Take a gander over here and read that article. Do that first. Read it twice.
So what did you come away with? Berlusconi is a sex maniac that gave away money to his interests at a time when the Italian government is in dire straights and Italians are being told they need to change things, right? Now whose money did he give away? My guess is that the way this is written it is implying that Berlusconi was wasting government money. The problem is they never say that outright. Berlusconi is a billionaire, and this money they say he gave away is peanuts in the grand scheme of things, especially if he was using his OWN money. And the scenario where the give away is of his own money is far more likely, since he would otherwise be facing criminal charges even in crazy Italy.
So, after a quick search of the Italian newspapers – with this English translation – one is left with the same impression: it was his money. There would be a criminal probe, not a scandal, otherwise.
The question begs to be asked why this story so agitates leftists in Italy and elsewhere. He isn’t using other people’s money, and he is actually doing stimulus. Is the problem that he is rich? Being wealthy has become a crime in the world. We are doomed.
Robert A. Heinlein – Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty. This is known as “bad luck.”
18 comments
No ping yet
CM says:
October 27, 2011 5:36 pm at 5:36 pm (UTC -4)
I think it’s probably more to do with the man he is rather than his wealth. There are many many rich people out there spending lots of money on luxury stuff that aren’t questioned about it. If your argument is your primary concern, Berlusconi is a terrible example to use.
CM says:
October 27, 2011 5:39 pm at 5:39 pm (UTC -4)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvio_Berlusconi#Legal_problems
As if someone without his power and money would have stayed out of prison.
Poosh says:
October 27, 2011 6:48 pm at 6:48 pm (UTC -4)
Silvio Berlusconi, like many Italian politicians, is corrupt and unworthy of his position. He’s a pretty bad example. The question was always how is such a corrupt bastard of a man, immoral to the core (and conservative somehow) allowed to engage in such activities without any consequences. It is a case of power and money corrupting being use to corrupt others. Shame on Italy.
the worse part is the alternatives aren’t much better.
The fact that Berlusconi can spend time attending to his dick as his country dies shows how unworthy he is of his position. He belongs in the gutter.
Poosh recently posted..DAVID MITCHELL IS ACTUALLY A COMPLETE MORON
CM says:
October 27, 2011 7:43 pm at 7:43 pm (UTC -4)
Yep he’s the guy conservatives should be able to happily distance themselves from and say “see, i can say negative things about bad conservatives, i’m not a complete ideologue – he’s a corrupt bastard of a man, immoral to the core, who just happens to be a conservative”.
Mississippi Yankee says:
October 28, 2011 1:22 am at 1:22 am (UTC -4)
Did the normally intelligent Brit or the argumentative kiwi answer your question Alex?
(I didn’t think so either)
Perhaps an Occupy The Coliseum tactic is needed.
We can call it OTC
West Virginia Rebel says:
October 28, 2011 2:17 am at 2:17 am (UTC -4)
Burlosconi makes Clinton look like a choirboy. I think a better example might be Rupert Murdoch if you want to see where European leftists (well, English ones, anyway) have directed their selective outrage.
Meanwhile, totally OT, but how about them ‘Cards?
West Virginia Rebel recently posted..Obama, Inc.
Poosh says:
October 28, 2011 7:49 am at 7:49 am (UTC -4)
I don’t need to answer for leftist hypocrisy! And the Telegraph is a right-wing, conservative broadsheet! I can only say why a Nationalist, such as myself, would despise him.
He probably is doing stimulus. I don’t see the difference between him giving thousands to women he wants to buy sex from, and a government building pointless infrastructure. But the left will probably say if the government did it it’s good, if someone does it out of personal greed it’s bad / and that the gov stimulus is for *everyone*. blah blah blah. BUT some/much of his wealth was not created fairly or though hard work, but rather, from abusing his power! So I don’t feel any conservative should be standing in his corner. He’s everything we should despise.
Stimulating underage vagina!
Poosh recently posted..DAVID MITCHELL IS ACTUALLY A COMPLETE MORON
Xetrov says:
October 28, 2011 10:42 am at 10:42 am (UTC -4)
Just to understand – Are you saying Rich people spending lots of money on luxury stuff should be questioned? If so, why? It’s their money.
CM says:
October 28, 2011 3:48 pm at 3:48 pm (UTC -4)
No, certainly not. It’s totally their money.
CM says:
October 28, 2011 3:54 pm at 3:54 pm (UTC -4)
I think I answered it. He’s getting shit because he’s a corrupt immoral bastard. And if he’s personally asking people to exercise restraint in their lives but doing the opposite himself, then that makes him a hypocrite.
I also don’t have to answer for leftist hypocrisy that I’m not party to. I don’t expect conservatives to answer for conservative hypocrisy that they aren’t party to.
AlexInCT says:
October 28, 2011 3:55 pm at 3:55 pm (UTC -4)
Not with the partisan Italian communists and socialists out for his scalp, after of course they steal all his money, for sure. Then again, he would never have even registered on the left’s “man to hate” radar if he wasn’t rich.
AlexInCT says:
October 28, 2011 3:56 pm at 3:56 pm (UTC -4)
You know any poltiician that are not corrupt and unworthy? Or is your point that he is more than the average politician, which isn’t saying much considering how corrupt most of the Souther European states are when it comes to government for sure? I am not trying to defend the guy, but I am trying to point out something obvious….
AlexInCT says:
October 28, 2011 3:58 pm at 3:58 pm (UTC -4)
Funny how the thing the left seems to be the most pissed about him on are like this one, where they are all up in arms because he paid women lots of money and he is a sex maniak. And here I thought the elft loved these types. Ted Kennedy makes this guy look like a fucking piker, but Teddy was a hero.
My bet is that if Berlusconi was a liberal they would have zero problem with anything he did. In fact, they would defending the bejeezus out of him. The only reason he is under the gun 24/7 is that the Italian communists/socialist are about the most dirty fucking players outside of the North Koreans.
Poosh says:
October 28, 2011 4:48 pm at 4:48 pm (UTC -4)
Eh no I mean actual alleged corruption. You’ve really picked the wrong guy here! There’s little reason for you to be aware of how bad he is, but this is not the corruption you might associate with US politicians, from his wiki page:
I can honestly say that 99% of US and UK politicians are not corrupt compared to this. I understand your point but of alllllllllllll the people to pick to prove this point!!!??
Poosh says:
October 28, 2011 4:55 pm at 4:55 pm (UTC -4)
You’d bet correctly.
Take the UK, the Labour government introduces Tuition Fees for universities.
Raised eyebrows.
The new Conservative government wants to raise the maxim charge a university can charge for Tuition.
STUDENT MASSED PROTESTS AND RIOTS – INSTIGATED BY THE LEFT
Keep in mind, under both, you can get a Student Loan to cover ALL the cost of Tuition, to which you don’t pay back until you start earning a decent amount of money – the latter case, this “threshold” is raised, so you’re even richer before you pay it back (in small doses)
Mississippi Yankee says:
October 28, 2011 7:25 pm at 7:25 pm (UTC -4)
If only the Italians had the power of the ballot box… oh wait.
We all will hold you to that yanno?
Kimpost says:
October 28, 2011 7:32 pm at 7:32 pm (UTC -4)
Berlusconi isn’t just another semi corrupt politician. He’s corrupt to the core. Evil corrupt, like a villain from a James Bond movie. The main reason that he isn’t in prison now is because he’s used his powers (influence and money) to change laws that would normally have put him away. At the very least he’s changed laws to avoid prosecution. Forget about him being a conservative. That’s got nothing to with anything. He’s just a power hungry sociopath.
And yes, he’s such a bastard that some people might actually criticize him for just being rich. But that’s related to his actual wrong doings. Hated people get shit, that’s just how things are. I’m sure Hitler got extra shit back in the days, too.
The guy makes Nixon look like a saint. And forget about current rough Chicago politics. Nothing would surprise me with Berlusconi. I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out that he would have had people killed. It’s incredible to see him holding office. Any office. High level EU politicians are actually (semi) openly laughing at the guy nowadays.
Kimpost says:
October 28, 2011 7:49 pm at 7:49 pm (UTC -4)
Check the reactions of Merkel and Sarkozy in this EU press conference from last Sunday. The question is asked at 18.05 into the video. Unfortunately the video isn’t subtitled, so I’ll try to give you the question myself.
“Are you [Merkel and Sarkozy] content with Berlusconi’s plan to restore confidence in the Italian economy?”
Their (hilarious) reactions come at 18.25. They regard the man as a joke. Such a joke that they can’t even hold it back in this crisis.