I wouldn't know, I did 5 years public schooling in Virginia but they only taught French, in those days Spanish was considered "foreign".

As for stingy-greedy, I'd also include "stupid".
When the Allies decided to "teach those crummy WOPS a lesson" in 1946, not only did they split a town in half along the river (Gorìzia was split and the eastern half was given to Yugoslavia, renamed "Nova Gòritsa") just like Berlin...
...they didn't even check the local maps and split peoples' back yards from their homes, and the border sliced the local railroad, one rail to Italy, one rail to Yugoslavia!

Notice the road sign informing you of the border crossing; notice the railway overhead...
Roads were made impracticable because as they would climb/descend hills, bends and hairpins would "crossborder" a few feet into the adjoining Country!

Imagine a road block with submachine guns and dogs...

Just to go around the bend !!!

The Romans were much more pragmatic, "you pay taxes, you live long and prosper; you raise fuss, we crush you"
One would have thought you guys had learned ...