AN ITALIAN DILEMMA
AN ITALIAN DILEMMA November 9, 2011 – The greatest asset of Italians is their optimism, closely followed by their love for radical changes. This fosters their belief that by removing their scandal–scarred prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, la bella Italia will be saved from economic disaster and a menacing default on its debts. Like in Greece tens of thousands have been out in the streets in Rome clamoring for the prime minister’s resignation as if his withdrawing from the rudder of State, by sheer magic, would free Italy of its problems. At the same time however the protesters and intellectual groups are posing profound questions like: Is Western democracy as practiced today redundant? Can peaceful protests still achieve results? And why should nations not default on their debts? Europe has already decided Italy is too big an economy to rescue with Union funds which means Italians must suffer deprivations in order to put their accounts in order, a decision volatile in a country whose citizen in the past have rarely taken adversity quietly or accepted austerity. This week, one of the country’s most outspoken and influential political commentators, Franco Berardi Bifo, encouraged the impoverished to go to supermarkets and shop for their needs then give the cashier a piece of signed paper with their name and address stating “I will pay when I have an income that allows me to pay.” Bifo also wrote that anyone hungry should eat to their hearts content in luxury restaurants then present a similar promissory note when the waiter comes with the bill. He also encouraged the homeless and those evicted for their failure to pay rent to occupy one of the hundreds of vacant Vatican-owned apartments around Rome. In recent history Italians have often been in the vanguard of revolts, political movements and new ideas. They are notorious for civil disobedience and have scant respect for authority. In recent months Italian protests against intended austerity measures imposed by the European Union have become increasingly violent with many rebellious leaders arguing that peaceful protests have not and will not achieve results. The danger signals are ubiquitous. Read….
Tags: berlusconi, default, economy
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