Ethnic cleansing in Europe again?

[shrike]

Sixty-eight per cent of Italians, fuelled by often inflammatory attacks by the new rightwing government, want to see all of the country's 150,000 Gypsies, many of them Italian citizens, expelled, according to an opinion poll. The survey, published as mobs in Naples burned down Gypsy camps this week, revealed that the majority also wanted all Gypsy camps in Italy to be demolished . About 70,000 Gypsies in Italy hold Italian passports, including about 30,000 descended from 15th-century Gypsy settlers in the country. The remainder have arrived since, many fleeing the Balkans during the 1990s ... This hostility is a result of the generally inflammatory language of the current government, as well as the previous one," said EveryOne director Matteo Pegoraro. "Italian football stars at Milan teams assumed to have Gypsy heritage, such as Andrea Pirlo, are now also the subject of threatening chants." 68% of Italians want Roma expelled - poll | World news | The Guardian

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[Could someone explain to me why so much hate? I don't think its just because some government official said something.

[Matt W]

Italy has always been flirting with this sort of thing - the Northern League, especially, have been particularly vicious & anti-foreigner, hell even anti-southern Italian!

Basically, there's always been an undercurrent of xenophobia in elements of Italian society - and unfortunately the right-wing governments have positively encouraged it.

[shrike]

Basically, there's always been an undercurrent of xenophobia in elements of Italian society - and unfortunately the right-wing governments have positively encouraged it.

I don't think its only because of the right like Roma leader said government by the left used the same rhetoric .I think the problem started when the government allowed entry of illegal or at least did nothing to fights their entry

[Nono]

A demagogue like Berlusconi shooting his mouth off along with his fascist friends may not be the "cause", but they sure help.

All human civilization is but a thin veneer. And southern Italy strikes me as more than a little primitive (a mafia-riddled clan society). And why does the Northern League get so much racist mileage? (Indeed, why is it called the Northern League?) Because the South is grafted onto the North.

The Italian Right is dominated by clownish elements like Berlusconi and downright sinister ones like the neo-fascists.
No wonder the gypsies have a hard time.

[Gods_Mercenary]

Man, European politics can be more interesting than U.S. ones, we just recycle the same old stuff.

[maximdewinter]

Quote by: shrike . [Could someone explain to me why so much hate? I don't think its just because some government official said something.

You're correct. Anti-gypsy sentiment is ancient, just like anti-semitism (which BTW is still healthy and living in many areas of "civilized" Europe)

In Italy, gypsies are generally associated with petty street crime and have been for years. What happened in Naples was a mob hit on a gypsy camp. (That's mob as in "mafia"). The Mafia doesn't like petty crime by "outsiders" (they like BIG thievery with a cut into the action) and if you don't believe it see what happens if you try to pick pockets in Naples without consulting the local mob boss. You'll be wheelchair shopping before the day is through.

I also think the word "ethnic cleansing" is a little strong. It is more like "close the borders and deport" those here who either don't belong here or don't obey the laws here. This sentiment should surprise no American because there is a similar movement here. In Israel you built a fence. Now Egypt wants to build a fence too. In Spain many people want to strengthen the southern border to prevent Moroccans from coming in on day boats because the Moroccans are considered to be worse thieves than gypsies.

Many people in Italy are appalled by this action in Naples but they still want gypsies, Albanians and other eastern Europe criminal types deported not killed.

[cardiff_giant]

One of the main points this sentiment is being felt, in many leading nations around the world, is due to continuous immigration over the past 50 years, and the dilution of host country cultures.
Countries, such as Italy / US / UK / etc, who once had a predominant culture and whose citizens could easily identify with, is now completely disfigured with an influx of foreign 'inconsistent' cultures.
Whether it be done 'diplomatically' or by an ultra-right wing strategy of 'get them out', most citizens are simply trying to take back their national identity.

[Nono]

Quote by: max The Mafia doesn't like petty crime by "outsiders" (they like BIG thievery with a cut into the action).

Good point. It isn't like gypsies in Italy are somehow driving up the crime rate or anything. If you can stomach it, check out Roberto Saviano's book on the subject: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/bo...gewanted=print

[Nono]

Quote by: cardiff One of the main points this sentiment is being felt, in many leading nations around the world, is due to continuous immigration over the past 50 years, and the dilution of host country cultures. Countries, such as Italy / US / UK / etc, who once had a predominant culture and whose citizens could easily identify with, is now completely disfigured with an influx of foreign 'inconsistent' cultures. Whether it be done 'diplomatically' or by an ultra-right wing strategy of 'get them out', most citizens are simply trying to take back their national identity.

True enough, but why then do they keep casting their votes for fatback lackies (such as the Liberals and Tories in Canada) who keep dismantling government regulation and turning the whole world into a free-for-all economic jungle? This neo-liberal ideology is behind a process that has included migration on an unprecedented scale.

Anyway, Amercans have been bitching for at least a century and a half that the place is going to the dogs what with all these Irish-then-Italian-then-Polish-etc. subhumans moving in.

[cardiff_giant]

Quote by: Nono True enough, but why then do they keep casting their votes for fatback lackies (such as the Liberals and Tories in Canada) who keep dismantling government regulation and turning the whole world into a free-for-all economic jungle?

It's because there are a lot of pot smoking hippies in Canada who are completely oblivious; but that's neither here nor there. Depending on the province political views vary; say in Liberal British Columbia, or the quite Conservative Alberta.

Having lived in both of the above mentioned provinces I have noticed a lot of differences on the whole identifying cultures issue.

During a discussion in a University classroom the question was posed "Being that Canada (like many other countries now) is so multi-cultural and 'diversified' how would you describe the country's culture?" The only consensus that was made on Canada's (and other similar melting pots) identifying culture was the lack of one.

[Nono]

It's often been said that if America's values can be summed up as "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, then Canada's are "peace, order and good government". That's a kind of over-arching culture right there.

But let's face it -- the basic culture of both countries in Northern European Protestant. It's just that Americans are conditioned to favour the law of the jungle whereas Canadians fundamentally take the view that we're all in this together.

Hippies and cowboys are secondary, and Alberta a bit of an aberration, thank goodness.