Word: berlusconis
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Indeed, there is a prevailing intellectual squeamishness toward condemning what is truly wrong in other societies. When an influential Westerner stands up for the plurality and diversity of modern Western civilization, as Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi did when he remarked, “We must be aware of the superiority of our civilization, a system that has guaranteed well-being, respect for human rights and—in contrast with Islamic countries—respect for religious and political rights,” the hand-wringers and head-shakers immediately start sermonizing about the dangers of universalism...
...Muslim world that was the bearer of classical learning. While European civil society was virtually non-existent, Muslims were making important discoveries in mathematics and medicine. But the present is what occupies us; today the least free and most potentially destabilizing states of the world are disproportionately Muslim. Berlusconi did not say that Christianity or the West is intrinsically better than Islam, but that the institutions created in modern Western countries are better than those of modern Islamic countries. Can we honestly disagree...
...ITALY Foot-in-Mouth Italy's controversial Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, provoked outrage with crass remarks. On a trip to Germany, Berlusconi pronounced, "We should be conscious of the superiority of our civilization, which consists of a value system which has given people widespread prosperity and guarantees respect for human rights and religion - this certainly does not exist in Islamic countries." By week's end he had apologized...
...Colaninno's ascent was short-lived, as he turned out to be unlucky in his alliances. Cuccia died, and D'Alema was forced to resign as Prime Minister, only to be eventually succeeded by Berlusconi this spring. Then the market turned against Colaninno in March, punishing the share prices of Olivetti and Telecom Italia, and causing some concern among Colaninno's investors, largely 175 businessmen from Mantua who had backed him in the hopes of a quick return on their money. No new investors were on the horizon, and a plan to raise $8 billion in cash through a conversion...
...Berlusconi government, which Agnelli has supported, has officially remained neutral in the Telecom Italia deal, although a few ministers expressed satisfaction that the firm would remain in Italian hands, as have most of the Italian media, perhaps no surprise since most of the major papers are largely controlled by the main players in the deal. "Maybe the old-style is better," muses Galli. "But it seems to me that we've brought the king back." And the crown prince as well...