"Get on board, dick!"

The above phrase is taken from the infuriating-comic conversation between Italian Coast Guard official Gregorio De Falco and Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino the night of the disaster.  An audio recording of the conversation, released in the days afterward, riveted people worldwide, especially in Italy. Almost immediately Italians began printing tee shirts emblazoned with the phrase.

The phrase has become metaphor for Italians.  Embarrassed by their economic plight, by the comic disaster of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's tenure, even by World War II, some Italians see the better angel of their soul in De Falco and the worser in Schettino.  Vada a bordo, cazzo! means to Italians, let's clean up our economic act, let's get on board with new "technocrat" Prime Minister Mario Monti, let's act responsibly as De Falco did, not cowardly as Schettino did, and as we did in World War II.

The Italian people are seeking their collective soul in the aftermath of the Costa Concordia.  Good for them.