How Leftists turned out to be humans

At last they got it right, and the old motto “better late than never” definitely applies here: Left and honesty, in Italy, are not synonymous, not anymore. So spoke the Economist, despite its distrustfulness, if not its ill-concealed hostility, towards Silvio Berlusconi and the ruling center-right coalition, and despite what Walter Veltroni, leader of Italy’s main opposition Democratic Party, recently asserted about his own party (“a party of good people”).

Italy’s center-left, writes the Economist, may be “a bit dull and worthy, and somewhat tarnished by the communist past of many of its leaders (including Mr Veltroni),” but “it has always seemed fundamentally honest.” Yet …

in little more than a month, that benign view has been swept away in a slew of prosecutors’ warrants and summonses. On January 5th the centre-left mayor of Naples, Rosa Russo Iervolino, unveiled a new and reshuffled city administration. There were six new faces in her 16-strong team. Four of their predecessors had been arrested on suspicion of taking part in what prosecutors claim was a plan for the “systematic looting” of public funds. A fifth had committed suicide after he too came under investigation for corruption and other alleged offences.

The scandal in Naples, which revolves around a €400m ($545m) public-services contract, is the most substantial but by no means the only one to have assailed the opposition. Since the end of November, centre-left politicians have been put under suspicion, or even arrest, in seven other cities and regions.

So, yet another myth—and that of the honesty of the left was a very though and persistent one—has been swept into the trash can. Not that, of course, such scandals are in my opinion a good thing in themselves, nor do I rejoice because my political opponents are in a very bad fix. Rather I rejoice because, if political myths can be understood as “narratives through which we orient ourselves, and act and feel about our political world,” as political philosophy scholar Chiara Bottici puts it, they—or at least a certain kind of them—often are nothing more than “comedy of misunderstandings.” That is to say that they are more or less useless, if not pernicious, and that we can do well without them.

But that of the honesty of the left wasn’t the only myth to collapse, there was also that of the honesty of Italy of Principles, the party led by Antonio Di Pietro, a former prosecutor who leapt to national prominence in the days of Mani pulite (“clean hands”), the nationwide Italian judicial investigation into political corruption held in the 1990s, which led to the demise of the so-called First Republic, resulting in the disappearance of many parties. In fact, Mr Di Pietro too has now had his wings clipped:

His son, Cristiano, a provincial lawmaker, quit the party after he was caught up in the Naples sleaze inquiry. Transcripts were leaked of telephone conversations in which he seemed to be asking for jobs and advancement for his friends.

Who would ever have predicted that? Very few, actually. I mean, very few would have thought that things came before the courts—not just that the left might be involved in bribery or other official corruption, and believe me, there is a difference …—, given that both the left and Di Pietro’s party had always been in very good terms with the judges. But things have changed in the last couple of years, and some taboos seem to have fallen away in certain public realms, especially in the judicial one. That’s also why what looks like bad news could actually turn out to be a very exciting time, even though not for the left itself, nor for Di Pietro. Yeah, now everybody knows—even the Economist (better late than never!)—that they are humans, too, after all.

Do you like this blog? Vote for me for BEST EUROPEAN BLOG (Non UK) 2008. Voting ends Monday, January 12 at 22h00 GMT (11 pm in Rome, 5 pm in New York, 2 pm in LA)

Sarah Palin's interview

I must confess that I still cannot make out how it could have happened that, during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, so many intellectuals, academics and mainstream media so often showed their bias and a certain distrustfulness towards Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Ok, I thought at the time, they may want to be non-bipartisan, they have the right to be non-neutral in the presidential race, but they could be more decent and less black and white …

“If she were Obama’s Veep, would she have been savaged?” asks today Melissa Clouthier in her awesome blog—by the way, she is one of ten finalists for the Best Individual Blogger in the 2008 Weblog Awards, and also my favourite one in that category. Well, my answer is, I don’t think so. Not at all.

That is also why the video below is, in my humblest opinion, very, very interesting. It offers excerpts from Sarah Palin’s interview with filmmaker John Ziegler, for his forthcoming documentary “Media Malpractice,” in which the Alaska Governor, for the first time at length, takes on the media coverage of her and the 2008 campaign. It’s a rather shocking record of a media assassination—of Sarah Palin, her character and family—which remains “one of the greatest public injustices of our time,” as Ziegler puts it on his website.

Do you like this blog? Vote for me for BEST EUROPEAN BLOG (Non UK) 2008. Voting ends Monday, January 12 at 22h00 GMT (11 pm in Rome, 5 pm in New York, 2 pm in LA)

Islamizing Europe

Let’s update my previous post by linking to the Times and the Daily Mail, which reported about what happened last Saturday in Milan and Bologna, as well as about the Vatican’s reactions.

In particular we learn that the Vatican yesterday expressed its “unease” at the hundreds of Muslims who gathered in prayer outside the the Duomo in Milan and the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna, with thousands of prostrate Muslims facing Mecca. In an interview with the Vatican’s official newspaper Osservatore Romano, Cardinal RenatoMartino, head of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said: “For me the sight of people at prayer does not trouble me, it is good that people pray. But what really troubled me and left me uneasy was the fact that Israeli flags were burnt and there were slogans, all manifestations of hate and which followed a prayer session.” “What matters is the spirit in which one prays—and prayer excludes hate,” he added.

Monsignor Luigi Manganini, archpriest of Milan cathedral, said in turn he could imagine the Islamic reaction if Christians prayed en masse outside a mosque (well, er, actually I think there are very few people who would have difficulty in imaging what would have happened …).

We also learn that the rally in Milan was led by the city’s Muslim Imam Abu Imad, who, as MP Maurizio Gasparri noted, has been convicted in Italy of terrorism related offences, and that, according to the Imam, the demonstration had ended up on the cathedral square “by chance” at the hour of prayer, “and so we prayed, there was no provocation or insult intended,” he said. Fantastic.

Yet, Gasparri thinks that “when 10,000 Muslims arrive in front of Milan Cathedral, led by an Imam who has convictions for terrorism then public order needs to be looked at,” and that “it is evident that this was intended as a threat and the decision to pray and hold the rally in front of the Cathedral is very significant.”

Who do you agree with? Abu Imad or Gasparri?

Do you like this blog? Vote for me for BEST EUROPEAN BLOG (Non UK) 2008. Voting ends Monday, January 12 at 22h00 GMT (11 pm in Rome, 5 pm in New York, 2 pm in LA)

'They want to Islamize Europe'

Last Saturday thousands of people marched in cities across Europe to demand a halt to Israeli bombing in the Gaza Strip. In Paris, for instance, more than 20,000 demonstrators, many wearing Palestinian keffiyeh headscarves, marched through the city center chanting slogans such as “Israel murderer!” Expectedly, groups of protesters clashed with police, some cars were set alight and some others overturned by demonstrators, etc.

They seemed quite routine events, but they weren’t, at least not all of them, not what happened in Milan and in Bologna, Italy. In Milan the protesters, mostly young Arabs and Muslim families, had gathered in Porta Venezia, obviously waving banners and flags, and chanting slogans such as “Bush, Barak, assassins.” Normal. Ah, I forgot, they obviously set fire to some Israeli flags. Perfect. So what? What’s new? Well, the demonstration came to an interesting end when the protesters reached Piazza Duomo, in downtown Milan, and held a collective prayer session right in front of the cathedral. Even the parvis was occupied, so that the cathedral turned out to be closed.

What happened in Milan was very similar to what happened in Bologna at the same time: thousands of Muslims gathered right in front the Basilica di San Petronio, Bologna’s great cathedral, to hold an analogue collective prayer session.

Are the two events connected? What’s their real meaning? When asked in an interview with Il Resto del Carlino newspaper about the meaning of the event, Assistant bishop of Bologna monsignor Ernesto Vecchi, said:

This was a signal to ponder upon. This is not simply a prayer, this is a challenge more to our democratic and cultural system than to the basilica. […] From what happened in Bologna, but also in other cities, we received confirmation that here is a project piloted from the outside. What is it all about? What is it aimed at? They want to Islamize Europe.

This recalls a Friday Sermon by Hamas MP and cleric Yunis Al-Astal, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on April 11, 2008. A clip is available to paid subscribers of MEMRI’s Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (via Paolo Guzzanti). Here are some excerpts from the address:

Allah has chosen you for Himself and for His religion, so that you will serve as the engine pulling this nation to the phase of succession, security, and consolidation of power, and even to conquests thorough da'wa and military conquests of the capitals of the entire world. Very soon, Allah willing, Rome will be conquered, just like Constantinople was, as was prophesized by our Prophet Muhammad. Today, Rome is the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital, which has declared its hostility to Islam, and has planted the brothers of apes and pigs in Palestine in order to prevent the reawakening of Islam – this capital of theirs will be an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread through Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, and even Eastern Europe.
I believe that our children or our grandchildren will inherit our Jihad and our sacrifices, and Allah willing, the commanders of the conquest will come from among them. Today, we instill these good tidings in their souls, and by means of the mosques and the Koran books, and the history of our Prophets, his companions, and the great leaders, we prepare them for the mission of saving humanity from the hellfire on the brink of which they stand.

All the pieces of the puzzle seem to fit together. Don’t they?

Do you like this blog? Vote for me for BEST EUROPEAN BLOG (Non UK) 2008. Voting ends Monday, January 12 at 22h00 GMT (11 pm in Rome, 5 pm in New York, 2 pm in LA)

Best European Blog

I got the news a couple of days ago that my blog had been named as one of ten finalists for the Best European Blog (Non UK) category in the 2008 Weblog Awards.

This was totally unexpected but highly welcomed! In fact, the Weblog Awards are the world’s largest blog competition, with over 500,000 votes cast in the 2007 edition for finalists in 45 categories, and in the past I have perused them over the years to discover some great blogs to add to my blog reader. So I am both stunned and honored to be considered worthy of inclusion in the list of finalists for the Best European Blog.

There is a small window of opportunity for readers to vote for their favorite nominees (January 5th through the 12th). I have added a direct-link badge in the right sidebar to make it easier for you to vote.

Voting rules:

1. You may vote once every 24 hours in each poll.
   
2. After voting in an individual poll you will be locked out from voting again in that poll (on the computer you voted from) for 24 hours.
   
3. Each poll has its own separate 24 hour lockout control. Voting in, for example, Best European Blog will not lock you out of voting in other categories.
   

Needless to say, I would be very grateful and honored if you would consider voting for me ...

Moral clarity in Gaza

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Charles Krauthammer in yesterday’s Washington Post:

Some geopolitical conflicts are morally complicated. The Israel-Gaza war is not. It possesses a moral clarity not only rare but excruciating.

Israel is so scrupulous about civilian life that, risking the element of surprise, it contacts enemy non combatants in advance to warn them of approaching danger. Hamas, which started this conflict with unrelenting rocket and mortar attacks on unarmed Israelis -- 6,464 launched from Gaza in the past three years -- deliberately places its weapons in and near the homes of its own people.

This has two purposes. First, counting on the moral scrupulousness of Israel, Hamas figures civilian proximity might help protect at least part of its arsenal. Second, knowing that Israelis have new precision weapons that may allow them to attack nonetheless, Hamas hopes that inevitable collateral damage -- or, if it is really fortunate, an errant Israeli bomb -- will kill large numbers of its own people for which, of course, the world will blame Israel. [...]

The full article is worth reading from beginning to end.

Mysterious Italy!

It’s a commonplace that Italy is a beautiful but strange, unmanageable, unreliable country, and that it was just its own oddness that recently led—after a spectacular post-war growth record—to a gradual impoverishment.Italy and its economy are like the Titanic hitting the iceberg,” said once Gianni De Michelis, deputy prime minister in 1988 and 1989. An he was right, at least in part.

That is also why the kind of news we are getting these days on the economic front have the power to overtake us, I mean news such as this. So we learn that the GDP (gross domestic product) per average Briton, which was $45,970 in 2007, is expected to slump to just $35,243 this year, “lower than even Italy”—as the Telegraph puts it—on $37,866 the fifth-placed economy. And Britain falls into sixth place for the first time since 1996. Ok, this is because of the plunging value of the sterling, but

[e]ven stripping out effects of the currency, all economists predict that Britain will be hit hard this year, with forecasting house IHS Global Insight predicting the economy would shrink by an alarming 2.7 per cent, causing the country to suffer from the deepest recession since the Second World War.

Who would have ever predicted this? Certainly not the British newspapers (er, no, actually …) neither the Italian ones, to speak frankly, nor the Italian bloggers. Mysterious Italy!


P.S. I would like to say “we Italians got it right this time,” but the truth is that, this time, the Brits got it wrong. So sorry my British friends …

Canova and Neoclassicism

A. Canova, Love and Psiche, Louvre, Paris

It is not just because Antonio Canova was born in a small village located a few miles from the North-Eastern Italian town where I live that I feel the need to write this post, but rather because he is the greatest Italian sculptor of modern times, the artist who in 1802, by special request of Napoleon I, went to Paris and modeled a colossal figure of the emperor, which on the fall of the emperor himself was presented by Louis XVIII to the British government, which in turn gave it to the Duke of Wellington—sic transit gloria mundi … but Canova’s time of glory was destined to last far longer than that of Napoleon! In 1818 he was also commissioned to make a heroic statue of George Washington for the State House, Raleigh, N.C., while his “Bust of Napoleon” is in the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, and other masterpieces are in the Vatican and in the Louvre Museum.

Ok, I don’t want to indulge in unnecessary vaunting (and parochialism), nor do I want to beat about the bush … the reason of this post is an upcoming exhibition in the North-Central Italian city of Forlì, starting from January 25 through June 21. The exhibit will be focused on the ties between Antonio Canova and international neoclassical art. Don’t miss it, if you can help it. Read here to understand why.

Time to pay the bills

“Europe was created by history. America was created by philosophy,” once said Margaret Thatcher. Maybe that’s what the difference between Europe and America is all about. But what the “American Philosophy”—or better still, if you prefer, the American Spirit—is all about? As a European by birth and an “American by philosophy,” I’d have some ideas about how to answer, but this piece by David Ignatius, focused on the ongoing financial crisis and government bailout, can be helpful to get a down-to-earth picture of the whole thing in a socio-economic perspective, which at the moment is almost certainly the most topical one.

Happy New Year!

If the new year comes a second later

Are you eager to put 2008 behind you? I mean, are you, for example, a Wall Street analyst, a stockbroker, a financial reporter, or still worse, are you people who lost a fortune trusting the above mentioned “experts?” Well, tonight you have to hold your good-byes for just a moment, one second, to be precise. In fact, the international authorities—the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), namely the world’s official timekeepers—will add a single second to our lives to keep our clocks in sync with solar time used by astronomers.

It will be the 24th “leap second” since 1972. That’s because, “sometimes, the Earth’s rotation on its axis can take longer or shorter than 24 hours, depending on factors such as the breaking action of tides, snow or the lack of it at the polar ice caps, solar wind, space dust and magnetic storms.”

So, please hold on, and pray the new year brings a better economy. When economics fails, prayer can step in and do the work …

David Grossman’s proposal to Israel

In two posts about the Israeli assault on Gaza, Norman Geras gives a convincing answer to those who prompted the charge that Israel’s use of force is “disproportionate,” and agrees with what David Grossman has proposed to Israel. In turn, I definitely agree with Norm. “After its severe strike on Gaza,” says Grossman,

Israel would do well to stop, turn to Hamas’ leaders and say: Until Saturday Israel held its fire in the face of thousands of Qassams from the Gaza Strip. Now you know how harsh its response can be. So as not to add to the death and destruction we will now hold our fire unilaterally and completely for the next 48 hours. Even if you fire at Israel, we will not respond with renewed fighting. We will grit our teeth, as we did all through the recent period, and we will not be dragged into replying with force.
Moreover, we invite interested countries, neighbors near and far, to mediate between us and you to bring back the cease-fire. If you hold your fire, we will not renew ours. If you continue firing while we are practicing restraint, we will respond at the end of this 48 hours, but even then we will keep the door open to negotiations to renew the cease-fire, and even on a general and expanded agreement.
That is what Israel should do now. Is it possible, or are we too imprisoned in the familiar ceremony of war?

Il partito degli ex-onesti sulla via di Canossa

Ancora una volta Angelo Panebianco ci risparmia la fatica di trovare un senso a ciò che sta succedendo all’interno del Pd, e nella fattispecie in relazione alle note vicende giudiziarie. Infatti basta leggere l’editoriale di oggi sul Corriere per chiarirsi le idee. Una radiografia precisa e impietosa da cui emergono i travagli e le contraddizioni in materia di «giustizialismo» di quella che fu la sinistra non più comunista e che ora, dopo aver inglobato quella che fu la sinistra catto-comunista della Dc (poi scioltasi nella Margherita), si chiama Partito democratico.

Panebianco spiega anche perché, malgrado le “svolte” violantesche e veltroniane, non ci saranno cambiamenti significativi nell’atteggiamento di fondo di quel partito nei confronti della questione giustizia. Alla base, dice il professore, ci sono “tre dogmi” pressoché insuperabili …

A quanto così efficacemente sintetizzato e spiegato non occorre aggiungere nulla. A margine, tuttavia, si potrebbero dire un mucchio di cose, la maggior parte delle quali, però, sarebbero ovvietà e banalità. Ad esempio questa: qualcuno si era illuso, o aveva fatto finta di credere, o aveva fatto di tutto per convincersi e convincere l’opinione pubblica che ci fosse, oppure che fosse concepibile o plausibile un “partito degli onesti,” alleato di ferro di pubblici ministeri sempre e comunque al di sopra di ogni sospetto, paladini del Bene contro il Male. Panebianco attribuisce questa illusione non solo alla dirigenza, ma anche a buona parte dei militanti e degli elettori del Pd, e credo che abbia ragione. Ebbene, la nemesi è qui, sotto gli occhi di tutti: il teorema è saltato, la favola degli “onesti” è finita, così come quella dei pm senza macchia, giacché ora anche gli “ex-onesti”—se mi si passa la licenza poetica—se la prendono con loro, al pari dei “mascalzoni”—altra licenza poetica—di sempre, le cui sfuriate anti-magistratura-politicizzata erano considerate per definizione troppo “interessate” per essere prese sul serio.

E, attenzione, la favola degli onesti non vale più neppure per il partito di Di Pietro, che sembrava il grande beneficiario dello scempio del Pd. Ora, anche lui deve beccarsi la sua parte di insinuazioni e/o insulti (ci ha pensato quel linguacciuto di Gasparri). Con questo non voglio dire che anche l’ex pm è coinvolto nel malaffare, ci mancherebbe, si è garantisti per qualcosa! No, mi limito ad applicare lo schema dipietrino (implicito o esplicito): se sei sospettato, anche solo di striscio, certamente la tua credibilità è intaccata, ergo devi farti da parte, e comunque non costituisci più “l’alternativa” a un sistema di corruzione e malaffare. Questo devono aspettarsi i seguaci di Antonio Di Pietro e i suoi paladini nel mondo dell’informazione-spettacolo, sempre che facciano (e abbiano fatto)  sul serio e non per finta. Viceversa, anche loro stanno nel mazzo, “come tutti gli altri” (altro schema dipietrino, travagliesco, ecc.).

Tutto questo Panebianco non l’ha detto, e ha fatto bene, perché appunto sono ovvietà, se non banalità, e lui non ci tiene a fare di queste sparate. Mentre qui, su un blog, certe cose si possono anche dire, magari premettendo che, appunto, sono osservazioni scontate, e dunque in qualche misura banali. Il punto, però, è se siamo tutti convinti che questi discorsi siano scontati, che certe cose, al punto a cui siamo arrivati, siano talmente ovvie che non occorra neanche dirle (ma trarne le consuguenze, questo sì, almeno si spera). Qui avrei qualche dubbio: andare a Canossa è uno sport faticoso! Di qui questo post “quasi” banale, di cui chiedo scusa ai lettori più sofisticati ed esigenti.

Don't be afraid of Medusa

If you are in Florence during this period, and if you are not easily frightened people, you may want to meet … Medusa (Greek: Μέδουσα (Médousa), namely the gorgon, the chthonic female and snake-haired monster who in Greek mythology had a singular property: gazing upon her would turn onlookers to stone! But don’t be afraid, in fact, again according to the myth, she was beheaded by the Perseus, who after using her head as a weapon for only three, or mostly four instances in his adventures, gave it as a gift to the goddess Athena to place on her shield.

Still worried? Don’t be, because I’m just talking about an annual exhibition of precious works usually kept in storage ... And this year’s event focuses precisely on Medusa, exploring the portrayal of the gorgon through centuries of art.

The exhibit features 40 artworks, including ceramics, drawings, paintings—among which is that by an unknown Flemish painter, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci for over a century—and jewellery, with a number of gems usually stored in Florence’s Archaeological Museum. As it was not enough the exhibit features several different editions of Dante’s Divine Comedy, with plates of Medusa who appears in Canto IX of the Inferno. On show from December 24 through January 31 in the Uffizi.

Merry Christmas!

And now, folks, as every year since 2000 years,
it’s time to remind ourselves
what the spirit of Christmas is all about.
The following piece of music—a classic Christmas carol,
wonderfully performed by Enya—is just a vague idea,
but you might want to follow the suggestion …


MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

BUON NATALE A TUTTI!

Annunciation

Today, Christians throughout the world observe the Fourth Sunday of Advent, in which Western churches light the fourth and last Advent candle in symbolic preparation for the birth of the Lord. In today’s Gospel (Luke 1:26-38) the angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her that it is God’s wish that she bear the Messiah. It is such a well-known passage that there would be no need for me to fully quote it, but I don’t want to miss the opportunity to further spread this wonderful Word of God (in the classic King James version):

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

I have hardly ever read/heard such a marvelous story. I have no adequate words to express my admiration and gratitude to the Lord, nor do I think there are any. Perhaps only music can be equal to the task, and that’s why I’ll call upon music to “speak” …

In the video the splendid and famous “Ave Maria” by Charles Gounod (based from Johann Sebastian Bach’s prelude #1 in C major) performed by Deanna Durbin and the Vienna Boys Choir (Wiener Sängerknaben). This touching performance—from the movie Mad About Music—was filmed in the fall of 1937, when Durbin was 15-year-old. A piece of history in itself.

Gladiators are back!

Gladiators will return to the Colosseum … though only in mock fights. The events will take place to mark the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Vespasian, who began the construction of the structure. Originally known as the Amphitheatrum Flavium, the Colosseum is the largest amphitheater ever built in the Roman empire. Its plan is a vast ellipse, with tiers of seating for 50,000 spectators, measuring externally 188 m x 156 m (615 ft x 510 ft). The modern-day gladiators could be drawn from Rome’s “gladiator school,” whose 200 members spend their weekends dressed in sandals and breast plates and learning ancient fighting techniques.

Italy's Terri Schiavo case - 2

When one month ago the Corte di Cassazione, Italy's top appeals court, authorized the father of 37-year-old Eluana Englaro to remove the feeding tube which had kept his comatose daughter alive for nearly seventeen years, the last legal obstacle in a landmark “right-to-die” case—it has been also called ‘Italy’s Terri Schiavo case’—seemed to have been removed once and for all. Not only had a step on the road to legal euthanasia been taken, Eluana would also have died an atrocious death by being deprived of water and nutrition.

Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, head of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life, described allowing Eluana Englaro to die as an “immense crime” and a “civil and moral defeat.” And he was absolutely right, according to both Catholics and pro-life lay politicians and opinion leaders.

At that point, what remained to be done was to find a hospital or a clinic willing to grant Eluana Englaro its “help.” And that’s what happened a few days ago, when a public-funded Udine clinic offered to help end Eluana’s life. A team of 20-25 professionals from outside the clinic, said Director Claudio Riccobon, were willing to look after Eluana on an unpaid voluntary basis.

But that was not going to be the last word: the transfer was halted at the last minute a couple of days ago, after Health Minister Maurizio Sacconi issued an official guideline stating that the suspension of treatment for patients in a vegetative state in public health institutions is “illegal.” It was actually a courageous move on his part, which was hailed with satisfaction by Catholics and pro-life citizens, but provoked immediate and indignant protests by the counterpart. In turn, the president emeritus of Italy’s Constitutional Court, Antonio Baldassare, told newspaper Corriere della Sera that Sacconi’s guideline ”is valid for everyone except Eluana” because the Cassation Court had issued a specific ruling on Eluana Englaro’s case.

So it seems that we are still facing a controversial juridical issue. But that of Eluana Englaro is not just a purely juridical case. It’s a matter of life or death for Eluana, and, I would add, for civilization itself. That is why I think Maurizio Sacconi is doing a great job.

[Previous posts on Eluana Englaro's case: 'Let Eluana Englaro live!' and Italy's Terri Schiavo case]

An Italian revolution

“A true revolution is taking place, with the population on its side and the conservatives against,” says Renato Brunetta, Italy’s minister for public administration. A “revolution” in which the “conservatives” are not the nobles, as during the French one, but the unions, and whose goal is to restructure the civil service, primarily by cracking down on fannulloni, slackers, and emphasising meritocracy, productivity and transparency. “Why were civil servants twice as ill as the private sector?” he asks. Perhaps because they work too hard, a cynic “conservative” might answer. Don’t listen to him, would say Brunetta, he’s a damn dirty liar …

Time’s Person of the Year: Barack Obama

President-elect Barack Obama is Time’s Person of the Year for 2008. Why? “For having the confidence to sketch that kind of future in this gloomy hour:”

“Two years from now, I want the American people to be able to say, ‘Government’s not perfect; there are some things Obama does that get on my nerves. But you know what? I feel like the government’s working for me. I feel like it’s accountable. I feel like it’s transparent. I feel that I am well informed about what government actions are being taken. I feel that this is a President and an Administration that admits when it makes mistakes and adapts itself to new information.’”

And also “for showing the competence that makes Americans hopeful that he will pull it off.”

“Can he really achieve all that?” asks Time Magazine. “Plenty of voters will be happy if he aces only Item 1 on his list.”

Perhaps this is not what as many people throughout the US (and even more throughout the world) would hope for. This might be not enough. Nor might be the achievement of all of the other above mentioned goals. Unfortunately, it’s not just a matter of “perception,” even though there is no doubt that psychology matters in politics. But good luck all the same.