Quintusarrius

Slighly off topic... I remember reading about one of the philosophers of the early Italian Fascist movement vehemently advocating the abandonment of pasta as part of the national diet and the adoption of rice, due to the obvious martial prowess of the Japanese and the apparent love of peaceful contentment endemic in the Italian psyche. You have got to love someone who is as gleefully barking mad mental as that really... I'm with the "Italians being sensible and throwing in the towel like any other sensible individual". Stick most people in the middle of the desert with their water supplies interdicted, little or no motor transport and an enemy who has tanks that you cannot touch and I expect that there'll be a lot of white flags fluttering. I've got a lot of time for the Italians (their navy especially), poor s0ds were just on the wrong side.