"Mike...." wrote in message
news:wforcj9xe5xd$.1us2eagklq2v9.dlg@40tude.net...
> Following up to tile
>
>> Bookmakers had it right.. better than The Guardian and The Economist.
>
> Tile, you are really not understanding the point being made. The British
> press say Berlusconi is a crook, not that he won't win. In fact they
> bemoan
> his acknowledged popularity.
OK, he's won. Anyone else notice how surprised he looked? Where have you
seen that startled, wide-eyed expression before? Yep, on American women of a
certain age, notably Nancy Reagan. He's had a facelift!
Here we have Italy, a major European country with 3000 years of
civilisation, and look what impression people are forming of its governance.
Last night's ITV news mentioned (for those who didn't already know) that a
consequence of Berlusconi's election is that he will have immunity from
prosecution for various offences of which he is accused. There is, I
believe, an inscription in Italian courtrooms - "La legge e' uguale per
tutti". It isn't if the rule of law can be cast aside when the prime
minister is accused of an offence.
Tile himself mentioned people working for RAI seeking to distance themselves
from the previous government to keep their jobs. Isn't RAI supposed to be an
independent public service broadcaster like the BBC? (And yes, some of us
remember the cancellation of RAIot. I've even got the hilarious DVD in which
Sabina Guzzanti - a rather attractive fortysomething woman! - plays
Berlusconi and Rory Bremner plays his friend Bliar. One of the funnier bits
comes when a Berlusconi MP effectively says to Guzzanti, "I'll tell your dad
about you.") So, Berlusconi gets to control RAI as well as "Mafiaset"
Then we have the charming Dell'Utri. Presumably he gets immunity too......
Alan Harrison
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