Forgive me for this, I know I'm going to seem holier than thou, and I know you're all joking, but I owe a lot of Italians a large debt of gratitude for all the kindness shown me when living in Rome, so I really must say a few words on the topic of violent Italy. Now where is that pulpit?
Stereotypes are dumb, and the poor Italians suffer from inaccurate stereotyping far more than most.
I met some of the kindest, most considerate, intelligent and civilized people I've ever encountered when living in Italy. In three years I experienced no violence, saw no fights, was never robbed, insulted or bothered. Not once! I never felt threatened anywhere I went. Who could say that about the US?
Of course there's crime in Italy, but try comparing the murder rate in Italy to other countries:
http://www.nationmaster.com/grap ... -murders-per-capita
To sum up: Thailand is 14th on the list, the USA 24, France 40, Australia 43, Canada 44, UK 46, Italy 47, HK 59, Japan 60. That's right, you've got a better chance of being murdered in CANADA! You've got a 333% greater chance of being offed in the USA; and Sulasno in Thailand faces a 600% greater risk of being chopped.
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Last edited by Marsupial at 29-9-2007 13:39 ]