Recently on the outskirts of Venice, I stumbled into a vivacious argument regarding the financial health of Italians, which had nothing to do with the recent outburst of meningitis in the Venetian region, nor with the supposed epidemic caused by the tiger mosquitoes (this later outbreak was only reported in the American press).

My highly contested argument was that Italians are rich yet discontent. The other side contended that, to the contrary, Italians are poor but very happy. This dispute brings to mind a recent article by author Umberto Eco on the definition of “facts.” According to Eco, there are three philosophical definitions of “facts”:
1)     There are no facts, only interpretations.
2)     We know all facts through our interpretations.
3)     The presence of facts is demonstrated by the fact that as soon as something is interpreted wrongly, one cannot proceed any further.

For the aforementioned arguments my interpretation of facts was based on official information about the large number of cars on Italian highways even during a short holiday break (which, in Italy, is called “ponte” or bridge, since it includes a non-vacation day that falls between an holiday and a weekend).
Considering the high costs of: gasoline, tolls, stop-breaks, accommodations, meals, etc., I deducted that the usual 11 million cars on the roads at every one of the many festivities, indicated that 60% of Italy's population is sufficiently well-off to afford vacations at each holiday break. And this number doesn't take into account Italians going on vacation by trains, planes and boats.
In comparison, in the U.S. during Thanksgiving -- the Nation's major holiday -- about 12% go on vacation.

For this analysis, one has to include Italy's common use of expensive cellular phones, the large number of sports cars and extravagant yachts on the roads and in the ports, plus the costly brand names that make up people's wardrobes. In this respect, economists comment that inflation in Italy is fueled by the fact that consumer spending is still rising, therefore high demands for a reduced number of goods make prices go up.
These considerations satisfy all three of Eco's definitions of “facts” and, in my view, demonstrate that Italians are indeed financially well-off but, since they tend to constantly grumble, it is assumed that they're also unhappy

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These “facts,” however, were challenged by my contestants whom -- to prove that Italy was poor, yet happy -- presented a socialist vision, stating how little the State does for its citizens. The elements given as proof were:  Too many unsecured jobs, insufficient welfare benefits, long workdays, high unemployment and low salaries.
The facts to support the opinion that Italians are happy, after all, came as a reaction to articles in “The New York Times” and the “Times” of London, which touched a raw nerve in Italy because they stated that Italians are depressed.

This later statement upset Italians to a point that it became the subject of many debates in the press and Web sites  and the inspiration for an article by me for the U.S. Italian Daily “AmericaOggi.”
In a sense, the interpretation of the fact that Italians are happy could be accurate, but only insofar as it represents another interpretation of the reality in Italy, which is of a country strongly protected by a social, financial and health-care safety net that -- even though it causes many Italians to become un-competitive both domestically and internationally -- renders it happy. The only problem, it is argued, is that this protective safety net should be further improved in order to generate less discontent.

This welfare state, however, is not only supported by the socialists, but it is strategic to Italy's elite (now renamed the “Caste,” as in the Indian society) as well, because this way the privileged few can continue to control the country unchallenged.

Indeed, both Italy's Caste and the socialists encourage the masses to be content and carefree: to be only concerned about having fun, going to discotheques (these expensive dance clubs are all the rage in Italy), experience the thrills of car racing (nowadays a deadly pastime), go on vacation as many times as possible, make soccer a way of life and follow the antics of popular soccer players with the scantily clad TV hostesses. After all, the Caste will assure that the masses will receive for free: medicines, hospital care, education and children day care centers. Plus, early retirements, good pensions, not too many working hours, paid maternity leaves and sought-after state jobs (that sooner or later will arrive for most Italians). What it is asked in exchange is that the masses not become independent from the state.

All the extra for the masses is assured by the florid underground economy, the pervasive tax evasion, the extended multi-income families (that allow young people to stay at home until the state job arrives) and the large number of families that own real estate (about 80% of Italians live in homes they own).
Meanwhile, to farm the land or the seas, to work in factories and in construction, to be a plumber or a nurse, people have to be called in from Latin America, Africa or poorer European countries.