Silvio is a corrupt crony capitalist. The entire country has been cronyism on steroids for years.

If Bersani is a leftist, Lenin is a moderate. Silvio won many votes because he called him the communist that he is. Try checking out the GAY Militant communist Bersani intended to partner with to get the majority to form the government. (I know how much you love the butt boyz around here.)

Monti hired Axeldork’s firm who went totally negative and pissed off the Italians even more than his austerity.

And last but not least the Italian didn’t want to be in the EU. They hate the EU that is run by a pack of Marxists and they despise the Euro.

Bravissimo! I applaud the Italians. They are sick of the corruption.

ALL POLITICIANS ARE CORRUPT.

Keep dreamin and looking for your Savior. You will only find Him when you get upstairs.

The euro is a goner, no matter what anyone does. There are two futures for the eu: sharia dominance or fascism.

nobar on February 26, 2013 at 3:43 PM

That’s actually one in the same.

Thomas More on February 26, 2013 at 3:57 PM

I may be wrong about this but it seems to me that the reign of fascism will be heralded by the government taking over the banks. But all the Italians can really do is take over their own banks which is not going to yield enough riches to sustain a socialist government, let alone the people. They can’t take over Germany’s banks or any other international financial institution and I don’t think their military is in any shape to go nation conquering.

So politicians can’t offer continued bail outs or justice through military action. There is no national wealth to plunder. Without any of that how to politicians sell socialism to the people?

More than half of those who voted chose one of two comedians: Beppe Grillo, who really is a stand-up comic; and Silvio Berlusconi, who drove Italy to the edge of the abyss when he was last prime minister in 2011.

Is Beppe Grillo the Italian version of Senator Al Franken?

What all this tells us is that the steps needed to put the euro on firmer ground are too politically unpopular to implement in today’s European democratic politics – a reality usually ignored by Europe’s leaders.

A single currency was never a good idea for a group of countries including places like Portugal, Italy, and Greece, with other well-disciplined countries like Germany and Benelux. Socialist countries are continuously running up budget deficits, and their government-paid bennies always drive up the price of exports to neighboring countries. A socialist country with its own currency can always devalue it so that exports are cheap, and attract tourists if it has a pleasant climate (as Italy and Greece do).

But a socialist country tied to the Euro doesn’t have that option. If exports and tourism are too expensive in neighboring countries using the same currency, the home economy tanks, and the only remedy is to cut social welfare programs, which are unpopular to the people receiving them.

The only reasonable solution for countries like Greece and Italy are to re-issue their own currency, which is exchangeable against the Euro with a floating exchange rate. Besides, in Lira, all Italians are millionaires!

Seriously, if Italy does issue its own currency, the base unit should have an initial value close to that of the Euro, in order to avoid confusion of dealing with lots of zeros on bank notes, similar to the way French President Charles De Gaulle introduced “Nouveaux Francs” in 1960, which were worth 100 “Anciens Francs”.

And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return! Rudyard Kipling, “The Gods of the Copybook Headings”

It is my hope that when our “Grillo” or “Tsipras” appears, he or she will be a conservative and not a crazy leftist rabble rouser.

Doomberg on February 26, 2013 at 3:44 PM

I think he is here. He is called Obama. Number 2 is Moochelle.

On the war front, Paris has soldiers all over town on guard duty and Mali is getting worse. Brits and Germans are moving in to help the French.

Danke.

Beppe Grillo? Looks like Jonathan Winters.

Mr. D on February 26, 2013 at 3:41 PM

I was wondering what Rob Ryan is doing in Italy playing politics.
Did the Cowboys fire him?

I good news, Don King is promoting a fight over there and the Germans want to help the French in Mali.

IlikedAUH2O on February 26, 2013 at 4:28 PM

Ugh. The best thing to happen to boxing in Europe is when Vitali Klitschko took a visit to Don King’s home, was able to spot within minutes that the man is a fraud and a cheat, and vowed to stay the hell away from the creep.

Send In The Clowns….”

williamg on February 26, 2013 at 4:00 PM

You have a grip on the crux.

I read in German and Italian.

You would be surprised what fails to make it to the English rags. Oh, yes, around here, maybe you wouldn’t.

It is humbles me to translate the comment that “Merkel has an unpackbarren butt” by Berlosconi from Spiegel.

The comics that were elected, make Senator Al Franken look like…well, almost a normal person. And just think about the word Senator before that name here in the largest empire on earth.

Also, the Italians feel sorry for themselves and want taxes returned to get their economy moving since they blame austerity for a recent slowdown..they feel they have a very rough time and need a break or some money.

I good news, Don King is promoting a fight over there and the Germans want to help the French in Mali.

My pretty friend over there has been in low nuclear burn over Greece for about a year.

The best news is that Germany is the adult everyone bashes, NOT the US! We REALLY WANT O to keep leading from behind on this!

Maybe we should just make Italy a US state, except not give them the right to vote so that they can’t eff us up politically and economically (any more than we already are). Then they could help us with food and family values in return. Just thinking out loud here…

…and no one knows exactly what Italy will do now…

If I were Italian I would want to escape the EU.

Send In The Clowns….”

williamg on February 26, 2013 at 4:00 PM

Why pick from the usual amateur ones when you can choose a professional?

Whatever one thinks of Grillo’s background, he managed to tap into a deep vein of discontent among Italian voters on austerity measures and monetary policy necessary to keep the Euro afloat.

This is just more proof of why all democracies with universal suffrage are doomed to failure.

the reality is that there will always be a sizeable contingent – if not an outright majority – of voters who are too dumb to understand simple economics or math and will vote for whoever tells them they can get more free stuff from gov’t without any consequences (i.e., see re-election of Obama).

Universal suffrage democracy cannot survive for this reason. Eventually, it will always bankrupt itself.

Send In The Clowns….”

The euro is a goner, no matter what anyone does. There are two futures for the eu: sharia dominance or fascism.

nobar on February 26, 2013 at 3:43 PM

That’s actually one in the same.

Ripples? We’re worrying about ripples from overseas?

Dusty on February 26, 2013 at 3:52 PM

We’re on an incredibly shaky foundation; we do not necessarily need a great big earthquake to set things off.

- Il Baracka

As it is, the prospects for economic stability seem to have worsened considerably, and the ripples of the election will find its way to the US economy soon enough.

Ripples? We’re worrying about ripples from overseas?

It’s not austerity when their spending and debt continue to rise.

Cuts in the expected rate of growth? It is austerity. It is insane. It is worse then Hitler! –your average liberal