Italy’s agricultural minister in Berlusconi’s morally bankrupt government has been roundly condemned for proudly hailing the ‘McItaly’ burger, a junk-food patty with artichoke spread on it, as ‘an imprint of Italian flavours to our youngsters’.
Meanwhile, the Pope has condemned British gay equality laws, saying that they ‘violate religious freedom’. It will cost the British taxpayer £20 million to pay for the Pope’s visit to the UK in September of this year.
With the European holiday season looming on the horizon, perhaps a bit of tactical boycotting is in order this year.
Boycotting wouldn’t hurt the Pope or Berlusconi in the least, but it would hurt small businesses especially those in the south that depend heavily on tourism. Unlike Oman, homosexuality is legal in Italy. If you are concerned about gay rights, why spend two weeks in Oman (giving a boast to their economy with tourist dollars inthe process) where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to three years in jail?
Why is spending a fortnight in Oman defensible when a trip involving Italy may not be? The last time asked about it, Oman was up-front about its moral code not accepting of homosexuality, while Vatican City continues to promote the God of love for all… and then adds very quietly “unless they’re gay, obviously”.
It’s the hypocrisy of “Italy is a great nation of food” and then promoting McDonald’s pathetic burger, as well as “love thy neighbour” but then adding conditions for that love, that galls a thinking person.
…well, this thinking person, certainly.
Terenzio, homosexuality is accepted in Oman but technically illegal. Whereas being gay in Italy is far from being accepted although it is technically legal – the hypocrisy works both ways.
Hmmmm – not quite – homosexuality is tolerated in Oman (I suspect partly because the Sultan of Oman is a homosexual), but the fact is you can still be prosecuted for the offense and sent to jail if convicted. On the other hand, Italy is a secular state despite the influence of the Catholic Church. You cannot be prosecuted or sent to jail in Italy for being a homosexual. Two guys could make out in the Piazza Navona in Roma with little fuss. Yes, I am sure there will be a few nasty remarks, but the guys would not be cartered off for prosecution. On the other hand, I seriously doubt two guys making out in a public square in Muscat would receive the same treatment. There is a big difference between the two countries. And for you to even suggest boycotting Italy after just returning from a trip to Oman is – well – offensive.
Obviously people like McDonalds or they wouldn’t be in business, so the food can’t be all that bad.
Personally speaking I regard the Catholic church – oppressive, riven with scandal and corrupt to the core – as one of the world’s most harmful organisations, and I’m offended by the idea of the Pope setting foot in this country. As for McDonald’s – from the company’s land purchase arrangements to its role in damaging the world’s health – it’s popular because it pumps millions into pre-school advertising and chases an economically deprived demographic.
I didn’t intend a direct comparison between Oman and Italy. Obviously it would be absurd to compare a polygamist Muslim state with a European Catholic nation. But it’s clear to me that Oman’s main focus is in providing social benefits to its citizens, and Italy’s current nightmarish version of free-for-all capitalism is killing the country.
No matter what the opinion of the food there, or one’s desire for it, it’s unlikely to be actually claimed as the height of Italian cuisine, which is implied to at least some extent by Italy’s agricultural minister.
Additionally, the statement above could have been made in the early 1960s about cigarettes with exactly the same logical approach to the benign nature of the product, and look where that got us.