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helenroma

Listed below are comments made by helenroma between Wednesday, 23rd April 2008 and Friday, 25th April 2008.

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Barroso squares up to Berlusconi 12:42pm on 25 Apr 2008 Well Phil I think italy is on its own! what can I say I have lived in Italy for a number of years and remain amazed at the lack of unified concern of Italians. Everybody complains but in the end nothing happens...why? Because at the foundation there is an "I'm alright Jack" attitude that permeates the political caste. Italian politicians are the highest paid in europe roughly 15,000euro a month BASIC yet Italians are the lowest paid an average salary of 1,200 euro a month yet nobody does anything about this, in an other country there would be mass upheaval, it wasn't even mentioned in the election campaigns of the right or the left. The way in which politics is structured here is that there is no connection between members of parliament and those that voted for them and therefore politicians can basically do what they want without answering to anyone.
Italians complain about corruption but see no problem in conflicts of interest that almost all politicians have.("Annozero" survey) The Roman catholic church has kept Italy behind in social and health reforms and legislation rendering Italy a backward country just look at Spain once considered Italy's poor cousin. Maybe that's why Silvio is provoking Barroso a touch of inferiority complex!?!
There is a fine line of separation between the church and the state. How many public offices, schools, hospital do you walk into in Spain and see crucifixes?How much influence does the church have in IVF treatment in other countries? Same sex union? It's the norm in this so called secular country Italy.
Another national disaster is Alitalia how many government would try to bail out an airline that loses 1million euro a day for years? How many countries have 100's of tonnes of rubbish piled up in a major city for months without anything concrete planned despite the intervention of the EU?
The highest levels of death in the workplace, one of the highest levels of road deaths in Europe....The list of political and social disaters can go on and on.

Added to all of this is the question about freedom of the press is something that should concern all Italians and all Europeans, in Italy it hardly exists. The quality of news reporting stinks and if there is anyone decent they disapear especially under Berlusconi.
Italy, I hope, has reached rock bottom: a failed economy(Dutchnemo: the economy is in pieces already!) a social system in pieces and infrastructure that doesn't function and a political caste that is out only for itself. On a positive note at least if it has reached the bottom it can only go up or stay as it is....or is it?!?
Barroso squares up to Berlusconi 12:59pm on 23 Apr 2008 I really don't think that Buttiglione was dismissed by the EU because he was catholic (anonimolombardo) however if politicians heading a commision go to the European parliament with a religious agenda, (civil union, for same sex couples has never been on the Roman catholic agenda nor on Buttiglione's), it's totally justifiable that a commision is dismantled. The idea that Buttiglione may be given a "second chance" by Berlusconi just demonstrates the lack of insight that Berlusconi has with regards to the workings and aims of the EU and the contempt that he has for it.
Lets keep the EU free from the influence of an religious doctrines and prejudices something that is merely a dream in Italy today

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helenroma