Gavin, 11 April 06
With the Italian elections on a fine balance and Berlusconi determined to cling on to any governmental power he can use, for as long as he can – we more politically civilised nations can just sigh a great relief.
We don’t stoop to having the media interfering so blatantly in the democratic process. Wouldn’t stand for our politicos to be so directly involved. No. Certainly not. No. No way By jingo . Nay. Canna be having that. Well I say – even Boris had to resign from the Spectator and nobody even reads that.
Nah – but dig just a bit deeper. Yeah get with that digging there and of course we’ve got Rupert – and had things been different in ‘87 who’s to say we wouldna still have Bob. But to say the best that can be said for them, politicos here at least like to keep their media stench at decent arms length.
Maybe we don’t have a two minute hate slot after the Tweenies doled out by a broadcaster in direct control of a ruling party. Instead we have the twenty-two minutes of look-at-the proles on Trisha.
Media so infiltrates our lives, influences our views and informs the decisions that we as a society make, that the stark position that Berlusconi adopts is almost to caricature the role he holds. The power he personifies only exemplifies our society’s fuckedupness.
