Bastaaaaaaaaaaa NON NE POSSIAMO PIÙ!!!!!!!!! Posted by Serena on Jan 27, 2011 in Culture, News
If you have followed my blog for a while you will be aware that I tend to avoid writing about Italian politics. La politica (politics) in Italy has long been dominated by scandal and corruption, but just lately, with the ‘Rubygate’ affair (I hope you’ve been following the news, if not, make a start here: Silvio-Berlusconi-second-under-age-girl-in-bunga-bunga-scanda here: berlusconi-will-sex-offender-investigation-finally-do-him-in/ and here: Silvio-Berlusconi-has-made-Italians-a-laughing-stock), things have sunk to new depths of depravity. I feel therefore that it is time to stand up and be counted. But rather than write about what ‘I’ think, I want to give voice to some of the tens of thousands of unhappy Italian citizens who are expressing their opinions in a petition asking for the immediate resignation of Silvio Berlusconi.
The petition has been organized by Libertà e Giustizia, a group of eminent intellectuals whose aim it is to defend the values of democracy, ethics, freedom of information, and justice.
You can find the petition, which at present has more than 80,000 signatures, here: http://www.libertaegiustizia.it/
I have translated below just a very small selection of the thousands of comments that have been added to the petition so far:
| Abbiamo raggiunto il fondo. Purtroppo il sig. b. riesce addirittura a scavare oltre il fondo pur di raggiungere i suoi turpi scopi. Stiamo tutti uniti e facciamo in modo di dare la spallata definitiva a questo essere ……… |
| We have reached the bottom. Unfortunately Mr b. is capable of digging beyond the bottom as long as he can achieve his base aims. Let’s all stay united so that we can give the final push to this ‘being’ …… |
|
Silvio, lascia a chi realmente vuole fare qualcosa per l’Italia e non per se stesso. Hai perso l’occasione di un giudizio positivo nella storia d’Italia. |
|
Silvio, leave it to who really wants to do something for Italy and not for himself. You have missed the opportunity to deserve a positive place in Italian history. |
| Qualche anno fa il mio prof di biologia lo definì un Virus…quanto aveva ragione! Lui è un virus Italiota ma di quelli peggiori perché alla sua età è ancora in grado di "replicarsi"! Berlusco’ te prego liberace! |
| A few years ago my biology teacher defined him (Berlusconi) as a Virus … how right he was! He is an Italian virus but of the worst type because at his age he is still able to "replicate" himself! Berlusco’ I beg you, free us! |
| È difficile far capire ad un giovane l’importanza della cultura in un paese dove si viene considerati più per l’aspetto fisico che per il proprio cervello. |
| It’s difficult to make a young person understand the importance of culture in a nation in which one is judged more by their physical appearance than for their intelligence. |
| INDECENTE! Sono avvilita per mia figlia e per tutte le giovani donne italiane. REAGIAMO!!! |
| INDECENT! I’m mortified for my daughter and all the young Italian women. LET’S REACT!!! |
| La smetta di sfasciare le istituzioni e la società italiana, già fragili di per sé stesse. Non le è bastato arricchirsi facendo scempio del paese dal punto di vista culturale e sociale, contrabbandando modelli subculturali in un’asta infinita al ribasso con le sue televisioni? |
| Stop wrecking Italian institutions and society, already fragile in themselves. Wasn’t it enough to get rich by tearing the country to pieces from the cultural and social point of view, by smuggling sub cultural models in an endless ‘low bid auction’ with your television programs? |
| Basta, è una vergogna! Siamo lo zimbello del mondo, ma tanto non si dimetterà spontaneamente perché non ha dignità. |
| Enough, it’s shameful! We are the laughing stock of the world, anyhow he won’t spontaneously resign because he has no dignity. |
| Siamo stufi presidente Berlusconi, ora si deve dimettere per il bene del nostro paese che grazie a lei sta andando a rotoli. |
| We are fed up president Berlusconi, now you must resign for the good of our country that, thanks to you, is falling to pieces. |
|
Firmo perché considero il silenzio sinonimo di complicità. |
| I’m signing because I consider silence synonymous with complicity. |
|
Deve andarsene per il bene dell’Italia e con lui tutti i suoi lacchè! Ognuno di noi si assuma le proprie responsabilità e protesti in ogni luogo ed in ogni modo. |
| He has to clear off for the good of Italy, and with him all his lackeys! Every one of us should take responsibility and protest everyway and in every way. |
|
Se di fronte a tutto ciò un paese non reagisce, non si indigna, a niente serve parlare, a niente di niente. Ebbene sì, ci sono riusciti, a forza di lavaggi del cervello mediatici, di abbassamento del livello di cultura (vedi isole di famosi e grandi fratelli), di dis-informazione pilotata, di menzogne, di dosi di volgarità e scandali politico-sessuali, ci sono riusciti, hanno instillato nell’anima degli italiani il veleno della falsità e dell’indifferenza a piccole dosi che li ha resi immuni a qualsiasi evento, anche il più sconcertante ed inaccettabile come questo…. che vergogna povera Italia! |
| If, in the face of all this, a nation doesn’t react, doesn’t feel indignant, it’s useless talking, completely useless.
But yes, they have managed, by means of brain washing through the media, by lowering the cultural level (see ‘Island of the Famous’ and ‘Big Brother’), by guided dis-information, by lies, by doses of vulgarity and political sex scandals, they’ve managed to instill in small doses the poison of falsity and indifference into the souls of the Italian people, which has made them immune to any event, even the most disconcerting and unacceptable, such as the present one … what a shame poor Italy! |
| I sondaggi lo danno stabile nelle intenzioni di voto. Se è vero ce lo meritiamo……e dimostra quanto degrado morale e stupidità ci siano nel nostro paese. Che tristezza!! |
| The surveys of voters intentions give him stability . If it’s true we deserve him……and it shows the moral degradation and stupidity that exist in our country. How sad!! |
| Se ne vada! Siamo stanchi di lei e dei suoi leccapiedi. Siete la vergogna ed il disonore dell’Italia! I milioni di italiani morti, in guerra ed in pace, per la libertà di questo Paese, per aver portato alto il nome dell’Italia nel mondo, non meritano di vedere infangata la loro memoria da un essere così. |
| Go away! We are tired of you and your bootlickers. You are the shame and the dishonor of Italy! The millions of Italians who have died in war and peace for the freedom of this country and in order to raise high the reputation of Italy in the world’s eyes, don’t deserve to see their names covered in mud by a ‘being’ like this. |
| Non vedo l’ora che questo ometto libidinoso e miliardario vizioso liberi noi tutti della sua presenza ingombrante. Non se ne può più! |
| I can’t wait until this libidinous little dissolute billionaire man frees all of us from his clumsy presence. One can’t stand it any more! |
|
Non si trovano neanche le parole per esprimere il disgusto che si prova. Spero di potermi al più presto risentire in uno stato democratico. |
| One can’t even find the words to express the disgust that one feels. I hope that as soon as possible I’ll feel that I’m living in a democratic state again. |
|
Vivo in Italia e sono stufa di dovermi quasi vergognare di essere ITALIANA cosa di cui sono orgogliosa. |
| I live in Italy and I’m fed up with having to almost be ashamed to be ITALIAN, something that I’m proud of. |
| Se se ne va stappo lo champagne che ho in cantina dal 94… |
| If he goes away I’ll open the Champagne that I’ve had in my cellar since 94… |
I’d be really interested to hear what people are saying about Italy and her political situation in your country, so please leave a comment below.
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Comments:
Ali:
È una vergogna—I read a lot about the situation and I learn a lot from my Italian friends there. I think, generally, the US finds this slightly amusing as we are in the midst of of severe partisanship and petty party disputes based on knee-jerk policies. Also partly at fault is that Americans don’t fully understand the hierarchy of Italian politics and the political system.
Americans believe Italia doesn’t have that much of a presence on the world’s political stage. Having a representative like SB doesn’t help. We’ve had our share of grand scandals, but our longer history of being a “big player” seems to make such events more “excusable”.
Marie Hodge:
My mother left Messina, Sicily when she was 7 years old, and my father left Naples when he was 14 years old. Of course they met when they were older and married. They were proud of their homeland and taught us to be proud of Italy as well as America. It wasn’t easy to be proud of Italy when Mussolini ruined it by playing war game with Hitler.
It has taken 50 years for Americans came to realize that Italians are a proud of their country. Thousands of Americans with Italian background and also non-Italians have travelled to and from Italy and have come to appreciate the beauty of that country. Now Berlusconi has brought the country to the depths of the sewers! He is what Americans refer to as a whoremonger – or as my parents would have called him puttaniere!!!! PUT HIM IN JAIL!!!!
Jeannet:
Salve Serena,
I completely agree with the contents of the bloc.
I always wondered why Berlusconi in spite of all
that, before his re-election ‘Berlusconi’ (!?) people hadn’t not stand up.
Saluti da Jeannet
Heitor Ferreira:
Dear Italian Blog
I did not enjoy to receive party political propaganda as substitute for Italian language. It’s not done, Sir.
Cordially
Heitor Ferreira
heitorafer@gmail.com
Serena:
@Heitor Ferreira Dear Heitor,
I’m sorry if you didn’t like my blog, however, I have to correct you on a couple of issues.
1. This blog is not, as you call it “party political propaganda”. The association ‘Libertà e Guistizia’ which I cite is not a political party, and nothing in the blog states a preference for one political party over another, in fact no political party is named in the entire article. The blog is simply a reflection of how a large, and relatively unheard, portion of Italian citizens feel about the present situation in Italy regarding the activities of Silvio Berlusconi, and especially how it reflects upon them as decent honest people in the eyes of the rest of the world.
In fact one of my main objectives was precisely to counteract the negative view held of the Italian people due to the perceptions of foreigners who only see what is reported by the media in their country.
2. My remit as the Italian blogger for Transparent.com is to write about Italian culture and language. The blog does not exist to simply teach people Italian but to make them aware of all aspects of Italian culture, including, of course, politics.
I’m afraid anyone who visits this blog just to learn about ‘La Bella Italy’ will be very disappointed.
Perhaps if you reread the blog more carefully, and follow the internet links that I suggest therein, you will discover that you are mistaken.
Oh, and by the way I am not a Sir, but a Madam.
Le porgo i miei più sinceri saluti, Serena
Fatoom:
Great thoughts Serena!
well, i’m not italian (from Saudi Arabia) living now in italy for studying..but i must say that i have big passion to italy and i care a lot about its past and future. bel paese! even if he is still there you any italian should be proud of being Italian!
some italians friends still think that italy deserve the goverment just b’cause the nation could do nothing about it. but i say whatever they do, Mr. PM always manage to keep his position there “the biggest mafioso” what can you do about it…?
all the Best to Italy + italians!
Nathan:
Ciao Serena,
While S.B’s behavior is reprehensible, at least his sexual dallies aren’t bankrupting the future of your country, like our wonderful Mr. Yes We Can. I’d trade Obama for Berlusconi anyday.
As far as Italy’s image being tarnished, unfortunately Italians and Italian-Americans are already portrayed in a continuously bad light here in the States. The recent mob bust will reinforce the Godfather image most Americans pin on us and will have a longer and more negative impact than anything Berlusconi does.
I’d bet most Americans can’t even name the Italian PM or 99% of other world leaders and that is a real disgrace!
Rick:
Berlusconi as one man, does not a country make. The United States has had its share of fools in high offices. While the people may have voted him in. The people are not accountable for his private actions. I don’t believe the world is laughing at Italy, rather I believe we share your shame and have felt your pain. I can’t imagine sig. B staying in office much longer. As the bible tells us, “this too, shall pass.”
William Auge:
Salve Serena,
allora, naturalmente ci deve essere una persona che odia la’ fuori. Io continuo sostenere il nostro “Mr. Yes We Can”. Lui e’ perferibile alle noste atre scelte. Almeno non si e’ caduto in disgrazia nella sua vita personale e ha portato vergogna a un intero paese.
auguri, William
Lee:
It is interesting to me to see the corruption and scandal in the government of other countries besides the United States. One never sees as much media coverage about it if it’s not here in the US. I’m sure that some, if not all Italian citizens feel the same shame that I do when people in leadership positions display this kind of moral degradation. Other posters have said that if the people stand behind these “leaders”, then we deserve what we get. Stay strong Italy.
Vince:
Salve Serena:
Since the end of WWII, Italy has been considered here as unmanageable. The USA has existed about 100 years longer than Italy as a country. I met a woman in Italy who was born in Trieste after WWII and she insisted that she was a Triestina and not an Italian.
We expect European leaders to have affairs. We are used to Italian politicians being kidnapped and killed. A sex scandal, especially a normal heterosexual scandal, is only worthy of the entertainment news.
Here’s how our newscast ended on one of the major networks. SB is still very popular. Many admire him. If he is forced out, he is very likely to be elected again.
BTW: I don’t know if the petition was particularly well written but I found it very easy to read.
Vince
Silvia:
ANYBODY is better than George Bush—inept, drug-using, alcoholic Daddy’s boy and his “Boss”: the unbelievably evil Dick Cheney. That administration will go down in history as the irreversible fall of the US as a defacto “world leader”.
They stole the first election, we elected them the second—I think that cements US as world laughingstocks.
William Auge:
Salve Serena,
Io, per uno, non ho deluso con i tui blogs. Mi hanno aiutato molto capire la lingua italiana e cultura italiana. Inoltre, conoscere della vita quotidiano del popolo italiano e’ meraviglioso.
Anche, mi danno la possibilita’ praticare il mio italiano da scriverlo.
Mille grazie, William
Serena:
@William Auge Ciao William, e grazie per il tuo appoggio. Sei molto bravo a scrivere sempre in Italiano, continua cosi.
Saluti, Serena
the italian specialist:
Nice blog, as “Italian language specialist” I agreee with you, some topics cannot be ignored if you write and think about Italian Language… it is not only about congiuntivo and the right way to make a coffee.
Propaganda has nothing to do with it.
Serena:
@the italian specialist Grazie ‘the italian specialist’, ha detto bene. Ho dato un’occhiata al suo sito, e dovo dire che mi piace quello che state facendo.
Se la sente di contribuire un articolo breve come ‘guest blogger’? così vi posso fare un po’ di pubblicità. Ho molti lettori in tutto il mondo, ed è probabile che ci siano delle persone che vogliono imparare o migliorare il loro italiano qua in Italia, che secondo me è l’unico modo di imparare la nostra lingua per bene.
Cordiali saluti da Serena
Gianni D”Amico:
As a member of Club Sempre Amici in So Florida,
USA we view Berlusconi as an egomaniacal buffoon, un pagliaccio defiling le raggazze d’italia
for his personal pleasure and demeaning Italy’s
image in the eyes of the world. The man is too
powerful & too wealthy leading Americans of
Italian blood (no, probably most all Americans)
to question why this corrupt politician has not yet
been ‘tarred & feathered’ in the tradition of the
early American Wild West. …Maybe soon??
Delfina Acuto Herbert:
Thank you for posting this blog. I appreciate learning more about the politics in Italy from a reliable source. It is difficult for me to fully comprehend my family and friends in Piedmont who do not speak any English. It is also a great vocabulary lesson. We are not laughing at the Italians. After all, we are numb to sexual exploits in government. Remember Bill Clinton? And the colorful John F. Kennedy? In my community, people are so upset with Obama and his trashing of America that Italy’s problems with SB is a minor detail. As my husband and I have been telling our family and friends while visiting with them in Italy several times over the past 2 years: “We’ll trade you Obama for Berlusconi.” The offer still stands!
Delfina Acuto Herbert:
I posted a comment on the Berlusconi topic on Feb. 7 mid-morning. It was posted but with the line “———under moderation.” It was still there on Feb. 8 in the A.M., when I went to study further the Italian lesson. In the afternoon, when my husband went to the site my comment had been deleted. Can you tell me why? I have posted comments before on other topics and there was no problem. Thank you for a great site.
Serena:
@Delfina Acuto Herbert Salve Delfina,
Your comment hasn’t been deleted, it was awaiting moderation and the site was down for maintenance. I only ever delete comments that are offensive, rude, or have nothing whatsoever to do with my blog. We do get a lot of spam, but most of that is dealt with automatically.
Have you recently changed your e-mail address, because your comments should come straight through after your first one has been approved?
Try posting another comment and see if it gets posted.
Any problems, just let me know.
P.S. Grazie tante per i gentili commenti, a presto, Serena