In my experience with Italy, what you get extremely varies with where you go (not only regarding food). You can expect to get good food at the "traditional" places, otherwise it's more grab bag style.

That said, American pizza is different but not worse or better. I like the kind of cheese on American pizza but not the softness of the edge.

Funniest pizza analogy I have seen in a while. Mod accordingly please.

Too much censorship of the mass media, too much promotion of consumerism. Watching stupid shows on TV and buying the latest and greatest products is what we westerners are told will make us happy. Well, the happiest people on this planet (according to a statistic I don't remember the name of) are the Colombians. They live in a country ridden by fifty years of civil war and a significant part of the population working 15 hours a day so they can eat. And they still enjoy life more than everyone else on the planet.

That alliance would be rather Germany + France, I think. They are often called the "engine" of the evolution of the European Union. Also, they are the biggest payers.

What makes you think that the US has to pay upkeep for UN property?

Yes, that's a big problem with them, the thinking that their way is the only one that can be. I travel a lot and also hang out on travel forums. The funniest I ever read there was from a fellow German living in Nicaragua. He said that the coast is overrun with American expats, who have been living there for ten or twenty years, don't know one word of Spanish and still demand that the locals speak their language. What a fucked up life that must be.

Who cares, if they make the best pizza?

Then it would be a calzone, not a pizza. I'm starting to get confused.

From what I have heard, the New York style pizza comes close to what we consume in Europe (crispy and not too much toping). But none comes even close to a real Neapolitan margherita.

I haven't looked at it yet that way: "information laundry". Mod parent up.

You must be speaking of the leaders of many countries who didn't bother to do a popular referendum, instead of a parliament vote, on such an important and fundamental matter.

Establishing, then breaking, a non aggression treaty with the USSR was a key element in the plan in the first place. He already suggested that as a necessity in "Mein Kampf", along with the invasion of France. If he wouldn't have broken the treaty for some reason, the Soviets had broken it soon on their part; they had controlled the east a few years earlier and the Third Reich would have collapsed anyway because it was ruled exclusively by one person with a deteriorating mind. Even if major events would not have taken place or had happened differently, the outcome would have been very similar because the rulers of the various war parties had their plans and visions of a post-war Europe which they followed insistently and at all costs.

Actually, that were Soviets, although most of them were ethnic Russians ;-)

Germany later returned the favor by "winning" the Cold War at the Berlin Wall, which was the beginning of the Eastern Bloc collapse sequence.

Why? If an EU citizen were trying to evade taxes by hoarding money on a US bank account, he would rather profit from the US not giving back to EU, as long as he doesn't commit crime in the US itself.

Doesn't matter. The cops can't arrest everyone. The 68's movement - those were times where people actually changed things to the better. Even if they had to squat and throw stones and molotovs as part of the strategy. Today, nobody stands up when insane laws are passed. "Ah, it's just those people up there doing their stuff."