News has just come out that Silvio Berlusconi has just been sentenced to 4 years in jail. If only we could do the same thing to one or two former UK Prime Ministers, maybe with the period multiplied by a factor of ten! (And a few of their co-conspirators too!).
Berlusconi was only found guilty of tax fraud. It should really be possible to jail they there politicians for ANY kind of fraud. Only trouble is, the House of Commons would be pretty empty!
Whatever happened to his British lawyer, Tessa Jowell’s husband? He too was facing time in an Italian prison at one point. Of course he might prefer that to Tessa, though I believe they’re together again now that he can no longer spoil her career.
It’s now been reduced to one year:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/silvio-berlusconi/9636315/Silvio-Berlusconi-four-year-sentence-quickly-cut-to-one-year.html
And frankly he could well not go to prison at all.
The House of Commons is much like the California Legislature. Were they all to be gaoled the country would be much better off for it. Knowing Berlusconi, though, this will be appealed and appealed until some technicality throws out the conviction.
Blair should go to prison. He is far more evil a person than Jimmy Savile or Lance Armstong ever dreamed of being.
Sheona, David Mills was eventually acquitted owing to the statute of limitations – just as Burlesquoni will probably be. DM had to pay SB damages! No surprise there then.
Christopher, I think your comparison, while no doubt valid in some respects, misses the key point that it is the media who have manufactured the reputations of most British MPs. Is that the case in California too?
Sipu, at last, we can agree about Blair! I blame his wife. As for the relative evilness of your three nominees – they all display deadly sinfulness but is there a league table?
Nobody ever actually goes to jail in Italy, at least, not if they are Italian!
Looks like we are about to empty the BBC though!
Christina, I think it’s time to get creative. All the convicted managers without pædophile records themselves should be condemned to daily interviews with John Humphrys, while the kiddie-fiddlers should receive the unkindest cut of all.
Janus: the California legislature has no reputation, nor do its members. They simply get in again and again by manipulating districts so that they are all safe.
Janus, I realise how difficult it must be for you to agree with me, but if you can equate the killing and maiming of tens of thousands of people with the allegations of varying degrees of abuse ( the majority of which, as wrong as they may be, are actually pretty trivial and largely unsubstantiated) of underage girls, or the taking of drugs in order to win cycle races, then I think it is highly unlikely we shall ever agree on anything again. Or at least I hope we do not. I find your opinion on this subject to be perverted in the extreme.
Sipu, I find your assessment of child abuse as trivial to be pathetic. Your summary of my ‘opinion’ is similarly illogical.