After allegations that Berlusconi has been in league with the mafia for many years, come investigations into corruption involving of all people, the head of Italy’s civil defence organisation, Guido Bertolaso. All on the eve of the reignition of Italy’s nuclear power program.
At first it looked as though this man, of whom Silvio Berlusconi is a big fan, was only on the sidelines. Now though it is looking as though Guido Bertolaso, Italy’s head of civil defence, was actively involved in a sordid story of corruption involving sexual favours, a hint of nepotism and free BMWs, as well as copious backhanders right, left and centre.
To his credit, almost, and before it had been alleged that Guido Bertolaso was up to his neck in the smelly stuff, Italy’s head of civil defence had offered his resignation to Silvio Berlusconi. Dear Silvo rejected this attempt by Bertolaso to do the decent thing, and instead Berlusconi rattled on about Italy’s judiciary interfering in the day to day activities of Italy’s administrators.
Normal Business Practice in Italy
Obviously to Silvio, the involvement of a few girls, a little partying, and the odd bribe or two, constitute normal business practice in Italy.
Not everyone is in complete agreement with Berlusconi on this, though, and the only vaguely honest political party in Italy, the Italian Values party run by Antonio Di Pietro (against whom mud slinging attempts have been recently made), has requested a no-confidence vote in Italy’s government.
Moving back to the corruption involving Italy’s head of civil defence, press reports today stated that Bertolaso and his chums pushed the boat out on the night after the earthquake in Abruzzo as they realised just how many lucrative backhanders, sorry, legitimate commissions, would be coming their way once the rebuilding efforts began.
Reading this sort of left a bad taste in my mouth, and I know that others were left feeling somewhat bitter too.
Nuke Italy Countdown
Stop reading, start speaking
Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.
The really fun thing is though, that Italy, with its rather rife levels of corruption, is about to recommence its nuclear power program!
I can see it now, Sicily becomes reduced to uninhabitable wasteland after a shoddily built reactor, built by someone who paid a huge bribe, explodes in the world’s biggest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
Ah, maybe that’s the big picture. Nuke Sicily and eliminate the mafia in one fell swoop, as well as all those pesky Sicilians!
If I were French, Swiss, Austrian, or even Spanish, I would start becoming a tiny bit concerned about Italy playing with radioactive materials. It’s a bit like giving a stick of dynamite to a five year old. Not the greatest of ideas.
What a country.
Further Reading:
Ansa.it, 11 February 2010, Bertolaso, io non c’entro Premier a pm, vergogna – Bertolaso: nothing to do with me. Berlusconi: shame on you judges – in Italian
Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chernobyl_Disaster.jpg
