Joking Around The World

Silvio Berlusconi is a man who loves jokes and amusement.

Mindful of his youthful experience as entertainer in cruise ships, as soon as he can he draws his old arms and begins to make everybody laugh. At Italy.

His amusing performance intensify when he is abroad. Maybe the air of foreign countries inebriates him of inspiration. Who knows.

The latest show of the “most loved by Italians” stand up comedian has been in Trieste where he peekabooed Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany.

But previously he had had an acclaimed performance in Russia: “I will try to help relations between Russia and the United States, where a new generation has come to power. I don’t see problems for Medvedev in establishing good relations with Obama, who is also handsome, young and suntanned”

Chill among the American and international press.

United States and the rest of the world celebrate an historic turning point not only, and mostly, because after ten disastrous years of Bush’ presidency a young President with innovative ideas has been elected, but also because after forty years since the Civil Rights Act in 1964 the first black President has been elected and chosen by the American people.

When all of this is happening in the world the Italian Prime Minister dives into a joke that only some old man nostalgic of fascism would have said.

Offended that the world with one voice has judged disparaging and racist his joke Mr B choses the way of diplomacy to explain his “witty remark” and he has called whoever had criticised him an idiot.

But the Italian Prime Minister has a long story and these are just crumbs.

Disconcerting

It is disconcerting that having strong evidence in hand in Italy nobody, a part from a couple of journalists who mostly writes books and have blogs, talks or writes about who really is Silvio Berlusconi, the head of the Italian Government.

It is disconcerting that people voted and still vote for him, blind or preferring being blind to who he is and how he is using political power for himself.

It is even more disconcerting that the opposition don’t talk about it everyday. Are they afraid that they might win elections if they do? Mr Veltroni and fellows “shadow-statesmen” what were you thinking about during the electoral campaign? And what are you thinking about now?

Here is a very good report (dated 2003) by Wide Angle (WNET New York network) about Berlusconi. What has it changed now, after five years? Nothing.

Italian Faces: Bruno Vespa

In Italy Bruno Vespa is considered an important and accredited journalist by many. He has been editor of the TV news “TG1″ (Rai1) for three years and since 1996 he is the host of one the main Italian political talk show “Porta a Porta” (Rai1).

In 1992 when he was editor of TG1 he stated that his reference publisher was Democrazia Cristiana, the party that dominated Italian politics for over fifty years. DC collapsed in 1994 as consequence of Mani Pulite investigation that disclosed a huge corruption at every political level. After the fall of the party many members of DC joined Forza Italia (Silvio Berlusconi’s) so that FI became the party with more Christian Democrats inside.

Owing to his statement Vespa was criticized and accused to use information and journalism for the interest and advantage of political parties and political power.

This critic has been and it still is very recurring in Vespa’s professional life. He is often accused to be too obliging towards political leaders, especially Silvio Berlusconi, and political power. Comedian Beppe Grillo said about him:“Bruno Vespa is a damage for the Country, for free information and for economy”.

In May 2005 he has been wiretapped while speaking to Salvatore Sottile, present President of the Chamber of Deputies’ spokesman. In that wiretap Vespa assured Sottile that he would have done a “made to measure-installment” for Gianfranco Fini (Foreign Minister and leader of Alleanza Nazionale at that time).

Yes, We Can

Barack Obama is the new President of United States of America.

Yes, we can.

Cartoon by Tjeerd Royaards

Happy Birthday To You…!

The 15th of January George Ratzinger, Pope’s elder brother, will turn 85. George decided to party his birthday in the Sistine Chapel (Vaticano) with a Mozart’s concert. According to the German press the party will cost 100.000 euro.

In spite of the economic crisis the Episcopate of Ratisbona will pay 100.000 euro to permit to 90 musicians from Germany and to 37 musicians from Austria to fly to Roma to play at the birthday concert.

In Germany this story aroused bitter controversy since the ammount should come from the money that German catholics assign, thanks to taxes, to the Church.

Happy birthday and enjoy the party then!

Source: El Pais

Comic Strip by Giulio Laurenzi