While US tries to inject purpose into meeting, Italy is lambasted for poor planning and reneging on overseas aid commitmentsPreparations for Wednesday's G8 summit in the Italian mountain town of L'Aquila have been so chaotic there is growing pressure from other member states to have Italy expelled from the group, according to senior western officials.In the last few weeks before the summit, and in the absence of any substantive initiatives on the agenda, the US has taken control. Washington has organised "sherpa calls" (conference calls among senior officials) in a last-ditch bid to inject purpose into the meeting."For another country to organise the sherpa calls is just unprecedented. It's a nuclear option," said one senior G8 member state official. "The Italians have been just awful. There have been no processes and no planning.""The G8 is a club, and clubs have membership dues. Italy has not been paying them," said a European official involved in the summit preparations.
Preparations for Wednesday's G8 summit in the Italian mountain town of L'Aquila have been so chaotic there is growing pressure from other member states to have Italy expelled from the group, according to senior western officials.
In the last few weeks before the summit, and in the absence of any substantive initiatives on the agenda, the US has taken control. Washington has organised "sherpa calls" (conference calls among senior officials) in a last-ditch bid to inject purpose into the meeting.
"For another country to organise the sherpa calls is just unprecedented. It's a nuclear option," said one senior G8 member state official. "The Italians have been just awful. There have been no processes and no planning."
"The G8 is a club, and clubs have membership dues. Italy has not been paying them," said a European official involved in the summit preparations.
The U.S. no longer "needs" a lobotomized berlusconian Italy. The present government is one of those mummified vestiges of extreme rightwing Israeli politic that was so convenient for the Cheney White House in dealing with Iraq. It is now nothing more than a rural night club act with Khadafy as a happy hour comedian.
Berlusconi will attempt to get his photo opportunities while his utterly mediocre Minister of Foreign Affairs, Franco Frattini, will give away concessions at bargain basement bankruptcy sell-outs just to get his Optimus Poffarbacco on the front page.
Once that is done, our hero will rush to the Vatican to get a cheesy smile photo session with Ratzinger.
Berlusconi must go. He's no longer useful. The world has other priorities. He's decrepit. Europe needs another Italy, certainly not this charade of sleazy racists and wannabe fascists.
Italy is in dire need of a political earthquake.
The case has been covered by all the major Italian dailes: Il Sole 24 Ore, il Corriere della Sera, la Stampa.
Berlusconi must go.
Last time we we're all laughing so loud and giggling like little girls that half the pub kept staring at us.
("And then there is this mayor in Catania who has his office in the luxury hotel and is B's potence advisor...") Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
