ET (or any other forum) is not without position

But that is not the contention. Obviously, the European Tribune community has a conventional wisdom, and obviously that does influence editorial decisions. If nothing else then because consistently ruling against the strongly held views of significant contributors may prompt those contributors to go elsewhere and take their contributions with them.

This does not mean that there is an editorial line, or even that the conventional wisdom of the community can be articulated concisely. It does mean that if you are operating outside the conventional wisdom of the community, the site will be less tolerant of actionable behaviour than if you are operating within the conventional wisdom (pro-Palestinian spammers and astroturfers will have a longer shelf life than pro-Apartheid ones, for instance). Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing I do not pretend to know, but it is the reality of things.

Did Sarco or Berlusconi ask parliaments before they engaged your countries in war in Libya?

I believe Sarko did. France does not yet have an enabling act or a Führerprinzip "unitary executive." In Corruptioni's case it makes little matter, because the Italian parliament is almost as corrupt as he is.

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.