Could you ever imagine this policy being taken seriously in the United States?
Check out this pledge— in the wake of the Paris attacks — from Italy’s Social Democratic Prime Minister Matteo Renzi:
They want terror, we respond with culture that is stronger than ignorance. We will never change our way of life, our identity, and surrender before them.
The Italian way is to spend a euro in culture for every euro spent on security.
It’s true: Italy’s government is really pledging to spend as much on art, museums, and music — facilitating access for the young and socially-excluded in Italy’s deprived suburbs — as it is on policing and intelligence gathering.
In response to the Paris attacks Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has announced that Italy will spend €1billion (£700million) each on culture and security.
Renzi said yesterday that half the extra money for culture would go to the decaying suburbs of big cities. And all 18-year-old Italians would get a "culture card" worth €500 to spend on theatres, museums and archaeological sites.
This is beautiful, humane policy. This is how we “win” against the terrorists.