Detroit, MI
This is the problem with Berlusconi. Well, actually, there are many problems with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. But here’s one very big one. His fear of an unprecedented Center-Right defeat in Milan’s mayoral elections, fueled by a stunning loss in the first round last week, finds Berlusconi and his henchmen resorting to predictable scare tactics and – guess what? – attacking immigrants and less-than-pure Italians. Sound familiar?
With breathless claims of “Zingarapoli,” suggesting that Milan will become a sinister “Gypsy City” should the Center-Left win the mayoralty, Berlusconi is playing the petty hatred card to stoke fear and scare the vote his way. Right wingers in Europe frequently fiddle the “blame the Gypsies” tune when made insecure by economic or political misfortune or its prospect. The Le Pens in France would gladly make Gypsies the primary focus of their scorn and ridicule, too, except they have more convenient targets for their selfish, xenophobic scare tactics – North Africans.
Here’s the point that Berlusconi and anti-immigrant crowds everywhere completely miss. Nations such as Italy, Japan and Russia, for example, are confronting huge demographic time bombs. Simply put, they’re not producing enough young people to fuel future economic productivity and consumption and, as alarming, take care of all the old people. It’s the opposite problem facing Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have staggeringly large populations of restless (and unemployed) young people. Without immigrants and people of mixed heritage, Italy risks suffocating its own economic growth and regional clout. This point is conveniently lost on U.S. right-wingers, too, who can’t dare to imagine where this nation would be economically and in other ways without the energy, creativity, labor and innovation of immigrant communities.
There is good news from Milan, though. The Financial Times and other European media are suggesting that Berlusconi’s fear-mongering may be backfiring. Despite serving as Berlusconi’s power base, Milan is a considerably sophisticated place. And now even the conservative Catholic Church there is debunking “Zingarapoli” and, in doing so, perhaps thwarting Berlusconi’s efforts to steal an election by blaming “the other.” Wouldn't it be nice to send a message to Russian nationalists, Islamic fundamentalists, Japanese arch-conservatives, right-wing Hindu extremists and ignorant, vein-popping haters in this country that this garbage isn’t going to work anymore?
To those of us hoping we can grow beyond self-serving politicians pandering to primordial base instincts, this weekend’s run-off election in Milan may provide some comfort. There’s reason to hope.....but don’t hold your breath.
This is the problem with Berlusconi. Well, actually, there are many problems with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. But here’s one very big one. His fear of an unprecedented Center-Right defeat in Milan’s mayoral elections, fueled by a stunning loss in the first round last week, finds Berlusconi and his henchmen resorting to predictable scare tactics and – guess what? – attacking immigrants and less-than-pure Italians. Sound familiar?
With breathless claims of “Zingarapoli,” suggesting that Milan will become a sinister “Gypsy City” should the Center-Left win the mayoralty, Berlusconi is playing the petty hatred card to stoke fear and scare the vote his way. Right wingers in Europe frequently fiddle the “blame the Gypsies” tune when made insecure by economic or political misfortune or its prospect. The Le Pens in France would gladly make Gypsies the primary focus of their scorn and ridicule, too, except they have more convenient targets for their selfish, xenophobic scare tactics – North Africans.
Here’s the point that Berlusconi and anti-immigrant crowds everywhere completely miss. Nations such as Italy, Japan and Russia, for example, are confronting huge demographic time bombs. Simply put, they’re not producing enough young people to fuel future economic productivity and consumption and, as alarming, take care of all the old people. It’s the opposite problem facing Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have staggeringly large populations of restless (and unemployed) young people. Without immigrants and people of mixed heritage, Italy risks suffocating its own economic growth and regional clout. This point is conveniently lost on U.S. right-wingers, too, who can’t dare to imagine where this nation would be economically and in other ways without the energy, creativity, labor and innovation of immigrant communities.
There is good news from Milan, though. The Financial Times and other European media are suggesting that Berlusconi’s fear-mongering may be backfiring. Despite serving as Berlusconi’s power base, Milan is a considerably sophisticated place. And now even the conservative Catholic Church there is debunking “Zingarapoli” and, in doing so, perhaps thwarting Berlusconi’s efforts to steal an election by blaming “the other.” Wouldn't it be nice to send a message to Russian nationalists, Islamic fundamentalists, Japanese arch-conservatives, right-wing Hindu extremists and ignorant, vein-popping haters in this country that this garbage isn’t going to work anymore?
To those of us hoping we can grow beyond self-serving politicians pandering to primordial base instincts, this weekend’s run-off election in Milan may provide some comfort. There’s reason to hope.....but don’t hold your breath.