Of course it's not only Italy. The citizens of one country will tend to see things abroad through their own reality. It's normal to simplify events and translate them into an idea one can relate to without actually trying to get into the stark differences. Italy fits into a standard notion of western democratic, advanced industrial, social-capitalist nations.

Well, not really. It has a die-hard tradition of fascist dictatorship and a very strong Roman Catholic heritage. Its revolutions- 1647, 1799, 1848- were all cruelly repressed in the bud, leaving no mark on the state. Progress was most often through dissimulation. But to each state its own history.

When information or events don't synchronize with an accepted view it's likely rejected, ignored or scoffed at. It's a lot easier to accept Berlusconi as an exuberant entrepreneur turned politician, rather than a paranoid authoritarian personality compromised with organized crime. An Italian can relate to the latter figure while a Dane might think it pulp fiction.

Try to picture Italian events with American names:

President Obama, who owns ABC, NBC and CBS as well as the Washington Post and Newsweek, lashed out against the U.S. Supreme Court today before the European Parliament in Strasbourg accusing them of being communists appointed by his communist predecessors. Mr. Obama's speech followed the Supreme Court decision overturning his law that granted immunity from prosecution in pending cases of corruption and bribery.

If you can relate to that, you're on your way to understanding Italian politics.