Wednesday 27 February 2013

Victory for the anti-establishment

Among the blogging sites much joy at Beppe Grillo's unexpected 25% vote share in the Italian elections.  Nothing the internet likes more than giving politicians a good kicking. Unless its giving bankers a good kicking. And the Five Star Movement does that too by causing bank shares to fall across Europe following Italy's inconclusive election. So he is welcomed as a new libertarian force, smashing in the old, stale ways. Booting out lazy, incompetent, partisan politicians. Expelling the corrupt, the criminal and the charlatans from government and bringing a fresh start for politics. A rebirth. A whole new way of doing politics. No left. No right. just "the people".

So, good for him and his movement.

However, populism and personality cults have a way of going bad. Very, very bad. The history of the world, from Caesar to PerĂ³n, from Danton to Castro and from Lenin to Mao shows they have been bloodbaths. 

Beppe Grillo may not be a dictator in the making. He may be another Gandhi. Or a William Peffer. Italy may be just right for a major shakeup.

As CU posted earlier, the real problem is Grillo has mass appeal but no real ideas. He has managed to get the young and disillusioned to vote, without knowing what they are voting for. A protest party isn't a real party. Its a protest. Very hard to run a country on a protest. Especially hard when the country is in a crisis. 5* are going to have to do a deal. Will certainly be very interesting to see what is agreed and how long it lasts.

Benito Mussolini had three main platforms and goals for Italy.  

1.self-sufficient rather than greatly relying upon foreign imports
2. Increasing the population
3. Strengthening the currency

The battles for births, lira and grain.

If only he'd thought to add free broadband for all?
8 quotes below -4 from Grillo and 4 from Benito


 Can you pick the Benito quotes from the Grillo ones?
{no googling now..just have a guess. Put the 4 Benito numbers into the comments. + Have changed some words as the 80 year old vocabulary gives it away.}
  1. "We stand for the sheer, categorical, definitive antithesis to the world of democracy…"
  2.  "You have to participate actively in politics: change your habits: eat, travel, think in a certain way,"
  3.  "There is no democracy; I decide everything. I'm a democratic dictator."
  4.  "Dissent is inconceivable within the Movement."
  5.   "It's finished! Give up! You are surrounded!" as banners waved  "We want to get out of the darkness."
  6. "I want to use economic power to politically reshape the Italian state to fit our ideological outlook."
  7.  "We are a religion"
  8. "Every anarchist is a baffled dictator"

10 comments:

Nick Drew said...

I would have to attribute 1. to Il Duce, but Italian politics confuses me so much (pace HG) that I have no confidence in this at all

Kynon said...

I reckon:

Grillo: 1, 2, 5, 8.

Il Duce: 3, 4, 6, 7.

Probably totally wrong though.

DtP said...

Il Duce: 1,3,4 & 6.

Anonymous said...

As a student of 1930's history, I've often wondered why the hell people kept voting in weak, divided, extreme governments, when they were so obviously in a terrible crisis and needed strong government more than ever.

Having lived through it... Now I get it.

hovis said...

I notice the tag Italy Crisis - I am hoping it is more like Catharsis.

Jan said...

Grillo: 1,2,5,6 ???

Well done Bill for devising such a devilish quiz

Maybe Italy could dismantle the Vatican and confiscate the Catholic Church's money. Debt problem solved.

(Sorry if this is offensive to some)

Nick Drew said...

Jan - worth your reading Hatfield Girl (if you don't already) on the outrageous financial favouritism enjoyed by the Catholic Church (inter alia) in Italy - e.g. here

Bill Quango MP said...

Very timely Mr Drew.

The rapprochement of Church and state, which had been souring since Italian reunification, eventually came through the Lateran Treaties & the Concordat, that enshrined Catholicism as the state religion.

These treaties were negotiated by the Vatican and ...Mussolini.

Zombust said...

Grillo
2,4,5,6

What's the prize ?

Agence communication said...

great topic "" Among the blogging sites much joy at Beppe Grillo's unexpected 25% vote share in the Italian elections. Nothing the internet likes more than giving politicians a good kicking. Unless its giving bankers a good kicking. And the Five Star Movement does that too by causing bank shares to fall across Europe following Italy's inconclusive election. So he is welcomed as a new libertarian force, smashing in the old, stale ways. Booting out lazy, incompetent, partisan politicians. Expelling the corrupt, the criminal and the charlatans from government and bringing a fresh start for politics. A rebirth. A whole new way of doing politics. No left. No right. just "the people".""