The unbelieveable world of Silvio Berlusconi: a woman in an irreversible coma "could even have children".
It's no mystery that Italy boasts the most right-wing government in Europe. People often wonder whether its current Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is inspired by the pre-enlightement days of absolute monarchy or 20th century Latin American brand of populism. Until today, however, little was known about his necrophiliac tendencies.
Let's have a look at the background first. On Tuesday, the Italian courts gave the father of Eluana Englaro, a comatose woman who's been in a vegetative state since 1992, permission to disconnect her feeding tubes. Mr Englaro says that she once expressed a clear wish for extraordinary measures not be taken to keep her alive in such a condition and he called for "a dignified end to his daughter's life".
But here's where Berlusconi comes in. True to the maxim that Italian politicians can't even take a dump without the Vatican's consent, the billionaire Prime Minister pandered to the Pope's wishes and overturned the court's decision by decree, like an old-school monarch, an unprecedented case in the country's post-WWII history. According to the BBC, "the case puts Mr Berlusconi in direct conflict with the courts and President Giorgio Napolitano" who, in fact, said he would not sign the the decree on the grounds that it's "unconstitutional".
This is how Berlusconi explained it: "I will do everything I can to save her life. Eluana is alive, and she could have children". Then he went on, "hypothetically she could even bear a child while in a vegetative state”. Aside for his staggering hypocrisy (his wife had an abortion after 7 months for fears the child was going to be born with defects), it's intriguing to see how in his eyes, as well as those of the catholic Talibans, a woman is simply a pregancy machine, a two-legged reproductive apparatus, and sod those arsy issues of consent, will or simple common sense.
In Berlusconi's view, the issue of whether a woman may actually be entitled to decide is actually irrelevant. How would Eluana get pregnant? Would they hire a certified rapist? A stud? A necrophile? Could Berlusconi volunteer?
Let's have a look at the background first. On Tuesday, the Italian courts gave the father of Eluana Englaro, a comatose woman who's been in a vegetative state since 1992, permission to disconnect her feeding tubes. Mr Englaro says that she once expressed a clear wish for extraordinary measures not be taken to keep her alive in such a condition and he called for "a dignified end to his daughter's life".
But here's where Berlusconi comes in. True to the maxim that Italian politicians can't even take a dump without the Vatican's consent, the billionaire Prime Minister pandered to the Pope's wishes and overturned the court's decision by decree, like an old-school monarch, an unprecedented case in the country's post-WWII history. According to the BBC, "the case puts Mr Berlusconi in direct conflict with the courts and President Giorgio Napolitano" who, in fact, said he would not sign the the decree on the grounds that it's "unconstitutional".
This is how Berlusconi explained it: "I will do everything I can to save her life. Eluana is alive, and she could have children". Then he went on, "hypothetically she could even bear a child while in a vegetative state”. Aside for his staggering hypocrisy (his wife had an abortion after 7 months for fears the child was going to be born with defects), it's intriguing to see how in his eyes, as well as those of the catholic Talibans, a woman is simply a pregancy machine, a two-legged reproductive apparatus, and sod those arsy issues of consent, will or simple common sense.
In Berlusconi's view, the issue of whether a woman may actually be entitled to decide is actually irrelevant. How would Eluana get pregnant? Would they hire a certified rapist? A stud? A necrophile? Could Berlusconi volunteer?
4 comments:
Didn't Jeb Bush have a hand in something similar?
Urgh! Sudden vision of Uma Thurman's Bea/Bride in Kill Bill waking from a coma and realising what the Billy Bobs had been doing to her. Would love to see her taking revenge on Blair's good mate in the same way.
I once read someone describing Berlusconi as a 'Paleoconservative'. A kind of 21st century Pinochet. So true.
How come if someone starves an animal it is, rightly, considered a barbaric act yet it is considered not only acceptable but actually good to starve a profoundly disabled HUMAN BEING!!! Somehow I think the people who think death by starvation is such a "sweet" death would have the same opinion if it was (Heaven forbid) done on them.
I've been living in Italy for 11 years now, and the progressive decline of freedom and strengthening of Berlusconi's regime is outrageous. I think however, that using Eluana and her family's suffering as a way of increasing his power is the most disgraceful thing he has tried to do yet!!....and as we're talking about Berlusconi, that's really saying something :-(
As I said on my blog the other day, the only weapons left in Italy are protesting and trying to inform as many people as possible about the seriousness of the situation.
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