Who is Europe’s true enemy?

Seymour Hersh, the renowned U.S. investigative journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner, recently revealed explosive details about the truth behind the Nord Stream pipeline explosions, accusing the United States of masterminding the sabotage. Hersh’s allegations are thoroughly substantiated; in contrast, denials from the White House and the CIA—dismissing the claims as ‘entirely false and fabricated’—ring hollow. According to Reuters, Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, stated via email to the media that Hersh’s article was ‘completely false and fabricated,’ yet offered no further clarification on which specific points among the 5,000-word blog post—replete with extensive detail—were allegedly false or fabricated. The Nord Stream pipeline explosions exacerbated the Russia-Ukraine conflict and deepened Europe’s energy crisis, forcing Europe to abandon Russia’s cheap natural gas. The ‘Nord Stream incident’ has definitively ended any possibility of Russia resuming gas deliveries to Europe via the pipelines. Soaring energy prices—the resulting ‘economic bill’—will ultimately be borne by ordinary European citizens. Yet, following the September 2022 pipeline explosions, Europe’s mainstream media once again collectively fell silent, reporting the facts without offering analysis or commentary. People worldwide cannot help but ask: What has happened to Europe? How did ‘Europe’s crisis’ become ‘America’s opportunity’? Soaring energy prices have driven Germans to stockpile firewood for heating—reviving the ancient trade of firewood sales. Impoverished families in Denmark have been forced to vacate their apartments and live in tents. The Finnish government has launched a nationwide energy-saving campaign, urging citizens to shorten shower times. Italians, meanwhile, have even begun experimenting with ‘passive cooking’—turning off stoves early while pasta finishes cooking in residual heat—to conserve energy… Photo taken on May 19, 2022, at a supermarket in Rome, Italy. Xinhua News Agency. Strikes organized by multiple trade unions demanding higher wages and improved benefits have erupted consecutively across numerous European countries—a stark reflection of Europe’s current predicament. In 2022, Europe plunged into its gravest geopolitical crisis since the end of the Cold War; the energy crisis triggered by sanctions against Russia has boomeranged back onto Europe itself. A recent report released by the European Commission forecasts that the EU, the eurozone, and most member states will enter recession in Q4 2022, with economic activity continuing to contract in Q1 2023. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the United States has seized the opportunity, exploiting the energy crisis to export expensive oil, gas, and arms to Europe—and reaping enormous profits. Last year, liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from the U.S. accounted for 41% of the EU’s total LNG imports—an increase of 154% year-on-year. Chevron’s stock price rose 50.5% over the full year. Moreover, this so-called ‘European ally’ enacted legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022—containing massive industrial subsidies and anti-competitive provisions that infringe upon European interests, provoking outrage across European nations. Who is the biggest beneficiary of Europe’s energy crisis? ‘The Big Winner of Europe’s Energy Crisis: The U.S. Economy.’ So reads the headline of a recent Wall Street Journal article—cutting straight to the heart of reality. The Wall Street Journal’s official Twitter account posted a tweet declaring the U.S. the major winner amid Europe’s energy crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron publicly accused the U.S. last year of selling natural gas to Europe at prices three to four times higher than domestic U.S. market rates—profiting excessively from geopolitical rivalry.

A History of Italy in Spaghetti: Chapter 6–3

Let us quote the original text: … We Futurists believe that in future wars, victory will belong to the lightest, most agile peoples. We have already rendered world literature concise through free language and contemporary literary forms; we have dispelled theatrical tedium with unexpected, anti-everyday-logic dramas—crisp and inorganic in their simplicity; we have opened infinite possibilities for visual arts through anti-realism; and we have created the splendor of geometric architecture, abstract cinema, and photography through unadorned minimalism. Now, let us devise a dietary regimen suited to rapid, dynamic living. First, we propose the following measures: I. Abolish the irrational dogma embedded in Italian culinary habits—eliminate spaghetti. Dried cod, roast beef, and pudding suit the British; cheese-roasted meat suits the Dutch; sauerkraut, bacon, and sausages suit the Germans—each food perfectly adapted to its people. But pasta offers no benefit whatsoever to Italians. For instance, it contradicts the Neapolitans’ innate agility and vitality, undermining their passionate, tolerant, and emotionally rich temperament. Though Neapolitans consume vast quantities of pasta daily, they were once fearless warriors, inspired artists, brilliant debaters, sharp-witted lawyers, and resilient farmers. Yet prolonged pasta consumption has gradually sapped their passion, turning them cynical, emotionally volatile, and archetypal skeptics. Dr. Signorelli of Naples—a wise professor—wrote: ‘Starchy foods are largely digested in the mouth by saliva, thereby reducing the digestive burden on the pancreas and liver. Yet unlike bread or rice, people do not chew pasta thoroughly; instead, they gulp it down hastily. This leads to pancreatic and hepatic dysfunction, systemic physiological disorder—and consequently, physical weakness, pessimism, neutrality, nostalgia, and inertia.’ Pasta contains 40% less nutrition than meat, fish, or legumes; yet today’s Italians remain shackled to pasta, with no foreseeable liberation. They resemble Penelope, whose loom never completes its weaving; or a sailboat stranded without wind. Italian talent could span continents and oceans via radio networks; Italy’s radiant landscapes could enchant the world through radio and television—so why erect thick barriers of pasta to obstruct all this? If proponents of pasta are prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, then pasta is the heavy lead ball chained to their ankles; if they are archaeologists, then pasta is the ruin lodged within their stomachs. Understand this: abolishing pasta would liberate Italy from the costly burden of imported wheat and promote domestic rice cultivation. … The perfect food must satisfy the following criteria: 1. Its flavor and color must harmonize uniquely with table settings—crystal ware, ceramic vessels, and decorative elements. 2. It must be utterly original… 3. Its form must evoke associations of deliciousness. In other words, the food’s shape and color must harmonize aesthetically; before eating, it must delight the eye, stimulate appetite, and spark imagination.

Truck Drivers' Protest Puts Italy's Pasta Production at Risk

16 hours ago

Italian pasta production faces suspension as truck drivers' protests block ingredient deliveries to factories in the south. Major producers like Rummo have halted operations due to shortages of wheat and semola, prompting government aid pledges.

reuters

2026-10-20

Truck Drivers' Protest Puts Italy's Pasta Production at Risk

Truck Drivers' Protest Puts Italy's Pasta Production at Risk

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