Blinded by Berlusconi hatred

Sardinia · May 8, 2003

YES I AM.

Why?

The Economist explains it.

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1763981

ON JULY 1st, Italy becomes president of the European Union. It is a six-monthly handing over of the baton that elicits no excitement at all in normal circumstances, but these days the circumstances are not quite normal. Politically, Europe is split. Economically, it is sputtering.
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It is plainly time for clear-sightedness, diplomatic finesse and the exercise of the sort of moral authority that comes with ungrudging respect. Can Italy offer such leadership? Or, rather, can its prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi?

Our answer is no. Two years ago, when Mr Berlusconi was campaigning for the Italian prime ministership, we explained why we thought he was unfit for that job. We argued that, in addition to the many conflicts of interest between his own businesses and the affairs of state that would arise were he to be elected, he also had a compelling case to answer on a string of grave charges. Though Italy's highest criminal court has not definitively convicted him on any of those charges, he has yet to lay to rest all the concerns about his probity.

One reason for that is the manner in which the cases against Mr Berlusconi have been concluded. Most have owed less to clear-cut acquittals based on the evidence than to Italy's statute of limitations, or to recent changes in legislation apparently designed to benefit the prime minister as a defendant. These changes, pushed through a parliament dominated by a pro-Berlusconi majority, have included a law on judicial co-operation with foreign jurisdictions (with implications for at least one case against Mr Berlusconi), a measure to reduce the seriousness of some types of false accounting by making them civil rather than criminal offences (another three cases), and a law to let defendants seek to have their trials moved to another jurisdiction if they have a “legitimate suspicion” that the court handling their case may be biased (which could be used to spin out a trial and thus to help defendants benefit from a statute of limitations). This last law was unsuccessfully invoked by Mr Berlusconi in the one criminal case that is still outstanding, which explains why he was in court this week denying accusations of bribing judges back in 1985.
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Mr Berlusconi says he is the victim of a communist plot (The Economist, which he is suing for libel, is apparently a part of it), and the judiciary is biased against him.
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Victim of a communist plot!!! What a moron...
What morons too many italians...

Hopefully this democratic nightmare will end in the next elections (the polls seem to say it already). But 2006...

Richth76 · May 8, 2003

My roomate is from Rome. She complains about him more than I do Bush...our visitors think it's a communist comedy routine.

Elder Statesman · May 8, 2003

As an American that supported the war in Iraq I appreciate the support Berlusconi provided to the US. Sardinia-being that you're to the Left politically and being the Berlusconi has been a corrupt and divisive figure in Italian politics, I can't blame you for not likeing him.

topcow · May 8, 2003

AC Milan is the worst team ever!

CrewDust · May 9, 2003

Man, at least Cheney sold his stock in his company.

Berlusconi has a huge conflict of intrest.

BenReilly · May 9, 2003

Originally posted by CrewDust
Man, at least Cheney sold his stock in his company.

Berlusconi has a huge conflict of intrest.
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Except Italian Prime Ministers usually have a tenure of 15-20 minutes. Not worth giving up your empire for.

Sardinia · May 10, 2003

Berlusconi speaks at his trial

Sardinia · May 10, 2003

Photoshop-Berlusconi speaks at his trial (berlusconi 's media version).

Pathetic...

Dante · May 10, 2003

Originally posted by topcow
AC Milan is the worst team ever!
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Truer words have never been spoken!

BenReilly · May 10, 2003

Originally posted by Sardinia

Photoshop-Berlusconi speaks at his trial (berlusconi 's media version).

Pathetic...
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You got to love him!

Sardinia · May 11, 2003

There should be some berlusconi's deliria in NYT if you're interested.

Real Ray · May 11, 2003

Originally posted by Sardinia
There should be some berlusconi's deliria in NYT if you're interested.
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Oh Pantalone

It's a great sacrifice to do what I'm doing, I'm not having fun at all.

I have a sailboat, but in two years, I've only been on it one day, And I haven't been to my house in Bermuda for two or three years. And the same goes for my house in Portofino. I've been there for only one day in the last nine months.

Do you understand? "My life has changed. The quality has become terrible. What a brutal job.

If I left political life right now, Italy would fall into the hands of Communists. There is no one else in Italy today. It's a question I ask myself: How much longer do I have to keep living this life of sacrifices?
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http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/10/international/europe/10ITAL.html

Sardinia · May 12, 2003

"Because of my personal history, my professional skills and my business achievements, I am a man nobody can expect to compare himself with."
-Silvio Berlusconi

benito gattopardo · May 13, 2003

Originally posted by Sardinia

"Because of my personal history, my professional skills and my business achievements, I am a man nobody can expect to compare himself with."
-Silvio Berlusconi
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I hope Berlusconi goes. Fini should be prime minister.