He's back

Guess who's also back in power? Berlusconi, 71-year-old media mogul (who has accused judges of constantly being after him with corruption charges) has won the Italian governmental election...again...since 1994 Berlusconi has ran for premiership five times. This year marks the third win.

Sure he's flamboyant and loud and owns 50% of the media in Italy. On the other hand, he had the longest running government in Italian history since World War II---the same government for five years in a row. Who cares if he's repeatedly been to trial for corruption charges, he's a politician, isn't that normal?

This is what desperation and frustration comes down to: any change looks better than the current one when the Italian economic situation looks so ominous and while the streets of Napoli are lined with huge amounts of garbage that citizens refuse to remove.

Amazingly, no matter how desperate the situation, Italians have a better nation wide presidential vote turnout (80% this year) than do Americans (55% in 2004).