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The Fascists Lose In Italy--Again

Jonah Goldberg's book has provided a clearer, better-focused lens through which to view the world. For instance, it now becomes clear that the recent Italian political earthquake was a victory for the true, classical liberal right, and a major defeat for a resurgence of the smiley-faced fascism that has held much of Europe in its grip for the past decades, despite the defeat of the more virulent forms of it in World War II. Here are the values that won, and lost:

The election campaign itself was the most rigorously fought in Italy since its liberation from Fascist rule in 1944. Berlusconi, often portrayed by the media as something of a clown if not a conjurer of tricks, put the case for a market-based capitalist and democratic system in simple but powerful terms.


His rival, former Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni, leader of the new Democratic Party, succeeded in putting forward the case for a social-democratic system, with the state playing the central role as a distributor of wealth and welfare.

Berlusconi spoke of discipline, family values, hard work and individual generosity. Veltroni countered with his talk of solidarity, sharing and collective compassion.

Text coloration mine. All of the red rhetoric could have come right out of Benito Mussolini's playbook. The green stuff is "right wing."

With this defeat, and the complete political demise of one of the oldest and most extreme fascist movements--the Communist Party--perhaps the Italians have finally laid the old socialist to rest.

 
 

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5 Comments

Dave wrote:

And you wonder why I can't take you seriously.

Berlusconi, often portrayed favourably in the mass Italian media, which he owns most of. Is back to do a job he previously proved he was so bad at that it let that idiot Prodi into government...

One wonders if this time the corruption allegations will actually get to court.

Rand Simberg wrote:

You miss the point. It's not about the individual--it's about the message.

James wrote:

I am amused by Berlusconi's quotes on the usefulness of tax evasion.

Dave does have a point though. I wouldn't want to live in a country governed by Berlusconi, and neither do the Italians I know. It's not his first time in office and they know what to expect.

While the lesser of evils may have won, it doesn't make the winner worth admiring. Of course, you can say that of most democracies.

Dave wrote:

It's not about the individual--it's about the message.

And what message is that Rand? Ideology is all nice and well but to be blinded by it leads to some dumb sentiments. A bit like your clueless comments on Zimbabwe elsewhere.

Rand Simberg wrote:

And what message is that Rand?

The message is individualism, as opposed to the religion of the state (i.e., fascism).

You show your cluelessness once again.

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This page contains a single entry by Rand Simberg published on April 18, 2008 7:59 AM.

PR Stunt Delayed was the previous entry in this blog.

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