Stories and News

Stories and News No. 335 Generalizing the motto on the website of the network created to support soldier Bradley Manning (Exposing war crimes is not a crime!) I am here to say that exposing crimes is not a crime . More than ever, when we see the great rising importance of the net in the world, this principle must be defended. That is a fundamental and determining principle everywhere, as in the fascinating revolution that is occurring in real time in North Africa. In my Italy it is daily attacked too. It will be never needless to say: publishing rumors is gossip but making known to the people the crimes of those who govern is Journalism . Journalism with a capital J .  Every referring to the Berlusconi 'Bunga Bunga' and Ruby case is wanted. Bradley Manning is a US young soldier and information theory expert imprisoned since 282 days in solitary confinement at a military prison in Quantico, Virginia. He is accused of downloading thousands secret files, sending them to Wikilea...

Stories and News No. 334 Apparently, Maroni rejected the possibility of combining next administrative elections and planned referendum on nuclear power, the legitimate impediment law and public water in a single session, the so-called election day. I see that there is also a committee , with lots of excellent subscriptions and online petition, which proposes a date: May 29 2011. In summary, the Lega Nord Interior Minister gave the following reasons for his decision: "The referendum will be on June 12 according to an Italian tradition that has always distinguished the two dates." In addition to this Committee, much of the opposition protest, saying this decision will provoke greater spending for the state. That is our pockets. We are talking about 300 million euros that with the Election Day would be spared. The news will be obviously discussed, I hope especially by the Lega Nord supporters, those who inveigh against thieving Rome, the capital town of the waste, the central a...

Stories and News No. 333 I'm not saying anything new if I write that at this time than ever in our country, women are central in the discussion: women and their trampled rights, women and violence against them, women and exploitation of their image, but even women who take to the streets demanding their distance from the commercialization of the latter. However, in my humble opinion - as a man - writing just this it proves I have not understood my part of responsibilities if I live in a country that according to the World Economic Forum is at 74th place, the last in Europe, in the ranking on the gender inequality (Global Gender Gap Report). For this reason, I am convinced that we all, regardless of gender, have to contribute to the improvement of women conditions in Italy. I'm not just talking about important gestures, as to attend the manifestations. Here urges an everyday change, a daily and practical action to help us become a country more civilized. A country where th...

Stories and News No. 332 Like most of the controversies and debates in my country, everything started from some statements made by Silvio Berlusconi at the end of last week, on the occasion of the Christian Reformists Congress: “Freedom is not the public school.” Obviously, according to a now rancid script, the following day Italy premier said his words were misinterpreted, but now the wave has gone and that's what matters to him. Now, I'm not going to stand on it and fall into his pathetic attempt to recover the now depleted appeal on the church hierarchy (see also Silvio’s statements about homosexuals, never démodé here.) However, the issue is not only linked to the provocations of Berlusconi, because nobody as this government has caused damage to public school and generally the world of culture. The concept which I would like to focus on is the coherence. It always represents the real Achilles' heel of politicians. If you say one thing and then do another one, not only...

Stories and News No. 331 Life is hard for real Berlusconi’s adepts, I have always said. I am not referring to the opportunist voters, people who vote him being sure that thanks to that they will easy make their dirty business. I am not speaking even of those who - having as only motivation the idea that the alternative to Silvio is really worse, close the nose, eyes and ears and put the cross under his name. Well, since leaving the polling station, they moreover shut their mouth, because they never reveal their sin. Most of the time they say to not vote, Italy politics is all a mess, and so on… The persons who arouse my interest the most are the promoters of freedom, the convinced fans, the true believers, those who despite the ocean of bad stuff that came out on their idol, they insist in worshipping him. This is the real species to be studied, much more than the two-headed turtles and the pigs with wings. Why do I say that the lives of these Italian premier supporters are hard? That...

Stories and News No. 330 I read this morning that last night Obama phone called Berlusconi ‘to continue consultations on the situation in Libya and coordinate our urgent efforts to respond to developments and ensure that there is appropriate accountability’. To be precise, the White House website says that U.S. president made the same call to Sarkozy and Cameron. The same… Well, not really. It also happens to everybody, isn’t it? If we telephone to different persons, although we must communicate the same message, we differently speak, depending on the relationship we have with them. For example, if Berlusconi had to invite to his party a young girl and Sarkozy - of course not the same party… - I do not think he would use the same words. Now, since what emerges from the recent revelations by Wikileaks , it seems that the U.S. government has understood this: when Italy prime minister is led by the hand and made feel important , he proves to be the best ally ; Above all, his weakness ...

Stories and News No. 329 Very sad update to the yesterday post : the death toll in Libya rose to 10,000 . There are also 50,000 injured people, mass graves; a bloodbath that is terrifying the whole world. The reactions of the major leaders are coming. Among the many, Obama called the violence in Libya outrageous. Merkel defined the recent speech by Gaddafi frightening and asked threatens sanctions, as Sarkozy did . Now, ever as counterpoint to yesterday post, I do not think that only Italy must be brought into question for the past and present relations with the Libyan dictator, more or less publicly. However, it seems that once again, in terms of decency and simple humanity, Berlusconi's government should stand out . On this occasion, here is the Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa : " We must be prepared to biblical migrations " and Interior Minister Roberto Maroni : " Italy can cope with the emergency caused by the immigrant riots in North Africa, but not ...