I know it's a few days ago now, but I just can't stop laughing at the footage of Berlusconi being smashed in the gob with a model of Milan cathedral.
It's the first time I've ever smiled at seeing a 73 year old being physically assaulted, I must get across.
The man is in the opinion of most people that I know a total shit of a human being.
But nonetheless he is still a 73 year old man. So here is me, laughing my head off at the sight of a clearly dazed and bewildered 73 year old man with blood streaming down his broken nosed, alabaster-smashed face.
It just doesn't seem right does it? So I set out to find out more about the man before allowing myself a further laugh at a pensioner falling to the ground.
I'll be honest and slightly ashamed to say, despite being an old student of politics and always trying to keep abreast of current affairs, I've never really known that much about Berlusconi and his politics.
I know he's a hated figure, but other than his oft-recounted dalliances with young ladies, his media empire and the fact that he's obviously unpopular with the left for his centre-right political ideology - I've never known much more.
I had known there were certain corruption allegations against him... but on reading his Wikipedia entry, I was startled by the 'legal problems' section listing the trials and allegations he's faced, including close association with the mafia, police bribery, tax evasion and fraud amongst others. All of which were eventually dropped "because of laws passed by Berlusconi's parliamentary majority shortening the time limit for prosecution of various offences and making false accounting illegal only if there is a specific damaged party reporting the fact to the authorities".
His conflicts of interest in many areas and supposed 90% control over all Italian media also don't paint the guy in a good light. Couple that with some of his racist and sexist outbursts* and I can certainly now understand why he is indeed such a divisive figure.
All of this though is really just me trying to justify why I'm still laughing at watching a confused 73 year old sat in a car wondering where his teeth went.
HA HA, you fucking old twat!
*for some reason I'd find these funny if it were Prince Phillip saying them though.
To ...outbursts*: if there was a 'nicest outburst(s) competition' Berluconi wouldn't win, as Berlusconi's aperçus are not comme il faut, while those of Prince Philip are. For instance, Berlusconi will greet his Nigerian guests with "you have a nice tan", while Prince Philip greets his Nigerian guests with "you have nice pyjamas". Everybody knows that remarks ad personam will be frowned upon, while remarks ad pyjamas are signs of respectul social interaction and friendly interest in other people's national habits and traditions.
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