He was elected on sugary promises to get Italy back on its feet. As of now he has done nothing but seek to resolve his own problems.
The latter was obvious from his previous stint as PM. Which begs the question of why the Italians could still believe his promises - and presumably that of his control of so much TV. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
In the last elections the real winners were the Lega Nord and Di Pietro. The PM's personal political entity lost ground. He has to deal with his grand electeur Umberto Bossi who must answer to his base. It appears that B's real base is in Sicily for reasons I needn't repeat- but it's not enough.
Veltroni predicted last night that this legislature would not last five years. Not surprisingly, Bossi agreed. Further, Bossi is willing to open talks with the magistracy. After all, he has no major trials pending.
berlusconi was fifth richest man in the world when he took office the first time, and tripled his fortune while there.
many 'pezzi grossi' (important people) saw similarly dynamic adjustments to their offshore bank balances under his aegis.
that messina bridge has got to be the biggest gift to crooked contractors ever devised.
it's really too bad beppe started foaming at piazza navona, his blog is great, but he succumbs too easily to the national disease of hysteria, losing credibility in the process.
caffeine is more a state of mind here than a drink even sometimes!
i have never seen a nastier infestation of trolls as have invaded his english language blog. i'm guess it's orchestrated, stinks like a dead fish in the sun.
most of the comments up to then had been pretty lame, with never a response from the man, however it had just turned some kind of corner, with some pithy input, now it's blown clear to hell.
i found the 'blow-job' girl at p. navona rap appropriate for a late night raunchy comedy gig, but completely over the top for one under the auspices of die pietro, not that he can't use a little help lightening up, lol.
the only difference i see these days since tangentopoli is he's jowlier, less the magister, many more lasagnas under his belt. he still has gravitas though, and some fire in his belly.
sigh, the honest ones don't do cunning, and vice-versa.
...e vince il furbo ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
In the end what carries the day are ad personam attacks on all who were present with no attention to content.
It no longer amazes me that B can attend Nazi-Fascist rallies with idiots chanting "Duce!" and "Heil Hitler!" and no one even writes about it. Charming fascist chic quirks of a merry old man. But let a comedian attack him and the whole political scene quivers with postured indignation. Poor Italy.
