Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Silvio Berlusconi attack blamed on 'campaign of hate'.

I was appalled at the attack on Silvio Berlusconi, despite my feelings about him as a politician. It was simply horrible to watch anyone being treated in the way which he was.

However, Berlusconi's supporters are now attempting to blame the attack on anyone who has any questions about the legality of some of Berlusconi's actions.

Silvio Berlusconi's followers today pounced on the attack in which he was injured, blaming his political enemies and courtroom adversaries for inciting the violence, and announcing plans for new restrictions on demonstrations and the internet.

In a tumultuous debate, the leader of Berlusconi's parliamentary party in the chamber of deputies, Fabrizio Cicchitto, said: "The hand of he who attacked Berlusconi was primed by a pitiless campaign of hatred." He went on to name the organisations and individuals he said were behind it.

Top of the list was the group that owns the daily newspaper La Repubblica and the weekly magazine L'Espresso, which earlier this year made the running in coverage of successive sex scandals involving Italy's prime minister. Next came a new, radical daily, Il Fatto, which Cicchitto described as "the morning paper of the prosecution service". After losing his immunity from prosecution in October, Berlusconi now faces trial for bribery and fraud.

The leader of the majority in the lower house then singled out Marco Travaglio, author of a recently re-published book about Berlusconi's links with the mafia, whom he denounced as a "media terrorist". Finally, Cicchitto pointed the finger at "certain prosecutors who go on television" and two of Italy's opposition parties, including the biggest, the Democratic party, whose leader, Pierluigi Bersani, visited Berlusconi in hospital on Monday.

It should go without saying that one can believe that Berlusconi has questions to answer regarding the legality of some of his dealings and still believe that he did not deserve to be attacked in the way in which he was.

After all, we are dealing with questions of law and order, which means that no-one is above the law, which surely includes both Berlusconi and his attacker.

It is typical of the way the Berlusconi regime operates though, that they should seek to make this attack the fault of anyone who has ever raised any questions about Berlusconi's behaviour.
The leader of the other group named, Antonio Di Pietro of the Italy of Principles party, said: "We will not be intimidated. Ours is not an opposition of hatred, but of love for our country." His words were lost on the members of Berlusconi's Freedom People movement, who walked out of the chamber after he got up to speak.
Just as Bush sought to portray anyone who opposed him as basically unpatriotic, now Berlusconi will place a weapon in the hands of any who questions him and point to his wounds.

It really is about as cheap as one can get.

Click here for full article.

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