Keeping the rich out of government

[Gala Placidia]

Originally Posted by liketheroman

So why bother then?

What seems to me more pertinent is a declaration of interests and perhaps restrictions on certain ownship e.g. national media. However before we can shout hurrah lets do Berlo over for his media interests, it would be pointless doing this while you had a national broadcaster, that just gives the government in power more influence.

You would first have to privatise the national broadcasters and then bring in ownership restrictions

Agreed. Agreed. Agreed. Certainly, all this will help;however, we go back to the fact that people should be responsible for the way they vote. Or put up with the consequences. I don't think that most people realise how serious this is.

Gala Placidia

[NickZ]

Originally Posted by liketheroman

So why bother then?

What seems to me more pertinent is a declaration of interests and perhaps restrictions on certain ownship e.g. national media. However before we can shout hurrah lets do Berlo over for his media interests, it would be pointless doing this while you had a national broadcaster, that just gives the government in power more influence.

You would first have to privatise the national broadcasters and then bring in ownership restrictions

Just because not every body will follow a law doesn't mean you don't have one. You bother so it's obvious to all what's going on.

Public broadcasters tend to bend over backward to look impartial. Often they bend so far they look anti government. Governments can still put pressure on them but it tends to be heavy handed and counter productive. Nobody trusts broadcasters that act like government PR offices.

It's a lot easier to put pressure on private broadcasters. So do we now ban all broadcasters?

[iTALY BOUND]

Originally Posted by giovanni

And this is what is sooo wonderfully about Italy.

Even the politics is entertaining.......

I love your blunt, yet amusing quotes that come out from time to time. i think it was you who said "you have a problem and 3000 opinions, might as well make it entertaining." keep the classic lines comming.

**if it wasn't you who said the above quote than sorry for the misidentification, regardless, you still come up with some amusing lines that serve well to sum up the conversation.**

[giovanni]

Originally Posted by iTALY BOUND

I love your blunt, yet amusing quotes that come out from time to time. i think it was you who said "you have a problem and 3000 opinions, might as well make it entertaining." keep the classic lines comming.

**if it wasn't you who said the above quote than sorry for the misidentification, regardless, you still come up with some amusing lines that serve well to sum up the conversation.**

Alas it was not me,although i agree totally with the sentiment.

[giovanni]

In response to marcs original question.

Something has to be done.How can someone, anyone who has a vast empire be objective towards the little people.

Old saying i know but power corrupts,and the further you are up the wealth scale,how can it not currupt you on an even biggar scale when compared to the littleman.

You just have to remember, if you were the boss of an empire and also the primeminister,would you make laws be them tax laws or whatever,that would effect your empire in a negative way?

[anxanum]

In Italy the "sinistra " have always raised tax without any pity for the small buisness , they have only ever given consideration to big companies where the workers pay pleny every month to the unions!

[giovanni]

Originally Posted by anxanum

In Italy the "sinistra " have always raised tax without any pity for the small buisness , they have only ever given consideration to big companies where the workers pay pleny every month to the unions!

I am sure this is all well and true,But how exactly does this fit into keeping the mega rich out of politics ? Are you against it?

[anxanum]

We still live in a democracy so anyone can have ago at politics, and in Italy thats exactly what happens .
It dosent matter wether they happen to be rich or poor 95% of them are there for themselves, so it dosent make a lot of diffrence , as the Italians say "non cambia niente"

[giovanni]

Originally Posted by anxanum

We still live in a democracy so anyone can have ago at politics, and in Italy thats exactly what happens .
It dosent matter wether they happen to be rich or poor 95% of them are there for themselves, so it dosent make a lot of diffrence , as the Italians say "non cambia niente"

I agree with your sentiments "in it for themselves" but it does make a difference.
And this could be the first of many steps that could change Italian politics.

You have to start somewhere,otherwise you don't change anything,as the Italians say.....

[Gala Placidia]

Well, perhaps this famous sentence from Lampedusa's "Il Gattopardo" sums up how little Italians will expect from any changes:

Se vogliamo che tutto rimanga come è, bisogna che tutto cambi.

Or, literally translated: "If we want everything to remain as it is, we need to change everything"
.....