Smash: non ci resta che ridere
Monday December 10th, 2007 | 09:57 am | Uncategorized
The Italian Vips don’t accept humour and are ready to sue the journalists who criticize them. A book about them gives us, at least, a chance to laugh.
Viva la democrazia! Sì, ma quale?
Sunday November 11th, 2007 | 10:18 am | Uncategorized
How do we imagine democracy in the 21st century? I don’t think that the system of electing political representatives for four or five years, as envisaged two hundred years ago, is still satisfactory for the citizens of modern states. On the other hand the forms of direct participation, now technically possible through the Net, are very dangerous because the majority is uninformed and tends to decide without considering all the aspects of each issue. Other systems are under trial: “democracy by ballot” (a group of citizens is chosen to get informed and decide on each issue), “democracy by media”, mobilizing people through television or internet, or “primary voting” on very general issues, just to confirm a ruling class that has already been selected. Each system has its own defects. Probably the only possible, even if partial, answer is democracy through the multiplication of local initiatives offering to the citizens a place to debate, as once it happened in the party meetings. It’s a process just starting in Italy, but the demand for participation is high.
Primarie. Mi spiegate per che cosa si vota?
Thursday October 11th, 2007 | 07:52 am | Uncategorized
What are we supposed to vote for, in the primary elections of the new Partito democratico? If the event is just the choice of the internal structure and of its leader, I will not vote because I do not belong to this Party; and in any case, if I decided to vote, I would choose Enrico Letta, the most courageous in renovating the programs of the Party. On the other hand, if the electors are called to choose the future candidate of the Centre Left coalition, somebody who might have a chance to beat Silvio Berlusconi, then I will think that going to the polls is my right and my duty; but in that case the only realistic choice would be to vote for Walter Veltroni.
Sabato mattina, alla Costituente Socialista…
Sunday October 7th, 2007 | 09:46 pm | Amarcord, Persone, Politica italiana
The new Partito Socialista celebrated yesterday its rebirth with a meeting in which its leaders showed courage, ideas and good will. My relations with the Socialists have not been easy, in the past, but I am ready to place faith on the new initiative.
Mi chiamo Speroni, mio nonno era mugnaio sull’Olona, però…
Sunday September 30th, 2007 | 07:41 am | Amarcord, Europa, Nord e Sud
About the risk of secession in Italy, my family name, the hurried way in which people read articles on the screen…
Grillo apre la terza fase della comunicazione politica
Sunday September 16th, 2007 | 08:33 am | Uncategorized
There are four reasons behind Beppe Grillo’s V Day success, (“where V stands for a very rude Italian expletive”, explains the International Herald Tribune). Grillo is a very talented comedian; his proposals are very simple (probably too simple); people in Italy are really looking for an alternative to the actual political class; and he knows how to use the mix between virtual interactivity and real encounters of his fans. Probably thanks to him Italy is entering a new phase in the techniques of political communication, where controlling televisions or carrying busloads of people to demonstrate in Rome is not enough to have success.
