It is unbelievable, and yet it is true.
Censorship is part of Italian politics, media and people’s DNA, they rise scandalized and terrify at the first sign of freedom of expression and thought.
On Tuesday in Roma, Piazza Navona, there has been a crowded demonstration against Silvio Berlusconi’s Government and his legislative masterpieces.
Intellectuals, artists, journalists and comedians attended it. The leader of Italia dei Valori Antonio Di Pietro, who strongly supported the demonstration, was the only politician to get on the stage and talk. The Partito Democratico, the other opposition party, was absent and criticized those gathered in that square decided to shout their own indignation against the present actions of the Government, despite there were several PD flags waving in Piazza Navona proof that not all electors share their opinions and political choices.
Walter Veltroni, leader of PD, and his “Shadows-Ministers” decided to demonstrate in Fall. Mr Berlusconi is working really hard to pass every sort of unconstitutional and ad personam law (5 in a month) right now, but the biggest Italian opposition party will demonstrate against it after a couple of months. A tortuous logic.
After the demonstration in Roma, censors from every political front, starting from Walter Veltroni, rose for what had been said on that stage and, above all, for what two comedians had said. Besides Italian media simply forgot or just hinted at the reasons why all those people had gathered in square.
During the last days Italian newspapers whispered and hinted at presumed “strong erotic content” wiretaps between Berlusconi, who was leader of the opposition at the time, and the showgirl Mara Carfagna. According to the newspapers during the phone calls they talked explicitly about oral sex.
During the demonstration comedian Sabina Guzzanti, citing the article appeared on El Clarín, stated that Mara Carfagna has been appointed Minister for the Equal Rights thanks to her “presumed” sexual favours. And, being a comedian, clearly she used satire to said it.
Besides, criticizing Pope Benedetto XVI for his interferences in the Italian social and political issues, she said that the Pope will be in Hell soon. As, maybe censors have forgotten it, Dante Alighieri had written about Pope Bonifacio VIII in the Divina Commedia.
While, calmly without the impetuosity that usually distinguishes him, comedian Beppe Grillo criticized President Giorgio Napolitano for keeping on signing unconstitutional laws.
The Italian moralists and rash defenders of prim damsels who broke out during the last days had probably become deft, deft to the thunders of applause that flooded Sabina Guzzanti and Beppe Grillo while talking.
The criticism made by the two comedians can be shared or not but they are allowed, in a democratic Country.
The Italian intolerance against freedom of expression and thought is surprisingly growing. And it is increasing thanks to the fact that the Italian Prime Minister owns or controls media and he can set or put out the fire on political issues whenever he needs to.
Among journalists and intellectuals there is already who submits himself to a preventive censorship. Guzzanti and Grillo are a good example of independence.
Photo Source: Flickr
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August 27, 2008 at 6:56 pm
geoff Chambers
Just found your comment on the Rome demonstration. I was there, and share your, and John Hooper’s amazement at the reaction of the left. Berlusconi governs thanks to the support of the ex-fascists and the overtly racist and violent Northern League. The meeting was calm, lighthearted, motivated by moral revulsion that a civilised democracy can fall into the hands of a man who entered politics in order to escape going to jail (his own words). A couple of comedians deviated slightly from the anti-Berlusconi script to criticise the pope and the (ex-communist, ex-resistant) President, and the entire left wet their pants.
There’s a good side to this though. A campaigning journalist like Marco Travoglio still gets on the national media, and gets a half a million hits on You Tube when he dares criticise Berusconi for his Mafia connections - unthinkable here in France or in my native England. I don’t know who Tonm Joad is or was, but good luck.
August 29, 2008 at 10:50 am
Alessandra
Whatever is unthinkable in other European Countries it is thinkable and done in Italy.
In every Democratic Nationt it would be unthinkable that a man with huge justice problems becomes President of an European democratic Country or that the Parliament is full of deputies with justice problems or that the opposition party doesn’t exist at all.
Plus yes, in UK or France press IS press, they know what it does mean being a journalist. They know that they MUST tell the facts, true facts not “stories”. But not in Italy. Few journalists telling the truth are accused to tell falsehoods and who tells real falsehoods is crowned as model of independence and impartiality.