Europe - If Countries Could Move

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Europe - if countries could move May 21, 2010
A great little video about Europe, and what the map could look like if countries could move:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/theworldin2010/2010/05/map



It's a visual representation of this article:
http://www.economist.com/world/europe/d ... d=16003661

Interesting points, I thought. :P

(The comments to the article are also funny, on many levels)

Cheers,
Shafique

shafique
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Re: Europe - if countries could move May 21, 2010
Common consensus, Let's send Russia to the Moon :lol:

This comment was hilarious" I think Britain should be moved somwhere closer to Pakistan to better represent culture and demography."

I loved this one,
"Finland's new location should be, preferably, somewhere near the Bahamas, because the Finns have also put up with being next to Russia over 500 years, as have the Poles, and it would be only fair that the Swedes should take their turn in being neutral and doing the kow-towing to the Russians- unless Russia will be sent to the moon(an excellent idea) or next to North Korea.All the same, the Finns would enjoy a new location in warmer climate than now.
p.s. Please, move the 10,000 lakes we have to our new location for the fresh water supply and fishing."

Cheeky as hell this one "Which American staffer got to write this hilarious piece?" :lol: :lol:

"The only change that should be made to your new map of Europe, requires England be set in the middle of the Atlantic as a reward for its unitigated provicialism and its continuing failure to embrace European opportunities."
Misery Called Life
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Re: Europe - If Countries Could Move May 21, 2010
Genius indeed.

Did you notice that it was mostly the Italians who were having a major 'sense of humour failure'. I mean this guy is Italian-American, and he's definitely not amused:

"I am form Southern Italy but live in the USA. I can appreciate a good joke but naming my land of origin "bordello" is not a good joke, not a joke at all. I have been reading the Economist more or less regularly but as soon as this message is posted I will remove the Economist from my favorites and no longer read it unless I see an apology on the Economist and I am informed of this apology via e-mail to my e-mail address. I also suggest to all the other readers offended by this labelling to do the same."

Made me laugh harder.

Cheers,
Shafique
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Re: Europe - If Countries Could Move May 21, 2010
shafique wrote:Genius indeed.

Did you notice that it was mostly the Italians who were having a major 'sense of humour failure'. I mean this guy is Italian-American, and he's definitely not amused:

"I am form Southern Italy but live in the USA. I can appreciate a good joke but naming my land of origin "bordello" is not a good joke, not a joke at all. I have been reading the Economist more or less regularly but as soon as this message is posted I will remove the Economist from my favorites and no longer read it unless I see an apology on the Economist and I am informed of this apology via e-mail to my e-mail address. I also suggest to all the other readers offended by this labelling to do the same."

Made me laugh harder.

Cheers,
Shafique


Naa I'm with the Italians here, it was rather distasteful to call the entire southern Italy a brothel. Credit to the Italians at least they did'nt block the website while I'm pretty sure many other countries would've.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5a5a33f4-646f ... ab49a.html

And for that matter try calling any country a brothel, I doubt the humor would be much appreciated.

Apart from that one word, the entire article was well pieced and the comments even better.
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Re: Europe - If Countries Could Move May 21, 2010
I guess it must a Brit humour thing. And I agree, the Italians at least didn't block the site! ;)

The Economist even made a point of referring to it in the blurb that went with the video:

We hope it will be even more controversial.To those who find the "Bordello" reference to the southern bits of Italy offensive, we would cite a comment made by an erudite Italian reader about the original map.

Most vaguely literate Europeans will remember Dante Alighieri’s Divina Commedia, Purgatory, Canto VI, lines 76-78

Ahi serva Italia, di dolore ostello,
nave sanza nocchiere in gran tempesta,
non donna di province, ma bordello!

(Alas enslaved Italy, abode of anguish,
ship with no pilot in a great storm,
not ruler of provinces, but bordello!)

Which goes to show, inter alia, that the Italian word “bordello” has actually two different meanings: besides being literally “a cheap whorehouse”, it also means metaphorically any place or situation of troublesome confusion. And most Italian speakers know perfectly well that in modern colloquial Italian the second meaning is in fact the usual one: everybody understands that a class of unruly kids may be “making a bordello”, without that implying anything much more offensive for the children themselves other than bad manners and a lack of self discipline.

The indignation displayed by so many readers appears thus to be somewhat less than perfectly candid.
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Re: Europe - if countries could move May 21, 2010
Misery Called Life wrote:"Finland's new location should be, preferably, somewhere near the Bahamas, because the Finns have also put up with being next to Russia over 500 years, as have the Poles, and it would be only fair that the Swedes should take their turn in being neutral and doing the kow-towing to the Russians- unless Russia will be sent to the moon(an excellent idea) or next to North Korea.All the same, the Finns would enjoy a new location in warmer climate than now.


Well... well... Stud, it seems that Geography was not your cup of tea. Russia has common border with North Korea. :blackeye: 8)

Finns have been absolutely happy to have Russia as a neighbour for last 60 years. So they are hardly going to change their very profitable location and unlimited source of cheap alcohol just next door. :wink:


As for the ticket to the Moon you should ask Hollywood producers first as they sent people in dozens there 40 years ago. By now technical possibilities have been inproved a lot. So I'm sure they can send all Russians to the Moon even in 3D. The issue is the cost of tickets in the Cristmass eve.
8) 8) 8)
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Re: Europe - If Countries Could Move May 21, 2010
shafique wrote:I guess it must a Brit humour thing. And I agree, the Italians at least didn't block the site! ;)

The Economist even made a point of referring to it in the blurb that went with the video:

We hope it will be even more controversial.To those who find the "Bordello" reference to the southern bits of Italy offensive, we would cite a comment made by an erudite Italian reader about the original map.

Most vaguely literate Europeans will remember Dante Alighieri’s Divina Commedia, Purgatory, Canto VI, lines 76-78

Ahi serva Italia, di dolore ostello,
nave sanza nocchiere in gran tempesta,
non donna di province, ma bordello!

(Alas enslaved Italy, abode of anguish,
ship with no pilot in a great storm,
not ruler of provinces, but bordello!)

Which goes to show, inter alia, that the Italian word “bordello” has actually two different meanings: besides being literally “a cheap whorehouse”, it also means metaphorically any place or situation of troublesome confusion. And most Italian speakers know perfectly well that in modern colloquial Italian the second meaning is in fact the usual one: everybody understands that a class of unruly kids may be “making a bordello”, without that implying anything much more offensive for the children themselves other than bad manners and a lack of self discipline.

The indignation displayed by so many readers appears thus to be somewhat less than perfectly candid.


The first article was bad enough, but to justify it? I have a feeling the guys at economist are really pushing it here.
Unruly kids "making a bordello" sounds utterly juvenile, I'm sure there are more appropriate words in the Italian dialect.

-- Fri May 21, 2010 3:31 pm --

Red Chief wrote:
Misery Called Life wrote:"Finland's new location should be, preferably, somewhere near the Bahamas, because the Finns have also put up with being next to Russia over 500 years, as have the Poles, and it would be only fair that the Swedes should take their turn in being neutral and doing the kow-towing to the Russians- unless Russia will be sent to the moon(an excellent idea) or next to North Korea.All the same, the Finns would enjoy a new location in warmer climate than now.


Well... well... Stud, it seems that Geography was not your cup of tea. Russia has common border with North Korea. :blackeye: 8)
8) 8) 8)


Pff is that a border? That too just 16km?
I think the sentiment was let Russia fully align one part of it's border with NK. Lol besides it's not my idea I was simply reiterating the sentiments of the people.
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Re: Europe - if countries could move May 22, 2010
I am sure the French would not want to move as, of course, everything in their country is perfect apart from the other people who are not French having to go there...

The Belgians are so boring they would only want to move to a country that is like theirs. So Holland!

The Dutch would want a change of scenery so somewhere with mountains, like Switzerland. Then they would complain because its hard to ride their bikes uphill!

The Germans would like ALL the countries in Europe...to be German! But they tried that already. Twice.

The Italians would like to move somewhere the food is as good as theirs...like Thailand?

The Spanish would like to move somewhere the wine is better than theirs...like anywhere!

The Poles have all moved to England already.

And the Brits don't care where they move as long as the pub is open and the girl on page 3 of the Sun has big t*ts!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

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