It's official: Berlusconi is nuts!!!

Sloth · September 11, 2003, 09:02

Just one week after declaring that judges are mad "twice: one because they are communists and second because they must be mad to do that job anyway", he performs again......

Asked to compare Saddam and Mussolini he answered that Mussolini never killed anyone, he just sent dissidents on vacation into internal exile...

MikeH · September 11, 2003, 09:16

Don't feed him to that kid from the peanut thread!

Spiffor · September 11, 2003, 09:20

Quote:

Originally posted by Sloth
It's official: Berlusconi is nuts!!!

Isn't it official for more than a decade now ?

SpencerH · September 11, 2003, 09:45

Wouldnt it be nice if the world could calm down enough so that we had time to appreciate the wonderful fun that is Italian politics. Maybe ciccolina needs to make a run for government again.

TheStinger · September 11, 2003, 09:55

51 governments in as many years and 1/2 the prime ministers in the mafia, brilliant.

The Andy-Man · September 11, 2003, 09:59

the thing is, Italins just don't give a ****, they could have a real nasty (a competent one) and they'd still go round on scooters, saying 'ciao'.

Sloth · September 11, 2003, 10:07

Quote:

Originally posted by Spiffor

Isn't it official for more than a decade now ?

Don't think so...a thief? yes! a liar? sure! Nuts...I didn't think so.

I would not transform this thread into an anti-italian one. Yes we have a nuts PM that is still supported by a quarter of the population...but apart from that we are wonderfull...and we do it better!!

Spiffor · September 11, 2003, 10:29

Quote:

Originally posted by Sloth
we have a nuts PM that is still supported by a quarter of the population...

That many ? I'm impressed he hasn't alienated 100% of the population yet.... Does he get the support of the ordinary Borth Leaguesmen ? (I assume "North Leaguesman" is the Italian insult to refer at the stupidest one can get

)

Quote:

and we do it better!!

Indeed

Compared to Berlusconi, even the worst leaders of the democratic world look lame:
Chirac= liar and thief
Bush= liar and nuts
Berlusconi= liar, thief and nuts. The best of two worlds

Sloth · September 11, 2003, 10:45

In "we do it better" I referred to another human activity more fun than politics..

And yes...I think that although Berlusconi would very likely loose a general election, he can still count on a very large chunk of support...People that adimire him. Think about it: he's ignorant, ugly, not very intelligent...and nonetheless he got filthy rich and very very powerfull....he's a walking exemple that is "sapersi arrangiare" (I'd translate that with "the art of getting by") that really counts, not culture or intelligence...Are you surprised that so many people chose him as a role model?

Datajack Franit · September 11, 2003, 10:59

He may be filthy rich but he worked for that; some of his political opponents never worked a day in their lives (apart from getting the 15,000 $ monthly wage for the tough *cough!* work of being a politician) and still, they own boats, villas and stylish clothes- are they better just because they belong to social-democratic parties?

Spiffor · September 11, 2003, 11:13

Quote:

Originally posted by Datajack Franit
getting the 15,000 $ monthly wage for the tough *cough!* work of being a politician

I don't know how it is in Italy, but I can tell you the work of the MP for whom I worked in the European Parliament was tough. And the pay was much lower than 15,000 $ despite the Euro MPs being overpaid in comparison to national MPs.

Sloth · September 11, 2003, 11:24

Quote:

Originally posted by Datajack Franit
he worked for that

let's say that he also worked for that

Datajack Franit · September 11, 2003, 11:29

Quote:

I don't know how it is in Italy, but I can tell you the work of the MP for whom I worked in the European Parliament was tough. And the pay was much lower than 15,000 $ despite the Euro MPs being overpaid in comparison to national MPs.

I wish I was telling a lie, or kidding, but that's the real amount of money they receive- and we have 1 million of people living in poverty

Quote:

let's say that he also worked for that

Even if people have doubts about him, that doesn't make him a criminal

Q:Why is people still voting him?
A:Because he's a good businessman, and people trust him because no matter what he does, he could never do more disasters than 10 years of lefty government

Sloth · September 11, 2003, 11:45

Quote:

Originally posted by Datajack Franit

A:Because he's a good businessman, and people trust him because no matter what he does, he could never do more disasters than 10 years of lefty government

BTW we NEVER had 10 years of leftist government!!!

Sloth · September 11, 2003, 11:51

Datajack what about trying to respond at the topic, BTW.
He's right in his fascism apology or in saying that judges are mad?
The left could made up of jerks...but are you sure that liar is the best Italian right can offer...if so:

Sloth · September 11, 2003, 12:18

Berlusconi fumbles again: "I did not want to defend Mussolini..I just reacted as a true patriot when they compared Mussolini to Saddam"...
sooo.."our dictator is better than yours" attitude?

Arrian · September 11, 2003, 12:22

Quote:

and they'd still go round on scooters, saying 'ciao'.

Eddie reference +1.

And yeah, this guy is priceless. I echo SpencerH's thoughts.

-Arrian

Sloth · September 11, 2003, 12:26

I have to admit that I didn't get it..yes we have a scooter called "ciao"..so what????

jolair · September 11, 2003, 12:30

I thougt the facist in the italian goverment was Fini (and Bossi the racist).

In my opinion Fini is even more dangerous for Italy than Berlusconi.

BTW, cosa sucede con il partito riformista, andra' avanti?

Arrian · September 11, 2003, 12:31

No, it's from a comedy routine by a guy named Eddie Izzard.

Hang on a sec...

-Arrian

Proteus_MST · September 11, 2003, 12:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Datajack Franit

Q:Why is people still voting him?
A:Because he's a good businessman, and people trust him because no matter what he does, he could never do more disasters than 10 years of lefty government

I always assumed it is rather, because he controls a majority of the italian Mass Media and therefore can feed the Italian Population everything he likes
(and so usually not things, which may be considered critical voices about his government

)
Even Goebels already knew about the Value of he Control o Mass Media (and I think, Napoleon too, although at this time Mass Media was just Newspapers and Flyers).
Berlusconi seems to be just as skillful in using these Media

Arrian · September 11, 2003, 12:42

From "Dress to Kill"

Quote:

Italy invented fascism in 1922. Mussolini said, "Right, we're all fascists!" but most Italian people are always on scooters going, "Ciao!" And they're into football, and life, and they're not fascists, you know? He said, "We're all fascists!" "All right, ciao!" No helmet on… ( imitates scooter running ) All those 50s films, like “Roman Holiday,” it's just like that! Everyone's just cool and hangs out.

...

America, you have the American Dream, you have the American Dream! We haven’t got the European Dream yet, that’s what we’ve got to get; we’ve got to get a dream to build on. You have the American Dream; the dream is to be born in the gutter, and raise, and grow up and get all the money in the world and stick it in your ears and go ( blows raspberry ) The American Dream! A fantastic dream of money in your ears and swimming through fivers. The American Dream!

In Europe… I don’t know, we haven’t got a dream yet. Well, the dream was… ( mimics sleeping and dreaming ) “Oh… get off, you ****in’…! Flag. No!” ( wakes up with a gasp )

“Hilda, Hilda, wake up, Hilda!”

“What is it, Dr. Heimlich, you waking-up type person?”

“I’ve dreamed the European Dream. I dreamt that every country in Europe spoke a different language and they hated each other… Oh, that’s true, isn’t it? Yes.”

That was the dream, but now, maybe now, the dream is to be in the South of Europe – to be in Greece, in Italy, in Spain, and to be on a moped with no helmet on, riding along, going, “ciao!”

That’s a pretty cool dream; it’s not much of a dream, but it’s as good as we’ve got so far, and it’s pretty funky, ‘cause when you die… you look a mess, but I don’t know, I just like it. ( mimics riding on a Vespa ) ‘Cause you’re in a ****ing hairdryer. There’s dogs walking faster than you! It’s just pretty damn cool for me. That’s the European Dream, thank you very much. Good night.

-Arrian

Sloth · September 11, 2003, 12:43

Yes controlling the media is important...but still he would be a role model for many even with "fair" coverage by the media...you've seen this Datajack guy feeding us the "successful entrepreneur marred by envy" routine....

BTW, many years ago my mother met his mother at a shop...she kept saying that the worst thing in world is ENVY.....

Bereta_Eder · September 11, 2003, 12:45

Quote:

Originally posted by Datajack Franit
Q:Why is people still voting him?
A:Because he's a good businessman, and people trust him because no matter what he does, he could never do more disasters than 10 years of lefty government

Could it also be because at the time of the elections he effectively controlled 90% of the media?

Traianvs · September 11, 2003, 13:05

Quote:

Originally posted by paiktis22

Could it also be because at the time of the elections he effectively controlled 90% of the media?

let's not forget journalists forced to resign because they criticized Berlusconi in an article

He's a total nutcase, but I have to give it to him: he plays it perfectly. Everybody knows he's corrupt, lies and deceives and the whole shebang, but for some reason he manages to stay in control, manipulating everything around him so he doesn't get into trouble... He always seems to miraculously escape trials and so forth

unbelievable the Italians actually take his crap

and the argument that Italians don't care is pretty strange... you're choosing the politician that decides how you live, how money is spent etc... how in the hell can you not care????

pchang · September 11, 2003, 13:37

The government pretends to govern and the people pretend to pay taxes.

Spiffor · September 11, 2003, 14:22

Quote:

Originally posted by paiktis22
Could it also be because at the time of the elections he effectively controlled 90% of the media?

Come to think of it, this is an impressive feat. This guy is in direct control of all the mainstream private media, and he is in indirect control on all public media

Any dictator wanabee would be stunned by such an impressive success in a democratic country

realpolitic · September 11, 2003, 17:00

Let's see how long this lasts. My knowlegde of post-war Italy is limited, but I've read that the reason they've had so many governments is the backlash from fascism, similiar to the backlash in Germany and Japan. I bet Berlusconi's fall will be surprisingly fast.

Imran Siddiqui · September 11, 2003, 19:26

Quote:

Chirac= liar and thief
Bush= liar and nuts
Berlusconi= liar, thief and nuts. The best of two worlds

Isn't being a liar a prereq for being a politician? So we shouldn't give Berlusconi credit for that

.

Sloth · September 12, 2003, 03:08

Quote:

Originally posted by realpolitic
Let's see how long this lasts. My knowlegde of post-war Italy is limited, but I've read that the reason they've had so many governments is the backlash from fascism, similiar to the backlash in Germany and Japan. I bet Berlusconi's fall will be surprisingly fast.

Now I' very busy but next week we'll discuss this. I'll to demonstrate that this "too many governments" things was not very important....in a new thread