Italy does not want to become 'multi-ethnic' says Silvio Berlusconi

[Turborama]

Source: The Telegraph

Italy does not want to become a "multi-ethnic" country and will continue its newly adopted policy of sending boatloads of immigrants and asylum seekers back to North Africa, the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, said.

By Nick Squires in Rome
Last Updated: 9:14AM BST 11 May 2009

Previous Left-wing governments had "opened the doors to clandestine migrants coming from other countries, with an idea of a multi-ethnic Italy," Mr Berlusconi said. But that kind of society was "not our idea", he added, as he sought to reassure Italians who were alarmed at the number of immigrants pouring into the country, particularly from eastern Europe and Africa.

The prime minister's vision of Italy was condemned by the centre-Left opposition. "Yes, Mr Premier, we have a different idea of Italy: multi-ethnic, pluralistic, free," said Giovanna Melandri, of the Democratic Party. "A country in which the colour of your skin, or race or religion doesn't matter, but, rather, honesty and sincerity of heart do."

Since launching a tough new policy on boat people last week, Italy has turned back six boats carrying a total of 1,500 immigrants and asylum seekers which were trying to reach the country's southernmost outpost, the island of Lampedusa. The vessels were escorted back to Libya, the most popular jumping off point for clandestine immigrants, by the Italian coast guard and navy.

=snip=

In the past, Italy would accept the immigrants and take them to the mainland for processing and identification before deciding whether to grant them asylum or some other form of protection. The new approach was condemned by the UN's refugee agency, Medecins Sans Frontieres, the Vatican and Italian opposition MPs, who called it "a disgrace".

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/5305030/Italy-does-not-want-to-become-multi-ethnic-says-Silvio-Berlusconi.html

[alsame]

1. The Pat Buchanan of Italy. n/t

[WriteDown]

2. Poor choice of words as usual...

But the majority of Western European countries have fairly strict immigration policies.

[No Elephants]

26. Yes, saying exactly what you mean can be a poor choice of words under

a number of circumstances.

[MessiahRp]

3. Is there seriously any doubt that Right Winger = Racist?

I get a pretty good laugh at the indignation they show towards being accused of what is in almost all cases 100% the truth.

Rp

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LeftishBrit]

17. I can assure you, the RW-ers are not against immigrants because some are socially conservative!

E.g. the British RW tabloids hate gays, Muslims and immigrants in general with equal fervour. The fact that Muslims tend, like strong Christians, to regard homosexuality as a sin, is probably one of the few points in their favour as far as the RW Europaeans are concerned. Mainly, the RW just don't like anyone who looks different from themselves, especially anyone non-white!

Berlusconi is pretty homophobic himself and has had trouble with the EU over it in the past. He is a thoroughly nasty man, plus being a crook who would probably be in jail by now if not for parliamentary immunity.

[pampango]

23. Seems like Silvio would be at home with the British National Party.

http://bnp.org.uk/2009/04/preserving-british-identity-the-british-national-partys-immigration-policy

"The current open-door policy and unrestricted, uncontrolled immigration is leading to higher crime rates, demand for more housing (driving prices out of the reach of young people), severe extra strain on the environment, traffic congestion, longer hospital waiting lists, lower educational standards, higher income taxes, lower wages, higher unemployment, loss of British identity , a breakdown in community spirit, more restrictive policing, higher council taxes, a shortage of council homes, higher levels of stress and unhappiness and a more atomised society."

" Each nation has the right to maintain its own identity . The right of India to remain Indian, the right of China to remain Chinese, the right of Pakistan to remain Pakistani and the right of Saudi Arabia to remain Saudi does not mean that any of these nations “hate” anybody else. All it means is that they wish to preserve their identity and national existence. This is all the British National Party seeks for Britain - the right to be British ."

I know the BNP is an extremely conservative party (perhaps worse than that), but it looks like their immigration philosophy fits nicely with Silvio's. I guess conservatives in every country feel the need to preserve some type of "purity".

[XemaSab]

37. I think it's even stupider than hating someone who isn't white

If a liberal Northerner met a liberal Southerner, and the Southerner said "I eat grits with breakfast everyday," the liberal Northerner would say "Hey, I've never tried grits, but I would like to!" And the next time the Southerner had grits, he or she would invite the Northerner over and they would eat grits together.

If a conservative Northerner met a conservative Southerner, and the Southerner said "I eat grits with breakfast everyday," the Northerner would say "You're a southern freak and you backwards people should just crawl into a hole and die," and the Southerner would say "Get off my land you damn Yankee," and it would be the war between the states all over again. :crazy:

I really think that the true xenophobe can find the dumbest, most picayune shit to hate someone for.

[imdjh]

4. Italy has the right to choose who can immigrate and to protect its brand

There is a lot of hypocrisy on this issue.

How many people, of those who are about to pitch a fit in this thread, love to visit Chinatown? I know I do. We have Chinatown, Little Italy, and now Little Saigon in some places. But not only would the torches come out if someplace marketed itself as "Anglo Saxon Town" , if Chinatown were overrun by Anglo Saxons which changed the look, feel, and experience of Chinatown, ruining it, making it Notchinatown, someone would doubtlessly further expand the definition of genocide to characterize this change.

[valerief]

7. Italy is the size of Chinatown?

:shrug:
Who knew?

[imdjh]

8. It wouldn't matter if it were the size of China- they have a right to control immigration.

And so do we. Now when I say "a right" it's for lack of a similarly small and easily understood term. What I mean is that if they are willing and able to defend their border and their country then there is nothing wrong with them doing that. And so do we.

[valerief]

10. Size matters. I hear it over and over at 3am on the teevee. nt

[LiberalFighter]

14. Canada restricts immigration. They won't even accept everyone from the USA.

[imdjh]

15. And Canadians get busted here in Florida with some regularity for working illegally.

The difference is that when they get sick, then hightail it up to Canada for medical care.

[Chovexani]

13. Ooh, ooh, another square!

Just one more until BINGO! Don't let me down!

Why don't you tell us about your alleged friend of color?

(PRO TIP: Your example vs. the subject of the OP = one of these things is not like the other.)

[Alexander]

21. I wonder how long until the pizza delivery for this one?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

25. I thought he was playing Jenga.

:hi:

[LeftishBrit]

16. Of course it has the right; that isn't the point

As long as there are national borders, any country has a right to let in or exclude whoever it wishes.

But the sneering at 'multi-ethnic' society is nevertheless pretty unpleasant. Especially as the Mayor of Rome has links with the real Far Right, and there has already been extremely nasty behaviour toward gypsies, for example.

Berlusconi is like Bush in many ways.

[imdjh]

29. The guy is apparently a jackass, as you have said.

But the issue isn't defined by him, is it? The people who defend open borders self-righteously proclaim their moral superiority based in their own mind on their belief that they are being compassionate. What they don't seem to be able to explain away is what happens when unmanaged immigration threatens the culture, institutions, and sustainability of the country in question. So we end up in a war of words with accusations of racism flying, and in clinical terms we are talking about racism, because any time you are defending a culture you are defending an aspect of race.

Look at what a happens here when you try to take a stance in defense of cultural preservation. Some six posters are ready to hang me here, because I dared to believe that there was something about Italy that would be lost to an open border. And yet, these same people will go on and on about the value of preserving a racial or cultural composition almost anywhere other than a primarily European nation.

When I go to Ireland next year, I want to see Irish people, Irish things, Irish culture. I'm not looking for a multicultural or multi-ethnic experience except perhaps the remnants of thousand year old invasions. I don't see the horror of someone wanting to preserve that, or to preserve a uniqueness in Italy or anywhere else, even if the person actually saying it is a jackass.

[JackDragna]

44. Haven't spent much time in Ireland before, have you?

I have. There's a large number of people there from Africa, central Asia and eastern Europe. Rather than detract from the place, they make it more interesting, more vibrant. It's not like you step off the plane in Dublin and immediately get mobbed by leprechauns.

[Alexander]

20. Yeah, I bet you don't think you're a racist either.

:eyes:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

24. You do have Anglo-Saxon Town.

It's called "everywhere else."

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

27. Huh? Your post just sounds like a bunch of racist gibberish to me

[muntrv]

34. Overrun? As in what happened to the American Indians?

[enid602]

5. Argentina

I live in Buenos Aires, which has more Italians than any other city, even Rome. Is Mr. Berlusconi willing to take them back?

[imdjh]

6. Did they immigrate legally?

[enid602]

9. argentina

Of course, but I think Berlusconi´s main point is that the people of his country don´t want a multi-ethnic society. Shouldn´t Argentines be given the same choice?

[imdjh]

12. If the Argentines don't want immigrants, or immigrants from Italy- that's their choice.

What is your point?

[pampango]

18. Exactly. Berlusconi is talking about ethnic purity not legal vs. illegal immigration.

It's alright for Italians to emigrate, but don't expect Silvio to welcome any immigrants from Argentina, or anywhere else, in return. It's typical of conservative governments to complain that the liberals were not good at keeping THE OTHERS out of the country, but now the conservatives are here to protect our racial-, ethnic-, religious-, tribal-, or linguistic-purity.

[LeftishBrit]

22. Exactly!

[PassingFair]

31. I hear they've had a lot of Spanish immigration in the past as well....

:eyes:

[madrchsod]

19. it already is....

silvio should stick to what he knows best...screwing young women while being married.

[Javaman]

28. Once again Silvio Berlusconi shows himself to be a complete and utter moron...

My family comes from a very small town in southern Italy. My dad did our family tree.

We go back 4 generations Italy, from there it splinters off into: Albania, Greece, Africa, The Middle East, Spain, Northern Europe and oddly Russia.

So for this fucking moron who is a poor excuse for a human being wants to spout off his George Wallace like bullshit probably doesn't have a clue of his own racial heritage.

[proteus_lives]

30. Sorry Mr Berlusconi, you're slow on the draw

Your county has been a center of human movement since the days of the Roman Empire.

[closeupready]

32. Exactly.

n/t

[KamaAina]

33. Wow! I can speak Italian and didn't even know it!

"bush" = "berlusconi". :P

edit: punctuation; header

[Demeter]

35. Does Berlusconi Know NOTHING About The Roman Empire?

I thought it was only the US that was totally ignorant of history.

[bemildred]

41. That is a stunningly ignorant statement, when you think about it. nt

[Vidar]

46. The Roman Empire was one of the most successful at integrating

diverse people, because it was extremely tolerant of local customs & religions. Probably what Demeter was suggesting.

[LeftyMom]

36. Maintaining Italian purity is one of the silliest ideas I ever heard.

Way to close the barn door two millennia after the horses got out, jackass. :eyes:

[Ramius]

38. That's how it's always been... no?

Northern Italians like to pretend they don't know those trashy dark people in souther Italy, and DEFINITELY not from Sicily.

The people from the south are considered melanzana (eggplant) ... "

Particularly... the people from the south are already mixed with African and Arab blood.

This sort of bigotry has being going on in Italy for a Looooong time.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

40. What's up with this northern Italians nonsense?

I'm from northern Italy as is all my family for at least a few generations back. While I'm very fair skinned with nearly blonde hair and while there are red heads and blondes in my family, my dad and my sister (among others) are darker skinned and more 'stereotypical' Italians. I've never heard anyone denigrate other Italians because of the color of their skin. One can find blonde Italians throughout the nation, including in Sicily. However, some people do denigrate southern Italians because of the millions and billions of tax-payer liras (and euros) that have been sent to re-invigorate the poorer regions which instead were confiscated by the local mafia, camorra and/or n'drangheta.

As for diversity, Italy has always been a diverse country. I have met Italians of all origins, from African to Asian. Despite what that scum says, Italy is and has always been a hodgepodge of ethnicities.

[Octafish]

39. Il Bruto Fascisti

Berlusconi is a NAZI at heart and a NAZI to the core.
Big friend of Bush.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x670907

Good for business -- the War Business.

[47of74]

42. 12 trials in Italian courts?

Wow.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trials_involving_Silvio_Berlusconi

No wonder he and George W. were such close friends. Two peas in a pod, as it were...

[LeftishBrit]

43. The satirical poet 'Sagittarius' made some pretty good comments on similar viewpoints in 1930s Italy

(From 'Sagittarius Rhyming'; Jonathan Cape, 1941)

When Alaric mopped up in Rome
With his totalitarians,
Italian dames were not at home
To visiting barbarians,
Declining to supply the Goth
With Teuton offspring hardy,
As later they witheld their troth
From lovesick Langobardi.

Their way was equally abrupt
With overlords Byzantine,
Lest Roman blood they might corrupt
With influence levantine.
Their steadfast virgins spurned like dirt
The decadent Hellenic,
And never would so much as flirt
With Emirs Saracenic.

Invaders of two thousand years,
Not always of the purist,
Left fewer racial souvenirs
Than any passing tourist.
The mothers of the Coming Race
Abhorred miscegenation
And substituted in its place
Parthenogeneration.

Thus their posterity retains
No trace of alien foeman,
Not Fifty-Seven Heinz-like strains,
But just the antique Roman!
So Fascists learn eugenic lore
And racial baloney,
And try to look like Caesar more,
And less like Al Capone.


(In other words, too late; like Britain and all Europaean countries, Italy has been multi-ethnic for a very long time. And very nice too!)

[trof]

45. Yep. I'm a Langobardi.

The spelling of my last name is a slight variation of 'Lombard'.
We were 'Long Beards'.

The Lombards (Latin Langobardi, whence the alternative names Langobards and Longobards) were a Germanic people originally from Northern Europe who settled in the valley of the Danube and from there invaded Byzantine Italy in 568 under the leadership of Alboin. They established a Kingdom of Italy which lasted until 774, when it was conquered by the Franks. Their influence on Italian political geography is plainly visible in the regional appellation Lombardy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombards