268.The Economist: Berlusconi Screwed up Italy
If the Economist thinks that Berlusconi is responsible for all of Italy’s ills, then it must think again. The Economist waves aside, rightly so, the personal sex scenes, which the Economist says has had limited influence. That's probably because it isn’t true and mostly invented by the tabloids; together with the infernal non-stop judicial hammering of accusations that the Milanese Magistrates have subjected him to, which in my, and the opinion of many, is an attempt to obscure him from the political scene.
So the Economist have decided he is to be remembered as the one who left Italy in a complete and utter financial ruin. The reality that Italy is indebted up to her eye-balls is a known fact since the war- that’s why we have an invested ally in the US Forces that keeps Italy practically as an “American colony”. However, that Italy is heavily indebted is not surprising, we are not a rich country with access to raw materials as Germany and Britain; we only have art, culture, history, fashion, cars, shoes, beautiful ladies, the pope, tourism, hills, sunshine, sea, lakes and glorious food as our means of economy- and you can’t live on those alone, let alone pay debts.
But what I like about the Economist and “The Righteous Ones” who want to put pressure on the Italian government to take unpopular decisions so they are ousted out of power in the next election is that they are all for “demanding” something from Italy... where were they when they should have been “supporting” Italy over the immigration crises from Africa? And which is by no means over- yet not a word from the Economist or the rest of Europe on the expenditure Italy has to foot on her own for that.
Still, one thing has to be said in favour of Italy’s finances, unlike the rest of the world, our banks did not go bust because Italian people are savers, great savers. But that is not the only thing in favour of the Berlusconian era governments. The first house tax for house owners was abolished in Italy, I do believe you have to pay, just for an average house, around a thousand pounds a year for that in Britain. The Berlusconi government provided a roof of real brick and mortar over the heads of normal people hit by the last earthquake in Aquila, unlike the makeshift tin-houses and huts that still exist from non-Berlusconian governments.
The following are some of the things I happened to have noticed by living here that the Berlusconian era has brought about, there may of course be others that escape my memory at the moment.
The red-tape in the bureaucratic system was simplified especially by the introduction of the “Auto-certificatione” which meant we mortals no longer had to go to get our request or paperwork endorsed by the powers that be and for the first time in Italian history, our signature was made good.
The Berlusconian era saw that Milan became the winning entry for the EXPO in 2015.
During the Berlusconian era, the last one in particular, people were no longer killed in the streets or in their beds at home mainly by illegal immigrants and bank robberies which were the order of the day were eliminated considerably.
The Berlusconian era put in jail hundreds of Mafia bosses and confiscated their lands, buildings, goods, money.
The Berlusconian era got rid of the rubbish in the streets of Naples which was left there to rot or be set fire to by organized crime and a lame local government.
During the Berlusconian era we have seen stiffer penalties for road offences and the removal of points from driving licenses with less accidents as a result.
The Berlusconian era has simplified the tax system by unifying various taxes under one heading.
The Berlusconian era has slimmed down, as seen in the last local elections, the number of parliamentarians, which in Italy is an excessive amount.
And when they let him, the Berlusconian era has begun to change the system of Justice which in Italy is at a stand still.
The Berlusconian era has always energetically supported the United Nations in Peace Keeping missions.
But what I personally am most proud of about the Berluscunian era is that this government did not throw back into the sea illegal immigrants especially from the recent warfare in Africa who sought refuge on our shores- unlike Spain and Malta and the non-supportive attitude from the rest of Europe in particular France.
The British people themselves will readily tell you there are worse ways of screwing up a country, dear Economist, than having a Berlusconian government- just take a look at Greece, Spain, France, Portugal, Ireland, Britain... for starters- it doesn’t seem to me that things are so brilliant there either... apart from the fact that Italians are not so dim as to be so easily screwed up. What say ye?
Let’s not forget the government previous to this one which lasted 722 days fell because there was no one who had the balls to keep a government going. If nothing else, Berlusconi MAY have used his balls for the Bunga Bunga, so much publicized by those who have nothing better to fantasize upon, and of which we have no real proof; we do however have proof that Mr Berlusconi certainly has balls and we know for a fact exactly how he uses them- namely to give this country a government- when no one else could, or even now, it is debatable if anyone else can, given previous known experience.
Post Scriptum
Since writing this article here are more events brought about by the Berlusconian governments:
Electoral Reform
A G8 free from vandalism- first time in the Gs history?
There was also a school and university reform and if I remember rightly, faculties where only a student attended were closed.
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Post Scriptum
Since writing this article here are more events brought about by the Berlusconian governments:
Electoral Reform
A G8 free from vandalism- first time in the Gs history?
There was also a school and university reform and if I remember rightly, faculties where only a student attended were closed.
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