When Bill Clinton had his, ahem, dalliance Woody Allen made a terrific observation. It was something along the lines of "if this was Italy, they wouldn't be prosecuting him, they'd be building him a monument. I'm certain the direct quote is funnier, but you get the idea.
So when I read the article A Prime Minister's Escapades Finally Raise Some Eyebrows in Italy I wondered what had changed.
Apparently, this headline was more provocative than the body copy. While there are lots of pokes and jabs, questions raised, innuendos, comparisons to Nero, etc., the consensus seems to be that he will continue to govern, virtually unopposed.
So, what did I find newsworthy? There was a fairly provocative comment, halfway through the article, that stopped me cold.
"In what many see as a sign of Mr Berlusconi's grip on the levers of power in Italy and the Vatican, the Italian Bishops Conference this week essentially gave him a pass, or at least a no comment, calling for 'adult behavior' but saying THAT EACH PERSON'S CONDUCT WAS A MATTER OF 'INDIVIDUAL CONSCIENCE'."
So, I guess that means that the Bishops are moving towards the concept of pro choice. Woody, your thoughts?
2 Responses
But you always have to remember that Berlusconi owns virtually all the media in Italy which allows for significan editorial control. I can imagine how comment from the Vatican was scrutinised to find, and hone, the least damning comment on his behaviour. Hard to imagine any other western country where this kind of media monopoly could remain in the hands of a senior politician.
I would guess the Italian Bishops Conference is not dominated by the Republican Party. Maybe if the US House of Representatives had been filled with Italian Bishops, Bill would not have been impeached, Al Gore would have won Florida, we would not be in Iraq and the world would be on its way to stopping global warming. I’m suddenly in the mood for some pasta.