After you have read this announcement, Ask Yourself:

What is the reason or source of this Self Deprecation?

Is this an indication of lack of Nation Esteem?

How could a country, that is the only country to have two Great Epochs, Rome,
and the Renaissance, have problems of Esteem ??

Is it really a false cover for feelings of Superiority???

Are any other European or Non European countries that also have this problem?

Does this reflect itself in Individual Self Deprecation?

Does this make it easier for Italians/Italian Americans to accept Denigration from others without a response???

Italy On Line
Special service by AGI on behalf of the Italian Prime Minister's office
Thursday November 11, 2004

(AGI) - Bologna, Nov 8 - Speaker of the Lower House Pier Ferdinando Casini made a speech in Bologna at the World Convention of Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad urging Italians to "stop shooting themselves in the foot" by attaching a negative slant to phrases such as "Italian-style", which are the country's trademark abroad.

"Self-deprecation", he said, "is in fact a feature of the business world too.

And the same applies to our politicians, who seem to do their best to discredit each other all the time.

This makes for a worldwide image of the country that is sorely misleading",
he continued.

According to Mr Casini, "this is bad for our political life, for our institutions and for the country at large".

He then explained what he means by "joining forces". "I'm referring to the fact that liabilities must not be escaped", he said, "in order to safeguard the country from all negative clichés".

Therefore, he concluded, "we must pledge to counter this trend of shooting ourselves in the foot, in order to allow for a more balanced and truthful awareness of the qualities and defects of our country".

(AGI) - 081953 NOV 04
Agenzia Giornalistica Italia - News In English
http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=
200411081953-1222-RT1-CRO-0-NF82&page=
0&id=agionline-eng.italyonline