Berlusconi, Burlesque Man

Forgive me, because I never wanted to talk about Silvio Berlusconi. I will do it shortly. I almost hoped that I started writing in a period when wrong politics messages arrived just from other sources. I can not say I made a mistake at all, basically I got it, but after his declarations on Ruby process today I just can not ignore it. Basically, Berlusconi tells us that girls at his parties were dressed as policewomen or nurses because engaged in contests of burlesque. Being female, being exhibitionist, he said, they organised these competitions which he followed happily. I do not care much of the process itself,which interests me more is the moral aspect of the situation. Berlusconi, the same that many have admired as a winner, which many have chosen politically, always smiling, smart, funny. The same that, in fact, represents the failure of man, all that I would not want to become. An old rich man who does not spend time with his children but with ten or twenty beautiful girls. With no one close to him to rolling up his blankets, the poorest of the riches. Tell me I'm a big baby, . I'm just disgusted.

Alfano Bersani Casini, how pretty you are

Alfano, Bersani and Casini (heads of the three main parties componing Monti's majority)announced  last night, on the occasion of their relation to the draft law on financing political parties which have submitted all together happily, they are against the total abolition of Party funding. Given that on the argument I have already spoken, I repeat that I am also convinced that the electoral reimbursements should be given, but in a certain way which could guarantee their total exclusion from money management (direct reimbursement of the State to those who provide electoral services) . In this way, we are also sure that refunds are really reimbursements and nothing more. That said, I would like to pause a moment on the pleasing blend of voices that characterize the expression of these three party leaders today. People who should hate each other politically chirping so pretty, while light spring breeze envelops them. Now, if holding the nose you can come to conceive the idea that for sense of responsibility towards the State, new disease that has plagued them recently, they put themselves together in a government of national unity fucking  up what they politically believe , this is not the same thing. Here what keeps them together is only the sense of unity to their pockets. I realize that it can be demagoguery, I realize that may seem trivial and mundane speech, but I believe that simplicity sometimes hide the truth and this is one of those cases. It is possible that even on this issue should not come out different solutions and proposals from three parties that together would represent the vast majority of the country? Is it possible that you have to watch a show so ideologically disreputable, so painful when we make sacrifices and we are all drowning in taxes? They should not even have the face to appear in public and there are like three altar boys to make loans asserting to need not be prey to special interests, lobbyists. As if today they were different from so ...


See also:Party funding, just words and Italian senator De Gregorio refuses to give up his immunity

Italian senator De Gregorio refuses to give up his immunity

The Italian Senator Sergio De Gregorio of PDL, in these days, is under the spotlight because he is suspected (...) of having been rewarded for its transiction from the IDV party (opposition) to his acutal party (majority). Economically, of course. I do not want to go into the merits of the question, I want instead to focus on the subsequent point, ie the statement of De Gregorio in which he claims not to want to give up its prerogatives as a parliamentarian. In essence, he is not going to refuse immunity. It is not the first case of using of this much-discussed parliamentary prerogative. What enrages me is that he, like many other populating the Parliament, could be treated differently from any other citizen. If true what is ascribed to him, would be the worst example of politics (even if the competition is tough ...) which you may think. A person who sells his own ideals, very hypothetical at this point, for money. It is true that there are many things which we do not know of the political life and on which we can only speculate, perhaps this is a bad habit much more common than you might think. I think, though, that there should be no privilege of parliamentary immunity in a case like this. Here we are talking about a situation which would mean complete contempt for the voters, the citizens, for the country that is giving this gentleman a rich salary just to let him not being subject to external influences, to economic constraints. The paucity of Italian politics today is disarming. Seeing TV services that continually show that there are countless parliamentarians absolutely ignorant or uninformed is a shame. Not even having the power to choice them, we are left with a parliament inhabited by parasites, utterly unable to make decisions on his own, just waiting to get information from four or five party leaders and gaining weight in the while. What is clear is that this is disgusting, it is also generalized, now it's up to De Gregorio prove to be "different" from all of us, tomorrow who knows ...


See also:Lusi,13 millions more and the death of hope,Belsito, Lega and Country Mom breasts

Italy, another increase on gasoline taxes

The Council of Ministers yesterday approved the draft reform of the Civil Protection. As had been widely publicized, it was necessary to find the money to fund it, given the lack of resources. It was initially thought to a charge of 2 cents on every sms, while at the end it resulted to be a tax of 5 cents on gasoline, in case it is declared a state of emergency. The idea that the fee is applied only in case of need have not to be altogether thrown away, is a correct principle. The problem, however, is that the increase of excise duties on petrol could (being optimistic) be more permanent than temporary. The historical reality tells us that the  Italian State has always been very fast in increasing taxes on fuel, but it was very slow, let us say motionless, in removing them once the emergency ended. We are still paying taxes to fund the Vajont disaster, the floods in Florence, several earthquakes, the war in Ethiopia! These things are certainly not new to the reader, my reflection is rather on real professionalism and ability of our government at this time. Italy has perhaps never been ruled by skilled people, at least recently, however I find that  the principle for this government is that for every requirement you should use a tax increase. I am just saying that the previous governments were able to practice even more imaginative strategies. Perhaps some hint of an attempt to stimulate growth. This government has increased taxes on gasoline at 8 cents in December, a figure never heard before, not to mention IVA(additional tax on all the amount) ... it has increased the retirement age and introduced the IMU (tax on houses). Now I wonder, with all this money, what have been actually done? Why did not seem at all to me it has been spent to create the conditions for growth which can avoid in the future having to always resort to taxation and simliar measures to keep on the country? Someone could impute me to neglect the fact that the crisis that the Monti government has faced is one of the worst, perhaps the worst ever to hit Italy as we know it today. It 's true, but for this he was called, with his squadron of heroes flying alongside. At a great crisis, we wanted to answer with a group of people with great skills. For now, have only been shown to be able to put greater taxes . I do not suppose this was meant when talking of great skills... 

Monti the prophet

Mario Monti, speaking today to the States-General of Civil Defense, has cited the law on the same Civil Defense as a proof of the fact that the country's system is turned on itself. I wonder what he expects from Italy, this gentleman. He promised that the sacrifices would be accompanied by fairness. He's done nothing but putting new taxes, giving up liberalizations at the first contrary voices. Has not made any easier for young people to find a job or perform any business venture. Do not even talk about the research topic, the topic of education. They are technical and they look so much to America, so they should know that the key to success is the fact that the U.S. economy is the country in the world that invests more in research. How does the system Italy, not to be turned on itself? What confidence should have a youth in the future? What confidence should have an employee who at fifty is hanging on top of a ravine, which is said to be working somewhere else, if it will work anywhere? In all this, then, there must also be said that those who really makes the sacrifices see around them millions of pieces of shit who evade taxes cheerfully, not caring about everything and everyone. It 's impossible, dear Monti, to seriously think that there may be a system Italy not turned on itself, because you have helped to make the Italians a nation of hopeless. Leaving aside the fact that you, of liberalism, seems to have understood very little, because you only think about taxes and no at all to liberalize, how would I define you? Are you perhaps politically at extreme right? Jacobin? Puritan? Ottimato,? I think at least you can call yourself a prophet, or Messiah, as you tell us this great truths about Italy. Not to brag, but I had already said yesterday ...

Lusi, 13 millions more and the death of hope

While the Lega is facing the biggest crisis ever experienced  because of money of the party management and while the parliament hastily tries to patch up the continuous fool that our representatives are used to give us, some might having forgotten Lusi and Margherita. Today it turns out that the former treasurer of the party would have stolen from other funds of € 13 million, being not enough old ones. It goes almost to the background, almost like a non-news and all this is the mirror of the times. Times when the people who trust in politics has been reduced to only the members of parties. I write what I write because I believe in politics, although not in this one. I believe that among the many faults that these gentlemen have, there is also the fault of having reduced entire generations of young people to wonder if really worth being interested in what is around them. The world has always gone on for confidence in the future, for the enterprise, for the hope of the people. Italy today is nothing like that. The boys of my age eight times out of ten do not even look at the news. Beyond money, beyond the disgusting, beyond the banter, there is the awareness of being part of a society that is curled up on itself, whose face is on the tarmac and who is cornered. Their greatest sin is to have fallen asleep people's souls. All this must stop...

In Italy the slowest justice in Europe

The Council of Europe published its annual report on justice, which shows how Italy is the country, including  all those of the Old Continent, slower to administer processes and so on. The report speaks of judgments by the European Court of Human Rights of the Man which have not been applied. The fact is that it has been so due to the slowness with which justice is applied in Italy, where processes often last for years and years and you can not even get to the determination of innocence or otherwise of an accused as a result of the prescription. If anyone is convinced that such kind of evil is prevalent among all developed countries of Europe, it is good to look at our buddies: together with us in the ranking at the top (but behind us ...) Turkey, Russia, Poland and Ukraine. Obviously, all these delays mean that citizens should be reimbursed, so this year we paid more than eight million euros in refunding damages to our citizens that have not been accorded the rights Europe has determined valid for every european citizen . Although I am fully aware that this figure, on the total government budget, is of negligible influence, I wonder how it is possible that we should be the only country, among the largest in Europe, which has a justice system that behaves in this way.
Is the very concept of justice that is lost when you disapply a number of sentences as high as what we are being challenged (2522), as well as when it fails after five, ten or fifteen years to determine innocence or not because of prescription. Or when, for some "procedural error", who knows how much unintended, you are freeing mobsters and criminals. It 'true that governments, especially in the period prior to Monti, have made sure to further complicate the decision-making by introducing in the machine or trying to introduce innovations to the legal system that had little to do with making it more efficient. It 'also true that a majority of the people didn't care of this, while continuing to support all those who faltered further. In light of this, then, is not it strange that justice is inefficient in Italy, no one has tried recently to make it different than it is.
But what does a little crap is that we are talking about violations of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. These are ordinary people who are denied rights that in countries like ours should be natural. We have the company of states where democracy is at least in doubt like Russia and Turkey. Why does my country should not be taking cues from the best but, on the contrary, the worst of the worst? Why nobody in the political class is committed to change this? The speech is maybe simplicistic, but in Italy that true justice about people is no doubt at the interests of anyone. If a politician is going to be processed, if there is to prohibit interceptions, to attack the judiciary system, then they care (and how much!). Otherwise, it's just a word with which filling their mouth, between mouthfuls of tasty ones, with which they are growing fat at our expense ...

Short selling in Italy, if CONSOB plays against us

Many may have noticed that, in the midst of economic crisis, the agency that should regulate the stock exchange has decided to make a decision of not secondary impact: remove the ban on short selling on bank stocks and insurance stocks. Basically, the short sale consists in borrowing securities to sell theim. Later, you agree to return them to those who lent, so you must buy them back. In essence, you gain by focusing on the descent of the stock price because if the price will fall you will earn the difference between the price you received for the initial sale and the price you pay to dispose of securities to be returned. Obviously, however, the mere fact that you can sell something you do not own directly makes the audience of those who can sell vastly larger. As in all markets, the law of supply and demand means that while more people want to sell an asset rather than buy, the price drops. Thus was born the speculation. So selling a stock becomes no more a demonstration of no trust on the company but just speculation, and it can cause the failure of a company that, paradoxically, may also be healthy. This takes the stock price down with all that it entails: layoffs, capital increases,..., in short, all those decisions that are made in difficult moments of life of a 'company and have a strong impact in the social sphere. 

 CONSOB had made the decision to ban short selling on bank stocks and insurance because they were the main targets of speculation during the crisis. Not only, you may like it or not, but banks are also the basis of our economic system: now grant credit to households and businesses very difficult and the fact that their price is subject to enormous volatility does not help to bring the situation to normality. The ban on short selling, therefore, was a measure right and acceptable, which aimed to bring the economy back to normal. In all this, when the spread decreased, Consob immediately removed the ban. The banks, which had shown a positive trend in stock market,are now hostages of comeback of speculation, the spread has gone up, normality is increasingly remote. It 's really hard to accept the ineptitude of those who govern an institution so important to the lives of all.  The suspicion is that everything is done on purpose, that our skin is the last thing these people think, that while families are struggling to get through the month with prayers and curses  there are those who continue to think just as deserving a place in hell ...

Spread up to 390, is Monti failing?

This morning, spread (between italian and german bonds) climbed to 390 basis points. For which reasons? I think the government has not understood that, with what he did, he just put some patches on huge holes that needed instead to be filled with solid earth. He was not wrong to raise the retirement age, it was not wrong to raise taxes, of course talking about the context of Italy nowadays. What was wrong was to do absolutely nothing to stimulate economic growth in a country that is not growing and will continue not to do so. They have tried to head that the cause of all  the ills  of the country was the amendment of Article 18, even when the reality is that the cause of all the ills of the country is the ridiculous level of tax evasion.  They could have liberalize, could  have streamline the bureaucracy, they did nothing. They threw in the toilet the greatest opportunity that, perhaps, an Italian government has ever had. We called a caretaker government that bore his power by adopting solutions that my grandmother would have been able to adopt the same way. They could show the ineptitude of politicians, instead they almost succeeded in the endeavor to make them appear capable people. They continue in their policy dangling, youth unemployment is dramatically increasing and  so the  spread. Nobody  should think that speculation is attacking us strongly. Speculation, in this case, is natural, it is not the matter.

These market gurus would have known what to do to be successful, at least towards the market. Because we have disgraced the citizens of the State, in the name of the market (...). And then, if neither the market enjoyed them, the road to bankruptcy (for the Government and for all us) is increasingly flattened ...

Party funding, just words...

After the scandal of the Lega and after the scandal of the Democratic Party, it seems that in Italy the political world is working to change the current legislation which allows, essentially, each one to do whatever the hell they want. The question is simple, we use to fill parties with public money, they spend it as they like, then after some scandals so many cute little birds come to sing you have to change the system. To think that we are in the hands of people whose millions are robbed under their nose without them realizing it, makes you vomit (if that is true ...). Now, what they would change? It 's likely that, to some extent, the parties financing is necessary, in order not to depend on every interest that may not always be the one of the State (...). To avoid that politics becomes a thing only for the riches, too. But Bersani telling me that by law the budget of the parties must be certified, it is one thing that makes me almost cry. In my opinion, that should be the minimum. I think we should arrive at a system where funding is solely and exclusively  a reimburse for expenses incurred during the election campaign. This, however, carried out in a direct manner. Let's say the Democratic Party claims to have incurred expenses for thirty millions. Not a cent of these should go to the party,  instead would be the State that, directly, would pay who printed the leaflets, the provider of other services, in short, anyone who has worked in the campaign. With a predetermined maximum amount. And with a cost, for example, of the single wheel, which by law may not be extended beyond a given limit. You might even get to do some sort of "Country Office for electoral materials", if it weren't that then politicians would put their hands on it. Obviously the idea is rather utopian and just as obviously there will be thousand objections which now don't come to my mind (if they occur to you, comment ...) but if nothing else at least politicians wouldn't have public money in their hands. This would give us, perhaps, less reason to take them all stoned ...

Youth Occupation in Italy, 15% less

Istat make us know today that there have been a big decline in youth occupation. In three years, from 2008 to 2011, the total value of youth employment has fallen by 15%. In addition to to that wonderful situation represented by the scenarios regarding the recent labor market reform, this makes us find a wonderful situation. Italy is officially the country of the world where a young person is more covered with shit. There is no horizon, no job for more than a third of young people, even those who work are hanging by a thin thread and to think to born and die in one place becomes more and more utopian. This is not a secondary issue. Despite what some master of life at the government say, it is perfectly legitimate for a person to think you can work and live in the place where you have friendships and affections,without bumping your head somewhere else. Does not mean being plump or big babies,does not mean being stupid, it does mean  to have priorities. Which may not necessarily be the ones represented by getting richer. I want to live here, where I was born, where there are people that interest me. Because I am interested in the people that interest me more than  in the things that interest me. I do not feel as I am retarded for that. I do not feel like I am a stupid. Everyone has to make choices, but here they are denying me mine ....

If lesbians are sick

It seems that in Italy the official list of diseases and injuries of the Ministry of Health reports lesbianism among the diseases. In 1993 the WHO removed this item from their list, in Italy several years and governments have passed, but nothing has changed. This makes me sick. It makes me sick to think that my country should be completely backward about these issues (such as the recognition of unmarried couples teaches ...), probably because of a political class essentially slave to the Catholic Church and the morality of bigots (of course, different from the millions of sensitive and sensible Christians) who populate this country. A country where issues like this are discussed while in the rest of the world even the discussion doesn't arise. How can we pretend to have a better future when we grow up our children in a so intolerant environment? The courage to change these issues is missing because, sorry to say, there is a lack of will to "offend" the Church. As if defending Christian values, right or wrong,  might mean to deny the values ​​of others. As if these women demand to stop you practicing any religion. I'm sick of living in a country like this, full of people who think more and more to themselves than to make Italy a better place for everyone. Waiting for bigotry end, with love ...

Bossi's resignation, we will not miss you

Umberto Bossi resigned. And it was the right time. He resigned because he betrayed the Lega Nord, the voters of the Lega, the Italians. He has spent his entire political life insulting Italy, the same Italy that gave money to his party, the same party from which he took, apparently, a lot of money. "Thieving Rome" is indignate, I am, for the chutzpah with which people can talk ahead of Italy with the arrogance of those who feel superior. The Lega had ideals which Bossi gave to her and who knows if he really really believes in what he has always supported. I wonder if it has not come into politics only to make a change in his life, counting on the support of many people, always in good faith, perhaps naive. I do not care if the League is a party of good people. I do not care Bossi, I do not care whether or not he really took the money. I am interested in that such a person has decided to stand up out of here, at least in part. Because the Bossi's message has always been a message of division, intoleloverance, good slogans for a tavern. This is a time of unity, not in the manner of Mario Monti, but  in the manner of solidarity. It  is time of sacrifices. Around me, I want people who want to work together, build together. I know asking this to italian politicians is perhaps too much. But at least if Bossi put himself aside, my days would be much happier...with love

Belsito, Lega, Bossi and "CountryMom breasts"

Hello everybody. Today we speak of Mr. Francis Belsito, treasurer of the Lega Nord party that recently appeared to be a kind of Joan of Arc of the employees (who knows who was at the government before Monti ...). This guy, who, like all those who handle money, is unknown to most (see Lusi) seems to have used money left for its exigences. For Umberto Bossi (Leader of the party) exigences. For Bossi's children exigences. Obviously, magistrates are investigating, journalists write and who knows who knows who knows ... But some people really cannot help? How is it that all great ideals you are fuckin' for these little, little men? Bossi entered politics, conquered a lot of people with its shouts and his ideas, often being able to take hold among ordinary and simple people. Not infrequently, Lega was the party closer to the weakest. With which face he took that money for himself, if it were true? And how is it that these huge parties of today, giant machines eating Italy's money, full of guys saying on TV we have to make sacrifices, they can rob their money from honest people like Lupin? The problem is that the money they have available is not theirs. If I have a thousand euros (I'd like ...) and someone steal a cent, as the not always very nice Andrea Renzi said, I will follow him with a pitchfork. 
They do not, because they could still suck milk from "CountryMom" breasts. Milk that is missing more often for us, his not recognized children.

Monti and Art.18

Here we are. The biggest topic of discussion these days in Italy was Article 18. You all know what it is, so  I do not break your balls further. Mario Monti came to the government  promising a lot of economic wonders. At first, the undersigned also appreciated. It was necessary to reduce the spread with Germany's bund and  this wasn't a secondary, useless thing like many may think. Without this, we would end up really bad altogether. So ok, let's go with the  blows to employees and retirees, but not just them. And it worked , the spread is down, we are all (relatively) calmer. But also more, more angry. Because it is clear that if we were able to plug the hole, we did it with a finger, and sooner or later those who put the finger will want to go home. In other words, the ridicolous taxation level to which we are all subjected, sooner or later will be unbearable.
In order to avoid this danger, policies were needed for economic growth. What have been done? Nothing. Only exception, the change in the said Article 18. Which makes it "easier" for a company to lay off employees. And, until tonight, did not provide even that employees dismissed for economic causes later revealed as fake, could not even be reinstated by a judge. All this because we, as a country,  could be more attractive for foreign investments. And because "no Western country" has something like Article 18. I am not a nationalist, but are we sure it's just that (among many) the field in which we should take lessons? Change the labor market does not mean building a situation in wich a forty or fifty years old man can be fired without a system allowing him to find another workplace. What should do, a family man with 24 months of salary? Who will hire him, a forty-five, in today's world? Companies, in Italy, have always fired when necessary. It is not necessary to give them the opportunity to do it so indiscriminately. We're not the Usa, we have a different economic system. I am pissed. Because I have twentytwo years, I am studying at university, and if I find a job no one will give me a mortgage. I do not care about having money, but I would like to have a family, children. And a house, where you can spend time with them, where you can raise them. If I take an indefinite period contract but  I can easily be laid off, who will give me a mortgage? And who will give it to people much less fortunate than me, who can not even count on some possible help from parents? Let's First make the system capable to ensure a large number of assumptions. Then make layoffs easier. Do liberalizations. Levin back to all this burocracy. Open a blog is probably the easiest thing you can do in Italy. It would be nice if it were so for a company. It would be even better if Mario Monti realize that he is running into trouble two generations, young and old people. All people who pay taxes (or would pay them if they found a job ...) and who are all fed up.