Every so often, Italians are reminded their country is falling apart, and why. Earlier this month, for instance, heavy rains and lack of attention reduced to rubble the famous House of Gladiators in ancient Pompeii. That was bad enough. Then the minister in charge of archeological sites, when asked if he would resign in shame, responded that he wasn’t really responsible.
That’s the way government works in Italy. No responsibility. No shame. No attention to a crumbling country. Today the economy is almost as frozen in time as the ash-covered ruins of Pompeii. For 20 years Italy has had virtually no growth, and nobody accepts the blame.
