“But the Italian knows that nothing can or will be done in his country, and that if it is done it certainly will not be done quickly.

This is his experience. After all, with all the shifting coalitions and merry-go-round of prime ministers, most people here haven’t seen a real change of government in their lifetime.

Thus an Italian’s satisfaction, when he talks about politics, will lie in feeling that he has analyzed the situation accurately, appreciated its ironies, seen the pros and the cons, absorbed the subtleties, and above all gone beyond the crude simplicity of foreigners who talk in ingenuous terms about changing things.

Parks, Tim. Italian Neighbors (Kindle Locations 1400-1405). Grove/Atlantic, Inc.. Kindle Edition.