Rome Journal: The Leopard

You might describe America as a meritocracy where those in the highest echelons of society earn enough money so they no longer have to work--something which can lead to suicide. Every society has its own topography. Is Italy or Roman society in particular a competitive dog eat dog world in which outsized financial instruments facilitate the "income inequality" Thomas Piketty has described? When Italians voted for a Republic over Monarchy on June 2,1946, the results were a close call. Lampedusa's The Leopard may have described the decline of the old order with the Risogimento and Garibaldi's triumphant march to Rome. However, the antiquities Romans so proudly cherish betoken the strength of their ties to the past. Despite its socialist leanings, Rome is a hereditary aristocracy to the extent that every citizen has inherited and lives in a highly revered past--and present with fashionistas like Versace and Valentino creating their own noble lines.

read Rome Journal: The Screaming Pope, HuffPost

and listen to "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett