A country beyond all norms

The left-liberal daily La Repubblica comments on Italy's image in the international media: "If you read the foreign papers you see immediately that an earthquake in Italy has very different consequences than in Japan or California. ... In terms of earthquake security, there is no balance in Italy beween working outside of and in compliance with the norms. As the world is discovering, Italy lies outside all norms. No one respects building regulations. Certainly, these cannot prevent earthquakes ... but they do urge us to use caution, and to go the extra step to save lives. ... Even if we can't stop the destructive force of nature, it should not be said abroad that we are a lawless country. ... Earthquake security technology must be applied, the iron that supports our concrete must be measured. We need builders, authorities, legislators and judges made of steel."

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