What happened to Italians?

[Anonymous]

They had the Roman Empire, they built beautiful things, they invented things, they were innovators and explorers of the new world. Cut to today, they are broke, they are lazy, they are pretty much just living off tourism, wine, and Pizza. They could not even qualify for the last two world cups! Why did the Italians become so lazy?

[Just_Ken]

Italy is the 8th largest economy in the world by nominal GDP and the 3rd largest in the European Union, with a Gross Domestic Product exceeding \(\$2.5\) trillion. Driven by a robust manufacturing sector and extensive exports.

Italy is ranked as the 10th most powerful military in the world out of 145 countries and is recognized as a leading military power in both NATO and the European Union.

[MrChinaski]

The Italian military hasn't won a war since 1912.

[Just_Ken]

@MrChinaski Italy was on the winning side of World War 1 in 1918. They also fought on the winning side of WW2 in 1943.
The Italian military was on the winning side of the spainish civil war in the late 1930s.
The italians took part in the gulf war 1992, the air war over Serbia, the war in Afghanistan and iraq.

[MrChinaski]

'They also fought on the winning side of WW2 in 1943'?

[Just_Ken]

@MrChinaski in 1943 after bein invaded they surrendered to the allies and switched sides. France did the same and so did Finland

[MrChinaski]

The only way the Italians helped the Allies was by getting bogged down in hair-brained positions in the Balkans and Greece from which they required Nazi divisions to be diverted to rescue them.

[MrChinaski]

Anyway, I promised a friend on here I would stop clubbing baby seals.

[Just_Ken]

@MrChinaski that actually wasn't help. Those loses the nazis suffered in those campaigns and the garrison needed to hold the territory showed itself in operation barbarossa.
No but onward in 1943 the italian military or what was left of it was fighting the nazis.
To be fair they gave a better account than the turks did in ww1. Turkey hasn't won a war since 1887.

[MrChinaski]

Low social capital, low education, outmigration of talented young people, weak institutions. Ask the Greeks. We know how countries become rich. Some countries choose to become poor instead.

But Italy is a big place. Northern Italy is about as rich as Germany. Southern Italy is closer to Belarus.

Well that should have offended just about everyone equally.

[purplepoppy]

It's mostly geographical, they were hit by years of drought while the wetter northern Europe flourished and advanced. Then the USA came along, countries on the Atlantic like the UK and France could trade easier, Italy was simply too far east to compete. Then you've got the fascists like Mussolini and of course the mafia.

[Tamera952]

Geeezes, …that a bit harsh and generalized. I’m kinda offended for them at your flip, depressing, and stark summary about their state of affairs and of their society.
No wonder you asked anonymously.

[KostasKouvalis]

They're liars, thieves psychopaths.
I'm not sure. My only guess is that the same thing happened that happened with the Mayans. The intellectuals all got killed off and only the stupid people were left and today's population is descended from those stupid people.

[strateguy632]

about empire. they lost to the ostragoth from northeast. they tried to renew empire by stealing weak ethiopia and colonized africa but allies were stronger. about art and innovation you never heard of lamborghini? de lorian?

[strateguy632]

oops delorian is a CITY in italy but WE get credit for the car!

[Dargil]

The same thing that's happening to western Europe and the USA internal corruption. Complacency.