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Some weeks ago Minister Mara Carfagna gave Italy a lesson of great morals.
The woman who used to perform as showgirl in TV shows and who posed partially nude for a calendar and for magazines firmly stated “I do not understand who sells her own body”.
She announced a new bill against prostitution in street; according to what she stated who will be caught with a prostitute will be immediately catapulted into a jail. The future law punishes clients and prostitutes caught bargaining in street: they risk from 5 to 15 days of arrest and a fine from 200 to 3.000 euro.
The law won’t deal with slave trades, exploitation of underage prostitution and it won’t regulate prostitution as in Holland for instance.
Practically the bill is just a huge electoral spot that Italian newspapers and TV news have helped to issue without explaining what the truth is: it will be very difficult to end up in jail.
As journalist Marco Travaglio explained in his blog, even if the judge applies the maximum punishment, 15 days, nobody will end up in prison. In Italy probation is applied up to 2 years of punishment and if the punishment goes over 2 years and arrives at 3 years this is not served in prison but mostly in social services. So even if the client always gets the maximum punishment he will have to be arrested and sentenced at least 73 times to go beyond 3 years and end up in prison.
Here is what John Hooper writes about the italian journalist Marco Travaglio and his shocking behaviour, reporting a fact.
Actually something shocking and strange in Italy.
Compromised by compromise
The opposition in Italy has joined the chorus attacking a critic of the new Senate speaker. Has it learned nothing from past dealings with Berlusconi?
It hasn’t taken long for the effects of Silvio Berlusconi’s victory to be felt on the Italian media. On Sunday, the presenter of a current affairs talk show stood before the cameras of the RAI, Italy’s public broadcaster, and asked the nation for forgiveness.
“[Giving] offence is not my style,” Fabio Fazio told viewers. “So, when that happens, I can only apologise.”
It was a scene worthy of the cultural revolution.
Fazio was referring to an episode the night before, which occurred while he was interviewing a fellow journalist, Marco Travaglio.
One of Berlusconi’s first appointments on taking office was that of Senate speaker. This is a key job in Italy because the occupant is second in precedence only to the President of the Republic. If the latter dies – and the present incumbent, Giorgio Napolitano, is 82 years old – then the speaker of the Senate becomes head of state.
I don’t know about you, but this Shadow Government thing perplexes me a lot. I do not know why but every time I think about it, it reminds me of Star Wars, yes the movie!
You know that music that comes out every time there is Dart Vader on the scene? Well it is the same that comes out every time I think about the Italian Shadow Government. Maybe the “Governo Ombra” should have a warning subtitle: “PD electors, may the Force be with you”.
Another proof of freedom of press. Censorship? In Italy? No way.
Italians do not even know what censorship is, or what it means. In fact most citizens take for granted that censorship is the shadow of journalism and journalism the shadow of censorship.
On Saturday evening, guest of the TV show “Che Tempo Che Fa”, the Italian journalist Marco Travaglio did something atrocious and unpardonable, he did his job. He informed.
Result: a ruckus.
Forgetting that in Italy freedom of press and information have been abolished, off-the-record, Travaglio talked about Italian President of the Senate Renato Schifani’s relationship with people sentenced for mafia.
If you are American or you are used to watch satellite TV you will probably know a man called Jon Stewart.
He is the host of The Daily News With Jon Stewart, a funny and smart satirical news show on Comedy Central. 
For the length of the entire show he uses all the arms that satire can offer. Commenting on the latest news he does not save anybody: democrats, republicans, government, journalists, whatever concerns politics and recent events. Nobody is safe. Jon Stewart does not have scruples towards President George W Bush or towards the most important political personalities like Dick Cheney or Hillary Clinton.
The Daily News is not an exception among the American TV shows, there is The Colbert Report or historic shows like the Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the Late Show with David Letterman or the Saturday Night Live, they constantly direct audience’s attention to the behaviours of their politicians and their Government. Great professionals who use satire to amuse the spectator and, at the same time, to inform him. In fact they just do what they are supposed to do, satire is fun and information.
Bush’ Administration doesn’t seem an example of liberalism, but they would never try to cancel one of those shows that have demonstrated, in the course of the years, not to be that indulgent towards them.
So the question is: Mr Jon Stewart have you ever thought to move to Italy?
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