What Berlusconi's Offer to Stop Humping Meter Maids, Italian Economy Should Teach U.S. Pols (and Voters)

Nick Gillespie | November 9, 2011

Silvio Berlusconi, resilient Italian leader, corrupt media magnate, procurer of either illegal or barely legal prostitutes, and Bond-style villain with less charm than Ernst Blofeld and Rosa Klebb put together, has offered to resign as prime minister if and when the Italian parliament passes austerity measures demanded by the European Union. Italian bonds are carrying a hefty 7 percent-plus interest rate, meaning mostly everyone is charging the country increasing amounts of interest to borrow.

The NY Times eulogizes the fool who has been Italy's main political figure for 17 years:

“A season is over,” said Mario Calabresi, the editor in chief of the Turin daily newspaper La Stampa, who said Mr. Berlusconi told him that he was not only stepping down, but also would not run for office again....

“The problem in Italy is not primarily the real data,” Germany’s finance minister, Wolfgang Schaüble, said in Brussels on Tuesday. “The debt is high, the deficit is not — economic data are not that bad. The problem is a lack of trust from the financial markets.”

For all the relief on Tuesday, it is unclear that Mr. Berlusconi’s exit would solve Italy’s problems in the long run since any government that follows will be left to carry out tough austerity measures in a system built on political patronage.

“The real problem is that in reality, the austerity bill is an empty box into which they have to put things that will be very unpopular,” said Mario Deaglio, a professor of economics at the University of Turin.

Italy's public debt stands at 120 percent of GDP, in an economy that most people believe is too big to bail out. The lack of trust from financial markets is well earned, as the government, both under Berlusconi and everyone else elected to office for about the past 50 to 75 years, has ardently refused to create anything like a sustainable public sector and welfare state. There is no reason to believe that will change any time soon, even if it brings the European economy, and that of the world, to a stop.

No one, including the Italians, should be sorry to see Berlusconi and an entire generation of leaders like him go. As multiple lawsuits against him attest, Berlusconi is a particularly putrid form of human being, but as far as politics go, he remains unexceptional in that he presided over a government that was ultimately incapable or unwilling to stare economic reality in the face and change a clearly disastrous course for his country and the wider world.

More here.

There's a lesson in Europe's failing dominoes for U.S. politicians who can't even pretend to make minor trims from massive expected increases in spending over the next decade. You can doll it up with whatever language you want to ("inviolate generational compacts," "protecting the poor," "protecting homeland security," etc.), but every time you refuse to cut spending after a decade of unrestrained growth in unsustainable spending, you're doing to current and future taxpayers exactly what Berlusconi does to this meter maid: Dry-humping us for the amusement and enjoyment of your well-connected friends. I hope it's good for you, at least.

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invisible furry hand|11.9.11 @ 9:14AM|#

When I was younger I was fascinated by the fact that Italy was a G20 economy despite its shambolic governance and endemic corruption. Surely this is a tribute to Italians' ability to hustle and the basic irrelevance of government. Now I'm older I just wonder if any G20 economy isn't fundamentally fucked.

Shambolic Hustle, tribute band|11.9.11 @ 9:41AM|#

Live Free or Diet|11.9.11 @ 9:19AM|#

but as far as politics go, he remains unexceptional in that he presided over a government that was ultimately incapable or unwilling to stare economic reality in the face and change a clearly disastrous course for his country and the wider world.

Easier to count the US presidents who don't fit that description than those who do.

Ronnie Raygun fits|11.9.11 @ 9:42AM|#

Pip|11.9.11 @ 2:32PM|#

WTF???

Forgettable Paul|11.9.11 @ 2:39PM|#

It's 1982 all over again!

Tim|11.9.11 @ 9:24AM|#

Don't give Hermna Cain any ideas, Silvio.

Pure Alabama Blacksnake|11.9.11 @ 9:34AM|#

STEVE SMITH|11.9.11 @ 9:39AM|#

STEVE SMITH GAVE HERMAN ALL HIS BEST IDEAS INCLUDING 999 AND HOLD THE SAUSAGE!

666 999|11.9.11 @ 9:43AM|#

Fist of Etiquette|11.9.11 @ 9:42AM|#

-with less charm than Ernst Blofeld and Rosa Klebb put together-

Have you seen Berlusconi's women?

|11.9.11 @ 10:32AM|#

Twins? This guy may have a future on American TV.

|11.9.11 @ 11:00AM|#

Wow. This guy has some serious game.

EscapedWestOfTheBigMuddy|11.9.11 @ 5:26PM|#

Certainly a matter on which Bubba could have taken lessons.

romulus augustus|11.9.11 @ 9:59AM|#

"for U.S. politicians who can't even pretend to make minor trims from massive expected increases in spending over the next decade."

These pols can read wind direction as well as any weatherman: the voters in Ohio have spoken and it appears the Tea Party wave has crested - in fact the OWS crowd has a higher favorable rating than the Tea Party. "We" keep electing Santa Claus and patting ourselves on the back that we are pragmatic, serious and reasonable people who see virtue in spending other peoples' money. Obama will win re-election, he'll get to pick one or two more Supremes and the reactionary
progressives will hold sway until beaten by out and out socialists.

Zeb|11.9.11 @ 10:09AM|#

Oh, well. I guess we should just give up and become socialists then.

Also, DOOOM!

Colonel_Angus|11.9.11 @ 10:31AM|#

Bring on the socialism. I think it might be the catalyst that real liberalism needs in this country. Socialism or just about anything that will speed up the collapse.

|11.9.11 @ 11:01AM|#

Note to self:

Buy more ammo and seeds.

CatoTheElder|11.9.11 @ 11:40AM|#

The clip reminds me of Mencken's comment on democracy:

"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."

Kristen|11.9.11 @ 10:05AM|#

Alt text win

rather|11.9.11 @ 10:11AM|#

He's dreamy. Silvio can give me a sign of the horns shocker anytime he wants.

Here's a real shocker|11.9.11 @ 10:18AM|#

You libertarians are nothing more than agricultural city-STATISTS who use the city-STATE to restrict the free movements of peoples around land by using artificial lines of demarcation.
Officer, am I free to gambol?

Destrudo|11.9.11 @ 10:38AM|#

gambol on / now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song / going round the world, gotta find my girl on my way / I've been this way ten years to the day / gambol on / gotta find the queen of all my dreams

|11.9.11 @ 10:31AM|#

Is that blood on his fingers?

DMATX|11.9.11 @ 10:44AM|#

BTW that's an actor not Berlusconi in the dry-hump video.

!|11.9.11 @ 10:56AM|#

It doesn't matter! What is the truth, anyway?

Waldemar Ingdahl |11.9.11 @ 11:14AM|#

http://www.byebyeberlusconi.de/

Unfortunately, using this video confirms a leading theme in Berlusconi's defense strategy, that he is exposed to a massive humiliation campaign by the international media, based on misinterpretations and rumors orchestrated by clever PR people on the Left and other opponents.

This gives Berlusconi ammunition and yet a slight chance to lead the debate away from the very real irregularities and surrounding his government.

AlmightyJB|11.9.11 @ 11:29AM|#

He's Italian, what do you want?

Mr. Mark|11.9.11 @ 11:40AM|#

There's a government in Italy?

|11.9.11 @ 12:15PM|#

Off and on, sure.

|11.9.11 @ 6:15PM|#

I always found it ironic that a country that has an unbelievably strict consortium controlling fucking VINEGAR is one in which you often can't successfully pull off a long-distance phone call to the neighboring region.

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