Beppe Grillo, one of the few Italians who speaks openly about all the things which are not so good in Italy noted this, and I'm noting it too.
There is a new breed of young, well qualified and intelligent Italians who are finding the traditional Italian ways, well, too traditional. What are these people doing? Simple, they are leaving Italy or at least they are looking for opportunities outside Italy. This is a great shame for Italy and it will pay the price in the long term.
Many of these new entrepreneurs and mobile professionals, as you could call them, have become frustrated with the reluctance of the Italian establishment to move with the times and its refusal to acknowledge that for Italy to remain prosperous it must embrace the fact that must accept that it needs foreign intervention, otherwise, and as is happening, its economy will continue to stagnate. However, those that hold the reins here, the familytocracies (a combination of Plutocracy and Oligarchy), as I'll call them, have no intention of allowing outsiders to meddle with the cushy way they have managed the set things up here. So far, they have got away with a high degree of protectionism, but recent incidents, such as the Bank of Italy mess would seem to indicate that maybe the familytocracies will have to relinquish some control. This will not happen overnight, but I do hope it happens before all the bright sparks wander off to pastures new.
Stop reading, start speaking
Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.
If Italy works with and as a part of Europe, it may stand a chance of competing with the likes of China and India. If not, Italy may find itself sliding down the slippery slope towards economic and social decline. If this happens, even more Italians will leave Italy and it will truly become a sick old man.
Some recent stories I've heard have made me think that I really do not want my son to go to university here, simply because the system is not fair. In any case, it will be interesting to see whether my son decides to keep Italy as his home, or whether he will join the many others and aim for countries which operate as mertocracies and not familytocracies. Time, as ever, will tell.
Just for the record, we know someone down in Genova, and who is a graduate with plenty of experience and who earns 800 Euros a month, albeit for 14 months. It is a laughably low salary. Why doesn't this Italian change? Because she is afraid of change.
