←back to thread

Italian government seeks to penalize the use of English words

(www.cnn.com)
231 points rntn | 1 comments | 02 Apr 23 17:19 UTC | HN request time: 0.205s | source
Show context
ghusto ◴[02 Apr 23 19:01 UTC] No.35413937[source]▶
On the one hand: If your culture needs a preservation movement, it's not a culture, but a relic. Culture is defined by people, not some sacred thing that needs to be preserved. How much of the Italian cuisine they're trying to protect would exist if they had the same attitude in the 1500s, when the tomato was introduced to Italy?

On the other hand: I think countries should resist global cultural homogenisation. No offence meant to the Americans here, but I detest the exportation of American culture to Europe. I don't mean music and films, but rather the way of thinking about the world. I suspect this is where things like these proposals are coming from; it's the pendulum swing reaching too far before it settles in the middle.

replies(32): >>35414043 #>>35414075 #>>35414127 #>>35414167 #>>35414291 #>>35414385 #>>35414431 #>>35414591 #>>35414663 #>>35415031 #>>35415085 #>>35415093 #>>35415238 #>>35415252 #>>35415290 #>>35415487 #>>35415830 #>>35416551 #>>35416584 #>>35416958 #>>35417161 #>>35417310 #>>35417602 #>>35417643 #>>35418726 #>>35418735 #>>35418854 #>>35419182 #>>35419235 #>>35419782 #>>35419908 #>>35421649 #
seydor[dead post] ◴[02 Apr 23 19:16 UTC] No.35414075[source]▶
[flagged]
lm28469 ◴[02 Apr 23 19:37 UTC] No.35414265[source]▶
You probably (99.9% certainty) spend too much time online and not enough time outside. twitter != the real world, tv != the real world
replies(1): >>35414535 #
seydor ◴[02 Apr 23 20:02 UTC] No.35414535[source]▶
The 'outside world' is worse. Europe is aging, it's looking backwards and has very little interest in the future. The left side of the spectrum is stuck in '70s social democracy and believes it can still work despite the demographic collapse (french protests). It is not forward-looking nor has it made a post-boomer vision. The right is stuck in awe of its old glory and tries to revive nationalism (like Mrs Meloni, Brexit, Orban etc etc). People are (rightly) not very excited by those old minds. There is more interesting stuff happening in the US and Asia
replies(3): >>35414589 #>>35415952 #>>35416029 #
1. Quarrelsome ◴[02 Apr 23 22:30 UTC] No.35415952[source]▶
> '70s social democracy and believes it can still work

and it can. Bear in mind that these were hard fought social structures that Europe sacrificed generations for in the war, which toppled the greatest empires and ravaged our lands, they came at great expense. It might be easy for a modern American to scoff at the concept of "70's style social democracy", but it is our version of "liberty" which we would protect as much as any American might the bits of the constitution that they like.

Remember that the totality of European GDP rivals US GDP (its in the big top 3 with the US and China), we will make social democracy work because to us, its the lowest acceptable bar. While one half of American news reels will continue to peddle the concept that its impossible because its within their vested interest to do so, it remains a stalwart part of European social expectations.

Perhaps when the US suffers a crippling loss on its lands once more and is forced to face the worst outcomes of the human experience, it might consider building a kinder social state too.