One could ask the same of Fox News, Planet 
There’s quite enough even besides Carlo’s death. I’m referring to entering the Genoa Social Forum centre, beating the shit out of everyone therein, so that the walls were covered in blood and all the computers were smashed or stolen. People who had their hair cut off, their bones broken with batons as they lay under arrest. People in custody who were pissed on and made to sing fascist songs, not allowed to go to the bathroom, eat, sleep, or sit down.
From The Observer (London) (29/07/01); the BBC (26/07/01); the Australian Broadcasting Corp (29/07/01), et seq.
I don’t know what happened to these allegations, but they were being taken very seriously at the time, to the extent that I heard rumblings about action to be taken against Italy by the EU. Did anything come of them, or did it remain business as usual?
So says the London Times, which presents the background to Berlusconi’s intemporate outburst. This is the first time I have seen his comment reported in context.
As a devout capitalist, this one is sort of sticky for me. Is anyone else uncomfortable with a nation’s richest citizen also running the show? Think if Bill Gates was in the oval office.
While anyone should be able to be president, I think there’s immense opportunity for a conflict of interest to arise in this situation. Has Berlusconi established a “Chinese Wall” between himself and his investments? Given the enormous influence organized crime has in Italy, the notion of that nation’s wealthiest individual calling the shots is a little unsettling. There are simply too many potential complications waiting to happen.
Sort of. He, his investments, and the government are on one side, and the rest of Italy is on the other.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Zenster *
He told so. After various scandals and some tailored laws which strangely enough were advantageous for the companies he had interests in. In particular the medias. Since, apart from controlling the government and being the wealthiest individual in Italy, he’s the main media’s owner. And you guys are complaining about the american medias being favorably biased toward Bush?
He has been accused of having ties to the mafia. Nothing was ever proven, though, and I don’t assume it was true. Nothing will be in a near future, either, since he recently had a law passed making him immune from prosecutions while he’s in office. The poor guy was “persecuted” by the justice system. So the system had to be fixed.
Waiting?? They didn’t wait for long before happening. They esssentially began to happen from day one. I just can’t get how this guy can still be in office in a democracy. Actually, I couldn’t believe his alliance of fine guys like the former fascists and the Northern League really won the elections.
Huh, december takes the side of the conservative git, and bashes the EU while he’s at it.
Where have I seen this before?
Coldfire, I believe that would be the series “Film at 11”, which also features such timeless classics as:
Politicians Make Stupid Remarks
Idiots Unable to Answer Questions Like “what do 2 and 2 make?”
Local Sports Team Does Something
Local Sports Team Almost Does Something
And, implicitly criticizes your OP for using a quote without providing the context.
Okay, I’m torn. I think if this guy was closer to me, or my PM etc., I’d hate his guts. But as it is… I can’t. I’m far far too amused. He cracks me up.
I am ashamed to say I missed Coldfire’s reference. I’m dumb. And the Roman republic was a democracy. It happened to be a democracy where the poorest people had no power, but everyone had a vote at least (psst… the Senate was not the democratic element of Roman government).
The guy is obviously an idiot.
I’ve been a huge fan of his soccer club though which makes it so hard…
Can’t he just sell it to someone else?!!!
the roman senate and its faults, were arguably part of the founding stones for modern democracy.
I can’t stand Berlusconi, and agree completely with the protest. He is corrupt, and is abusing his governmental majority to protect himself and his captains of industry from ever being procecuted for corruption.
Because doing that explicitly would have been a tad ironic, wouldn’t it, coming from you and all?
I know. I was hoping that he would go look it up in order to refute me, and that in doing so he would inadvertently prove himself wrong. “The Senate wasn’t a democratic institution! They were patricians and served for life! It was the concilium plebis that was formed and voted on by the common people in response to the patricians’ refusal to respect the plebeians’ opinion in the selection of consuls and other issues… Uh, never mind.” In other words, I had hoped he would learn something.
But it is grienspace we’re talking about, after all.
Nothing has come of it yet - that’s Italy for you.
On the other hand, (and I know I put myself way out on a limb here) I think that Anti-globalisation protesters only get what they are asking for.
They are told not to turn up. - They turn up.
They are told not to protest. - They protest.
They are told to go disperse - They continue.
Jesus H. Christ - what do they think is going to happen ?
[wiggum]
It’s time for a good old-fashioned hippie ass-wooping…
[/wiggum]
A: Are you going to the protest?
B: Nah, there’s no point – they’ve asked us not to turn up.
A: Damn! Those tricky authorities, always one step ahead of us. You don’t suppose we could just turn up anyway?
B: It wouldn’t do any good, they’ll probably ask us not to protest, or something.
A: Right, that’s it, they’ve really got me mad now, I’m going to write a letter. Yes, I can see it now: “Dear Sirs/Madams, Please dismantle your fascist-capitalist infrastructure and return the means of production to the masses at your earliest possible convenience. Signed A. Narchist” – that’ll show 'em.
B: You’re so masterful, A, I think I want to have your children…
Millions have demonstrated across Europe and the world against the war in Iraq and against their own governments supporting it and those demonstrations have gone peacefully and without incident. And yet, where ever the antiglobalization crow turns up they have to destroy property and cause mayhem. I have no sympathy for them. If you destroy property you you deserve being beat up.
And yeah, Berlusconi is a dickhead.
Priceless. 
Thanks for the laugh, mate.
My work here is done.
::is tempted to insert smiley, thinks better of it::
“Very interesting…but stupid.” Loved that show.