alcune reazioni dopo la gaffe di silvio...

The Entertainer

Dal New York Times

Obama Joke by Premier Has Italy in an Uproar

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By RACHEL DONADIO
Published: November 7, 2008

ROME — Italians never quite know whether to laugh or cry at Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. But many reacted with incredulity and outrage after the prime minister, visiting Moscow on Thursday, amiably called the first African-American president-elect in United States history “young, handsome and suntanned.”
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Berlusconi Under Fire for Obama 'Joke' (November 6, 2008)

Mr. Berlusconi made the remark while meeting President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia, saying that Senator Barack Obama’s good looks, his youth and his so-called suntan were “all the qualities” for Mr. Medvedev and the future president to “develop a good working relationship.”

Many Italian newspapers gave the comment nearly as much front-page attention as Mr. Obama’s victory itself. The journalist Curzio Maltese wrote in the center-left La Repubblica that “bookmakers wouldn’t even take bets” on how long it would take for Mr. Berlusconi to let slip another of his famous gaffes. “Mr. Berlusconi never fails to live up to our worst expectations.”

Mr. Maltese added that just when Mr. Obama’s victory was “inspiring billions of people” to consider “democracy, the most extraordinary triumph of humanity after centuries of bloodshed and intolerance,” Mr. Berlusconi instead contributed “a miserable, vulgar and racist remark, for which he didn’t even have the courage to take responsibility or the dignity to apologize.”

A billionaire populist, Mr. Berlusconi excels at deflating such lofty talk. He said that his remark had been “a compliment” and that his critics lacked irony. “If you want to get a degree in idiocy, I won’t stop you,” La Repubblica quoted him as saying. “I say whatever I think.”

He said the Italian left was wrong about everything, “including their lack of a sense of humor.” He added: “Too bad for them. God save us from imbeciles.”

The center-left opposition leader, Water Veltroni, had earlier called such “cabaret one-liners” unworthy of a statesman and asked Mr. Berlusconi to apologize.

In Brussels on Friday, when Mr. Berlusconi was asked by a reporter if he would apologize, he said whoever had asked the question should be added to “the list” of imbeciles, Bloomberg News reported. “You should apologize to Italy,” it quoted him as saying.

Later on Friday, Mr. Obama, who has been calling world leaders, had a “long, cordial” telephone conversation with Mr. Berlusconi, according to the Italian news media. The two did not discuss the gaffe, the ANSA news agency reported.

The furor over Mr. Berlusconi’s remark has raised a question: Why, of all the problems Italy is facing — a weak economy, higher mortgage rates — would Mr. Berlusconi get more attention for his off-the-cuff remark than for his political program?

“Because it’s the last straw,” said a political commentator, Beppe Severgnini. “By now, Berlusconi isn’t a political case; he’s a psychological case.”

Mr. Berlusconi’s remark “wasn’t racist; it was infantile and untimely,” he added. “He has such a high opinion of himself that he thinks it’s acceptable to say anything to anyone.”

On Friday, Italy’s leading daily newspaper, Corriere della Sera, ran an illustrated display of Mr. Berlusconi’s most infamous gaffes. In 2002, he said that Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark was “so handsome I’m thinking of introducing him to my wife.”

In 2003, he compared a German in the European Parliament to a Nazi concentration camp guard. In 2005, he caused a diplomatic commotion after hinting that he had persuaded the Finnish president, Tarja Halonen, to back Italy to host the European Food Safety Authority by wooing her. “I had to use all my playboy tactics, even if they have not been used for some time,” he said.

Yet Mr. Berlusconi’s latest gaffe seemed to tap into a deep well of anger at him, which is at least as strong as his high approval ratings. A brief report on NYTimes.com about the comment drew nearly 1,600 responses, most from upset Italians.

A reader named Alberto wrote, “Mr. Berlusconi’s stupid joke is a further demonstration of the racism and intolerance that grow inside Italian population, helped by the embarrassing attitude of Italian politics.”

alcuni commenti dei lettori:

"If Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi wants to tell jokes then he should go on the comedy channel.

Americans do not need any foreigners (outside the USA) making any off brand comments about our President-Elect’s race - blatant or indirectly. They should follow our lead - because we ARE world leaders- and realize that we regard this historic time of electing the first AA President as something amazing for our country.

Obama’s race should NEVER be the bases for any jokes. RESPECT. Because if there’s even a hint of disrespect just because of race with outside leaders - one would think that the blame should be on the shoulders of previous leaders who have somehow extended this notion abroad."

Berlusconi should instead that god save him from himself; he’s been an imbecile all along. He is just like the the baby boomer rump of the repugs whose stale ideas have been resoundingly hammered. He does not get it. Hopefully Obama will start to change America for the better and Italians will realise that they have a fool for a leader and kick him and his xenophobic sidekicks out into obscurity.

vediamo un po' di confronti tra USA e Italia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyqk5HTIoO8
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Azione di regime in corso:
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A I U T O !!!

rettifica... VARIE AZIONI DI REGIME IN CORSO:
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