politicsItalian people are going out to vote this coming Sunday. Elections are usually all about WINNING! During campaigns, the candidates promise THE MOON, people pretend to believe that, and the winner takes it all. These coming elections seem to be about LOSING; no matter what the outcome will be, everybody already knows who has LOST: it's THE ITALIAN PEOPLE!!
Both contending coalitions have recently governed Italy ...with DISGRACEFUL results! Saying that Italy is a country in DECLINE is a euphemism. It is impossible not to notice that something has gone TERRIBLY WRONG as you can read in THIS ARTICLE from the NY TIMES. Not to mention the ECONOMIC CRISIS ...
In spite of all this, people talk about politics relentlessly, political talk shows dominate prime time television (there are more than 25 weekly talk shows, while seven of them are on the air every night)...PEOPLE JUST CAN'T SEEM TO GET ENOUGH OF IT! How is that possible?? I HAVE A BIZARRE YET SOUND THEORY ABOUT IT...AND IT CAN BE SUMMARIZED BY THE FOLLOWING FORMULA:
Yes, Italian politics is a sort of WWE Wrestling for grown-ups! Let me explain. Have you ever seen a wrestling match? Two or more over sized people pretend to beat up one another, while performing stunts, setting objects on fire, sealing opponents in coffins, throwing scooters at each other, etc. Everybody knows that it's ALL FAKE! Fighters who pretend to be divided by FIERCE RIVALRIES, actually go to parties together, share limos, use the same brand of anabolic steroids...and MOST IMPORTANT THING, they have a fair share of the huge business they are part of!! The business is quite prosperous because children and "children at heart" love the HOOLABALOO...and pay a lot of money to attend the shows or watch them on pay-per-view channels.
Think of Italian politics now. The main protagonists go to the numerous talk shows and attack one another, vomiting hate and profanities... Their fights are very VIBRANT and flirt with people's lowest instincts. When the talk shows are over, ALL THE POLITICIANS go to parties together, pull over their limos at the same fancy restaurants, go to the same plastic surgeon...and MOST IMPORTANT THING, they have a fair share of the huge business they are part of...as you can read in THIS ARTICLE ...
It doesn't matter...people love the endless amusement provided by politicians...even if there is a price to pay: economic crisis, sky high unemployment, garbage in the streets, and looming bankruptcy...
People should feel pretty much like this...
...but they don't. Sunday they will go out with enthusiasm, and vote for their beloved CLOWNS!!
Why do people tolerate a situation like this?? My theory can easily answer this question: try and tell an 8-year-old kid that wrestling is fake, and that John Cena kicked Triple H's butt because it was in the "script"...EXACTLY!!
SO...WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?? NOWHERE...THE CATASTROPHE IS INEVITABLE!
IT'S A GOOD THING, THOUGH! We will have a chance to START FRESH...and learn from the mistakes of the past. We will finally have an admistration worthy of a country that retains 75% of the World's Cultural Heritage.
Ti faccio i miei migliori auguri, Italia! - I wish you all the best, Italy!
PS. If you ever wonder why I don't live in Italy anymore...
