The Washington Post has proposed the worst idea I've heard in a while. One of the few things in the world that I do not wish I could magically fix is Italian coffee culture. In fact, I have in the past held it up as a model for the rest of the world, a coffee culture that we would do well to emulate. The prices are affordable, the calorie count is lower, the focus is on efficient caffeination with a healthy dose of community, and – perhaps most importantly – there is no hideous trail of trash.

So you can imagine my surprise when a Washington Post article popped up on my computer this morning, suggesting that Italian coffee culture is in desperate need of an overhaul – and that it should take this lesson from the United States! Scratching my head, I tried to make sense of author Chico Harlan's argument.