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| a new sun rises over the Nile |
On Sunday, women are leading the change in over 257 piazzas in Italy, with protests held even in New York & Tokyo. Holding a sort of 'take back the day' rally, they want to give women back their dignity, after centuries of being ruled under the iron fist of a macho regime - who offers women only one choice - be a mamma madonna or a whore - a regime with a complicit media who do all they can to keep women in their place.
And while I'd personally like to start my own revolution here - to cut government employee wages (especially thin-c.v. 'friends' of political heavyweights) with the fury of a swash-buckling tea partier - it looks like the fervor of Arab protest has beaten me to it and breached Europe's borders.In today's Italy, 'barefoot & pregnant in the kitchen' has turned into 'bare-breasted on TV' which, under this media mogul government, has morphed into 'bare-legged for political placements.'
If not now, WHEN?
Reports have come in that immigrants are demanding to be heard, and demanding rights in Bari, Greece and Australia. A group of immigrants have commenced a hunger strike, others protesting on the roof of a detention center, thousands arriving in Lampedusa - all the while delineating their pleas.
Will their host states show as much compassion as the Egyptian military?
7 comments:
This is quite an interesting situation. My whole adult life, I have been led to believe that Italy is run by a very corrupt government. Please understand, that I have loved all of my visits to Italy and believe it is a beautiful country and I have enjoyed the wonderful people I have met individually! That aside, I have had little respect for its government.
As I understand it, this protest by women is about how the government and culture treat women. They feel there is unequal treatment of women in their society. They do not hold positions in leadership or careers. There is discrimination in the job market. There is a lack of day nurseries, family helpers and part-time jobs. I believe I have also read that the Italian women are often better educated than the men, yet they are not seriously considered for the legitimate job market.
It seems as if the playboy Prime Minister Berlusconi and his latest sex scandal has been the "last straw" for the women. I think he is also supposedly involved in a prostitution ring. He appears to put his own interests in front of those of the country. The women believe they have become nothing more than naked objects of sexual exchange---in life, in newspapers, on TV and in advertising.
The situation has passed the threshold of decency. These protests are meant to defend their dignity.
I support their efforts to reclaim the dignity of women and to get the respect and acknowledgment they deserve!
See, I have some pretty strong feelings on government and the rights of the people the government governs! And, I mean this for governments of all countries!
I totally agree that Italy needs to have its very own Egyptian moment, the sooner the better!
lets wait and see what will be going on in Egypt untill September........ in italy we say "dalla padella nella brace" this is what I feel this is what I fear. I wish foreigners who live here just because they can afford it would stop blatterning on about the local governament and its moral "scandals"............ and the clichè about corruption. Ever thought of the US's messy foreigno policy?? please stop writing aboviuous things just because there is time for it.
First off, in English it's, 'out of the fireplace & into the fire' ...
Secondly, People Power - people not under a 30 yr. dynastic rule - no matter what road they choose is still better than under despot dictators. I'm thinking Suharto's Indonesia, Zimbabwe, and everyone in between. And while it's true, a democracy elected Hitler, sorry - it was their choice.
And finally,American foreign policy - sucks. Which is why we spend so much on defense.
p.s. Corruption in Italy (and around the world, U.S. included), is not a clichè. It's a way of life.
Eh Francesca:
Why don't you really tell us what you feel about America's foreign policy.
I would, except then my blog would have to be entitled, "Burnt by the Miami Sun, so I sued Coppertone & Won".
I reference the idiot who fell into the fountain while texting, followed by the jerk who caught a ball at a Rod Stewart concert that broke his finger and the guy who sued McDonald's for the hot coffee in his lap.
Ridiculous.
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