Category Archives: berlusconi

Watch out! There’s a magistrate about!

Posted on June 8, 2007 by Charles Lambert

If anyone needs to be reminded just how fragile supposedly democratic states can be, a story in yesterday’s Repubblica is exemplary. It describes the plans being drawn up by the Italian secret services soon after Berlusconi’s electoral victory in 2001 … Continue reading →

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And we are here as on a darkling plain…

Posted on June 3, 2007 by Charles Lambert

The situation for gays in Eastern Europe is getting worse, and we’re nowhere near the end of it, as can be seen from this article, which describes the growing homophobia in Latvia, Poland and Russia.( See my posts below, Protecting … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, homophobia, poland, russia, sam harris | Leave a comment

Slowly slowly

Posted on May 28, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Anyone who’s thought about humiliation knows that people can be brought to commit the most degrading acts if they’re taken to them stage by stage, little by little, chipping away at their self-esteem until there’s no trace of it left … Continue reading →

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Where are you, UN observers, when we need you?

Posted on May 22, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Ten days ago, Palermo elected its new mayor. The choice wasn’t particularly mouth-watering. In the blue corner, for Berlusconi’s centre-right coalition, a man of no obvious merit other than a slightly oily bella figura and a clean police record. In … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, corruption, nigeria, politics | Leave a comment

What’s in a name?

Posted on April 21, 2007 by Charles Lambert

According to this story, The University of Florida is about to be forced to rename its education school the Jeb Bush College of Education. Whatever next? The Berlusconi College of Business Probity? The Ratzinger College of Religious Tolerance?

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Dirty business

Posted on April 21, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Reports have emerged of a massive toxic waste dump found in Abruzzo, one of Italy’s loveliest and most unspoilt regions. The largest dump of its kind in Italy, and probably in Europe, it’s the work, not of the Mafia, traditionally … Continue reading →

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Lese-majesté

Posted on March 30, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Almost four years ago, Piero Ricca accused Silvio Berlusconi of being a buffoon as the then-PM left a courtroom during one of his many trials for corruption and generally illicit business activities. Ricca, a freelance journalist and the son of … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, human rights | Leave a comment

Insults: fascist style

Posted on March 22, 2007 by Charles Lambert

One of Berlusconi’s house newspapers, Il Giornale, published an interview last week with the man responsible for Tourism and Sport in Lombardy, the region that includes Milan and is still controlled by the centre-right alliance, such as it is. Piergianni … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, DICO, homophobia, pope, zapatero | Leave a comment

DICO? DICEVO…

Posted on February 23, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Prodi’s cobbled together a twelve-point list designed to hold the centre-left coalition together until the end of the legislation. It’s sufficiently vague to work for a while at least and, faced with the alternatives of a technical government or, even … Continue reading →

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Crisis? Just ask Giulio

Posted on February 22, 2007 by Charles Lambert

It was inevitable that sooner or later Romano Prodi’s government, with a majority of one in the Senate, would stumble and fall. And it isn’t surprising that two of the people responsible for yesterday’s defeat should represent fringe elements of … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, DICO, government, pope, ratzinger, vatican | Leave a comment