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Continua, incessante, l'esasperazione della politica italiana. Ogni giorno che passa sembra che i nostri potenti vogliano scendere di un gradino la scala della serietà e del rispetto nei confronti della decenza e dell'intelligenza umana. Pochi giorni fa si commemorava Bettino Craxi, leader del PSI e capo del governo, morto 10 anni or sono.

On 10th January, 2005, it has been approved a rule that would have definitely changed the lifestyle of many Italians. A law which was being discussed for years and that seemed would never be respected. Against all the forecasts, however, today it is still banned smoking in public places. The law against smoking is five years old and now it's even possible make a first summary.

The Italian government squanders are so numerous that it is difficult to count them all. They spent 184 million euros to buy a flu vaccine that was totally useless. Novartis obtained a contract from the Italian government with no possibility of refund that is very advantageous to the company, to say the least. The National Audit Office had complained in vain on the secrecy of the contract. It must have been entirely accidental that the wife of the minister who has signed it, Sacconi, is director of the Pharmaceutical industrial association. 

Rosarno è la parodia d'Italia, si diceva. Rosarno incarna due problemi fondamentali per l'Italia, due problemi che coinvolgono milioni di persone e che influenzano fortemente la politica e la società italiana. Il razzismo e la criminalità. L'immigrazione e la legalità. Gli extracomunitari e la mafia. Due problemi che gli schieramenti politici italiani affrontano in maniera diametralmente opposta.

The Mills trial is a case where there are little mysteries, although many TVs and Italian newspapers have said little or nothing about it, because affects the supreme leader. The British lawyer Mills has been sentenced to 4 and half years of prison for corruption in the first instance and appeal: he would had taken money to lie to judges, to the benefit of Berlusconi, in two different trials. 

Silvio Berlusconi is fully recovered and, without visible signs on the face, is back in the political arena. He clarified that there will be no tax cuts, as his party has always promised, because "the current crisis does not allow any possibility of lowering taxes." But it seems like yesterday when he stated (smiling at the cameras) "the crisis is over" and announced only two rates: to 23% and 33%.

The "supreme interests to defend with state secrecy" are "the integrity of the Republic, also in relation to international agreements, and the defense of the Institutions founded on the Constitution, the independence of the State from other states and the relations with them, the preparation and the military defense of the state". But we cannot understand what this has got to do with the decision to hide with state secret the activities of SISMI (italian secret services) director Nicolo Pollari between 2001 and 2006.

The Italian parties don't shine for consistency with their own programs. To understand our bad political situation is interesting to examine the strange metamorphosis through which the parties went through in the last few years. Forza Italia was born, at least on paper, as a center-right Liberal Party who wanted to modernize the Italian economy. In 1994, the official stance was to condem corruption of the old parties and even trying to bring former judge Di Pietro in their field.

Chi non si ricorda di Giulio Andreotti? Il Divo, Belzebù, il sette volte presidente del consiglio, la memoria storica della Repubblica italiana. Una persona davvero abile in politica, su questo non c'è dubbio. La sua corrente non era mai quella più forte all'interno della DC, eppure lui era sempre al centro dell'attenzione, è sempre stato al governo, più volte anche come presidente del Consiglio.

If the Italian left did not exist, Berlusconi would have to invent it on purpose. If Italy is in full democratic emergency, that's in part the fault of center-left parties. Between 94 and 96 the commitee for elections of the House saved Berlusconi several times with the votes of the left, even if it should have legitimately prevent a holder of tv concessions to stand for an elective office.