You think the Mafia's cool?

Here I am watching Analyze This and I find myself…getting really pissed off. You know, no ever tells you exactly how much you’re going to change when you live abroad and you especially don’t notice it all right away.

I took an entire class on the origins and subsequent history of the Sicilian Mafia (the original Italian Mafia) when I lived in Rome. We learned why the Sicilian gentry turned into mafiosi and why, when economic and political conditions improved, the organization continued to exist despite no real need for it. Sicily was a forgotten island when the various European countries began the stages of nation-building. Different countries fought for its ownership constantly and never really paid too much attention to its inhabitants (ex. Normans, Greeks, Romans, etc). Gradually, the Sicilians had to learn to fend for themselves and a new order of security inevitably formed. Unfortunately, an unhealthy habit was formed when a few men decided to steal and physically threaten land-owning farmers to get what they wanted. Originally, through this deadly system of intimidation, an underground policing force became present to help the people when local governing bodies ignored them (ie. in some way, protect them). So yes, the mafia was a good thing for a small faction of people at one time. A time long, long ago—circa the 1800’s.

As political regimes became more organized, with farther reaching arms, the Mafia was needed less and less. However, the mafiosi, engrossed with a sense of entitlement and being born into the brotherhood of “men of honor”, refused to be put out of power and increased terror tactics to maintain total dominance under the radar of ruling governors. The local people had to pay an extra tax called the pizzo, because, like any other organization, money is required to run smoothly. And if you didn’t pay up, you’re business suffered immensely. If you still didn’t pay up, you’re family would be terrorized. And if you still didn’t pay up, you were killed. And did I mention the pizzo wasn’t cheap for these people? Does this sound like an honorable organization you want to brag about being a part of or worse, even aspire to be a part of? Hundreds of thousands of documented deaths are related to this transnational terrorist organization. Would a man of real honor beat a kid senseless and tie him to railroad tracks with sticks of dynamite while he was still alive?! Does torturing someone by driving a screwdriver into their knee cap and skull sound respectable at all?!?

Think about the Taliban. Both the Mafia and the Taliban organize themselves and execute group initiatives for the masses just in the same way the government does—they both think and act as if they are the legitimate, local government. They both terrorize and intimidate groups of people to achieve their own objectives, despite what the true good for the greater mass would be. The Office of the Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism of the U.S. Department of State lists the criteria for an association to be legally considered a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) as: “It must be a foreign organization, the organization must engage in terrorist activity or retain the capability and intent to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism, and the organization’s terrorist activity or terrorism must threaten the security of U.S. nationals or national security of the United States”. Both the Taliban and Italian Mafia qualify. Both have also been involved in illegal drug trade as well and claim to be religious conservatives.

Bottom line: There is absolutely no need to have an underground, policing organization this day of age, especially in a country like America. These transnational terrorist groups exist simply to create economic monopolies through political intimidation and gain societal dominance.

Just do yourself a favor and try watching I cento passi or Excellent Cadavers before you go bragging about a real lifestyle that is not even close to the romanticized Godfather of American pop culture. And endorsing such falsities is completely disrespectful of those directly affected by that lifestyle, whether by choice or otherwise. I have changed. Once again, working towards a more culturally conscious, educated America. Spread the Knowledge.

Ciao.

Saga of the Lazy, Fat, Stereotypical American.

What do you want to do today? Watch a movie? Listen to some cool jams? Read a book? Maybe even go to the park? Well...all you have to do is grab your laptop and check Netflix, download some new music onto your iPod, peruse your Kindle for the latest must-reads and charge your Segway before you throw it in the car to drive to the allotted green space.

Does anyone else notice us getting lazier and lazier!? Record stores have been on their way out for a long time, with the decreased sale of CDs. Now, it's the movie rental shops that are slowly going under because of cheaper, more accessible competition. Next? Bookstores. What will people do to leave their houses?! There are already companies like Peapod that will deliver your groceries to your door and companies like Amazon and Ebay that will ship virtually anything else to your home address. Catalog ordering your clothes has been commonplace for a while too. That knocks out ninety-percent of shopping needs. So what will people do? Continue to sit on their couch with their TV on, Kindle open, Chinese delivery on the coffee table while wearing that leopard print snuggie from that damn infomercial. I mean, it's really ridiculous when you think about it. I like going to used record stores and looking through new and used albums. I like going Barnes and Noble or Borders and checking out the new releases. I even used to like walking through Blockbuster looking at all the old classics wondering what I was in the mood to watch. But how do I fight the strongest force in the world-technology? I guess I don't. Heck, you can even get a degree online these days. What next? Drinking online? I guess that would basically be a group skype session with beer? What the hell?!

I guess I can just try get out of my apartment more often for things other than school and work. God bless those who value real human interaction outside of the same building you eat, shower and sleep in everyday.