Jim Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 I recently came back from a month of climbing and hiking in the Dolomites and besides the great landscape, I was struck by the attitude of the Italians, and other Europeans, regarding risk - of any sort. They drove fast but efficiently - you drive slower than 130 km and you move over to the right. On the windey Dolomite roads they pass when they can - no one freaks out. Old and young are in the mountains on narrow and exposed paths - they deal with it without emotional trauma or lawyers. The best was at the airports. They do the security thing without the fan fare. Arriving back in the US you're greeted with monitors playing a tape from DHS and Tom Ridge telling you how they are standing between you and the terrorists. STFU and just do the job already. Maybe it's the news here - child abductions, terror cells in our midst, mother-killers, father-rapers, etc, etc. I found it refreshing when people feel they can go about their lives without much of the paranoia I see here. I got into some interesting conversations with some Italians, Chechs, and Brits regarding collective percieved threats from terrorism, crime, and the mountains. They were aware but not fixated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucK Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 I am convinced (or at least, my latest theory is) that a major contributor to the childhood obesity epidemic is because of this fear you speak of. Kids aren't getting exercise because they just aren't allowed to roam the neighborhoods like we used to do when we were kids, for fear of pedophiles. I seriously doubt that rates of child attacks have increased, it's just people are more fixated on them (or aware perhaps). This, in turn, is an analogy to what this fear is doing to all of us. By trying to save ourselves from the unlikely spectacular dangers we are succumbing slowly but surely to the maladies associated with our self-imposed bubbles/cells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 I blame the lack of SUVs over there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 I blame the Canadians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recycled Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Nah, Americans are just pussys. Canadians, though, are the real deal. Tough, stoic and hooked on Tim Hortons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mec Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 blame the media, anytime anything bad is happening they call it a crisis, and warn everyone to watch out. everything we eat and do has had a newsperson talk about the hidden risks behind it. "the hidden dangers of walking around the block, news at 11". too many people listen to this shit and believe it all. It can't even rain without it being called a storm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Don't need to be a global citizen because I'm blessed by nationality I'm a member of a growing populace we enforce our popularity There are things that seem to pull us under and there are things that drag us down But there's a power and a vital prescence that's lurking all around we've got the american jesus see him on the interstate we've got the american jesus he helped build the president's estate I feel sorry for the earth's population cause so few live in the USA at least the foreigners can copy our morality they can visit but they cannot stay only precious few can garner the prosperity it makes us walk with renewed confidence We've got a place to go when we die and the architect resides right here we've got the american jesus bolstering thier ship of faith we've got the american jesus overwhelming millions every day he's the farmer's barren fields the force the army wields expressions on the faces of the starving millions the power of the man the fuel that drives the clan he's the motive and the conscience of the murder he's the preacher on t.v. the false sincerity the form letter that's written by the big computers the nuclear bombs and the kids with no moms and I'm fearful that he's inside me yeah we've got the american jesus see him on the interstate we've got the american jesus exercising his authority we've got the american jesus bolstering their ship of faith we've got the american jesus overwhelming millions every day One Nation Under God Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucK Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Yeah, I'm sure the marketing of fear has a lot to do with it. That was the premise of "Bowling for Columbine" until it imploded about halfway through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeller Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 And don't forget the lawyers! I can't imagine any U.S. property owner (government or otherwise) allowing Joe Tourist to climb around on via ferrata that have been in place since WW1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foraker Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 i blame fat paranoid soccer moms who believe their precious little Bratleigh and Snotleigh are the saviors of mankind and therefore they can't risk letting them out of their sight. well, that and the fact that they kids themselves don't want to do anything but play Halo and eat Cheetos (yea, big surprise there eh.....we probably would too if we had Halo way back when). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Yes, its got to be the mothers. Evil bitches. Or maybe it is only your mom? How did she manage to raise such a thankless bastard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minx Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 i blame fat paranoid soccer moms who believe their precious little Bratleigh and Snotleigh are the saviors of mankind and therefore they can't risk letting them out of their sight. hey...fuck off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucK Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 What a cynical interpretation of the unconditional love of a parent for his/her children. What Minx said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squid Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Whoa - sorry everyone. I did it. It's my fault. Started out as a little joke, and one thing led to another... everything just spun out of control. I was only kidding- I never meant for it to go this far. I'm really embarassed. I'll put everything right, I swear. It will probably take all weekend. Let's just let bygones be bygones, eh? No harm no foul? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj001f Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Yes, its got to be the mothers. Evil bitches. Dads not around. Can't be his fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Yes, its got to be the mothers. Evil bitches. Dads not around. Can't be his fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_Puget Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 They drove fast but efficiently - you drive slower than 130 km and you move over to the right. On the windey Dolomite roads they pass when they can - no one freaks out. Old and young are in the mountains on narrow and exposed paths - they deal with it without emotional trauma or lawyers. Jim - 1996 deaths/100kmiles driven: US 1.7, Italy 2.2, Germany 2.5 Noncomercial miles driven in US in 1994: 1,793 billion. Back of envelope calculation: Additional annual deaths in US at Italian death rate: ~9,000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpinfox Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 A good book on this subject <-click Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slothrop Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 I blame the Italian death rate on the lack of big American SUVs in that backward socialist nation. They're safer. You know, because they're big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj001f Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Jim - 1996 deaths/100kmiles driven: US 1.7, Italy 2.2, Germany 2.5 Noncomercial miles driven in US in 1994: 1,793 billion. Back of envelope calculation: Additional annual deaths in US at Italian death rate: ~9,000. Ahh PP, and the relevancy of a per mile calculation is...? If Italians lived in Ohio, Wisconsin or North Dakota they wouldn't have many accidents! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 And they drive Ferraris while wearing nice shoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minx Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 And they drive Ferraris while wearing nice shoes. not until they're done having a late dinner and drinking a good bottle of wine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 In an Armani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 And feeding the competition to the fishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camilo Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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