I know it's not much better elsewhere in Europe, but my gut says it might be Italy where the combination of global economic downturn and corrupt, incompetent, out-of-touch leadership will kindle the tinder, break the camel's back.

With all the surveillance, surely the authorities know much more than we in the public do about the simmering levels of tension below the already grumbling and accusatory voices that are starting to get more national attention.

Italy has five different police forces, and now this:

Beppe Grillo's Blog

This letter, sent in to us by a Police Services trade union representative, should make us worry, and very much so at that. At the start of this current legislature, Police Chief Manganelli made a speech in parliament, wherein he denounced the current state of affairs as regards the Justice system. What he said, in effect, is that while the Country's policemen regularly risk their necks, the criminals are released early and, in fact, often avoid jail altogether. Manganelli was simply ignored. Just as Judge Bruno Tinti stated in "Toghe Rotte" (Broken Togas), 95% of all crimes go unpunished, thanks to certain laws created by Berlusconi, which were designed specifically to protect himself and his henchmen. What is also true, however, is that the centre-left also did its part by approving the 2006 pardon, an action that was necessary. Just as all cats are grey in the dark, corrupt public servants belong to all of the parties. While the Police Forces are being lambasted, the Army is replacing them on the streets. There are currently some 6,000 soldiers on the beat, but this number could well rise as high as 60,000. Three billion Euro cut from the Police budget (a Mafia-style warning perhaps) and a justice system that is being held on a short leash. They are preparing themselves for the possibility of another Argentina.

"Dear Beppe,

The position taken by the COISP (Police Forces Trade Union Independent Co-ordination Committee) as regards many of the initiatives introduced by the current Government has been extremely critical, because these initiatives are contrary to the both our Constitution and common sense!

We do not agree with the use of the military in order to ensure law and order and public safety. We are also against certain provisions that smack of "racism", as we are against the introduction of the position of the mayor-sheriff, against a number of private, self-protection provisions, such as the vigilante patrols and absolutely against the unjustified and absurd cuts that have been made in the area of law and order. We are talking about three billion Euro in cuts! In addition, those cuts have come precisely at a time that is particularly disastrous for the Police Forces.

I feel obliged to point out that all, and I repeat ALL of the representative trade unions within the security and defence sector took part in a demonstration in front of the offices of the Italian Prefecture, while handing out fliers informing citizens about the absurdities being perpetrated by the current Government. These brutalities clearly also fly in the face of certain of the election promises made by the centre-right alliance during the period leading up to the last elections. Quite obviously the national television stations failed to give us adequate coverage or, for that matter, appropriate interest. In the interests of fairness, it must be said that only the local press and television stations gave the matter fair coverage.

At this moment in time we are busy deciding on what action needs to be taken. What remains firm, however, is the principle that, while we are deciding on the form of the next demonstration, we will continue in our efforts to keep the situation in the public view as regards the incoherent and contradictory nature of these state promulgated provisions.

Above all else, we must continue to energetically denounce this latest decree, namely the so-called "anti-layabout" provision, which has resulted in us being heavily penalised when compared to all of the other public institutions. The regulation provides that any Police Force employees who are ill must accept a 20 Euro per day salary deduction for the first ten days of sick leave (taking only the employee's basic pay into account). This confusing provision also stipulates that the rule should not be applied in the case of employees that are off work due to work-related illness or injury on duty. The problem here is that "work-related" status may only be granted perhaps even six or seven years after the event. Meanwhile, the salary deduction is applied and stands firm. The legislator is obviously oblivious to the fact that you have mortgage payments to make, that you have a wife and kids to support, that you have car payments to make and that you have taxes to pay and costs to carry, just like any other person living on this planet. Minister Brunetta, the architect of this havoc, has exploited the general public's legitimate disapproval as regards certain types of absenteeism and has decided to use this to justify the adoption of a provision that is patently punitive and discriminatory against all public servants and even more so, as I stated earlier, against members of the Police Forces.

Our Council was pleased to note and express its heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Di Pietro for his strenuous and tenacious defence of the members of the forces of law and order! Furthermore, we were equally pleased to note your stand, as expressed in the national press, where you rightly scoffed at the demagogic and hypocritical provision in question, namely, the deployment of soldiers in our towns.

I wish to thank you once again." Fausto Fanelli -Member of the National Executive of the COISP.

  I think this show of force is pro-active, and the police violence against people protesting the ramp up of Italy's role as chief jumping off point in Europe for the U.S.A'S military 'readiness', and the forcing of dioxin-spewing incinerators onto poor neighbourhoods where cancer rates are already outstripping the national averages, are a telling foretaste of this diseased mentality.

  The media reports daily how this move to roll out troops everywhere is being greeted with gratitude and relief by the Italians, but then that's what they get paid for, natch...

 When incinerators are counted as 'renewables', and to simply protest their presence and ubiquity is a crime, where do you all think this is going?

  Will Italy manage to balance out its historical tendency to authoritarianism, with its equally particular welcome and kindness so many travellers have lauded?

  Berlusconi is old and will not caper much longer, but who will follow his depredations, and how far will the people be pushed into fearful submission before something cracks?

  Football, Ferrari, Ferragamo... this allure brings in much tourism income. How many people will want to come visit a country where people are irascibly protesting the latest insult to injury, like a big nuclear plant rollout, to think of the absolute worst case scenario?