So Europe is committing economic suicide via their sanctions on Russia.
And China is committing economic suicide via Zero Covid.
Interesting times...
Regardless of the reason why Neopolitans are protesting their energy bills, refusing to pay for a service delivered shreds the very basis for any marketplace.
At same time, it is an unjust and unfair implicit tax on people to unilaterally cut off a needed resource and then demand they foot the bill for the shortage.
How can any society hope to endure when everyone arbitrarily rewrites the rules governing the notionally free exchange of goods and services?
How can anyone hope for a good ending when everyone is pushing anarchy and chaos?
I am actually quite sympathetic to their situation. The average Italian played by the rules, the rules got changed, and they're expected to pick up the tab.
That's obviously not a free market in operation, but a hyper regulated one.
Unfortunately, this situation shreds the basic fabric of a society.
Correct. I live in a country where there is still some semblance of respect for the social contract between governed and government. In Italy, that has long vanished - if it ever existed. This won't stop until there are direct consequences for the politicians and their backers.
Fritz Lang's Metropolis is a good metaphor for the current situation, with the Neopolitan's energy bill protest and boycott roughly analogous to the riot at the end, where the workers put their own children in harm's way.
It's not a question of why the revolt. It's a question of what are the consequences -- intended and unintended, good and bad.
The Neopolitans are quite right to refuse to pay. It's easy for us, who still can pay (for the moment) to pass judgment. Do you expect them to quietly into the night? The consequences will be what they will be.
However, there is no avoiding the economic reality that if Italy's energy providers are not paid they will fail financially, which will leave the residents of Naples without energy at all. That would arguably be a worse situation than financially ruinous energy bills.
That is the cautionary all sides should take from the situation in Naples. The inevitable pushback when government goes too far can easily become self-destructive as well. Chaos, once invited in, is rarely quick to leave.
Which is why I describe the situation as societal suicide. Italian society is quite literally starting to tear itself apart, and if a meaningful solution to the energy crisis is not found soon, this has the capacity to end Italy as we now know it.
Agreed, Peter. If I lived in Naples, I would be doing the same thing. But without much expectation that things will get better. However, the fact is that these people CAN'T pay their fuel bills. I agree too that, while immensely satisfying to rid ourselves of the evil people currently in charge, doing that is much easier than building something better. Concerning Italy in particular, I think that Garibaldi was wrong: unification was never a good idea. Same for Germany too. Nothing good came out of either move.
I believe the people have no choice.
Normally we are proper law abiding tax paying citizens.
No reasonably priced heat or food is the day we have nothing to lose.
This is to be expected.
I am actually quite sympathetic to their situation. The average Italian played by the rules, the rules got changed, and they're expected to pick up the tab.
That's obviously not a free market in operation, but a hyper regulated one.
Unfortunately, this situation shreds the basic fabric of a society.
Correct. I live in a country where there is still some semblance of respect for the social contract between governed and government. In Italy, that has long vanished - if it ever existed. This won't stop until there are direct consequences for the politicians and their backers.
Viva l'Italia...
Molto Hear Hear !
Fritz Lang's Metropolis is a good metaphor for the current situation, with the Neopolitan's energy bill protest and boycott roughly analogous to the riot at the end, where the workers put their own children in harm's way.
It's not a question of why the revolt. It's a question of what are the consequences -- intended and unintended, good and bad.
The Neopolitans are quite right to refuse to pay. It's easy for us, who still can pay (for the moment) to pass judgment. Do you expect them to quietly into the night? The consequences will be what they will be.
Do I expect them to just do nothing? Hardly.
However, there is no avoiding the economic reality that if Italy's energy providers are not paid they will fail financially, which will leave the residents of Naples without energy at all. That would arguably be a worse situation than financially ruinous energy bills.
That is the cautionary all sides should take from the situation in Naples. The inevitable pushback when government goes too far can easily become self-destructive as well. Chaos, once invited in, is rarely quick to leave.
Which is why I describe the situation as societal suicide. Italian society is quite literally starting to tear itself apart, and if a meaningful solution to the energy crisis is not found soon, this has the capacity to end Italy as we now know it.
Agreed, Peter. If I lived in Naples, I would be doing the same thing. But without much expectation that things will get better. However, the fact is that these people CAN'T pay their fuel bills. I agree too that, while immensely satisfying to rid ourselves of the evil people currently in charge, doing that is much easier than building something better. Concerning Italy in particular, I think that Garibaldi was wrong: unification was never a good idea. Same for Germany too. Nothing good came out of either move.
This is why Canadians are angry..... https://gettr.com/post/p1peq9r43ee
What a crock !
I notice the creep adjusted his pedo-toupe.
I think he’s going for the Zelensky look …he’d love to have all that attention !
Yes, we call him Caligula......
With respect, Caligula had way more testosterone than Canada's Prime-Minister-in-hiding.
LOL !!!
Oh, ha ha ha !
Or Nero.
But that would be an insult to megalomaniacal Roman emperors.