Commentary
-
Our commentary partners will help you reach your own conclusions on complex topics.
Hey, everybody, Peter Zeihan here, coming to you from home in Colorado. I just wanted to take a couple of minutes to talk about what’s happened with the Italian elections. Now, normally Italy is such a chaotic place that the elections really don’t matter.
I’m not 100% sure that this is any different. What has happened is a right-wing alliance, led by a woman by the name of Giorgia Meloni, has taken control of the Italian Parliament, and she will be the next prime minister of Italy.
She represents a group that is .. well, the conventional wisdom is pretty much right on this one, neo-fascist, and her partners have shifted more and more to the hard right over the last ten years. This is by far the most proto-fascist government that Italy will have had since the days of Mussolini.
Does that mean that it will be fascist? Way too soon to know. Three things, four things really. Number one, Meloni is wildly inexperienced. She was Minister for Youth before and that’s the sum total of her professional experience. So she’s never actually run an organization except for a political party. And it’s a political party in Italy so it’s a little, the lines of what that looks like are a little bit different than what we get in the United States.
So I think the big takeaway here isn’t so much that Italy is about to get a fascist government. It’s that Italy is about to get a government with someone in charge who has no idea what they’re doing in terms of their previous work experience.
Second, one of her coalition partners of Forza Italia is Silvio Berlusconi, who does have experience. He has been prime minister a couple of times, three times, four times, five, it’s hard to tell in Italy. What can I say about Silvio? He’s not a fascist, or at least in the past he hasn’t been, but he’s certainly been on standard. This is the guy who arranges for big sex parties on government property. And to have him back in government at a time when Italian finances and political system are in flux is, you know, I guess the German-descended person that I am, perhaps not the best choice at this time. But he will certainly make things colorful.
A third. This is the seventieth government I think since World War II that the Italians have had. So the chances of Meloni’s coalition serving out its full term are probably about as good as they have been for about 67 of them that have not served out the full term. Italy is a very unstable place. It’s always quite chaotic. And this is going to be no exception.
And then finally, the way that Italy is really run is that they rely on bureaucrats and directors from the European Union and funding from the European Union in order to get everything done, which is part of the reason why we’ve got this righteous rejection to a degree. But in every previous populist government we have ever had in Italy, the EU keeps doing its things because the alternative for the Italians is a disaster. So if Meloni really wants to implement a lot of her policies, she is not just going to have to break with history, she’s going to break with the funding mechanisms that allow the Italian government to function. That’d be a tall order and would probably result in the fall of her government anyway.
So keep an eye on it. Yes, of course, this is probably not the sort of thing we need to panic about. Okay, that’s it. Take care.
-
What happens to China after Xi Jinping dies?
China is arguably the world’s second most powerful country, and its leader, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Xi Jinping, plays a major role in many of its economic and military decisions. So, with no heir apparent, what happens to China when Xi dies? Watch the above video as Straight Arrow News contributor… -
Impact of Italy’s older, shrinking population
Births in Italy fell by 3.6% in 2023, reaching a record low and raising concerns for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s efforts to address the country’s aging population. One senator from Meloni’s ruling party echoed Pope Francis’ call for Italians to have more children, stating that having children should be Italian women’s “main mission.” Watch the… -
Biden and Trump are both unfit to be president
According to a June pre-debate poll, a majority of Americans feel dissatisfied with having to choose between either Joe Biden or Donald Trump. The debate did little to address anxieties that voters have about these two candidates. Post-debate polls indicate that President Biden now trails former President Trump, yet many voters remain undecided. Watch the… -
Why the West can’t quit Russian oil
Oil and gas revenues have been Russia’s most important source of income, accounting for up to half of the total Russian budget over the last decade. Despite severe sanctions imposed by the West to curb Russian energy income following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s oil revenues don’t seem to have been significantly affected. Watch… -
Why Israel’s Supreme Court ended draft exemptions
On Tuesday, June 25, Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously struck down a military draft exemption privilege for members of its ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relies on the support of two ultra-Orthodox parties to maintain power, both of which oppose the court ruling. The court held, in essence, that these military draft exemptions…
Popular Opinions
-
In addition to the facts, we believe it’s vital to hear perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum.
Latest Opinions
In addition to the facts, we believe it’s vital to hear perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum. We hope these different voices will help you reach your own conclusions.
The opinions published in this section are solely those of the contributors and do not reflect the views of Straight Arrow News.
Latest Commentary
We know it is important to hear from a diverse range of observers on the complex topics we face and believe our commentary partners will help you reach your own conclusions.
The commentaries published in this section are solely those of the contributors and do not reflect the views of Straight Arrow News.
Peter Zeihan
Geopolitical StrategistImpact of Italy’s older, shrinking population
Biden and Trump are both unfit to be president
Why the West can’t quit Russian oil
Dr. Frank Luntz
Pollster and Political Analyst‘Two bad choices’: Undecided voters before Biden-Trump debate
‘Money doesn’t go as far’: Americans discuss financial hardships
‘I am shocked’: Americans react to the Trump guilty verdict
Pete Ricketts
U.S. Senator for Nebraska