Venice-Art-Tours Blog

Arrivederci Carnevale...and more good news...

Phew! Ash Wednesday: an important day in the Western Church, admittedly, but also a joyous day in our lives, Carnevale is toast, hasta luego, baby!

Second good news (I think) is that the Prodi government did not survive a no-confidence vote last night in parliament. While his coalition (see last week's blog) has a majority, there were 4 abstentions within the coalition during the vote and the government fell two votes shy of a majority and things are up in the air. Prodi will be asked to form a new government but he has to beat the radicals into alignment, especially on the Dal Molin US Airbase issue and on Italy's commitment to troops in Afghanistan both of which which were militantly opposed by the the wild ones in the two communist parties and among the Greens. Forming a new government is big job and in the long run Prodi will fail. Three months, six months, nine months.

To his credit, Prodi did attempt to liberalise some markets here. For instance, he eliminated minimum fees for lawyers; he is allowing soon (I hope) over-the-counter parmaceuticals (aspirin, Sudafed, etc,) be sold in other than pharmacies (to buy aspirin here you must buy it at the pharmacy and pay about three euro per pack of twelve); he is increasing the number of taxi licences available in the country since Italy has the most expensive taxi rates in Europe. So you may ask...who have been going on periodic strikes since the liberalisation was announced? Taxi drivers, lawyers,and pharmacists. Yes, independent lawyers, sitting in their office who do wills, real estate go on strike...imagine that, all that billable time!

I said at the beginning that the Prodi business was good news. So Prodi and Italy have perhaps learned that if you lie down with radicals and commies you get up with fleas.

The word ungovernable looms large.

 

In today's papers...

Yes, today is an interesting day for news: it encapsulates the dreadful state of Italian politics. The words fragmented and impotent come to mind.

One bit of news is that 50,000 Disobbedienti are said to be coming out of their holes and heading for Vicenza where there ia US airbase, to make trouble.

You may have read that the American Air Base at nearby Vicenza (Dal Molin is its name) wishes to substantially enlarge itself. This airbase is a major source of employment for the area and also a significant source of income for the country. And, by the way, it is useful in making the world a safer place.

The Pentagon said they needed to enlarge it and, if it were not possible, it would move the whole she-bang to Germany, who would welcome it. Of course, there is a left wing coalition in power here (by a few votes) and it is comprised of about 7 larger parties and about two dozen smaller ones (I have appended a list of parties at the end of this blog). Prime Minister Prodi (with his fragile coalition) reluctantly agreed to the expansion of the airbase despite an internal ruckus in his coalition. Prodi said it was a difficult decision and now, a number of those in the coalition (of whom many, in fact, are anti-American) are mobilising against the decision. Demonstrations, etc. Big one coming up in Vicenza this Saturday (17th), look out for it. The head of a radical lunatic anarchist group called the Disobbedienti who have spent the last few years occupying government offices, doing violent acts, getting arrested, destroying property, in other words living up to their name, all of whom should be in jail, promised 50,000 of the great unwashed at the "demonstration" in Vicenza, Saturday, and that means trouble, with a capital T, my friends.

More alarming is the report that 500 policemen did a roundup of Communist Red Brigade members and tossed them into the slammer. The Red Brigade apparently is still active in planning to kill judges, politicians, policemen. Seven of the fifteen arrested are active members or officials of the CGIL labour union. (Italy needs an Italian Thatcher or Reagan.)  Their targets were said to be ex-PM Berlusconi, a well known economist, and some leaders of leading (capitalist) businesses. The picture here shows CGIL members protesting the arrest of their co-workers. There is still a pathetic nostalgia for communism here. Note the red flags and the hammer and sickle. You don't want to be here on May Day. It's ridiculous.

As far as Venice itself is concerned, it's Carnvale time and if you stay away from the crowds in S Marco, it's tolerable. In the square itself - the most beautiful piazza in the world- the city has erected 3 enormous TV screens continuously showing MTV type of videos.  And in Campo S. Margherita, near where we live, it's thumping, moronic unmusical noise most nights till 10PM. So much for Vivaldi, Albinoni, Gabrieli, and Monteverdi.  On the morning of Ash Wednesday, we revel in the sounds of silence as beautiful Venice returns. At 4AM the noble sanitation workers are righting the wrongs of the past evening. Hoorah to them.

As promised, here's the list of the political parties in the current left-wing coalition (there's another 20 in the conservative coalition) all of which alone should indicate Italy's ungovernability:

Democrats of the Left Party, Democracy is Freedom Party, European Republican Movement Party, Communist Refoundation Party, Italian Communist Party, Democratic Socialist Party, Socialist Party, Italian Radical Party, Italy of Values Party, Green Federation Party, Popular Edeur Party, Rose in the Fist Party, South Tyrolese People's Party, Consumer Party, Autonomy Liberty Democracy Party, Project Sardinia Party, League for Autonomy - Lombardy, The Socialist Party, Party of Christian Democracy, Left-wing Radical Party, Federation of Italian Liberals, United Democratic Christians, New Party of Action, United Consumers Party, Party of Christian Democracy, Democratic Republicans, Republican Democracy Party, Veneto Front League.... Apologies to those omitted.

Have to run as we are starting a new political party today down at the cafe. Any suggestions for a name? Are there any names left?  Howard

Carnevale looms, OY VEY!

On the way to church this morning we walked through San Marco Square. We do this every Sunday morning as our church is about 5 minutes behind the Basilica. It is almost always a pleasure to see the square in the earlyish morning with only a hundred people there and the Basilica's domes, mosaics, and marble encrustation all gleaming in the morning sun.  A Byzantine pleasure.

This morning, however, San Marco Square was taking on the aspect of a circus in the midst of setup. There is a giant fabricated covered performance stage with its attendent runways, crowd control fences, cables for lighting and TV, etc. Plus a roped off area in which will be placed 500 temporary seats so lucky visitors can witness the selection of the Maries, local beauties selected in a newspaper poll as they vie to become the de facto queen of carnevale. On the evening of Fat Tuesday there will be 75,000 people here. Some will be sober.

Carnevale in times past drew many people who participated in the spirit of carnevale, attending costume parties, fancy dress balls, dressing in traditional Venetian period dress while other invented more contemporary costumes (for instance, a dozen eggs filing their way through the crowds). They acted sensibly, with decorum. Posing for pictures, enjoyng themselves and giving pleasure to others. During a good part of the run-up to Fat Tuesday, it is still, in a reduced way, the same. Unfortunately, today the costume wearers are far fewer and the majority come to take pictures of the first group, and I guess to be part of the crowd, any crowd, and many teenagers come to booze. Last year photographs of semi-naked boozers in San Marco, before they were arrested, made the local papers. San Marco is definitely the place not to be on Fat Tuesday night. If you plan to be there, wear your wellies and your miner's hats. Better to find a nice restaurant a distance from S Marco. Mi  raccomando.