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1 of 1- Just Fred
- Duke of Cortona
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Did We Elect Another Berlusconi?
Since I travel to Italy every year, I've witnessed this unfold in Italy first hand. Many of you may not be familiar with Silvio Berlusconi, but trust me, he's a real piece of work:
Just like Italy in 1994, the US has elected a brash, attention-seeking, entrepreneur-turned-savior of the nation as head of its government. The uncanny similarities between Donald Trump and Silvio Berlusconi have prompted multiple parallelisms during the campaign—and now that the election is over, Italy’s experience continues to offer an important perspective.
Before he was elected, Trump detailed what he hoped to accomplish in his first 100 days in office. Indeed, his “Contract with the American Voter[/url]” echoed Berlusconi’s own “[url=]Contract with Italians,” which was a spectacular act of showmanship that itself was borrowed from a document written by Republicans in the 104th US Congress. For the Americans who did not agree with Trump’s campaign pre-election and who oppose his political agenda now, it’s vital they avoid the mistakes many Italians made before them.
In short: Americans cannot let America become about Trump.
Last edited by Just Fred (11/26/2016 10:00 am)
- flowergirl
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Re: Did We Elect Another Berlusconi?
In my opinion, no matter what the future brings with Trump, the initial mistake will always be allowing someone of his ilk to not only become the candidate but actually get elected POTUS. My head is still spinning over this election.
- Goose
- Cogito ergo sum
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Re: Did We Elect Another Berlusconi?
Frank Bruni from the nyt made the comparison in June.
I agree.
We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists.
- Just Fred
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Re: Did We Elect Another Berlusconi?
Here's more:
Some of Donald Trump’s supporters, confronted with evidence of his misogyny and abusive behavior towards women, have tried to argue that these types of “private” comments wouldn’t affect his decision-making once elected.
Unfortunately, I know that the personal sexism of men like Trump all too often becomes public policy. As a woman who endured Italy’s Berlusconismo, I watched as my leader’s sexism gradually become a political and cultural phenomenon. My experience, and that of many Italian women, should serve as a warning to any Trump (or Clinton) supporter who believed Trump’s personality would not influence his presidency.
Berlusconismo describes what happened to Italian politics and society during Silvio Berlusconi’s three stints as prime minister and nearly two decades in leadership roles. It was a time of political corruption and societal machismo; Berlusconi brazenly transformed himself into a grotesque caricature of an Italian Casanova, a man who’d be equally at ease asking an elected representative “could I fondle the lady?[/url]” or [url=]calling Angela Merkel an “unfuckable lardass.”
And even more distressing:
Italians knew how Berlusconi felt about and treated women, and they voted for him anyway. Then they continued voting for him, despite daily evidence of his misogyny. Italian women have been dealing with the consequences of this national denial for the past twenty years. It would be a shame if American women were forced to do the same.
Last edited by Just Fred (11/26/2016 1:17 pm)
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