PES Manifesto

1. No pasaran! by pattheact on Friday, October 24, 2008 at 11:39

Dear Patrizia, dear Italian comrades,

 once again Berlusconi and his far-right, ulta-liberal allies show the disrespect they have for any public institution. The financial crisis we are experiencing all over the world, which in my opinion is a sistemic crisis of the ultra-liberal capitalist way of conceiving governance, doesn't seem to affect the Italian government who pushes still towards the dismantelment of the State and the public sphere.

After the "red" judges, the "red" teachers and professors? The sound populist ideology Berlusconi is promoting mainly through the channels of his media imperium (thanks to the left wing parties who have never had the political courage to forbid this type of monopolistic position) has never been so simplistic and though that effective.

Even if we are not on the eve of the "grand soir" every intelligent person has to acknowledge that today unity and revolutionnary spirit are wanted to oppose the Italian right-wing governmental parties the following message:"We care for the future of our children and the future of our children depends on high quality education for all. Not only for the rich and wealthy who can afford private education."

We need to resist and to support our Italian colleagues in their fight and we should not forget that Italy has for the moment the most far-right government in Europe, with post-fascists in decison-making positions at all levels of the institutions.

The PES after having missed an opportunity to show strength and unity during the vote ofthe this years Sakharov price should take the opportunity and clearly condemn Berlusconi's reform plans in the sector of Education and through that start a clear positionning for the upcoming European elections. We all need to be motivated for the political fight and Berlusconi is by far the best possible opponent. So let's start hiting on his head. Hit hard and just!!!

No pasaran!!!

Pat

2. School&Numbers by montymonty7 on Monday, October 27, 2008 at 10:36

Saturday the 25th of October, many Italians joined the march of protest in Rome.
The PD spoke about 2,500,000 people participating. As usual, the conservative Government already started playing with numbers, they just saw 200,000 participants.

Whatever the correct figure is, no accidents occurred in Rome last Saturday and Berlusconi’s public consensus is falling down.
As a recent poll by Demos&Pi states, 47.2% of the Italians are contrary to the reform of the educational system proposed by the Minister Gelmini and 51% agree with the protest going on. Moreover such a rejection seems not to be based just in ideological basis. Public opinion’s rejection is even stronger if we consider the points of the reform one by one.
Only 45.9% agree with the introduction of a single teacher in the primary school, 21.9% with the proposal of shutting down schools with less than 50 students. The least appreciated measure is the introduction of temporary differentiated classes for Italian and migrant children during the first period of primary school, which just 20.3% of people like.

Italian society seems to be conscious of what is going to happen to its public educational system and to agree with the protests organised by students and teachers all over the country. Let’s see what will happen on Thursday’s general strike.

3. Cutting Numbers by cometa on Monday, October 27, 2008 at 13:08

How many people were protesting in Rome on Saturday? Nobody could possibly count them, but from the few aerial views of Circo Massimo we were shown on Italian TV we could see there were as many as the enormous square could contain.

Of course it was more convenient for Mr. Berlusconi to draw attention on numbers than deal with the issues under discussion. He is just ignoring the protest coming from all the world of public education (even primary school children took part in the march) and is carrying on with his cutting policy until the final approval of the decree on Wednesday.

4. PD and politics... by pattheact on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 18:38

The argument on numbers of participants during the big public demonstration called in by the PD has shown again how political fights have sunk to a nearly shameful level in Italy. Sorry if I may hurt some left feelings here, but since the rebirth of the Italian left I have the feeling that we are only offered lessons of political marketing, a "domaine" where Berlusconi and his allies have shown there hability and where the left hasn't enough allies in the written or audio-visual press to measure with the right.

The financial crisis has shown the limits of the ultra-liberal way of conceiving governance and it has been a long time since the left hasn't been offered as many opportunities to mark their difference with the right, to offer political alternatives to the right wing ultra-liberal doctrine.

2.5 million or 200.000 participants in the demo? This was the main issue discussed in the media after the event. People (and not only in Italy) are looking for answers and sustainable solutions to their needs and not some political positionning based on theories that hardly differe from the political mainstream. I think that Italy is missing socialists and communists in their parliament.

Combatting efficiently the Gelmini law is one god opportunity and the people in the street have shown the strong support the PD has or could have. It has been a true and sincere pleasure to see the Circo Massimo place so crowded with our political allies, demonstrating our strength and reminding the cavalliere that he has no blank cheque to govern and destroy the Italian democracy!

5. Ce n'est qu'un début... by cometa on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 13:16

Yesterday Rome was literally, and peacefully, invaded by demonstrators and all the main Italian cities were  paralyzed by protest marches supporting the trade unions' general strike against the government's educational policy.

Although Mr. Berlusconi and his allies have adopted a communication strategy based on the constant manipulation of self-evident truths, the people in the street have not believed them. Not this time. And the struggle will go on.