A Disguised Political War.

Reflections from an Italian Woman

stefania ruggeri

There is something I MUST premise to this short writing.

When Mr. Berlusconi, by then a major television and newspaper owner in Italy, entered
the country’s political arena in 1994, I distrusted his theatrically displayed civil
passion, finding it rather unlikely that the lack of ethics he had shown as a media
magnate could be dissociated from his other areas of activity–politics in particular.

But most Italians seemed not to realize or bother that with his cheap and poor
television programmes and formats, Berlusconi has brought about a media ‘revolution’
which has managed to spoil Italian popular culture, gradually drifting it towards
gossip, sexual obsession and emotional voyeurism, This, in turn, has induced passive
attitudes and weakened the Italians’ intellectual independence and vigour.

Mr. Berlusconi’s political opponents, on the other hand, were almost exclusively
concerned with the risk he could use his media to manipulate public opinion, distort
information and perform both explicit and indirect political propaganda, thus
increasing his power and favour.

None in the country paid any attention to the social and costume outcomes of Mr.
Berlusconi’s undisturbed career, WHICH OBVIOUSLY BETRAYED HIS OWN NATURE,
PRINCIPLES AND WAY OF LIFE.

And indeed, in Italy the media have thereafter been strictly disciplined with exclusive
reference to par condition – the equal coverage provided by the media to political
parties – totally neglecting their enormous cultural influence on people, young people
especially.

As it does not seem to be a political issue in Italy–it is not an issue at all…

More and more, in Italy, political issues and debates are reduced to QUARRELLING AND
FIGHTING between parties and coalitions.

‘Pillorying’ is the latest and most ‘refined’ form of WAR among Italian politicians, who
seems to be very fond of impugning each other’s image by spreading (either true or
false) news about one another’s private life.

Whether unmasking or slandering, pillorying is a huge WAR MACHINE filling the

boundless space of the media. Journalists, opinion leaders, showmen etc., increase
their profile by performing their nasty, PUBLIC TRIALS as the flow – or rather floods – of
news and meta-news (news about news), comments and opinions reaches every single
Italian...

The last victim has been Berlusconi himself, nowadays the country’s Premier, whose
private life has been spied on, investigated ,publicised, criticised and has undergone
trial by the media (an uncalculated and uncontrolled boomerang for Mr. Berlusconi!..).
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There is something new in this latest story of Italian pillorying. It has NOT to do with
the person who is subjected to it, nor with the quality and quantity of the charges.

The novelty is rather the persecutory nature of the activity along with the source that
has provided the engine and the fuel. The source is meant to uphold the very same
rights it has violated in order to make Mr. Berlusconi appear guilty of his, so far only,
presumed crimes.

I am of course talking about the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Milan, who have leaked
information and documents which should have remained sub judice at least up to the
formal trial’s conclusion.

The leak, that is CLEARLY not accidental, has roused and fed a relentless, fierce
practice of WITCH HUNT carried out through the media against Berlusconi and his entire
social entourage. Their private lives have been made public by the leaked information
that includes the most intimate and embarrassing details.

Now, I do not know whether or not our Premier is responsible for the sexual crimes he
is charged with and it does not matter that I DO NOT LIKE Berlusconi, his way of life
and the way he relates to women: what matters is the degeneration of our Judicious
system.

I grew up in a country whose juridical culture has deep and refined roots. I cannot
forget that a trial is a delicate, technical, scrupulous and strictly judicial process, that
MUST be independent of any social, public or political influence. Trials MUST retain
INVIOLABILITY, INTIMACY AND SECRECY of the judicial system.

Nor do I forget the spirit of our laws cannot be betrayed by any exception– be it
‘excellent’ or not. Whenever individual rights are violated in the name of ‘combating
social or political evils’, we all become the potential victims of judicial errors generated
by rough justice.

The exponents of the Italian Left, who have always fought against rough justice and
strenuously defended the country’s noble juridical tradition, seem now to have
forgotten their own ideological history and principles– they are shamelessly
participating in and nourishing their political opponent’s public trial-by- media. This, in
turn, betrays and confirms their general lack of political arguments.

So what’s in Berlusconi’s downfall for the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Milan?

The Italian Premier INTENDS TO CARRY OUT A JUDICIAL REFORM PROCESS THAT WILL
EVENTUALLY ABOLISH THE ANCIENT CASTE PRIVILEGES AND EXCESS OF POWER OF THE
JUDICIAL SYSTEM’S EXPONENTS.

There is little that doubt that Berlusconi wants to use this long-claimed reform to
AMEND EXISTING LAWS AND INTRODUCE NEW LEGISLATION WITH THE INTENT OF
PROTECTING AND ‘IMMUNIING’ HIS OWN JUDICIAL POSITION.

This is THE TRUE WAR we are presently engaged in. It is dividing the Italians, who don’t
seem to realise that neither of the two fronts are CREDIBLE or deserving of their
attention and sympathy.
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It makes you wonder how it is that Italy’ well-known, well-rooted and endemic political
deviance and crimes have NEVER substantially been confronted or defeated; whilst Mr.
Berlusconi’s sexual presumed crimes have been brought to light, thoroughly and
efficiently investigated and ‘proven’ even before a trial has taken place.

Corruption is still there. But it does not seem to be a political issue in Italy.

And why is everyone so concerned with ‘Ruby and her sort’ whilst nobody seems
bothered about the hundreds and hundreds of foreign young girls who crowd the
nastiest roadsides of our ‘civilised’ cities at night, driven to drug abuse and
prostitution?

Coercive prostitution is there. Everyone can see it. But it does not seem to be a
political issue in Italy...

While I am writing, thousands of people are being killed in Libya and Italian politicians
have already started quarrelling about Mr. Berlusconi’s friendly attitude towards
Gaddafi. Left exponents appear indeed unwilling to renounce this further, incredibly
inappropriate occasion of pillorying, by diffusing photos and news about the two
leaders’ embarrassing personal relationship.

I am offended by everyone’s lack of sensitiveness.

But I am also worried about the alarming consequences of a presumable, uncontrolled

massive migration of desperate people investing our coasts, which has indeed already
started and which could probably have been preventively taken into consideration and
prefigured, in order to both prevent it or manage it successfully.

Will this be faced as a prior political issue in my country? And what about
Europe and the entire planet?

I by the way fear the reckless shallowness of Italian politics might be the metaphor –
so far extreme – of a world-wide condition.