Issue 42.17
My wife and I just returned from a long planned and long saved for trip to Europe, spending much of our time in Italy. We are far from world travelers and are not fluent in any language but English, but in our interaction with people and businesses there, it was very evident that there are significant differences in our culture, our financial perceptions and our government interactions with the people. I must state a disclaimer of sorts before I share my observations. Those of you who have significant travel and personal experience overseas may be able to share with me where and how you feel my perceptions are incorrect. I bow to your superior experience and am happy to get your feedback at the email below.
The first thing we noticed is a basic cultural difference that seemed to be the norm. Where in the U.S., we seem to be defined by the job we have or career we are building, people there are more about what they like to do after work and on the weekends. We asked a couple of people who had lived in both Italy and the U.S. which was a better place to live. They indicated they feel you have more options and can build more wealth by working hard in the U.S., but they felt that retiring to Italy was what they desired or were doing.
It surprised us that shop owners close in the afternoon for 2 or 3 hours, but stay open later in the evening. Shops are very small but usually neat and tidy. Even what they call a supermarket is small enough to fit in the produce and deli section of Walmart and has a much smaller selection of products than we see here. Part of this is from necessity as the buildings there are usually very old and only smaller spaces are available. You do not see large new buildings in the main parts of major cities. In the country-side, things are a little more spacious, but still quite small compared to our American experience. Restaurants and cafés are abundant and the food is usually very good, but unless you frequent American style places like McDonalds or Burger King, you will likely spend $10 to $20 each for lunch and a little more for dinner. If you add wine to the meal (as most there do) you can easily double the bill.
Transportation is similar to our larger cities with good public transport. Buses run regularly and large cities have subways as well. Most people do not drive much unless they have a motorcycle or scooter. When you realize gas is around $6 per gallon, that approach makes sense. Most people walk – a lot. Traffic is hectic and crossing streets is somewhat dangerous. We finally decided that the best way to cross was wait for an Italian to cross and go with them. Trains and buses between cities are available and, though often late, are pretty reliable. The train we took from Rome to Florence traveled at about 160 miles per hour and was comfortable but crowded.
You may feel that these descriptions are not political, but the perception of the relationship of the people to the government is what politics is about. We noticed military or police armed with automatic rifles and side-arms at many locations in the tourist areas and even in other neighborhoods. They were not confrontive and were even pleasant if approached, but they were there. The locals seemed okay with this because of the terrorist attacks they have suffered the last few years. In Barcelona, Catalonia voted positively to separate from Spain and declare their independence. Spain told them no. We are watching to see if Catalonia actually forces the issue and if Spain uses force to stop them from becoming independent. There have been riots and protests, but so far, no military action. The people are highly taxed on income and purchases, but most taxes are rolled into the cost of products and services, not noted separately on the receipt as we do here.
By and large, people in Europe do not feel their government impedes their basic human rights and does provide them worthwhile services. They are generally comfortable with the balance. It did become obvious to us however, that most had a feeling that they wished they had more ability to direct their own lives and create more upward mobility. It was interesting and enlightening to be there and enjoy the culture. The history was incredible and the people mostly kind and helpful. We enjoyed our trip immensely.
Lynn West is a thinker, a teacher and a patriot. You can reach him through email at forgingthefuture2021@gmail.com or through this newspaper. Liberty is a state of being which must be continually created. These articles can help all of us discover the ways we can contribute to that outcome.