I see that Sylvio Berlusconi invites victims of the earthquake to think of it all as "a weekend of camping" (link), thereby throwing his lot in with Barbara Bush who said that victims of the Katrina disaster must have been having the most fun they'd had in years.
Others may sneer, but I wouldn't be suprised if there isn't at least a grain of popcorn in this dunghill. Particularly if you are a kid, theere probably is indeed a good deal of fun in all this. Hey, school's out and you're in a tent. What could be better?
And look at it this way: at least you aren't in a tent with Sylvio Berlusconi and Barbara Bush.
Update: Note the comment from Parvati, infra, who believes something was lost in translation.
1 comment:
Writing from Rome:
The phrase as reported in the German, UK and US press is this:
"Mr Berlusconi told a reporter from N-TV: "They have everything they need, they have medical care, hot food... Of course, their current lodgings are a bit temporary. but they should see it like a weekend of camping."
Here's the actual transcript-translation of the German TV programme in which he is said to have made the above statement:
http://rtv.rtrlondon.co.uk/2009-04-08/461233e.html
3068-ITALY-BERLUSCONI/CAMPING L'AQUILA, ITALY APRIL 8, 2009 NATURAL WITH ITALIAN SPEECH DURATION:01:43
SOURCE:NTV / REUTERS
(...)
SHOWS:
(...)
1. ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER SILVIO BERLUSCONI WALKING TOWARDS REPORTER
2. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER SILVIO BERLUSCONI REPLYING
TO REPORTER'S QUESTION (...):
"The people are doing well because they have a lot of assistance,
a lot of kindness, receive lots of love from our volunteers who are
extraordinary people. They have everything they need, they have medical
attention, they have medicines available, they have hot meals and there is
shelter at night which, at the end of the day, is a temporary measure. It's a
like a weekend of camping and then we need to reach more concrete solutions,
which are there and which are the hotels"
Not quite the same thing, eh? Which explains why the so-called "outrage" over Berlusconi's so-called "gaffe" is absent in Italy. He's made many a gaffe in his time but this isn't one of them, in fact he's been in the mountains with the victims non-stop coordinating and trouble-shooting the aid effort etc since the quake hit, didn't sleep for 44 hours running and has offered several properties of his as temporary accomodation for the homeless. So whatever else he may be - a media-moghul crook, a showman with a facelift etcetc all true enough - he's not a heartless do-nothing elitist: the Abruzzi catastrophe is not another Katrina.
Lisa
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