USA Embraces Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi

While it can't be disputed that the thirteen spears in the presidential seal found their origin in Caesar's thirteen legions there is a vast cultural difference between the United States and Italy. Perhaps because Italy is an older civilization and it is multi-cultural and many of their tenets come from eastern philosophies. It was amazing in the 80(s) how protective Italians were of American children. There is only one explanation for this and it is that children have a higher protected status in Europe than they appreciate in the USA. Things that come to mind are that moderation was encouraged. You could have a soda once a week and it was a Fanta but children were not allowed to drink, smoke or be excessive in anyway in Italy in the 80(s). The push was for education and dedication to studies, arts, culture and science. And while I read "La Republica" everyday. What was reflected in the press did not capture what was occurring daily in Rome. Quite literally it was two separate realities. One that was reported and one that was lived. "La Republica" is a pretty liberal newspaper but Roman society is much more conservative. There is a great deal of love and acceptance amongst the Italians for their fellow citizens. As kids we would eat ice cream by the Pantheon and then we would walk home and inevitably someone would smash a watermelon on the side of the street and we would be offered some. It was great on a hot evening in Rome. I spoke enough Italian to not be made as an American and I knew to keep my mouth shut when I was out leagued verbally. Although I must state I was friends with people who attend an English private school and everyone spoke English. In the 80(s) perhaps because I was a child and the only American I knew, I felt Italy was very safe; particularly Rome. I became something besides just a USA citizen. I saw our country from Italy's and European's perspective and sometimes the view wasn't so nice. But I had to hear it because everyone is entitled to an opinion and I was an unofficial ambassador to Rome. Americans should always remember this when they travel. Whether they are paid or not they are symbols of America and it is wise to be a good ambassador in other countries.

I have followed Italian politics because they are so different from American and once you have been in Rome you have joined so they always interest me.

Cicciolina was a porn star that flashed her breast at all Italian men to gain votes to get into Parliament. She won. Thank goodness she wasn't over 24 because after 24 in Italy you are a spinster.

Could you imagine USA female politicians using their sexuality to gain votes? When this conversation comes up we usually end up laughing. Because who finds the USA politicians sexually appealing. They over compensate and dress as manly as they can. See what I am saying/ They are totally different cultures.

Besides being a member of parliament isn't that big of deal in Italy. Everyone is connected in Italy in some way to survive. Here is her story.

Indubitably if our female politicians went topless America would be rather decided. Topless politics is full commitment.

It is a Circus in Politics for Europeans. Hopefully our country will not descend into it.

I would submit that politicians are more a like than different. I would also submit that the USA is helping Berlusconi because we are now aware of the Italian Prime Minster Berlusconi who is a very wealthy liberal man. And he is an older gentlemen. The stories of his sexual prowess are only pubic relations between the USA and Italy. I laugh when I hear them. And as for the women, they are all considered older and spinsters in Italian society. Thank goodness they are the mistresses of Berlusconi else they would be maids in that culture. But porn isn't very far from Italian politics and so it is not far from ours as well. There is a debate internationally that the USA morals have slipped into that of Italian Society. I understand this culture well. All conservative on the inside but all liberal on the outside. It is a balance but it is odd the more sexually free the Italian politicians become the more asexual our politicians become it is an inverse dynamic.

Actually I was floored in Italy when Cicciolina drove by. But I was floored by Italian TV. But after a week I didn't want to cover up the statute of David and I could take all the nudity. What is even more funny is that when my friends children went they came back completely depressed. They had gone to the beach in Italy as adolescents boys and they came back in tears telling me seeing old people nude was really horrific and they were sexually scarred. Happily I can report back on USA soil they are doing just fine with the girls. In Italy they were looking for the young girls on the beach nude and it was all people over 70. They never went to the beach again. So I would submit Berlusconi is probably a really nice person but someone you would not want to see nude and that is the litmus test for Italian Politics. And if becomes the test for all of our politicians everyone in office now will be out.

And Palin can pack it up in this arena as well.