8 ms·

BBC journos have a specific editorial style, and no doubt it influenced this headline, but this isn't to "protect food heritage". Food and drink accounts for a

by kubb 4y ago

BBC journos have a specific editorial style, and no doubt it influenced this headline, but this isn't to "protect food heritage". Food and drink accounts for a quarter of Italy's GDP. It's about money. Italy has a far-right government, which is extremely open to lobbying from that sector, and "heritage" is aligned with their nationalistic stance. Try to look a bit deeper.

scratcheee 4y ago
Yeah, pretty dubious phrasing. On the other hand, "protect food heritage" is so obviously a reframing that I didn't even concider that as the whole story.
lm28469 4y ago
You don't have to be "far right" or "nationalistic" to not want to destroy your economy
- dahfizz 4y ago
  Liking your country and not wanting to be poor are bad things nowadays
  - vman81 4y ago
    As with all poisons, it's a question of concentration. Greed and nationalism are bad, in the same way that eating a kg of table salt is bad. That doesn't mean that salt in and of itself is bad.
    - wsc981 4y ago
      Nationalism isn’t necessarily bad, it also has many good features [0]. Maybe that’s your point, but the first sentence doesn’t make it clear. ——— [0]: https://archive.ph/O27qG https://archive.ph/O27qG
      - hdhrufjdi 4y ago
        I think he made it very clear as the lack of salt will make you suffer
- 9dev 4y ago
  If your economy is entirely dependent on a doomed industry, maybe, instead of artificially keeping it alive, focus on modernising that economy instead?
  - lm28469 4y ago
    Every industry is doomed when developing countries can do the same for half the price... Which is exactly why Europe delocalised a lot of industries in the first place and is now mostly stuck with services, tourism and tech. And it's exactly what we should stop doing if we want to have anything of value left I know it's hard to believe for a lot of people on HN but not every country wants to become yet another soulless cog of the globalized world
    - withinboredom 4y ago
      I have nothing but farm for hours just 10 minutes from house in the EU. There's a lot more than "services, tourism, and tech."
      - lm28469 4y ago
        Of course, but with automation and modern mass farming techniques it represents 1% of the jobs it used to, the rest of the population has been pushed out in services &co If the future Google of lab grown meats comes in the game you'll get even more centralisation, less small/medium exploitations, and most likely 0 local production given the barrier to entry
        MichaelZuo 4y ago
        > Every industry is doomed when developing countries can do the same for half the price... Which is exactly why Europe delocalised a lot of industries in the first place and is now mostly stuck with services, tourism and tech. This seems false, if there is uninterrupted farmland for hours, regardless of what % EU farms employed?
      - unixgoddess 4y ago
- rob74 4y ago
  Maybe, but luddism and hiding your head in the sand is not the best way to ensure the long term future of your economy. Of course politicians don't have to think about the long term, just until the next election...
- soco 4y ago
  Yeah "think of the economy" gets to be a very common argument nowadays, almost like "think of the children". I remember it used for refusing any covid restrictions, or used against climate protection measures... I wonder, was it used also to justify keeping slavery?
  - xen2xen1 4y ago
    If you don't think slavery and economics had a lot to do with the American Civil War, think again.
    - cocacola1 4y ago
      Pretty sure that OP was being sarcastic.
      - soco 4y ago
        My bad for forgetting Poe's law, again.
- arlort 4y ago
  If they really wanted to protect the economy they wouldn't be preventing companies from investing in a sector that has huge potential for growth
fnmron 4y ago
[flagged]
the_doctah 4y ago
> Italy has a far-right government, which is extremely open to lobbying from that sector Ah yeah the left never takes lobby money. If you want to make a point, try not to make your bias so clear.
zvmaz 4y ago
> BBC journos have a specific editorial style, and no doubt it influenced this headline, but this isn't to "protect food heritage". I roughly checked the french press (I don't read italian): there is no account of the "food heritage" argument, but I wouldn't be surprised if the right did put forth the argument.
- Recursing 4y ago
  I read italian, it's a main argument in the Italian press. https://www-ilsole24ore-com.translate.goog/art/carne-sintetica-governo-vieta-produzione-ma-non-l-import-AE3pnyAD?_x_tr_sl=it&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp&_x_tr_hist=true https://www-ilsole24ore-com.translate.goog/art/carne-sinteti... Ctrl+F for "food culture" Plenty of other bad takes though, the worst imho is: "[lab-grown meat] is anything but natural, and is therefore an enemy of the environment"
BrotherBisquick 4y ago
Europeans are always going on about how their right wing is to the left of America's left wing (as if any American should care). So when I hear "soandso European is far-right!" then shouldn't I be forgiven for thinking, "well, then it's no big deal." If Mussolini III is indeed to the left of Joe Biden (as they keep telling me over and over and over and over and over) then...nothing to worry about, right?
- kubb 4y ago
  There are more than 40 countries in Europe, each with its own constitution, electoral system and political landscape. If you don't like nuance, stay with your republican=right, democrat=left and feel safe.

by kubb 4y ago

scratcheee 4y ago

Yeah, pretty dubious phrasing. On the other hand, "protect food heritage" is so obviously a reframing that I didn't even concider that as the whole story.

lm28469 4y ago

You don't have to be "far right" or "nationalistic" to not want to destroy your economy

dahfizz 4y ago
Liking your country and not wanting to be poor are bad things nowadays
- vman81 4y ago
  As with all poisons, it's a question of concentration. Greed and nationalism are bad, in the same way that eating a kg of table salt is bad. That doesn't mean that salt in and of itself is bad.
  - wsc981 4y ago
    Nationalism isn’t necessarily bad, it also has many good features [0]. Maybe that’s your point, but the first sentence doesn’t make it clear. ——— [0]: https://archive.ph/O27qG https://archive.ph/O27qG
    - hdhrufjdi 4y ago
      I think he made it very clear as the lack of salt will make you suffer
9dev 4y ago
If your economy is entirely dependent on a doomed industry, maybe, instead of artificially keeping it alive, focus on modernising that economy instead?
- lm28469 4y ago
  Every industry is doomed when developing countries can do the same for half the price... Which is exactly why Europe delocalised a lot of industries in the first place and is now mostly stuck with services, tourism and tech. And it's exactly what we should stop doing if we want to have anything of value left I know it's hard to believe for a lot of people on HN but not every country wants to become yet another soulless cog of the globalized world
  - withinboredom 4y ago
    I have nothing but farm for hours just 10 minutes from house in the EU. There's a lot more than "services, tourism, and tech."
    - lm28469 4y ago
      Of course, but with automation and modern mass farming techniques it represents 1% of the jobs it used to, the rest of the population has been pushed out in services &co If the future Google of lab grown meats comes in the game you'll get even more centralisation, less small/medium exploitations, and most likely 0 local production given the barrier to entry
      - MichaelZuo 4y ago
        > Every industry is doomed when developing countries can do the same for half the price... Which is exactly why Europe delocalised a lot of industries in the first place and is now mostly stuck with services, tourism and tech. This seems false, if there is uninterrupted farmland for hours, regardless of what % EU farms employed?
    - unixgoddess 4y ago
rob74 4y ago
Maybe, but luddism and hiding your head in the sand is not the best way to ensure the long term future of your economy. Of course politicians don't have to think about the long term, just until the next election...
soco 4y ago
Yeah "think of the economy" gets to be a very common argument nowadays, almost like "think of the children". I remember it used for refusing any covid restrictions, or used against climate protection measures... I wonder, was it used also to justify keeping slavery?
- xen2xen1 4y ago
  If you don't think slavery and economics had a lot to do with the American Civil War, think again.
  - cocacola1 4y ago
    Pretty sure that OP was being sarcastic.
    - soco 4y ago
      My bad for forgetting Poe's law, again.
arlort 4y ago
If they really wanted to protect the economy they wouldn't be preventing companies from investing in a sector that has huge potential for growth

fnmron 4y ago

[flagged]

the_doctah 4y ago

> Italy has a far-right government, which is extremely open to lobbying from that sector Ah yeah the left never takes lobby money. If you want to make a point, try not to make your bias so clear.

zvmaz 4y ago

> BBC journos have a specific editorial style, and no doubt it influenced this headline, but this isn't to "protect food heritage". I roughly checked the french press (I don't read italian): there is no account of the "food heritage" argument, but I wouldn't be surprised if the right did put forth the argument.

Recursing 4y ago
I read italian, it's a main argument in the Italian press. https://www-ilsole24ore-com.translate.goog/art/carne-sintetica-governo-vieta-produzione-ma-non-l-import-AE3pnyAD?_x_tr_sl=it&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp&_x_tr_hist=true https://www-ilsole24ore-com.translate.goog/art/carne-sinteti... Ctrl+F for "food culture" Plenty of other bad takes though, the worst imho is: "[lab-grown meat] is anything but natural, and is therefore an enemy of the environment"

BrotherBisquick 4y ago

Europeans are always going on about how their right wing is to the left of America's left wing (as if any American should care). So when I hear "soandso European is far-right!" then shouldn't I be forgiven for thinking, "well, then it's no big deal." If Mussolini III is indeed to the left of Joe Biden (as they keep telling me over and over and over and over and over) then...nothing to worry about, right?

kubb 4y ago
There are more than 40 countries in Europe, each with its own constitution, electoral system and political landscape. If you don't like nuance, stay with your republican=right, democrat=left and feel safe.