Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio "Bunga Bunga"Basta Bunga Bunga by Ariel Levy (May 30, 2011) The New Yorker. Berlusconi (a.k.a "Il Cavaliere" and "psycho-dwarf"Don't give in to 'psycho-dwarf' - Grillo (3) ( 20 February 2018, 15:42) ANSA English.) was an Italian lounge singer, media mogul, and career criminal/politician, having served three terms as Prime Minister. He was the leader of Forza Italia (FI, literally Let's Go, Italy!, an obvious reference to the cheer of the football club that he owned from 1986, Forza Milan!), a party made in the image and likeness of the founder, which was tied with Matteo Salvini's Northern League (Lega Nord) and Giorgia Meloni's Brothers Of Italy (Fratelli D'Italia). Berlusconi held his country hostage for 25 years and did this because he had a in the form of his near-monopoly on Italian media, and enough money to throw at any problem. 
He paved the way for "outsider" rabble-rousing in Italy before being emulated on a grander scale by Trump in America. Both were unqualified for the jobs they sought or held, never shut up, had head-scratching support, and would ultimately fail miserably but they were such trainwrecks that one couldn’t help but tune in.Living rent-free in your heads, suckers! It didn't matter, it was just 4 years.Wait, Bunga Man was one of their longest-serving leaders? Damn. Strangely, he also owned Italian soccer giants AC Milan, and his particular brand of extravagance saw them win 8 Italian Championships (scudetto) and five European Cups/UEFA Champions LeaguesSilvio Berlusconi Transfer Markt. He would later on (in 2018) own AC Monza.
==Zombie king==
thumb|right|165px|Berlusconi and Bongiorno from 1982-1985
Umberto Eco wrote an essay on the success of Mike Bongiorno, one of Italy's most famous personalities."The Phenomenology of Mike Bongiorno" In: Misreadings by Umberto Eco, translated by William Weaver (1993) Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0224030698. Pages 156-164. Berlusconi was no different: the manifestation of a proud and widespread mediocrity which made Mike the god of Italian television.Italian TV host Bongiorno, Berlusconi ally, dies (9/8/09 at 7:59pm GMT) Reuters (archived from June 29, 2018).
What was behind Berlusconi? The failure of the Italian First Republic in the first place. Then, the implosion of the center-left who could neither put forward a coherent labor stance nor move firmly into a pseudo-Blairite pro-business orbit. Berlusconi began to steal parliamentarians from the League and other right-wing parties, attracting them to FI. He offered a change from the endless coalition collapses and deadlocked and short-lived governments and campaigned on a popular distaste for politicians.Profile: Italy's arch seducer: Silvio Berlusconi. Italians wanted a new party; he sold them one (1 April 1994, 11:02 PM BST) The Independent.
Since Berlusconi entered into Italian politics, they have stopped having a center-right worthy of the name. This is demonstrated by the fact that FI failed to cultivate a person worthy of taking the reins from him. So much of this is the fault of Berlusconi and of his lacchè (lackies): if one creates a party in which mutual benefit is the catalyst, then one can not expect anything else.Berlusconi accused over tax amnesty by Guy Dinmore (15 July 2009) Financial Times.Italy court upholds mafia conviction against Berlusconi adviser by Steve Scherer (9 May 2014, 4:11 PM)) Reuters.Founder of Italy's Northern League found guilty in fraud case (July 10, 2017 / 8:06 AM) Reuters (archived from October 13, 2017).
===Can't shear The Cavalier?===
He re-united the right under his banner while the left was shattered into a thousand pieces. He built a house of cards to justify his crimes and avoid prison.The previous government about breaking up his empire. They feared he had too much power.
*He was at one point the richest man in Italy, though we still don't know how and by whose investments he became so successful. He still controlled one of the worst broadcast panoramas in all of Italy: Mediaset, technically owned by his son.
:The opposition had no chance against him alone because his ability to reach the electorate was vastly superior to theirs."Italy's Berlusconi returns to fray to sink PM Renzi's referendum" by Gavin Jones (10/19/16 at 9:25am EDT) Reuters. He owned 3 of the 7 most-viewed TV channels, with 3 of those being state-owned, so in effect when he was running the government he controlled 6 out of the 7. There was a lot of subtle advertising on his channels (reality TV mostly); he perpetuated the idea that anyone can become a star, which is the subject of a documentary about his reign, Videocracy.
*In addition, he controlled two newspapers, Libero and Il Giornale, which fully supported him and printed all kinds of defamations.Germany Infuriated By 'Fourth Reich' Headline In Berlusconi Newspaper by Roy Greenslade (8/712 at4:37 AM) Business Insider. Il Giornale is run by his somehow-sleazier brother, Paolo.
*His membership with the Masonic . One can't imagine how much dirt was discovered about other candidates pre-election, and yet magically he appeared like Jesus Christ Superstar, without a whisper about his past (and there was a lot to cover). He even hosted a mob hitman in his villa for years,Silvio Berlusconi's links with Italian organised crime confirmed by Michael Day (12 May 2014, 6:08pm BST) The Independent. either as a mandatory favor to someone or, according to others, for Berlusconi's own safety. Mangano "tended the stables", but he was put there as Berlusconi's bodyguard. 
*He saved AC Milan from bankruptcy and, in his tenure as owner, won five European Cup/Champions Leagues including the only back-to-back winners for over 25 years (his appropriation of the football club's chant of "Forza Italia" for his own political purposes). In 2012, he bought Balotelli, a football superstar—implying that if their dying team could experience rebirth, Italy could too. Some polls reported that signing Balotelli got him 400,000 votes.Will "bad boy" Balotelli's return help his boss Berlusconi? by Phillip Pullella (1/30/13 at 5:43pm GMT) Reuters.
*According to Alexander Stille, Berlusconi crafted an image for himself as an idealized Italian everyman. Young men admired him for being a clever fox. Old people knew he was rich and was therefore wrongly assumed that he was resistant to bribery. A successful businessman should be a good steward of the economy. Even his age was an asset,Berlusconi Is Back. Again. This Time, as Italy’s ‘Nonno’ by Jason Horowitz (29 January 2018) The New York Times. as the median age in Italy was then about 50.
*The problem was that the average Italian is like Berlusconi. The average Italian will not pay taxes if they can avoid it and will vote for the party that offers them material gain in the short term. This is due mainly to historical causes (Machiavelli, the Borgia crime family, etc.), and it's a reaction to the in-your-face corruption they are confronted with every day. Berlusconi used educated Italians to exploit loopholes to survive,Italy's Berlusconi suggested amnesty for 'necessary' illegal buildings (7 February 2018, 10:51 AM) Reuters. because così fan tutte (everyone does it).Italians May Not Forgive Berlusconi by Alexander Stille (February 10, 2011, 11:34 AM) The New York Times.
*It was always somebody else's fault. His past governments were always raising expenditures to buy consensus, creating huge budget issues, while he would only marginally raise taxes to compensate and blame someone else in the process.Vexed by Rivalries and Deficits, Italy's Economy Minister Quits by Eric Sylvers (23 September 2005) The New York Times.The euro has screwed everybody — Berlusconi (19 July 2005, 9:19 AM EDT) The Guardian. The discourse was always about him and how to remove obstacles that were making it difficult for him to make their lives as good as his already was. Obstacles being: opposition parties, immigrants,Illegals an army of evil, says Berlusconi by Malcolm Moore (17 April 2008) The Age. "elites" (not including himself of course), free pressItaly: Berlusconi blasts media 'lies' (4 Sept. 2009) Adnkronos International (archived from September 9, 2009). (He complained that his enemies enjoyed a "media monopoly".), and generally anybody who didn't agree with him,Merkozy smirk at EU crisis summit boosts Berlusconi by Tom Kington (24 October 2011, 5:57 AM EDT) The Guardian. didn't find his jokes funny,Berlusconi apologises for Nazi gaffe by Kate Connolly and David Hayworth (7/4/03 at 1:02AM BST) Daily Telegraph. didn't find him handsome, etc. Moreover, he managed to convince many that the judiciary was not impartial and that he was being persecuted for political reasons.Italian court rules Berlusconi's immunity law unconstitutional by John Hooper (7 October 2009, 3:26 PM EDT) The Guardian.Silvio Berlusconi laments 'communist' judges making him pay divorce settlement by Nick Squires (9 January 2013, 11:11AM GMT) Daily Telegraph.Third person spells trouble in politicians by Paul Taylor (8 October 2009) Reuters. And he talked about himself in the third person! This allowed many voters to dismiss his trials as part of the political battle. Berlusconi's bogus claim was that the sex scandals against him were started either by people jealous of his success or jilted women he rejected.
* He called himself 'liberal'. Of course, it was never "liberal" in the context of American politics, and what he called "liberal" may have been a classic version or a form of conservatism. He played on the fear of the Communist Party (as if they still had one) who were coming for your money and to take your home away from you. He used the clever strategy of referring to his party as "us moderates" and everyone else as "communists.""Unfit to Lead Europe", The Economist 4.8.03."The Economist wins Berlusconi lawsuit", The Economist 9.5.08.
*Italians didn't vote for him. Forza Italia polled at 20%, and 25% abstained, which left just 15% of the electorate. The problem was an election law — written by him, of course"Berlusconi under fire as he pushes more election reforms" by Tony Barber (12/11/05 at 7:02 pm) Financial Times. — which split the opposition into many different parties.
*Berlusconi made up for being a douchebag by giving out tax reductions. He promised to repeal a much-loathed property tax imposed by the government. Unlikely as it may sound, this was a powerful move since most Italians are homeowners. He even went so far as to offer them reimbursement of all property tax (€5 billion) paid in 2012. All this in a country with a public debt of around €2.5 trillion. He pulled stunts like the tax reimbursement letter, promising to pay them out of his own pocketBerlusconi Backs EU4 Billion Tax Refund Pledge With His Fortune by Andrew Frye (2/22/13 at12:36 PM PST) Bloomberg. — which was just electoral bullshit but led lots of clueless seniors into believing they were miraculously getting their tax money back thanks to him.Italy election: Berlusconi tax letter causes outrage (updated 2/20/13 at 2:36pm) BBC. Crowds of people lined up at post offices to demand their "refund forms", even though no such forms existed. It was also written in such a way that implied one had to have voted for Berlusconi to be eligible, making it look like a bribe.Left Wing Opponent Files Complaint on Berlusconi IMU Letter (20/02/2013) Gazzetta del Sud (archived from February 24, 2013). 
*Berlusconi knew the tricks to get media attention.Silvio Berlusconi says Emmanuel Macron is 'a nice lad - with a good looking mum' by Chaiara Palazzo (16 May 2017, 6:25am) Daily Telegraph. Are we still paying attention to this geriatric plastic surgery victim? The media and public obsession with the guy kept growing uglier as time went on, and the debates for and against were so low and cheap that everyone forgot how to think critically. The culprit was not so much the media but the opposition parties themselves that failed to present people with a solid alternative — or when they did (with ) it didn't last long because the debate was focused entirely around Berlusconi and his supporters until they become deaf even to reasoned arguments. In the end, Italy only got rid of Berlusconi because Europe helped… a lot.
*Berlusconi said Mussolini did good,Berlusconi Praises Mussolini as Good Leader (January 23, 2013) Associated Press via The New York Times.Mussolini wasn't that bad, says Berlusconi by John Hooper (12 September 2003, 2:57am EDT) The Guardian. Then he suggested that the EU was run by Nazis. Berlusconi on the other hand had numerous similarities with Mussolini, including promoting The Great Replacement conspiracy theory and appropriating Mussolini's slogan ("thank goodness for Mussolini" became "thank goodness we have Silvio").
===Slime trail===
thumb|right|250px|Berlusconi's villa.
Apart from the fact that he was still present in the political arena after leaving office (though much weakened), the ruins he left are still there. David Lane's book, Berlusconi's Shadow, highlights, among other Berlusconisms, acquiescence to organized crime, official corruption, and a willingness to use the authority of the state to soften restrictions on corporate wrongdoing.Berlusconi's Shadow: Crime, Justice and the Pursuit of Power by David Lane (2005) ‎ Penguin Books. ISBN 0141017708. Women saw their role in society go back about 30 or 50 years.Italian Women: 'We Are Treated Like Prosciutto' by Barbie Nadeau (17 April 2011, 10:00 AM) Newsweek.Italian women hope for workplace changes post-Berlusconi by Sophia Hepnstall (14 February 2012, 9:07am EST) Reuters.AGAIN? Silvio Berlusconi Caught Checking Out Australia's Female Prime Minister by Adam Taylor (4 November 2011, 8:31 AM) Business Insider.
Berlusconi also left behind a system of taxes so unworkable that Italians are leaving the country just because of it.How Italy's Tangled Taxes Help Berlusconi by Christopher Alessi (10/8/13 at 2:13 PM) Der Spiegel.The Demise of Italy and the Rise of Chaos by Roberto Orsi (10.8.13) London School of Economics. Ironic, given that the Florentines invented banking. 
Berlusconi did make some cosmetic reforms to Italy: harsher prison terms for Mafiosos, a boost in infrastructure investment, more work flexibility, a ban on smoking inside public spaces, and so on. His public spending on gambling licenses were enormousItaly’s Billion-Dollar Gambling Epidemic by Barbie Latza Nadeau (Updated Jul. 12, 2017 1:44AM EDT; Published Jan. 28, 2013 4:45AM EST) Daily Beast. and unsupported by taxes, as he lowered them. At the same time, his Keynesian approach to the economy acted as a sleep-inducing agent during the debt crisis.
He destroyed Italian academia in order to make left-wing people unemployed, fueling radicalization on both fronts.Shock to the system by John Hooper (10.20.08) The Guardian. But it's O.K. because all one really need for teaching is a smock. All that and consistently high youth unemploymentItaly youth unemployment becomes major election issue by Alan Johnston (9 February 2013) BBC. (unless one counts pimping out one's daughters).Eight charged with supplying prostitutes to Berlusconi (16 September 2011) BBC.Italy scandal: Silvio Berlusconi in 'sex boast' (17 September 2011) BBC.
===Tangerine sex machine===
What sex did go on was with mostly young women: some of them hired, some of them groupies, and some of them looking to move up in the world,Silvio Berlusconi's party picks Argentinian showgirl as Italian Senate candidate by Josephine McKenna (4 Nov 2012, 2:38PM GMT) Daily Telegraph. i.e. servicing him and his wrinkled old cronies.
Berlusconi had frequent sex parties, frequently sexually exploited women, and was named as a person involved in "commercial sexual exploitation of a Moroccan child" (i.e., statutory rape).Silvio Berlusconi named on US government report on people trafficking: Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, has been named in a US government report on people trafficking as a result of his alleged relationship with 'Ruby the Heart Stealer'. by Nick Pisa (2:39PM GMT 30 Oct 2011) The Telegraph (archived from 5 May 2013 12:16:58 UTC). His deep involvement in international sex trafficking even led to one of Berlusconi's chief sex traffickers, Nicole Minetti, being promoted by him and briefly becoming a regional deputy, leading to Berlusconi's government being called "whore-ocracy" (mignottocrazia).
===Knight in shining Teflon===
Berlusconi stood trial for mob collusion, false accounting, tax fraud, bribery of cops/witnesses/judges/senators, embezzlement, drug trafficking, wiretapping, abuse of office, and may or may not have bailed an underage hooker named "Ruby the Heart Stealer" out of prison. According to his own statements, he spent $300 million in legal fees. Now that he's dead, the legal industry in Italy might collapse.Berlusconi's Freudian slip: "I paid a lot for judges" (Oct 10, 2009) YouTube.
He was found guilty in 1 out of 32 cases, with many cases stopped due to amnesty or change of laws — and he himself changed them."Move to toughen Italy's law on false accounting fails" by Tony Barber (3/4/05 at 2:00 am) Financial Times.Silvio Berlusconi accused of changing laws to his advantage by Nick Squires (11/10/09 at 4:58PM GMT) Daily Telegraph.Automatic Immunity for Berlusconi Revoked by Elisabetta Povoledo & Gaia Pianigiani (1.13.11) The New York Times.
In 2013, Berlusconi was sentenced to seven years in prison,Berlusconi Is Sentenced to Seven Years in Sex Case, but Can Still Appeal Verdict by Rachael Donadio & Elisabetta Povoledo (7.24.13) The New York Times. Where's the corkscrew? which was overturned on appeal,Ex-Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi to face new trial over corruption charges (1.28.16) Deutsche Welle. and he was banned from holding public office. 
==Il Douche==
"Bunga-bunga" started as a joke between him and Colonel Gadaffi, whom he counted as a friend.Silvio Berlusconi 'Ordered Italy's Secret Services to Kill Muammar Gaddafi' by Umberto Bacchi (updated 1 July 2014, 9:31 PM BST) International Business Times. Basically, it was people sitting around drinking and snorting coke while he banged on his keyboard and sang. But they were classy dinners!Berlusconi defends 'elegant dinner parties' by Lisa Millar (20 Apr 2012, 1:47pm) ABC.
 the granddaughter of the original, is a member of his party. She rode into power on his coattailsAlessandra Mussolini: 'Berlusconi is forever' (Oct 2, 2013) Channel 4 News via YouTube. and became something of an international celebrity: hot chick on a motorcycle, etc. She once claimed that "fascists are better than faggots".Mussolini’s grand daughter: 'Fascists better than faggots' (10 March 2006) Pink News.
Vladimir Putin provided Berlusconi with a little of that political leverage that he lost. Berlusconi provided him with the best bitches, parties, and food. It's understandable why the two were friends.Was Putin’s Midnight Visit to Berlusconi About Bunga Bunga? by Barie Natza Nadeau (10.19.14 11:22 AM ET) The Daily Beast.Berlusconi says Vladimir Putin wants him to become Russia's economy minister by Alice Philipson (23 Jul 2015, 2:06PM BST) Daily Telegraph. Feel a bit sorry for the Russians, they have corruption problems as it is. Berlusconi's deep authoritarian bromance with Putin was even parodied in play The Two-Headed Anomaly, at the end of which, Putin's brain was transplanted in Berlusconi in the Rome premiere but Berlusconi's brain was transplanted into Putin in the Moscow production.Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present by Ruth Ben-Ghiat (2021) W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0393868419.
Berlusconi bred even more extremist figures. Many of his disillusioned voters probably went on to vote for Northern League or the Five Star Movement (MS5):Italian PM Matteo Renzi: 'If ‘No’ wins, Berlusconi will be negotiating reforms with Grillo, not me' by Nadia Ferrigo (Updated 11/25/16 at 7:29pm) La Stampa. populists with no feasible plan and contempt for basic manners and basic education, coupled with a strongman attitude. Salvini's Northern League party is a leak of Le Pen's worst policies: all statism and sovereignty, and other stuff that was typical of the Roman fascists. Beppe Grillo is head of the MS5, who believe in chemtrails and mermaids.
===Look who's back, back again===
The centre-right Coalition was born when Salvini was ahead of Forza Italia in the polls. After a couple of months, the situation was already upside down. Berlusconi aimed to redo with Meloni/Salvini in place of Pier Ferdinando Casini/Umberto Bossi. Berlusconi could conceivably have taken power again, together with his allies.Marriage Italian (right-wing) style by Anna Momigliano (Updated 23 December 2017, 5:40 PM CET) Politico.Berlusconi says EU's Tajani would be 'wonderful choice' for Italy PM (25 January 2018, 2:24 AM) Reuters.
Every word of his campaign was practically a buzzphrase. A vow to deport 600,000 immigrants if elected; the usual call from a man of iron to Take Back Control/Make Italy Great Again; the promise of welfare benefits (wonder what he planned to gut to make that happen);Berlusconi woos voters with tax breaks for pet owners and a basic income for all Italians by John Phillips (28 December, 2017, 5:34PM) Daily Telegraph. a new flat tax that did not have to finance itself thanks to the incredible Italian entrepreneurial spirit;Berlusconi ally proposes 23 percent flat tax to stimulate Italy by Gavin Jones (2 February 201, 8:19 AM) Reuters. Salvini cloaking his own fascism with fine words, and Berlusconi distancing himself from racial violence, qualifying them as people who instead seek chaos.In Italian Elections, Berlusconi Takes a Cue From Trump, Bets Big on Bigotry by Barbie Latza Naudeau (5 February 2018, 1:16 PM ET) The Daily Beast. 
The Democratic Party inherited the problem from his unconscionable administration,Italy rescues more than 3,500 migrants, Renzi asks for help (31 May 2014, 11:17 AM) Reuters.PM says Italy cannot handle rate of migrant arrivals (23 October 2016, 1:25 PM) Reuters. and then stop the boats was the ladder they used to reelect Forza Italia, who didn't do it when they were in government:Italy in 'fire on migrants' row (16 June, 2003, 5:48 GMT 18:48 UK) BBC. When the US and France and Britain were playing Lords of War in Libya, Berlusconi joined in the bombing"Libya: Berlusconi backs Nato strikes by Italy jets" (25 April 2011) BBC.Italy's Berlusconi exposes NATO rifts over Libya by Lamine Chikhi (6 July 2011, 10:35 PM) Reuters. and signed the It did not take a genius to guess that the migrants would arrive there first, rather than France or Germany.Migrants race through Italy to dodge EU asylum rules by Steve Scherer (10 June 2015, 2:30 AM) Reuters.
==Berlusconi demonstrates his "technique"==
Ok, so that's actually from a low-budget German comedy film entitled Bye Bye Berlusconi made in 2006.Silvio Berlusconi Did Not Hump That Particular Traffic Cop by Alex Pareene (Mar 30, 2006) Wonkette. The odd part wasn't that Italians were punk'd, so much as they weren't surprised at all; they just thought it was him being himself.
It's worth noting that he never called Angela Merkel an "unfuckable lard arse"; that's an apocryphal quote. It is still widely-circulated, and he had to issue a denial on BBC Newsnight.Silvio Berlusconi - exclusive interview - Newsnight (May 20, 2014) YouTube.
==Top quotes==
thumb|225px|, with smoked reindeer as a topping. Really.
He's every Italian's embarrassing uncle!
==See also==
*Jair Bolsonaro — You thought we were kidding. Even Latin America couldn't pass this one up.
*The brothers and — Sometimes those countries even have two.
*Boris Johnson — Because every country needs one.
* — No, really, every country needs one.
*Donald Trump — You really thought America was immune?
*Vladimir Zhirinovsky — Seriously, they're frigging everywhere.
*Jacob Zuma — To the yin must come the yang, to the Nelson must come a Silvio.
==External links==
*This cover shows how highly The Economist thinks of him.
===Videos===
*Brooker on Berlusconi
*What Merkozy thought of him 
*His greatest hits
==Notes==
==Sources==
*David Lane. 2004. Berlusconi's Shadow: Crime, Justice and the Pursuit of Power. Penguin. 
*Alexender Stille. 2006, 2007. The Sack of Rome: Media + Money + Celebrity = Power = Silvio Berlusconi. Penguin. pp. 14-15, 20-23.
==References==
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