Several months ago I was given a ride from an Italian woman who lives part time with her husband in a small town in Istria, but who works in a hospital in Trieste. As we made our way to the train station, one of us mentioned that the Chinese were investing in this or that feature of the city, probably the harbor; it is funny that it was one of those seamless conversations where you can’t remember who said what.

In any case, she said that it seemed that Italians did not own anything anymore, even in their own country. I do remember clearly that it was she who said this. Of course, it was an exaggeration that she made for rhetorical effect, and it was well done because she made her point.