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Silvio il
Magnifico?
By Francesco Sisci
BEIJING - "It is hard for the rich to live in Florence, unless they rule the
state," Lorenzo de Medici once said, commenting on the political career and
destiny of his grandfather, Cosimo di Giovanni de Medici, a ruler of Florence.
"The implication was," says British author Tim Parks, "if you don't control the
state, the state will ruin you. You will become the object of punitive taxation
deliberately aimed at confiscating your fortune."
Cosimo's career started almost by accident, a political incident which
eventually projected him and his family to power.
In 1433, Cosimo's political adversary, Rinaldo degli Albizzi, had Cosimo
arrested for tax evasion and wanted him sentenced to death. However, Rinaldo's
plan hit a snag, thanks to the many supporters of Cosimo in and out of
Florence.
As Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli said: "The deeds of Cosimo that make us
suspect him are these: he helps everyone with his money, and not only private
individuals, but the state, and not only Florentines, but the condottieri
[mercenary leaders]; he favors this or that citizen that has need of the
magistrates; by the good will that he has in the generality of people he pulls
this or that friend to higher ranks of honor."
In other words, it was true that Cosimo did not pay his taxes to the state, but
he was generous with his money and time to everyone. So, Cosimo escaped the
death sentence and sent into exile. But he returns to Florence to become its
master and places his grandson, Lorenzo, to become il Magnifico.
Does it ring a bell? Does it sound like a story from modern Italy? Try to
substitute Cosimo de Medici with Silvio Berlusconi, and you could tell almost
the same story.
Berlusconi went into politics in dire straits, also to avert the threat of
being bankrupted by his political adversaries. Here, Belusconi's enemies forgot
another of Machiavelli's injunctions: "Great men must either not be touched, or
if touched eliminated."
These enemies did it all wrong: touched him without eliminating him, and thus
made him stronger and indirectly prompted him to his present position.
His first stab at it in 1994 didn't go too well, he won the elections but lost
the parliament's maneuvers. Then he came back in 2001, winning the elections
and becoming prime minister, and recently, in April, twice, winning elections
with a vengeance and even greater riches, and now posed to become prime
minister again.
From now on, short of major accidents, it could be difficult for Italy to do
without him.
He will most likely remain head of government for the next five years. After
that, he could try to become president of the republic, as present President
Giorgio Napolitano is due to step down in five years, about the time
Berlusconi, at the end of his premiership, could be a candidate for the post.
Is it so bad? Cosimo, his corruption, his generosity and his breadth of vision
established the Renaissance, the seminal cultural experience that founded
modern Europe, and the very concept of modernity that we use world-wide even
today and to which countries like China, India, Japan and Thailand aspire.
Times are, however, very different. In the 15th century, Italy was the economic
center of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea. Now Italy faces a long-term crisis,
the country's per capita gross domestic product is falling behind that of
Greece after being overtaken by Spain in 2006.
In the early 1990s, when Berlusconi went into politics, it was the end of an
era - the Cold War. In the Cold War, Italy had delegated its foreign policy to
America and the European community, and its economy thrived in their shadow.
However, since the Cold War, Italy has failed to find a new position in the
world and accordingly to decide policies for its economy and enterprises. This
is what is at stake now.
A renewed Italy, for centuries the cradle of the Western civilization, could be
extremely useful in Europe, and also in Asia. Without Italy, the world will be
more boring, to say the least.
Italy is torn now. There are depths of inefficiency, there is Naples buried
under mountains of garbage. But there is also a super Italy. There are small
enterprises which are at the top of the world in their niche products; there is
the potential of unique tourist attractions, and the tradition of being the
logistics bridge to the East. Any of these would help to restart Italy.
Will Silvio be like Cosimo? Much will depend on what he does in the next five
years. But this has nothing to do with his riches or his interests in the
Italian media and football, as owner of AC Milan. He will succeed or fail based
on his governance. For the sake of Italy, and a less boring world, perhaps we
should wish him well.
Francesco Sisci, Asia Editor of La
Stampa.
(Copyright 2008 Asia Times Online Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us
about
sales, syndication and
republishing .)
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