--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Italy is divided between us and them…" description: "\"Italy is divided between us and them, rich and poor, north and south, young and old, employed and unemployed.\" — Romano Prodi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/romano-prodi-19515_divided_italy-is-divided-between-us-and-them-ric_118112.png" --- # Italy is divided between us and them, rich and poor, north… ![“Italy is divided between us and them, rich and poor, north and south, young and old, employed and unemployed.” quote by Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/romano-prodi-19515_divided_italy-is-divided-between-us-and-them-ric_118112.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/romano-prodi-19515_divided_italy-is-divided-between-us-and-them-ric_118112.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/romano-prodi-19515_divided_italy-is-divided-between-us-and-them-ric_118112.png) > “Italy is divided between us and them, rich and poor, north and south, young and old, employed and unemployed.” [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Italy's social and economic divisions cut across geography, age, and employment status, creating an us‑vs‑them dynamic. **In simple terms:** Italy is split by wealth, region, age, and work. Key Takeaway Multiple cleavages fragment national unity. Themes social division regional disparity economic inequality demographics Mood concerned critical Type analysis sociopolitical When to use this quote - political campaigning - public policy design - community building Key Concepts polarization Practical Applications - promote inclusive dialogue - targeted regional development Questions to Reflect On - What policies can bridge regional economic gaps? - How can inter‑generational solidarity be fostered? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on division may overlook common national identity elements. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Italy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/italy/) [Rich and poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-and-poor/) [Unemployed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unemployed/) [Vaccines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vaccines/) ## Related quotes > [The World Has Divided into Rich and Poor as at No Time in History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maude-barlow/the-world-has-divided-into-rich-and-poor-as-at-no-time-in-history/) [Maude Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maude-barlow/) > [Mankind is divided into rich and poor, into property owners and exploited; and to abstract oneself from this fundamental division; and from the antagonism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/mankind-is-divided-into-rich-and-poor-into-property-owners-and/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [I am a citizen of a country that has just undergone a thieved election, a country deeply and dangerously divided between rich and poor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/i-am-a-citizen-of-a-country-that-has-just-undergone-a-thieved/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [“The future generation is not divided by rich or poor but fast and slow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alwintoffler/the-future-generation-is-not-divided-by-rich-or-poor-but-fast-and-slow/) alwinToffler > [Never was Italy as divided as she is now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-azeglio-in-1863/never-was-italy-as-divided-as-she-is-now/) DâAzeglio In 1863 > [Italy is a divided country without a center.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-lacroix/italy-is-a-divided-country-without-a-center/) [Christian Lacroix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-lacroix/) > [“Butterflies have always had wings; people have always had legs. While history is marked by the hybridity of human societies & the desire for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harsha-walia/butterflies-have-always-had-wings-people-have-always-had-legs-while/) [Harsha Walia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harsha-walia/) > [I was told, continued Egremont, that an impassable gulf divided the Rich from the Poor; I was told that the Privileged and the People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/i-was-told-continued-egremont-that-an-impassable-gulf-divided-the/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [We no longer live in a world that is neatly divided between rich and well-educated countries, and poor and badly-educated ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-schleicher/we-no-longer-live-in-a-world-that-is-neatly-divided-between-rich-and/) [Andreas Schleicher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-schleicher/) > [Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/have-compassion-for-all-beings-rich-and-poor-alike-each-has-their/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/an-imbalance-between-rich-and-poor-is-the-oldest-and-most-fatal/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [I don't want there to be this separation between the rich and poor. I may be part of the three percent because I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-wayans/i-don-t-want-there-to-be-this-separation-between-the-rich-and-poor-i/) [Marlon Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-wayans/) > [The wealthy class often looks down on the poor as "those people." And deprived people view the rich as cold and heartless. The way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/the-wealthy-class-often-looks-down-on-the-poor-as-those-people-and/) [George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/) > [Both to the rich and poor, wine is the happy antidote for sorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/both-to-the-rich-and-poor-wine-is-the-happy-antidote-for-sorrow/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Excuses cost a dime and that's why the poor could afford a lot of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/excuses-cost-a-dime-and-that-s-why-the-poor-could-afford-a-lot-of-it/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) ## More by Romano Prodi > [Berlusconi is no longer fit to lead our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/berlusconi-is-no-longer-fit-to-lead-our-country/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [Foreign policy can mean several things, not only foreign policy in the narrow sense. It can cover foreign policy, relations with the developing world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/foreign-policy-can-mean-several-things-not-only-foreign-policy-in-the/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [We must now face the difficult task of moving towards a single economy, a single political entity .. For the first time since the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/we-must-now-face-the-difficult-task-of-moving-towards-a-single/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [So when you are faced with a decision on the euro, it is not surprising that many people are confused. They still try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/so-when-you-are-faced-with-a-decision-on-the-euro-it-is-not/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [The Italian economy is certainly the weakest of the big European countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/the-italian-economy-is-certainly-the-weakest-of-the-big-european/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [The problem of Italy is not really a question of age. Japan has an older population, and it is now in full economic recovery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/the-problem-of-italy-is-not-really-a-question-of-age-japan-has-an/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [The extremist, isolationist policies of Jean-Marie Le Pen have been rejected and crushed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/the-extremist-isolationist-policies-of-jean-marie-le-pen-have-been/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [I don't want to pass a punitive law, or use politics as a vendetta.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/i-don-t-want-to-pass-a-punitive-law-or-use-politics-as-a-vendetta/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [In the darkest days of European history, America stood close by us and today we stand close by America. Nothing will ever be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/in-the-darkest-days-of-european-history-america-stood-close-by-us-and/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [I am not a newcomer, you know, so I want to be judged for what I did when I was prime minister last time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/i-am-not-a-newcomer-you-know-so-i-want-to-be-judged-for-what-i-did/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [We are involved in a constitution-building process of historic importance. The Convention should mark a new stage in European integration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/we-are-involved-in-a-constitution-building-process-of-historic/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [Are we all clear that we want to build something that can aspire to be a world power - not just a trading bloc,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/are-we-all-clear-that-we-want-to-build-something-that-can-aspire-to/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [Think what a revolution it will be if we manage to get everyone to pay their taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/think-what-a-revolution-it-will-be-if-we-manage-to-get-everyone-to/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [There are times when the welfare system may appear as an impediment to growth. Yet the drive for growth should always bear in mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/there-are-times-when-the-welfare-system-may-appear-as-an-impediment/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [Democracies must have equilibrium... and the entanglement of politics and information must be minimized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/democracies-must-have-equilibrium-and-the-entanglement-of-politics/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) [Explore all 32 Romano Prodi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) ## More Divided quotes > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [We have a war on women, race wars. Income wars, age wars, religious wars, anything you can imagine. A house divided against itself cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/we-have-a-war-on-women-race-wars-income-wars-age-wars-religious-wars/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [Any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one the city of the poor, the other of the rich; these are at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/any-city-however-small-is-in-fact-divided-into-two-one-the-city-of/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Men can be divided into 2 groups: one that goes ahead and achieves something, and one that comes after and criticizes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/men-can-be-divided-into-2-groups-one-that-goes-ahead-and-achieves/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Obstinate people can be divided into the opinionated, the ignorant, and the boorish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/obstinate-people-can-be-divided-into-the-opinionated-the-ignorant-and/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [In every European nation, there have been problems in history when the society was too divided.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harri-holkeri/in-every-european-nation-there-have-been-problems-in-history-when-the/) [Harri Holkeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harri-holkeri/) > [I have a recurring daymare that when the Glorious People's SWAT Teams smash their way in, most of us - by which I mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/i-have-a-recurring-daymare-that-when-the-glorious-people-s-swat-teams/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [The Oslo Accords in 1993 determined that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are a single territorial entity which cannot be divided. Immediately,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-oslo-accords-in-1993-determined-that-the-gaza-strip-and-the-west/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Even virtue is an art; and even its devotees are divided into those who practise it and those who are merely amateurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/even-virtue-is-an-art-and-even-its-devotees-are-divided-into-those/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Many a professing Christian is a stumbling-block because his worship is divided. On Sunday he worships God; on weekdays God has little or no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/many-a-professing-christian-is-a-stumbling-block-because-his-worship/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [Belief in oneself is a crucial quality of leadership, because 'a house divided against itself cannot stand.' A leader who fluctuates back and forth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-beth-jones/belief-in-oneself-is-a-crucial-quality-of-leadership-because-a-house/) [Laurie Beth Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-beth-jones/) > [“The world has never been as divided as it is now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-never-been-as-divided-as-it-is-now/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I never yet have known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord's people were divided.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/i-never-yet-have-known-the-spirit-of-god-to-work-where-the-lord-s/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [American views today are weak, confused, and divided. On one side, many progressive liberals still think that we humans are essentially good and getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/american-views-today-are-weak-confused-and-divided-on-one-side-many/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) Browse all 1,017 Divided quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Italy is divided between us and them, rich and poor, north and south, young and old, employed and unemployed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Romano Prodi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/italy-is-divided-between-us-and-them-rich-and-poor-north-and-south/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Divided" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/italy-is-divided-between-us-and-them-rich-and-poor-north-and-south/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/romano-prodi-19515_divided_italy-is-divided-between-us-and-them-ric_118112.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/romano-prodi-19515_divided_italy-is-divided-between-us-and-them-ric_118112.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/romano-prodi-19515_divided_italy-is-divided-between-us-and-them-ric_118112.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Italy is divided between us and them, rich and poor, north and south, young and old, employed and unemployed.” — Romano Prodi", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Romano Prodi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Italy is divided between us and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/italy-is-divided-between-us-and-them-rich-and-poor-north-and-south/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/italy-is-divided-between-us-and-them-rich-and-poor-north-and-south/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```