What
You're Missing in our subscriber-only CounterPunch newsletter
SPECIAL REPORT: How Iraq is Being
Destroyed
"A
weak Iraq suits many." Three years after the US attack,
Iraq is breaking apart. Eyewitness report from Patrick Cockburn
in Irbil. One of the great
left journalists of his time, he was on the front lines in Korea
and Vietnam. Chris Reed on Wilfred Burchett, the man who made
Murdoch foam at the mouth.Katrina
washes whitest. Bill Quigley in New Orleans reports tales of
lunacy and hope. CounterPunch
Online is read by millions of viewers each month! But remember,
we are funded solely by the subscribers to the print edition
of CounterPunch. Please
support this website by buying a subscription to our newsletter,
which contains fresh material you won't find anywhere else, or
by making a donation for the online edition. Remember contributions
are tax-deductible.Click
here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please:Subscribe
Now!
Last week I told one of my high school
students about a friend of mine who had her bike stolen in Roma's
trendy Trastevere neighborhood last weekend. When she went to
report the theft to the police they told her that they had a
good idea about who took it but couldn't do anything about it.
The high school student responded that the police couldn't do
anything because it was Berlusconi who stole the bike. Today
we'll see if that's a prelude to what's about to happen here.
It's national Election Day
in Italy as the two-day vote comes to a close and the absurd
theatrics of this testicular driven reality TV election season
have finished. This election, much like the Kerry/Bush show
in the United States, has been framed by many Italians to be
a battle for democracy. The left coalition, led by Romano Prodi,
is seen by many here as the last hope for democratic ideals versus
the government currently lead by the Premier and media mogul
Silvio Berlusconi. But, as in the United States, there are no
real fundamental differences between the candidates in the center
of this propaganda spectacle. And, as we have learned from the
past two Bush elections, democracy is but a facade masking a
heinous dictatorship of gluttonous war mongers profiting from
the petrol fueled terror and torture complex.
The center left is cockily
confident of victory always having led by around 5 % in the polls,
but digital voting machines are being used here in four regions.
As we witnessed in Ohio, it takes a manipulated vote count in
only one state to steal a close election. Pecoraro Scanio, the
president of the Green Party, has pointed out this threat of
election fraud and called on Italians to be prepared for such
a controversy. Could we be on the eve of another electoral scandal?
And does it really make a difference? Many Italians say that
an election scandal can't happen here because Italy is a constitutional
democracy; many in the United States thought so too.
The Green Party here, teaming
with the Communist tradition and as a minority party in the left
coalition l'Unione, speaks of renewable energy, a jobs program
built around the sustainable transformation of the peninsula,
a respect for immigrant populations and diversity, an immediate
withdrawal of troops from Iraq, peace on earth, etc. and yet
the Italians continue on their petrol and cell phone binge. The
comforts of cars, vacation homes, good food and wine in some
of the most beautiful surroundings in the world seem to comfortably
numb the true desire for transformational change.
There is heaviness in the air, as many seem frustrated by the
direction of the country and the world. Minor skirmishes, similar
to the mass civil unrest in France of recent weeks, have occurred
in cities to the North -- Milan, Genova, Torino and Bologna.
In the valley area of Val di Souza in the Southern Alps, almost
the entire population rose up to halt the construction of a tunnel
through the side of a mountain for a new high velocity train
route. The Green Party and some Communists seem the only true
electoral voice of opposition on this issue, offering viable
and less destructive alternatives to the construction project,
while recognizing the grassroots democratic wishes of the people.
Italy's election season has
been very similar to that leading up to the Kerry/Bush show.
The populace is frustrated with the choices and divided, while
continuing with their day-to-day routines. Berlusconi's proclamation
that "we will win because we are not testicles" and
center left supporters wearing signs proclaiming that they are
indeed testicles pretty much sums up the tone of the electoral
season. Slogans such as "better to be a faggot than a fascist"
color the atmosphere.
The importance of reality has
been brought into question as television continues in its' attempt
to manufacture consent. Two weeks ago Silvio Berlusconi claimed
that "reality is no longer important," as he is an
actor on history's stage. He "ironically" stated that
the Chinese boiled their children under Mao likening the election
to a battle against Italy's communist tendencies. His comments
led to demonstrations in China against xenophobia in Italy. The
Prime Minister compared these elections to those in 1948 when
the Christian Democrats defeated Communism. During those elections
the United States spent tens of millions of dollars to influence
Italian public opinion and has continued to work to systematically
cripple the popular communist movement in Italy up until the
present day. This time around Bush invited his buddy Silvio
to address the American Congress as a gesture of thanks for the
war effort, which many here viewed as a manipulative gift of
TV air time leading up to the vote.
While the right pushes nuclear
power, oil and war as the solution for energy independence, the
center left talks of democracy and the Italian economic crisis.
There has been No mention of the war in Iraq from the opposition's
Romano Prodi. The Italians still have 3,000 troops stationed
in Nassiriya as the Italian energy giant Enel profits from the
theft of the Iraqi petroleum sold here. The White House has
not yet authorized Italy's withdrawal of Italian soldiers from
Iraq. The center left refused to endorse the March 18th anniversary
demonstrations against the war because they did not come out
"strongly enough" against the threat of terrorism.
Prodi has caved in on the Val di Souza tunnel project much like
a spineless democrat would in the States.
The propaganda magazine sent
out by Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia "The House of Freedom,"
entitled "The True Italian Story," is littered with
photos and articles promoting mass consumption and the Made in
Italy brand. It is highlighted by photo ops with George Bush,
the rest of the G8 leaders, and at the American Congress as a
proud ally in the war without end. There is a feature spread
on September 11th calling the firefighters who were sacrificed
at the twin towers angels and speaking of the defense of liberty.
As in America the Berlusconi government touts the increase of
infringements on civil liberties as security from terrorism.
There is only a paragraph mention of the Iraq war. The paragraph
refers to the more than 20 Italian soldiers who have lost their
lives as heroes in the "Mission of Peace," while framing
the war as a great benefit to the Iraqi people. The Catholic
Church is also featured, the last pope and present pushing their
family values and anti-gay stances.
There is a strong desire among
many in Italy for a more sustainable society where creative aspirations
are allowed to flourish. Under the current economy we are struggling
to pay for the increasing costs of food, other commodities and
services. Wages are low and there is little to no security in
the workplace for new entries into the abyss of global capitalism's
mechanisms. The youth are generally well informed and frustrated.
Some talk of revolution, others of moving to Spain if Berlusconi
wins, while some just consume, consume, consume. Now we wait
to see what tomorrow may bring...
Michael Leonardi is a native of Toledo, Ohio currently
residing in Roma, Italy
Now
Available
from CounterPunch Books!
The Case
Against Israel
By Michael Neumann
CounterPunch
Speakers Bureau Sick of sit-on-the-Fence speakers, tongue-tied and timid?
CounterPunch Editors Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St Clair
are available to speak forcefully on ALL the burning issues,
as are other CounterPunchers seasoned in stump oratory. Call
CounterPunch Speakers Bureau, 1-800-840-3683. Or email beckyg@counterpunch.org.