# I Pit Giovanardi **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 22, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483 "2006-03-22T21:19:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/1 "2006-03-22T21:19:05Z")
Pick something to lie about in your own country to try to win voters with, but leave us out! This is outrageous. I just heard him claim on tv that we are performing Hitler’s Nazi’ ideas and aim for racial purification, and that 600 out of 1000 child-deaths in the Netherlands happen under suspicious circumstances. And this is a national politician of a major government party. What are you trying to do - suggest that they were all Euthanised? And Berlusconi, you don’t fool me. While claiming that you disagree with him but can’t do anything because he is speaking on a personal title, I’m pretty sure that you gave him permission to do this and wouldn’t even be surprised if you told him to do this, to boost ratings among the Catholic conservatives in your country. After all, the only thing that counts for you is winning the next election. In the end, I’m sure that all this will amount to is show the world again how pathetic Italian politics, and more important, politicians, can be. (Although I do give Berlusconi some points for at least managing to keep a government in office for a whole term, which I think is the first that did since WWII ended). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/2 "2006-03-22T21:28:00Z")
A well said pitting but I am probably not the only American Doper who could use more information about the people involved and maybe a link. Are Catholic conservatives rising in power in Italy? How is Giovanardi tied to Berlusconi? Why would picking on the Netherlands help anyone get elected in Italy? Forgive my ignorance. Jim ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/3 "2006-03-22T23:09:32Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > A well said pitting but I am probably not the only American Doper who could use more information about the people involved and maybe a link. > Are Catholic conservatives rising in power in Italy? > How is Giovanardi tied to Berlusconi? > Why would picking on the Netherlands help anyone get elected in Italy? > > Forgive my ignorance. > Jim Ecco, un [linko](http://www.repubblica.it/online/politica/immunitadodici/immunitadodici/immunitadodici.html). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/4 "2006-03-23T00:43:26Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Ecco, un [linko](http://www.repubblica.it/online/politica/immunitadodici/immunitadodici/immunitadodici.html). 😃 Well that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/5 "2006-03-23T10:21:50Z")
Here’s a fairly concise summary, but his most recent remarks are a bit harder to find in English: [http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/mar/06032003.html](http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/mar/06032003.html) ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/6 "2006-03-23T10:53:27Z")
Here’s another: [http://www.ejpress.org/article/6869](http://www.ejpress.org/article/6869) ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/7 "2006-03-23T15:45:54Z")
It’s \*infuriating. \* :mad: Here are the facts: > [@](#): > > Holland has recently adopted the recommendations of the Groningen Protocol, a committee that will regulate doctors in the killing of seriously ill children. Within a few weeks, it will be legal to kill children who are suffering from terminal illness with no hope of recovery. The illicit euthanasia of infants has been going on in the country for some time—doctors already “help to die” at least 15-20 babies every year, with no legal consequences. …and this guy twists it into a horrorstory where the Dutch Nazi’s go around killing perfectly healthy babies because of minor flaws. All I can say is that if that is the Catholic way to gain votes, the Catholics who vote for this guy will get what they deserve. The guy is either a lying scumbag, a complete cynic, or too dumb to open his mouth. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/8 "2006-03-23T15:56:20Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > they deserve. > > The guy is either a lying scumbag, a complete cynic, or too dumb to open his mouth. A fourth option: Maybe, just maybe, he is just a politician pandering to what he percieves is his base. I never heard of that before… ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/9 "2006-03-23T16:12:26Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > A fourth option: Maybe, just maybe, he is just a politician pandering to what he percieves is his base. I never heard of that before… . Oh, so he’s a representative of hundreds of thousands of Italian Catholics who prefer to foam at the mouth at them Nazi Dutchmen, rather then taking the five minutes to inform themselves of the facts? Why doesn’t that cheer me up? ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/10 "2006-03-23T16:14:46Z")
…and, on second thought, **asceptic** ’s fourth option is covered by " lying schumbag" and “complete cynic”. I work for the provincial government and my politicians would never stoop to this. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/11 "2006-03-23T16:26:24Z")
Welcome to Italian [politics.](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/international/europe/19cartoon.html?ex=1298005200&en=a53d3a3acd2d146b&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss) Check out Lega Lombardo or Allianza Del Nord both represent a lot of Italians. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/12 "2006-03-23T22:44:22Z")
Don’t you just \*love \* the EU? Isn’t it nice to know that euthanasia, drugs-policy, gay-marriages, etc. will be regulated by one big, happy, family? ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/13 "2006-03-24T07:37:12Z")
> [@gum](#): > > Don’t you just \*love \* the EU? > Isn’t it nice to know that euthanasia, drugs-policy, gay-marriages, etc. will be regulated by one big, happy, family? These matters were left to the member states even in the failed (and misunderstood) European Constitution. So I am not quite sure what you mean? ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/14 "2006-03-24T08:09:09Z")
> [@Arwin](#): > > These matters were left to the member states even in the failed (and misunderstood) European Constitution. So I am not quite sure what you mean? I wrote _EU_. I wasn’t even thinking about the European Constitution. I meant: Don’t you just _love_ the EU? Isn’t it nice to know that euthanasia, drugs-policy, gay-marriages, etc. will be regulated by one big, happy, family? ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/15 "2006-03-24T09:02:17Z")
> [@gum](#): > > I wrote _EU_. I wasn’t even thinking about the European Constitution. > > I meant: Don’t you just _love_ the EU? > Isn’t it nice to know that euthanasia, drugs-policy, gay-marriages, etc. will be regulated by one big, happy, family? But that’s my point … ! Your post is just an enormous non-sequitor. I don’t see how the EU has anything to do with this. Even if something like a European Constitution would ever manage to pass, then we would still not have this stuff regulated on a European level for some time to come. In fact, by the time that ever happens, other countries will probably have seen the light, but then the Netherlands itself will have peaked and turned conservative and outlaw all these things, ha ha. ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/16 "2006-03-27T17:44:18Z")
A little update - Berlusconi and Fini (prime minister and foreign affairs minister) have apologised to the Dutch prime minister, calling Giovanardi’s remarks ‘inappropriate’. This just before an important European leaders meeting. It all sounds like a carefully planned attempt to reel in some more conservative votes. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/17 "2006-03-27T18:54:13Z")
> [@gum](#): > > Don’t you just \*love \* the EU? I do. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/18 "2006-03-27T19:17:32Z")
> [@Fish Cheer](#): > > I do. Say something witty in Deutsch. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/19 "2006-03-27T19:30:42Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Say something witty in Deutsch. “Zwei Männer sitzen im Wirtshaus. Der eine verdrückt eine ganze Kalbshaxe, der andere trinkt zwei Maß Bier. Statistisch gesehen ist das für jeden eine Maß Bier und eine halbe Haxe, aber der eine hat sich überfressen, und der andere ist besoffen.” — [Franz Josef Strauß](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Josef_Strau%C3%9F) No discernible relation to this thread, but the only witty thing with funny words in it that came to mind. Now back to our regularly scheduled rant. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483/20 "2006-03-28T05:14:02Z")
One gets drunk at two litre beer? Nah… 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-giovanardi/349483.md?page=2)