Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi: The Italian George Bush.

[Cascadian]

I hope to God that the Italians will ditch their Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi the next time they have an election. This man is simply outrageous. He owns nearly all of the TV and radio networks in Italy. He makes idiotic statements about German politicans among other things. He is now George Bush's second best friend in Europe and supports the Iraq invasion.

He also has passed through a law strengthening his control over the media. He also wants to ban children from attending political rallies. He has also "tinkered" with the colors of Italian flag. What else did I leave out? I don't know what to make of him except he seems to have an ego the size of a whale and yet he is a buffoon. Kind of like George W. Bush.

I only hope it won't take a terrorist attack like the one in Spain to have Italy change governments. The Italians need a respectable intelligent leader like Spain's new Prime Minister like Zapatero to set things straight. I hope it happens for the Italians' sake.

The only thing I cannot fault him on is at least he has done a good job with the AC Milan soccer team. He is better at running a sports team than Bush ever did with his baseball team the Texas Rangers. Stick to soccer, Silvio.


John

[Quetzal]

1. Here is a blog in Italy

if you want to know what is going on over there.

http://mietzsche.ilcannocchiale.it/

Mietzche is also a big Howard Dean supporter.

Yes, Berlusconi is a real @-hole. He owns I think 90 percent of all media services - that includes print and television.

His parliament even granted him immunity from prosecution for a year while he was the head of the EU. When is the next election? I want him out of there already.

[Kellanved]

2. exactly

He was unbearable as EU president, I wonder how any Italian can stand it (the ones I know can't).

And there is lots to add:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/04/28/national2042EDT0850.DTL (press freedom)
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0912-05.htm (Mussolini praise)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20040428/04 (Creationism)
http://www.geocities.com/clintonbennett/Lectures/Berlusconi.html (Islam inferior)
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=33759 (shoot-to-kill order)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1779724.stm (courts)
...
I couldn't find a link to the "terror by independent courts" quote, where he demanded government controlled courts.
...
:puke:




"Half the reporters work for Berlusconi, and the other half think they might have to."
http://www.chartaartbooks.it/cm/default.asp?ID=QUA_RAG_NY_101103

Edit: added two links/spelling

[ithacan]

3. that's an insult to Berlusconi

On the one hand you are right, he's a right wingnut who'd love nothing better than to be dictator.

But you cannot compare him to Bush. Berlusconi was actually a successful businessman, and seems to be able to string words together much better than Bush.

[Cascadian]

4. kick

[Kellanved]

5. BTW: Berlusconi to Break Record for Government Longevity

The government of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is about to break a record for longevity after less than three years in power.
Italy has had 59 governments since the republic was founded in 1946, with the longest being that of Bettino Craxi at 1,059 days.

...
http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=C23F78BC-3471-4C71-9284E6E0DC311C04


I'm keeping the fingers crossed for a miracle ... .