A baby sitter state

The Independent, in an article dated 18 August, states that a “tempest” of new laws and rules are making Italy “the greatest baby-sitter state” with citizens considered as babies to control and protect.

The author, Peter Popham, shows a better understanding of Italy than his colleague, Italian…of Newsweek.

Indeed, Berlusconi won the elections due to the total lack of communication strategy of the Prodi’s government and also sailing on security: against immigrants, illegal and legal who are however essential to the economy -most are employed by good Italians…who complain, against rapes committed by immigrants while there is more local violence, who want “cleaner” cities and forget the real criminality, the Mafia.

Even the Catholic magazine for excellence, Famiglia Cristiana, the weekly with the largest distribution in Italy (one million copies per week), wrote about the risks of fascism in view of the laws promulgated by the Lega North interior Minister with the blessing of Berlusconi. And they were defined “crypto communists” by Government officials.

Increasing police power is given to majors who are incompetent in this area and take all kind of stupid measures, especially in the areas controlled by the Lega Nord and in Rome, with a hard neo-fascist major. And the Minister of Interior tries to undermine in this way the role and authority of “prefetti”, the government representatives in the field, who report to him. Competent, trained, devoted to the State. Contrary to the lord majors devoted to their local little interests for their re-election.

The Independent points out that Berlusconi claims that he will simplify the governance of Italy, and created a Ministry for that, while he allows his interior Minister to pass decrees that on the contrary increase rules, local laws, decrees that make a mess of the situation. Soon one, before entering a city will have to stop for ten minutes to read panels listing all what is forbidden…. Making me regret the simple posters in Louisiana and Mississippi, for example, reminding citizen that it is forbidden to carry fire arms on the beach or on university campuses.

It is interesting to read what Peter Pohpman* wrote about his article that made the Italian Press and politicians cry wolf: “(…) many years ago I got in love with Italy (…) discovering a country that merged elegance and freedom, beautiful natural sceneries and beautiful art created by man, tolerance a tradition of informal ways of living, the clear result of an ancient civilization, (apparently) mature. If now, on the Independent I talk about the many new laws promulgated in Italy to ban informality and limit freedom, it is because I am very sad in noticing that in this way civilization id regressing, substituted by the big shoes and rifles of a police state.(…). Berlusconi took power thanks to “the security emergency” But the real security emergency is and existential emergency, which lives in the mind of people when it reacts in a panic mode to a world that is suddenly changing. Italy has many serious social problems, but instead of looking for long term solutions (…), those who have the power promulgate hundreds of laws and rules little thought of aiming at giving the impression that they take concrete steps and puts the army in the streets. (…) In Italy, like in the UK, the true victims of a police state are the citizens”.

He said it all.

*A letter to the Director published in Repubblica on 19 August 2008

Photo :fivebeforechaos.com

Miracle ? no sir, yu’re wrong

Newsweek, in a surprising article dated 89 August, talk about miracles allegedly made by Berlusconi during his first 100 days in power (this time…).

But, apart from the “emblematic” cleaning of garbage in Naples, I already commented favorably myself sharing the however the questions mark of the author, all what he quotes has nothing of a miracle.

A law to protect himself from well advanced judicial trials cannot be a miracle. Attempting to destroy the judicial system for his own personal interests is not a miracle, is danger for democracy, everywhere, including in Pakistan. But the author does not mention it.

Putting 3000 soldiers in the streets (about 700 at any point in time) when Italy already has more than 400,000 police and other security personnel is pure bullshit. Useful as propaganda but diverting the attention to small larceny while the plague is the real crime, the Mafia, the N’drangheta, the Camorra who increase daily their grip on Italian economy recycling their capitals.

As the Independent recently pointed out, Berlusconi is destroying the state thanks to the Lega Nord Ministers who give more and more power to unprepared lord mayors on security matters and more funds to the rich regions sinking even more the corrupt South thanks also to the absolute absence of the neo-fascist former Alleanza Nazionale too keen to stay in power and unable to face the blackmail of the Lega Nord essential for them to stay in power: suppressing a tax that was the main source of income for a the all municipalities without knowing how to compensate the lack of resources; dealing with his own legal problems instead of giving priority to the economy which is collapsing; staying silent on Georgia (he phoned his friend Putin, the same one he had once declared that he is a “real democrat”…)

In spite of the title of the article and six long paragraphs praising Berlusconi, the author, a certain Jacopo Barigazzi, ends it with these two sentences: “Italians like him (Berlusconi) now, but what they really want is economic stability. Cleaning up trash and harassing immigrants won't be enough.” So why such a title?

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Security First

One of the main arguments that brought Berlusconi again to power was “security”. A traditional subject used by the right and exploited to an unbelievable point by Berlusconi’s allies, former and current fascists.

The Italian economy is collapsing, taxes were not reduced as promised (one was canceled but the money will come from other sources, still from taxes), but promises are made to the Vatican to finance the catholic schools, and the first urgent laws the new Government presented concerned the security: against illegal immigrants, against Roms (including finger printing of kids….), against “legal actions against the 4 highest ranking officials in the State, the President, the Prime Minister, the Speakers of the two houses” and to suspend legal proceedings for crimes not affecting the “security”.

Guess what, both these “special commas” have nothing to do with the security of Italians, but with the legal proceeding initiated since years against Berlusconi. And in particular one, for corruption of judges. Imagine, a Prime Minister soon to be condemned for corrupting judges : and it is not Zimbabwe…it is Italy, it is not Mugabe, it is Berlusconi. In fact the proceedings concerning this crime have progressed to the point and in such a way that it is expected and likely that this time Berlusconi will be condemned. Thus the urgency. And people take it.

What is the most distressing is to see how the allies of Berlusconi, and members of his party, act or better do not react. They are like zombies, no dignity, no nothing. Only interest : keep their well paid job.

And what is even more distressing is that the popularity of Berlusconi is growing while people reduce spending, do not go on vacation, cannot pay their rents, the Italian Central Bank publishes negative economic forecasts, inflation is increasing. At least the Romans gave people “panem and circenses” (bread and games) to make them stand the situation. Now Berlusconi gives people illusion of security, his own, but they do not realize it….and they are happy. Damn it, is democracy still a valid option with people narcotized by stupid TVs ?

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