Re: Dealing with Italians

[Nicky Avery <nravery@domain.elided>]

Well said, Sandro!

Italians lolling around at 3 hour lunches is rubbish. This fable comes
from the practice in stores and offices up to the late '60s/early '70s
to take a 3 hour midday break. People didn't eat lunch for 3 hours: they
went home, ate lunch and took a nap or whatever ... then went back to
work to do another 4 hours' work.

The idea that Italian workers drink a *bottle* of wine and then operate
machinery is silly. In Europe you are not considered (a) drunk if you
have a *glass* of wine with your meal at lunchtime. 

Italy's like anywhere else: some companies are poorly organized,
motivated and managed while others are as good as you can find. Italy
makes some of the finest machinery available anywhere. After decades of
industry consolidation, FIAT was one of the survivors and GM still only
owns 20%. 

Forget "fix-it-again-Tony"! If there ever was a time when it was
accurate, it's ancient history now. 

So there! My tuppenceworth. :-) 

Nicky

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