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Rosaria Sgueglia

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The Concordia Disaster and the 'Voice' of the Long Night

Posted: 18/01/12 11:19 GMT

Short, fat, poor English, always eats, loves his 'mamma', knows someone who knows someone who also knows someone who is in the mob, wears posh suits, moves his hands when he talks and has pasta twice a day. This is what the average Italian looks like in the rest of the world's eyes.

But wait there's more. The average Italian man is said to be narcissist, egomaniac, coward, selfish, unable to follow basic procedures and unable to follow the rules. True or not, it's a stereotype, a stereotype which is strongly proved by the latest, tragic events in Italy.

I am speaking about the Concordia's tragedy and how behind the death of so many innocent people seemed to stand one single man; one single Italian man.

His name is Francesco Schettino, chief captain of La Concordia, one of the biggest cruise ships of just as famous Costa Crociere.

In the past days we have been listening to Schettino's phone calls, we have been witnessing what appears to be an appalling lack of integrity and loyalty to his passengers; passengers he was responsible of; passengers he has been said to have abandoned on their own destiny without thinking twice.

Italian people don't come across brilliantly from this story. Yesterday more details emerged and we have been able to understand more about what happened on Friday night. From the transcripts of the phone call between Schettino and a coastguard, it has been possible to understand Schettino's role in the hours that followed the tragedy.

If you knew Italian you would be able to understand more about that phone call; you would be able to understand about that coastguard. His name is Gregorio De Falco and he is the captain of the coastguard of Livorno. He was the voice of the night; "Go on Board," he ordered to Schettino many times without the latter doing as said.

His voice instructed Schettino about what to do and how to do it.

"I understand that. Listen; there are people that are coming down the pilot ladder of the prow. You go up that pilot ladder, get on that ship and tell me how many people are still on board. And what they need. Is that clear? You need to tell me if there are children, women or people in need of assistance. And tell me the exact number of each of these categories. Is that clear? Listen, Schettino, that you saved yourself from the sea, but I am going to...really do something bad to you...I am going to make you pay for this. Go on board," Captain De Falco's voiced ordered to Schettino during their five minutes conversation.

Today Captain De Falco is the voice of Italian People; an angry voice, angry as every single Italian is.

Yes, today we are furious and we are because a human accident, a stupid accident, caused the death of people who didn't deserve to end their life in such a horrible way. We are because a five-year-old girl was left on board and is still missing; as are more than 20 people. We are because it took Mr. Schettino an hour to call the Mayday. We are because pregnant women, elderly and people who needed assistance were left without any coordination from their captain.

And we are because someone who was clearly incapable of doing his job was made responsible of more than 4,000 people. And, yes, we also are because people like Mr. Schettino do nothing but compromise the already damaged image the rest of the world has of Italian people.

Yes, today we are 'furious', as stereotyped as it might be.

 

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Short, fat, poor English, always eats, loves his 'mamma', knows someone who knows someone who also knows someone who is in the mob, wears posh suits, moves his hands when he talks and has pasta twice ...
Short, fat, poor English, always eats, loves his 'mamma', knows someone who knows someone who also knows someone who is in the mob, wears posh suits, moves his hands when he talks and has pasta twice ...
 
 
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05:44 PM on 01/21/2012
I have a love-hate relationship with thing Italian. I love that I am married to an Italian - the greatest person ever and that I have fantastic in-laws. Kind, hardworking and honorable people that would do anything for anybody. But there is this backdrop of dishonesty at all levels in Italian society that they carry and express great shame and disgust for. What they call the 'Italian way'..

Captains piloting errors aside it has been the apparent lie, after lie or omission that has been dis-pointing. Why did this man go on TV and claim that the rocks weren't on the chart? Why did he first say it was just a power outage? why did he say the blond was with her husband etc? Why did he feel the need to tell investigators " I am telling the truth' ? Unless sometimes he has a habit of not telling the truth? It maybe that some of these lies have deprived some people of lives. I suspect he has lied because being untruthful often works in Italy and there can be few consequences.

Of course Italy is not the only society with dishonesty. That said it is pretty big problem as Transparency International show, Italy is one of the most dishonest/corrupt societies in the EU.

Rosario forget the stereotypes. If this guy had been honest with his boss, with the passengers and crew, with the coastguard then more lives may have been saved.
04:09 PM on 01/21/2012
What nonsense Rosaria Sgueglia. Francesco Schettino may define the stereotype of an Italian man but one man does not prove it.
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Miserable Swine
12:15 AM on 01/21/2012
One bad apple doesn`t represent an entire barrel. The guy `in charge` was cut from the same cloth as Berlusconi. But that doesn`t mean all Italian men are as useless as Schettino (or are too busy chasing women, drinking coffee, being lazy etc etc etc). I was on a British Airways flight once, and the male crew allowed a youngish woman to have a look around the flight deck while we were in flight - that seemed pretty lame to me: the flight deck should be off limits to all but crew when in the air imho.
11:36 PM on 01/19/2012
Where do you get these stunningly ignorant remarks!? Are these views being expressed in the UK? What hateful and utter ignorance.

This is a tragedy caused by one pathetic coward and not a representation of all Italians. I am 100% Italian American (2nd generation), and I have never heard such outrageous racism and stereotypes.

The world is furious with this reprehensible coward but we most certainly do not blame all Italians. I think your "world view" is a UK view and, if so, our dear friends across the pond need to realize that they are not nearly as "special" as they think. Their stereotypes are way too numerous and easy, so I'll just stop there...
04:49 PM on 01/20/2012
The writer of the article is an Italian woman.
01:41 AM on 01/23/2012
Yes I know. An Italian journalist based in the U.K.
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Nonnie22
10:57 PM on 01/19/2012
I agree with Kay P. that it would be wrong to think the world is judging Italy or the Italian people based on the actions of Capt. "I tripped and fell into a lifeboat". It's Capt. De Falco that is shining like a star in this situation. And you as well as your country can be more than proud of him.

I'm ½ Italian, third generation ... or more correctly, Sicilian, but that only matters to Italians and Sicilians! :)
10:18 PM on 01/19/2012
I'm a former Merchant Marine Officer. You can check out other marine disasters, like the Andrea Doria, which was at least partially the fault of the bridge officer on that ship. However the conduct of the officers and crew was exactly as expected, including the Captain being the last person to leave his ship. Butt-heads come as individuals, not nationalities. I like to hope that your stereotype ideas are behind us, but you may be right. I sailed under a loser or two, and they weren't of Italian descent.
06:45 PM on 01/19/2012
Of course, the formidable Coast Guard officer is Italian, many of the selfless rescue divers are Italian, the people who rescued, clothed, fed and prayed with the survivors are Italian...all heroes in my eyes.
02:36 PM on 01/19/2012
If the so-called "World" will judge Italian men, or for that matter the Italian people, based on the selfish and cowardly acts of one weak minded man, then the "World" is even more ignorant and weak minded than the former captain of the Costa Concordia. I don't feel there is any need here to defend a people as great as the Italians. They and their culture have contributed more to human civilization than any other. This is not the first example in history of a cowardly and mindless event by one man, or a group of men, leading to a terrible tragedy. Every one, every nationality, ethnicity, and race has some sort of negative stereotype associated with it. But as far as stereotypes go, intelligent and rational minded people dismissed them and instead judges a person based on their "personal" actions and experiences (if one needs to be judged at all), and not on the language they speak, the religion they preach, or the color of their skin. What happened several days ago is a complete tragedy. And someone will be blamed and made to pay, but in the meantime, let's commend those that DID do their jobs and rescued all those people; let's rejoice in the lives that WERE saved; and let's pray for those who are still missing or have lost their lives. Leave blame to the courts where it belongs.
02:16 PM on 01/19/2012
Arguably, Italians have contributed more "game changing" greats to humanity than any other nationality. Malicious stereotypes can't touch that.

Ever hear of the MS Herald of Free Enterprise? Was that disaster presented by anyone as a referendum on the English character, or used by anyone you know of as an excuse to malign all English people with ugly stereotypes?

Perhaps some people are unable to comprehend the world except through a prism of crude caricatures.
01:03 PM on 01/19/2012
These are terrible racist and immature assertions.How can you blame an enite nation based on the action of one man? I guess if he was Irish everyone would say all Irish a drunken bums on the dole or if English they all have rotten teeth and are lousy lovers,or if black they are all criminals by nature and carry guns,or jewish they are all cheap thieving shysters? I can add to the stereotypes of each of these groups and start another list of all the stereotypes of many other nationalities,but I don't have all day.It appears to be human nature to criticise people who are not the same as they are or to kick them when they are down.It is malicious and very untrue.The stereotypes you have listed for the Italian male apply to males of ALL nationalities,These are not unique to Italians.And I might add these traits apply to FEMALES of all nationalities as well.There are good and bad in all peoples.Don't judge them in a simple, immmature unintelligent manner such as this.
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01:06 AM on 01/19/2012
Please.....it has nothing to do with Italian versus English speakers....this stereotype was brought into the dialogue by an Italian woman. Perhaps she was also one of the women who protested in the streets about the Italian president and his sexist and reckless behaviour. Again, recently there was the case against Amanda Knox who was prosecuted and spent 4 YEARS in prison because of questionable conduct of the lead prosecutor. This has nothing to do with a stereotype and for Rosario or Kay to bring this topic into this tragedy does nothing to help. One cannot justify stupid behaviour with any kind of racial apology.
02:51 PM on 01/18/2012
Until I read your blog, it had not occurred to me to look at this disaster in terms of nationality. And I think you're wrong about how the rest of the world sees Italian people. The rest of the world doesn't use Anglo-Saxon stereotypes.

Don't let the English make you feel bad about being Italian. They're still bitter because the Romans dominated them for HUNDREDS of years. ;) When the Romans abandoned Britannia, the natives reverted to warlordism for the better part of a millennium, until the Normans civilized them once and for all.

Did you know that approx. 70% of English people, including approx. 90% in Wales, genetically, are descended from the people of Northern Spain? Predominantly, Anglo-Saxons are, genetically, Basque, and culturally, Norman (French).

Also, it's difficult to say intelligent things in English without using Anglicized Latin or Greek (approx. 60% of the language). Try it.

Keep these things in mind next time someone makes you feel bad about being Italian. ;)

By the way, I'm approx. 12.5% Italian. :)
03:03 PM on 01/18/2012
That was really funny, Kay. Thank you. I will def. keep it in mind next time :).
Rosaria
04:33 PM on 01/18/2012
Funny, but true as well. Sometimes what people need is to be stripped of their pretensions.

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/572

Considering the history of racism in the USA, I was surprised to find that it is more prevalent and visible in England. At least it was when I lived there in the late 80s.

Cheers, m'dear. ;)