Iran and Italy, dictatorships comparison

Iran is considered a bridge between Arab and Asian worlds, although it does not fully belong to neither.

Italy has always been the USA bridgehead in Europe, although they officially part of that continent.

Iran's official religion is Islam.

Italy also has an official religion, Catholicism.

But not everyone knows that to have an official religion is not obligatory. In fact, many countries do not have and seem to survive the same...

In Iran there is a Supreme Leader, the highest religious leader, whose opinion determines the choice of candidates for president and parliament.

In Italy, the head of state religion is the Pope, whose opinion should not officially influence anything in political life, but in the real world…

In Iran, even today, women do not enjoy all their rights. The Supreme Leader said that they should not start a political career, since the meaning of their existence is to stay at home looking after children.

In Italy no political or religious leader would ever say such a thing, though, according to the World Economic Forum, in the ranking relative to gender gap in terms of participation in political and economic life, we are at 72nd place after Vietnam and just before Tanzania.

Iran applies the death penalty and many international organizations have accused the country of serious violations of human rights.

In Italy there is not the death penalty since 1947, yet this year we have been condemned by the European Court of Human Rights on inhuman and degrading treatment like torture against a detainee forced to live in roman prison of Rebibbia in just 2.7 square meters, where the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture stipulates that the minimum area for an inmate in a single cell should be not less than 7 square meters.

In Iran, the head of the government is the President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a leader always under the international spotlight and there are a lot of rumours about him.

Someone says that his statements, often contradictory, are designed to simultaneously obtain the consent of religious citizens and the lower classes.

He is often described as a populist leader and his declarations create always a sensation around the world.

He has not a good relationship with the international press and often accused it of distorting his words, giving a misleading and far from reality image of him.

Many international organizations blamed on the Iranian president and his government, guilty of limiting press freedom.

In Italy, despite the President of the Republic is Giorgio Napolitano, the head of government is Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the description of Ahmadinejad is perfect to him too.

Iran and Italy are two distant lands, two different countries and have so many similarities.

Yet there is a huge difference: in Iran, the government has an opposition.

In Italy there is the Democratic Party...

Share the post:

Christmas postcards from the far world...

I know what you think.

It’s Christmas Eve, what do you want? Why don’t you relax and enjoy your holidays in peace?

Sorry, but it is not my fault: if I get a postcard I must read.

Moreover if they come from the far other world...

From Iraq:

From Iran:

From Japan:

From China:

And from Abruzzo, in Italy:

Share the post:

Letter from Santa Claus to Italy

Dear Italians,

first of all I would like to thank you for the huge amount of letters you sent me.

However, I have to break with tradition and write myself.

However, the fact is that you was first to violate the rules.

Yes, because the Christmas letter is for children and one for each.

Then how is it possible that almost half a billion envelopes arrived?!

You are only sixty million and the most elderly...

Nevertheless, since I am an easygoing person, the most easygoing man in the world, I started to read them all.

Because of you, I almost did not have time to prepare gifts for the Swiss and you know how much they get angry if you are late.

By the way, can someone tell me why this year they have asked so many models of minarets?

Anyways, let's get back to the point.

As I told you I read the five hundred million letters and I was really surprised...

Someone asked me to give him a house, because he is no longer able to shiver in a cold tent.

Someone asked me to make safely return his sons from the front, because he finally realized that they left for war.

Some people ask me to give them a prime minister who does not need to apologize to someone for assaulting him, because, nobody ever dreamed it, not even a madman.

Others asked me that the money for the Messina Bridge could be used to rebuild the Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway.

Someone asked me to be respected as a person and not because he has a residence permit.

Someone asked me the chance to love someone else, because he will love him the same.

Some people asked me the right to die in peace in exchange for the duty to live in pain.

Someone asked me a country where there is really freedom because he is tired of being robbed even of the meaning of words.

Some people did not even ask me to erase the Mafia, he does not expect much, but at least to know where it begins and ends.

Others wrote they accept the trains arrive late, asking that at least they did not destroy their house and life in one fell swoop.

Someone asked me to make him do anything, even the most humiliating thing, just a job.

Someone asked me to have hope, not certainty, that one day Italy will be a country neither better nor worse than others, just a normal country...

The thing that impressed me most is that many of you have sent more than a letter, as if you had been afraid that one would not have been enough, to emphasize the urgency of your questions, to mark their inevitability.

It seems that at the end of each letter there is a huge exclamation point.

I'm sorry, but I can not help…

I'm just Santa Claus, not a magician.

I cannot do miracles, but gifts for your children and grandchildren.

I may only give you an advice.

As Martin Luther King said, freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be sought by the oppressed.

It must be sought, claimed and obtained at any price, because you are convinced it is something that nobody has the right to mistreat or even steal.

You can have at any time what you want from me, because it is something already yours.

You just have to want it.

No ifs or buts.

Here and now.

Merry Christmas...

Share the post:

Climate conference and bad weather...

Stories and News No. 81

The Story:

This post is for us common people.

It is for people like me, one as many.

Let's start saying that my name is Mario, Mario Rossi.

That is the name of an ordinary person, an average man.

I am still paying my house; I have an underpaid and insecure job, a temporary work, a irrevocably determined time employment.

Time...

The weather changed so quickly this time.

I'm cold.

It is cold, no jokes, but it is useless to tell you, you perfectly know all I know.

You are like me.

I will not say anything original here.

As many, I watch TV and read so little.

What? I should read more? Who said that?! It must have been some intellectual teacher who knows nothing of the real problems and tries to instruct others to live.

It is easy to read when you have nothing to do, when you have a lot of time to spend.

Time...

If I had time, maybe I would also read it, who knows.

But I watch the TV News.

I am ever interested to know what happens in the world, I am not an illiterate.

What? TV News does not really inform? Who said that? And what should I do? See those intelligent programs? They end too late for me; I have to wake up at five, so I must go to bed early.

It is always a matter of time.

We have no time for the climate change. This is what TV says yesterday.

Someone said that the conference they did in the north Europe - in Sweden or Denmark, what the hell I know… - they say it has been a failure and that presidents do not really have agreed to stop climate change.

What's new? Not only in Italy politicians are selfishness, everywhere everyone thinks of his purse, it's useless to tell you that too.

Who cares the climate?

This reminds me of that movie, what title? Ah… 2012, have you seen it? What? It is not an intelligent movie? Who's there?! Perhaps you are some loser who goes to watch those depressed films that make you think...

When I go out for one hour and a half I want to have fun. I would have stayed home to think...

This time the weather is so bad. If one leaves the house to go and give the hammer on the balls...

Time...

What a coincidence!

The big leaders have not solved anything and the next day a great storm comes, cold winds and snow, iced roads and closed schools, stopped trains and blocked tunnels.

What? It might not be a coincidence? Who was? Who are you? The new Beppe Grillo?! Do you think you would have done better than people like Obama and Gordon Brown? I would like to see you in their place...

It is easy to just criticize.

However, for me the fault is all on the Chinese.

…

Well, it is getting really cold!

Luckily I adjusted the heating of the car. I would take my wife’s automobile but she does not remember where she parked and she went to work with that of our son.

Yet, it is better to turn on the air conditioner, so when I get home I find it hot...

The News:

Copenhagen climate change summit vs world, by Eikostate:

Stories and news: “invented” Stories, fruit of my imagination, inspired by “true” media News.

Share the post:

For the good of the country...

Stories and News No. 80

The Story:

Another exclusive scoop for the blog! The greatest world expert of coded messages, Hyam Notstoopeed, reveals what is hidden in the following phrase of Berlusconi, I will go for the good of the country:

As I wrote in my essay Theory of the cheat (Caughton Editions), political leaders are used to communicate each other with very simple sentences in code, with two or three words.

They do it publicly, with official statements.

Apparently, the recipients are people, but truth is that - as I fully described in my other book Only the stupids still believe them (Cheated and Happy Editions) - the politician is sending a message to someone, who knows well the true meaning of those words.

My latest discovery has to do with Italy, to which the essay Theory of the cheat devotes an entire chapter.

Thanks to my sophisticated techniques of semantic analysis, I found the secret words by which your politicians are sending each other coded messages: the good of the country.

When someone uses them, he is saying something beyond the literal meaning of words.

As in November 1998, when Berlusconi, then leader of the opposition, made the following statement addressing indirect Massimo D'Alema, head of government: "We make a law to strengthen the majority, giving more stability to governments... At this moment there is great confusion in the majority. I hope that for the good of the country that these divisions could be overcome..."

As when in 2001, following an appeal by the former President of the Republic Ciampi of ending the controversy about justice, the prime minister, invited to comment, said: "Yesterday I worked so much that I only read headlines and not the details of the appeal. But I believe that everything goes in the direction of a good atmosphere in which the majority and opposition are compared for the good of the country... ".

Just like in 2002 when those who asked him if he would give the green light to constitutional reform on the direct election of the President of the Republic, Silvio answered: "This reform is in our program of government. It is a necessary reform to give a more institutional stability to our country... We have to give more decision-making skills that allow the government to do the good of the country."

As in 2003, when Berlusconi expressed his regret at the failure to move from Milan Sme-Imi-Sir Lodo Mondadori processes, saying: "This situation must be corrected for the good of the country...".

By the way, one thing must be clear.

The message that contains the enigmatic phrase is used from Right to Left.

As in 2007 when Massimo D'Alema, called to account for his ambiguous relations with Berlusconi, said: "I've done everything in good faith for the good of the country."

As when in 2008, responding to Berlusconi's message calling for a more serene atmosphere, the former leader of Democratic Party Veltroni said: "Yes to choices for the good of the country...".

And as in 2009 when the current leader of the Democratic Party, Bersani, introduced himself with these words: "The PD will work for the good of the country...".

I understand that not everyone can be expert in semiotics and communication.

Nevertheless, as I explained in my next essay entitled Are you masochistic or what?! (Wakeup Editions), sooner or later it comes the time to start asking why we allow these people shitting us…

The News:

Berlusconi: I will go forward for the good of the country.

Stories and news: “invented” Stories, fruit of my imagination, inspired by “true” media News.

Share the post:

30 billion of tax evasion…

...and 8.2% of unemployment rate.

Although I knew, since I learned to read, that I would have followed the road of writing, I decided to study at university the art of calculating.

Remembering this, I tried to review the past week paying attention to the numbers, to better understand where my country is going, by a serious and concrete point of view.

Without useless talks, because, as everybody knows, mathematics is not an opinion:

Monday, December 14:

Berlusconi will remain in hospital another 36 hours; the doctors declare that he will not return to work for at least 10 days.

Important news, is it right? He is the real star in the focal point of the media, the primary target of web, the favourite topic of all, from Left to Right, isn’t it?

Tuesday, December 15:

Italy is 13th in the EU GDP ranking.

All major European economies, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Holland and also Spain are over Italy.

But we rejoice the same: we are before Greece and Cyprus!

Wednesday, December 16:

50% of families who pay a rent are suffering: this happens because the fees have risen by 105%.

Well, if the tenant suffers, means that the enjoyed…

Thursday, December 17:

Istat said that unemployment in Italy rises to 8.2%. In the third quarter of 2009 and the number of employed decreased by 508 thousand units over the same period of 2008. This is the worst change since April 2004.

But we did better than other European countries, right? Our government repeats it everyday, isn’t it?

And we get to Friday December 18:

The Finance Guard has discovered undeclared income of 30 billion euros and 5 billion taxes evaded: over 8 thousand evaders were identified.

In my humble opinion, I think that Italy today is all here in these numbers.

8 thousand evaders, 8 thousand thieves who stole 30 billion to the State, that is, to us, and especially to those unemployed who are 508 thousand more than in 2008.

And then we wonder why there is tension in the country.

Perhaps President of the Senate Renato Schifani is right: the fault is on Facebook...

Share the post:

Italians hate Romanians? Here is why...

Stories and News No. 79

The Story:

Exclusive Scoop for the Blog here is the sensational discovery of the famous sociologist Chu Ump:

As many know, I am a great lover of Italy.

Forgive me, my English is not perfect. But you understand, right?

In recent years I have often seen some of you be racist.

Not all, indeed, a few, but as they say in my country, when the stupid screams it seems to be many, when the smart on talks, no one hears.

In particular, many of them say and do things against Romanians.

I ask myself: why Romanians?

I do a survey and find these racist answers:

Romanians steal, said one.

And I replied: what about Italians? Are they all honest?

Romanians do not respect women, another told me.

And I: do you think Italians are all gentlemen? Really?!

Romanians come here and take our job. Everyone must stay at his home, another one said.

Here I do not know what to say.

First, because I was afraid that this huge man thought I was Romanian and second, I know that to be without a job is a great problem. In fact, in my country we say another thing: when the stupid has no job is dangerous, but also the smart one is not so nice.

So I start to reflect on it, until today, when I read Eurostat survey.

Poll says that in the immigrants from member countries in Europe chart, Romanians are the first, with one million and seven hundred thousand and Italians are just seconds, with one million and three hundred thousand.

So I have finally understood why Italians hate Romanians: they are bad losers!

Italians do not accept that Romanians beat him in the immigrants chart.

By the way, it is very funny.

Think if the Germans, Belgians and Swiss would say that Italians steal, do not respect women and especially must return to their home.

Italy would have one million three hundred thousand unemployed people in more...

Chu

The News:

In 2008, 37% of the foreign citizens living in the EU27 were citizens of another EU27 Member state. The largest groups were from Romania (1.7 million or 15% of the total number of foreign citizens from another EU Member State), Italy (1.3 million or 11%) and Poland (1.2 million or 11%).

Stories and news: “invented” Stories, fruit of my imagination, inspired by “true” media News.

Share the post: