Italy 2013: The official thread

[Antonio the Sixth]

I'm sorry if reality has an "anti-Silvio" bias.

Really, I have no idea what you are talking about when you say you are bringing up news that nobody wasn't talking about because they were "pro-Silvio". I don't recall you bringing up and particular news story we refused to talk about. The problem is not about the news themselves but rather your reactions to it, and the fact they almost always are comments on how successful Berlusconi is or is going to be. Which would lead anyone to believe you're a Belusconi supporter (personally, I've no idea, I think it's more likely that you just like to be contrarian).

I also find it pretty interesting the idea that "we shouldn't dwell on personal opinions". So moderate heroish. There is nothing wrong with expressing a personal opinion, as long as it's a personal opinion which makes some sense. Pretending to be "above" the political debate is only a way for you to preserve this moderate hero act and equate the "pro-Silvio" and "anti-Silvio" sides as if they were equivalent.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I wouldn't really have minded for that comment in itself honestly, if it wasn't the gazillionth one you had made about Silvio's greatness and the way he's so much better/more skillful than everyone else (though implying Berlusconi represents "stability" in the modern political situation is something pretty ridiculous to say). Look, I've no idea if you're a Berlusconi fan or not, but you're acting like one. But if you at least claimed yourself as an actual Berlusconi fan (as opposed to a moderate hero seeking to correct this forum's supposed "bias") it would be far less annoying. We could actually engage in substantial discussion and it wouldn't be hard to rationally demonstrate that Berlusconi is a vile piece of sh*t and move on to something else. But you'd rather play your little annoying games.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Who the hell is Barca? Never heard before.

[Antonio the Sixth]

This "wise men" pull by Napolitano is pretty pathetic, honestly. What the hell are they gonna do? Convince PD that PdL is not actually a bunch of thugs and can actually be acceptable coalition partners? Convince PdL to drop Berlusconi under the bus, which could easily open way to negotiations? None of this is gonna happen. Let's elect a left-wing, morally irreproachable President, and then go back to the polls. Hopefully with Renzi.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Pro forma, obviously. We still haven't heard of any presidential candidates proposed by either side.

Maybe it's better this way. Presidential Elections in Italy are like Conclaves: if people view you as the favorite, you're probably doomed...

[Antonio the Sixth]

So I did some Googling about the leaders' foreign language skills. Bersani apparently speaks decent French but might need a script. Monti is excellent in French and English. Renzi speaks pretty good English, though not as good as Monti. If anyone can dig up the PD videos, much appreciated.

http://www.lospaziodellapolitica.com/2012/11/candidato-do-you-speak-english/

Berlusconi is decent in English.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfAGken_8EQ

Monti fantastic but with an accent.

http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,1441566061001_2106444,00.html

I love accents in general! And the Italian accent in English is especially awesome IMO.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I assume they all have skills in Spanish.

Can an untrained Italian-speaker understand Spanish?

No way. I mean, I guess I could try a few words, but that would most likely result in an epic fail. I might be able to understand it, unless too tricky words are involved.

[Antonio the Sixth]

None of the parties have officially proposed a presidential candidate. PdL doesn't want Amato or d'Alema, they did float Berlusconi adviser Letta and Berlusconi himself. One possible compromise candidate is Marini.

http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/41159/Squabbling-parties-faced-with-election-of-president.html

The less this is discussed, the best. Surprise effect will certainly benefit the PD.

[Antonio the Sixth]

God, the PD establishment are really a bunch of retards.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Bersani denied it on RAI today but obviously no one believed him.  If I had to guess he gave the council a yellow light, I doubt they'd have done that with a red light. The vote was 12-10 in favour of regional Assembly Speaker Alberto Monaci.

http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/42095/Renzi-spars-with-Bersani.html

More likely to be one of the old bigwigs IMO (people like D'Alema and all).

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, Rodotà has been floated around a lot, and I think he could be a nice PD-M5S compromise candidate, as well as a morally irreproachable pick.

[Antonio the Sixth]

PD = braindead f**ktards.

[Antonio the Sixth]

SEL will support Rodotà (who will be the M5S candidate). At least someone has a brain in the Italian left.

[Antonio the Sixth]

He'll still win on the first ballot though. Takes office on May 15, right? But first, the PD general council. I hope Renzi's ready.

I still hold out hope that enough PD backbenchers will revolt.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I don't know about regional electors, but IBC caucus is 468, PdL 242. The defections mean it'll go to a fourth ballot: 60-odd Renziani, 44 SEL. Of course some could get cold feet later, but given that it's a secret ballot... either way Marini is elected a few days later.

Precisely because it's a secret ballot, MPs could vote without pressures from the party establishment... And if they can prevent a 2/3 majority in the first ballot, maybe that will encourage the PD to reconsider its position.

I know it would be a miracle, but you never know...

[Antonio the Sixth]

PD caucus vote: 222 Yes, 90 No, 21 Abstain, 90 absent. #clownparty

[Antonio the Sixth]

The question is, who is Scalfaro in this scenario?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Rodotà is the only way to go.

[Antonio the Sixth]

The person who allegedly schemed to sink Prodi is the infamous Massimo d'Alema. What a piece of sh*t.

[Antonio the Sixth]

The person who allegedly schemed to sink Prodi is the infamous Massimo d'Alema. What a piece of sh*t.

The POS got Bersani to resign by sinking Prodi. So not all bad. Now if the presidency can be resolved ASAP, then primaries can kick off.

Bersani wasn't really the problem. The problem is the scheming party hacks behind him, of which D'Alema is the most prominent representative.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I'm pretty sure that the real problem is that the Second Republic has only a little more credibility than the First now.

Probably less, actually. I am pretty sure contempt for the political class is higher today than it was in 1992, and that's saying something.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Someone please euthanize the PD.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Someone please euthanize the PD.

They'd just regroup under another name. Anyhoo, Bersani has now resigned and won't participate in the consulations- I assume the PD parliamentary leaders will take charge until primaries can be triggered?

I don't give a damn, this party is rotten at its core and contaminated by pure evil. Until something else replaces it, nothing good will ever come to Italy.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I highly doubt he'll be there till he's 94.

He'll probably remain in office long after anyone else mentioned in this thread bar Berlusconi has sunk to irrelevancy...

Such thing is never going to happen.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I don't give a damn, this party is rotten at its core and contaminated by pure evil. Until something else replaces it, nothing good will ever come to Italy.

?!

You disagree?