I’ve signed.
The reasons I gave are stated below:
The manifesto represents an eloquent articulation of my own political and ethical beliefs. The disastrous erosion of the Left’s purported respect for and defense of common human liberty is a departure from its uniquely compassionate roots and the very core of its ideals.
I sign the manifesto to demonstrate that I have not shall not deviate from a fundamental concern for the welfare of my fellow man.
Later
John
I am free to ridicule Chavs and for that I am thankful.
Later
John
The Times has an article which is a far more eloquent summation of what I waffled on about last night (hey, you were warned in the site’s subtitle!) read it when you get the chance.
Later
John
Oh and I got my degree a few weeks ago, it occurs to me that I didn’t mention it here. Bachelor of Laws. Winnar. Confirmation at easter, a few weeks here and then it’s back to the Land of the Shiny Green Suit and the PCLL.
Well Prodi’s claiming victory at the moment.
Change hasn’t been easy for Italy and it’s not likely to get any easier. Prodi single-handedly ruined the economy of an entire country in the space of a month when he threw Italy into the Euro without bothering to look at what the results would be.
I’m saddened that Berlusconi hasn’t managed to make the impact he said he would but he has at least loosened up Italy’s ridiculous labour laws. In fairness there’s not a lot you can do when a country’s prices inflate astronomically over a period of 4 years. I’m hardly the biggest fan of Silvio Berlusconi but Prodi is a joke.
If Prodi wins you can officially strike Italy out of any meaningful economic growth for the next 3 years at least. France’s decision to back down on new labour laws will mean that Europe won’t be the lean-mean-global economic unit that Prodi and company so ironically desire.
As an Italian I look back fondly on how Italy once was. It couldn’t hope to compete with China and the global manufacturing market so it’s 70-80s economic makeup needed changing but what we got was massive increases in the cost of living brought on by an ill-formulated gambit based on irrational political affinity.
It used to be cheap to go out, to live, to get your cafe in a bar and pranza at a pizzeria.
Italians love their idea of socialism - boiled down Italian Socialism is “what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is also mine”. The Italian left wants another mother to look after them (because we fundamentally are a nation of mamma’s boys) in a way which would make all but the most hardened British lefty violently sick.
Imagine if you will, a situation in which every irrational fear the right have of left wing politics in countries like the UK and US is absolutely justified and you have some idea of how ridiculous the Italian left really is.
Here’s hoping it’s all a bad dream.
Later
John