Italy's Chickens Have Come Home To Roost

Regarding "7 quake experts convicted for failing to warn of risks" (Page A4, Tuesday), in a bizarre move, Italian courts convicted those scientists of manslaughter for failing to predict earthquakes that resulted in the death of hundreds of people.  The article points out the absurdity of holding people criminally responsible for such an inexact science, where the outcome is anything but certain. 

 

If Italian prosecutors want to pursue real malpractice in Italian society, I recommend they start with the politicians and financial ministers that convinced the Italian people that it was OK to fund their lavish welfare state with an orgy of debt.  Those chickens have now come home to roost, and Italian society teeters on the brink of collapse.

 

When that collapse happens, they won't be measuring the number of deaths in the hundreds, and unlike earthquake science, there's no lack of evidence as to the malpractice.  Fortunately, Italy's criminal justice system is geared up to prosecute the perpetrators.

 

Pete Smith

Cypress