Will Berlusconi Initiate Change in Italy?
Just to be annoying, I’ll answer the question above with another question:
Would you, if you had made billions on the back of a system that potentially allows you to get away with just about anything, be interested in changing that system?
To sum up the words of a recent article in The Economist: It’s possible (isn’t anything?), but unlikely.
Thanks to Rob over at Wind Rose Hotel for bringing the article to my attention, and for an Italian opinion on the significance of the recent Italian election results, check out his latest post:
Such sad news for Italy … why did so many people vote for him? Is it mainly because the other candidate wasn’t so well-received?
Hi Jan,
Now, as to why so many voted for Mr B. Well, first the government of the left in Italy, under Prodi & Co, was so weak as to be ineffective, then what little legislation it did pass was unpopular – which all adds up to there being one alternative – Berlusco. Veltroni was too close to the left, and not really regarded as being anything new.
There I think that is why the B man is back.
Ciao,
Alex
The centralized government where all big decisions have to be made in Rome, combined with the atomised political parties, are a recipe for stagnation and immobility. Berlusconi’s style seems to be to talk a lot but do nothing, and then pat himself on the back, while the Italian Left seems to have only one recipe for everything: across-the-board tax increases. No one ever offers any kind of overarching vision about where to steer the ship of state, and politicians don’t propose imaginative solutions because the Italian system, with its bureacracies of “important” people who don’t want their toes stwpped on, won’t allow it. So, did you ask about change? Ha… Not too likely.
Hi Joe,
I think you sum up the rather dire situation in Italy very well.
And you seem to understand Berlusco rather well too.
Trouble is that the Italians, well, many of them, just don’t realise how bad things have got. They don’t think non-Italians understand either, which does not help matters. Fresh pair of eyes and all that.
Yes, there is far too much pomposity too – which adds up to stagnation.
It’s a funny country – so many problems, but such enormous potential.
All the best,
Alex
In America people (at least the ones with brains) have been asking why the majority votes against its own interest since Ronald Reagan. The answers are many and complex, but they usually boil down to one very simple fact. In the minds of the masses, IMAGE trumps CONTENT every time. They see the avuncular, professorial leftists who offer real economic plans (yeah, really! They do!) but don’t pay attention or even bother to consider their programs because, well ,there’s no glamor or excitement in number crunching – especially when the crunching forsees sacrifices that should be made in order to bring around growth (change). Then they look at a Silvio with s million dollar smile and his lifestyle of the rich and famous… and they think, HEY he must be REALLY SMART! It doesn’t matter that he attacks his adversaries on the points that most resemble him and defend his own outright lies.
Berlusconi is not a politician. He is a salesman, and a very good one. He has managed, now, to sell his image to the Italian people for the third time. Against their own self-interest! Now THAT’S a salesman!
Hi Gege’,
As you put it: “In the minds of the masses, IMAGE trumps CONTENT every time.”
Yep – I totally agree. And I agree with everything else you say too.
Berlusconi got rich manipulating the masses – and he’s an expert at it, as his latest victory goes to show.
Italy is quite a shallow country in lots of respects – external beauty is everywhere – but under the surface things are not quite as pretty.
I actually call it a ‘Peacock’ country. As you will know, male Peacocks are beautiful birds, but once these beauties open their mouths and let out a raucous call, you start wondering just how deep the beauty goes.
This is Italy – a befuddling combination of great beauty and turmoil, mixed with undertones of ugliness.
Funnily enough, Peacocks have nice characters – I know, my parents have a few of the things wondering around the park where they live. This means there is hope that the Living Museum will eventually manage to drop the ‘museum’ aspects.
Best,
Alex