Italian man 'goes to war' against Italian government & EU bureaucrats

[Deleted]

This Italian man's life had been destroyed by the poor Italian economy and EU debt crisis. Having lost his job, his home and his livelihood, he turned his frustration to the Italian government, which had been led by an unelected EU bureaucrat since 2011. On the same day a new prime minister was set to be sworn in, he made his move to assassinate the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats he believed to be responsible for the destruction of his country. Many in Italy are hailing this man as a hero, what do you think?

Video:


Article: http://news.sky.com/story/1083999/it...at-politicians

actually, nobody in italy is hailing this man as a hero

[Deleted]

I'd say this: his points are good, but he's still a villan. Yes, he needed to raise awareness, and yes, he needed to shame and "attack" the prime-minister. But attack in the figurative term, through speeches, maybe throw some eggs/rotten fruits at him or something, but going to kill him is not the option. Going to kill him makes this person a terrorist, and as such, a criminal. So again, if he wanted to attack him, there's plenty of rotten fruit, and it would still have brought the story to the attention of news without actually making criminal plans.

[Danner]

There's an old saying in Norway: "You can't kill evil with an axe".

It doesn't matter what grievances this guy had; the moment he stopped acting like a rational person; he lost. He deserves what is coming to him, and I hold no pity for him. His act did more harm than good, and effectively killed his cause; as the politicians that maybe made him who he were, can now easily wink him away as a "lunatic" or "terrorist", and sidestep the real issue. The axe strategy to change society cannot work in a democracy.

What Italy needs is a free press able to disclose the filth of its society. It needs people of integrity standing up and saying what is wrong. It needs openness, and it needs to rid itself of its cultural habit of ignoring crime. If this guy was going to waste his life anyway; why not waste it being brave, speaking out against injustice?

Italy may be a dangerous society for people who fight crime. I still remember Giovanni Falcone, the anti-mafia judge whose car was blown to kingdom come in 1992. But the difference between Italy and Ghadaffi Libya, or Italy and North Korea, or Italy and China for that matter ... is that Italy, at the end of the day, is a democracy. The people have a voice, and the leaders of the country have to follow that voice or they won't be re-elected. The day the mob killed Giovanni Falcone, was the day they lost. The day a politician goes against a critic, they lose.

Which is why being a critic, with a public opinion-changing voice, is so much better than being a lunatic. And why this guy totally fails.

[Deleted]

A simple criminal that deserve many and many years in jail.

[nyc81991]

I wouldn't say he is a "hero" for the simple fact that he was trying to kill people, but he was standing up for something he believes in. He just obviously went about it in the wrong way.

[N-7]

I wouldn't say he is a "hero" for the simple fact that he was trying to kill people, but he was standing up for something he believes in. He just obviously went about it in the wrong way.

So are terrorists and war-criminals.

[Danner]

Revolutions are sometimes necessary. But only as a last resort. If there is no civil way of resolving an oppressive situation, then by all means, go make a revolution.

But in a democracy, there is by definition a way to resolve issues. Politics offers a system where there is a lot of give and take, and everyone ends up moderately happy or unhappy as a result. Democracy ensures that all interest groups are heard to some degree within the system of politics. It's not a perfect system, but it's by far the best system we have. Coupled with principles of equality for everyone and a common law that applied equally, you cannot go horribly wrong (and yes, I know this part is really weak in Italy).

Sure, Italian politics is messed up. But those politicians, faulty as they are, represent Italians. They got enough votes to be in their current position that you can comfortably say that they have public support to do what they do (or in case of Italian politics, support for not doing). Any person deciding that his opinions are far more important than what the ballot said, is just an anarchist or wannabe dictator. If you don't like the ballot result, expose the crooks and convince your countrymen that they should vote different. If you cannot sway your peers, then maybe your opinion may not have been that great in the first place.

Revolutions is for situations when there is no ballot. Italy ain't it.

[Gaarth]

This Italian man's life had been destroyed by the poor Italian economy and EU debt crisis. Having lost his job, his home and his livelihood, he turned his frustration to the Italian government, which had been led by an unelected EU bureaucrat since 2011. On the same day a new prime minister was set to be sworn in, he made his move to assassinate the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats he believed to be responsible for the destruction of his country. Many in Italy are hailing this man as a hero, what do you think?

The only people that are hailing him as a hero in Italy are jerks. And even of those ones, only a few of them think what you said.
I'm Italian, and speaking from my point of view, his actions were pointless, not only because the only thing he achieved is wounding an honest man who was only doing his job, but also because even if you kill one, two, ten, even an hundred of them what you've done is bound to be meaningless, because another one will take his/their place.
What we need now is a real change, a tangible possibility to change our laws for voting our delegates and direct voting of our prime minister and various other changes to laws like the ones about conflict of interests of politician and factions.
Until then, our country will likely continue to sink even lower than now.

[Grizzly Willy]

From your poll
-snip-

Damn, doesn't get any more conclusive than that.

[Gaarth]

This Italian man's life had been destroyed by the poor Italian economy and EU debt crisis. Having lost his job, his home and his livelihood, he turned his frustration to the Italian government, which had been led by an unelected EU bureaucrat since 2011. On the same day a new prime minister was set to be sworn in, he made his move to assassinate the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats he believed to be responsible for the destruction of his country. Many in Italy are hailing this man as a hero, what do you think?

The only people that are hailing him as a hero in Italy are jerks. And even of those ones, only a few of them think what you said.
I'm Italian, and speaking from my point of view, his actions were pointless, not only because the only thing he achieved is wounding an honest man who was only doing his job, but also because even if you kill one, two, ten, even an hundred of them what you've done is bound to be meaningless, because another one will take his/their place.
What we need now is a real change, a tangible possibility to change our laws for voting our delegates and direct voting of our prime minister and various other changes to laws like the ones about conflict of interests of politician and factions.
Until then, our country will likely continue to sink even lower than now.

[Kalyyn]

Does it have to be one or the other? I think he's just a guy who couldn't take it anymore. I'm not sure I'd call him a hero, but he doesn't seem evil either.

[N-7]

Does it have to be one or the other? I think he's just a guy who couldn't take it anymore. I'm not sure I'd call him a hero, but he doesn't seem evil either.

Well he is criminal by the definition of the word so yeah it kinda does.

[Aeula]

I'm a tad confused....did he just start firing at random police officers or at the politician's who ruined his life ? If the former the man's somewhat of an idiot and it must be an excuse. If the later i wouldn't call him a hero but i can sort of respect him.

[Kalyyn]

Well he is criminal by the definition of the word so yeah it kinda does.

Being a criminal doesn't have to mean that you're evil. Nelson Mandela was a criminal. Martin Luther King Jr. was a criminal. The American revolutionaries were criminals.

I can't say I feel strongly about this man one way or the other. But you can be a criminal and be a hero for it.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

This Italian man's life had been destroyed by the poor Italian economy and EU debt crisis.

The poor Italian economy and the EU debt crisis were the fault of Berlusconi and his mafia-esque stranglehold on Italian politics for the last 25 years.

Having lost his job, his home and his livelihood, he turned his frustration to the Italian government, which had been led by an unelected EU bureaucrat since 2011.

Appointed by the elected Italian government, and displacing Berlusconi was the biggest boon to democracy in Italy in nearly three decades.

On the same day a new prime minister was set to be sworn in, he made his move to assassinate the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats he believed to be responsible for the destruction of his country.

Oh great, another idiot running around the world with a gun and a bloodlust founded in insanity, a false sense of justice and misplaced anger.

Many in Italy are hailing this man as a hero, what do you think?

Find him, try him, lock him up.

Arctic Daishi, please stop passing judgement on that which you have no knowledge of.

The EU did not cause the debt crisis.
That was the PIGS economies (Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Spain) doing. The Greeks defrauded their way in, getting their books cooked by Goldman Sachs (an American bank!). Their pension schemes were bloated, tax evasion was practically a national sport, bribery of officials the only way to get permits. They discouraged foreign investments through draconic regulations. Pensions were being claimed in the name of dead family members for years after they passed away.

the Italians and Spaniards were plain incompetent at running an economy, in addition the Italians were crippled by crony capitalism of the worst kind. An example: their PM was the OWNER of the biggest TV and radio channels in Italy. Guess whose party got the prime election advertisement slots.

Portugal was dragged down by Spain, the Irish economy was fragile enough in the first place, still recovering from the war between the North and the South and "caught" bad economy like you would a cold.

[Nakura Chambers]

From your poll

• View Poll Results: Is the man a hero or a criminal/terrorist?Voters27.
  He's a hero.
  7 25.93%
  Arctic Daishi, Descense, Grinderofl, Krolikn, Sam the Wiser, torterra275, Vasconcellos
  He's a criminal.
  20 74.07%
  Activi-T, BurningStick, Chiquihuite, Didactic, Garnier Fructis, kashal, Mihalik, N-7, ovm33, Radux, Riidii, Rommon64, Rukentuts, Sky High Shark, smelltheglove, Spectral, Ticj, Vladar, Vomlix, Zao
  He's both.
  0 0%

I know, but I don't actually think of him as a hero. But I do think that in this supercharged polarized environment, if you voted "criminal," you would only be supporting the EU and "progressivism." In other words, it's a protest vote.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

I know, but I don't actually think of him as a hero. But I do think that in this supercharged polarized environment, if you voted "criminal," you would only be supporting the EU and "progressivism." In other words, it's a protest vote.

At least the EU is trying to stop the crisis, the Italians took months to even decide who actually won their general election.

[Nakura Chambers]

actually, nobody in italy is hailing this man as a hero

People over the world are respecting this man, for whatever reason. Here's a few quotes from people on another forum I go to:

Brazilian:

Respect to this man!! Wish I had the same guts!

Italian:

The attacker was not a terrorist. He simply was a man with no more family and job. He wanted to end his life with a striking gesture.

Spaniard:

I would probably do the same if I were in his situation.

Pakistani:

good lad

Here's the topic on the other forum: http://www.interpals.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=82690

[Garnier Fructis]

I know, but I don't actually think of him as a hero. But I do think that in this supercharged polarized environment, if you voted "criminal," you would only be supporting the EU and "progressivism." In other words, it's a protest vote.

I find this explanation severely lacking, as you had complete control over poll options when making this and could have made a poll option that reflected your views instead of justifying the contradiction after the fact.

[Nakura Chambers]

I find this explanation severely lacking, as you had complete control over poll options when making this and could have made a poll option that reflected your views instead of justifying the contradiction after the fact.

I didn't really put any thought into making the poll, nor did I know how I was going to vote when setting it up.