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On one hand we have the Minister of Interior blabbering about a "gang war" while the Minister of Interior invents a "civil war" (something that he as a leghista often menaced). After the "Operation Spartacus" trials with its definitive sentence that confirmed all the heavy life imprisonment sentences against the Camorra leadership, the Camorra has reacted by defying the state as the mafia did in the late 80's, early 90's.

Perhaps, like the Sicilian Mafia at the time, the Camorra has a list of grievances that they want to negotiate with whoever has the power and the will to come to terms with them, perhaps by passing laws that blunt police and judiciary powers to investigate and repress crime. Perhaps the Camorra has lost its patience.

This is of course only my opinion.

by de Gondi (publiobestia aaaatttthotmaildaughtusual) on Tue Oct 14th, 2008 at 04:52:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
And what is Berlusconi doing?
Isn't he the padrino ultimo reigning all over the country?
I mean, the guy doesn't struck me as totally powerless...

Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.
by Bernard on Tue Oct 14th, 2008 at 05:01:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Let's wait for the sentence of appeal on the Dell'Utri trial. Dell'Utri, senator, was condemned to 11 years for mafia association. He invented Forza Italia. According to the prosecution, Dell'Utri and Berlusconi negotiated the end of the Mafia war in the 90's.  
by de Gondi (publiobestia aaaatttthotmaildaughtusual) on Tue Oct 14th, 2008 at 05:10:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Apropos of nothing, my uncle and cousins met Berlusconi yesterday.  I'm not entirely sure about the origin of the invites, but there are lots of people in that part of the family who work for the federal government.  They're also Sicilian...  

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Tue Oct 14th, 2008 at 05:20:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Are you then amer-siculo-slav?
by de Gondi (publiobestia aaaatttthotmaildaughtusual) on Tue Oct 14th, 2008 at 05:26:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
No.  They're not blood relatives.  And I have no Slavic heritage (Irish, French, Cherokee, German.)  But culturally, your designation sounds about right. ;)

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Tue Oct 14th, 2008 at 05:30:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
so are your cultural tastes based on a desire to complete the full set of ethnicities inside your family? ;-)

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Tue Oct 14th, 2008 at 06:00:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
My cultural tastes are based on my upbringing and experiences.  And the primary role of alcohol.  ;)

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Tue Oct 14th, 2008 at 06:10:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
so If you'd taken a different turn towards the stout counter rather than the Vodka one we'd be getting diaries on Irish politics, cinema, and folk music?

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Tue Oct 14th, 2008 at 06:22:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Heh.  I was raised on stout!  Lol.  No, for real.  I wish I were joking.  We were given Irish whiskey-soaked corks to gnaw on when we were teething babies...  

I once knew a guy who did his dissertation on the similarities of Irish and Russian folk music.  There are actually a lot of commonalities in those two cultures.  Striking, really.

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

by poemless on Tue Oct 14th, 2008 at 06:37:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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