an obvious one... I would say that Italy has the same level of diversity as Spain culturally (quite a lot by global standards, but not that much by european ones). Sure there is a clear North/South divide, and there even are some people of germanic language/descent in the Alps thanks to WWI (quite recent), but you're really underestimating the lack of homogeneity of other european countries.

[Wikiy]

Funny, Mussolini thought the same.

Hitler was a vegetarian. That means vegetarianism is bad.

[Slant]

Hitler was a vegetarian. That means vegetarianism is bad.

Well, it is. Albeit not for that reason, perhaps.

[Deleted]

I mean... some other countries have regions so different that they develop regional nationalist movements right down to asking for independence, and even holding referendums for it.
The point stands, but Italy is just an example of a trait shared by virtually every country.

[Wikiy]

Well, it is. Albeit not for that reason, perhaps.

This is kinda offtopic, but I still have to defend it, otherwise my point is moot. :P Vegetarianism isn't bad. What is bad is a lack of education. Most vegetarians think you can eat any vegetables you want and it will all be okay. No. What's important is to meet your energy needs (eat ~2000 kcal), and make sure that among that, you eat 60g of fats (healthy or non-healthy fats, doesn't really matter that much, but fats are essential) as well as 60-80g of protein. Most vegetarians avoid fats, and most vegetarians don't meet the protein need because it's really hard to find proteins among plant life.

So yeah, vegetarianism can be healthy if one does it consciously and in an educated manner.

[Deleted]

For starters, let southern tyroleans self-decide if they want to join back with Austria. But I guess you wont because it is one of the richer parts of Italy.
Things we share in Europe are some of our cultural values, because of our (for several hundred years long) past christian heritage.

The only thing that will us "unite" again is a common enemy (and even than not everyone will be take part in it). Here is a hint: It has something to do with invaders with different religious beliefs.

[Slant]

This is kinda offtopic, but I still have to defend it, otherwise my point is moot. :P Vegetarianism isn't bad. What is bad is a lack of education. Most vegetarians think you can eat any vegetables you want and it will all be okay. No. What's important is to meet your energy needs (eat ~2000 kcal), and make sure that among that, you eat 60g of fats (healthy or non-healthy fats, doesn't really matter that much, but fats are essential) as well as 60-80g of protein. Most vegetarians avoid fats, and most vegetarians don't meet the protein need because it's really hard to find proteins among plant life.

So yeah, vegetarianism can be healthy if one does it consciously and in an educated manner.

I didn't say it was unhealthy. I said it was bad. Not eating meat? That's a religion of evil if you ask me. :P

[Wikiy]

I didn't say it was unhealthy. I said it was bad. Not eating meat? That's a religion of evil if you ask me. :P

Why would it be bad if it's not unhealthy? It's... Bad towards the animals you're not killing? You've really got me confused here xD

[Rusque]

Hitler was a vegetarian. That means vegetarianism is bad.

Hitler was a man. That means Lena Dunham is right and men are bad! OMG!

Thanks Obama.


In regards to the OP:
Bunga Bunga.

[Deleted]

Hitler was a vegetarian. That means vegetarianism is bad.

Well it ain't good either.

- - - Updated - - -

Why would it be bad if it's not unhealthy? It's... Bad towards the animals you're not killing? You've really got me confused here xD

Animals die either way, animals are here to feed us. 1+1=delicious rare steak on my plate.

[Wikiy]

Well it ain't good either.

Great, but the whole point is that it's not bad because Hitler practiced it.

Animals die either way, animals are here to feed us. 1+1=delicious rare steak on my plate.

If you really think this, your ego is way too inflated. The universe is not here for us, nor is the Earth.

[Deleted]

Great, but the whole point is that it's not bad because Hitler practiced it.

First of all, i never really mentioned Hitler, just his Italian sidekick. But please forgive me if i don't like when people talk about a unified europe and blablabla when the latest effort of achieving that also cost millions of lives in the process.

If you really think this, your ego is way too inflated. The universe is not here for us, nor is the Earth.

What the hell have you been smoking? So we should just die so the universe can do....what?
I'd rather have an inflated ego and eat steak or pork or chicken or baby pandas (if they'd taste good) rather than smoke what you have been smoking because your chain of thoughts is not healthy.



About that last part, i rather have