Some of you have evidenced a reluctance to recognize the validity of my criticism of the continuum of negatively "slanted" articles emanating out of England about Italy.

What NOW is your response to this article "Tories in meltdown over Italian tenacity", in the London Guardian???

Prime Minister Tony Blair was complimenting EU President, and Italy's Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi for trying to forge compromises amongst a badly fractured EU over the structure of its proposed Constitution.

As I read the article, I was STUNNED to read:

...the Tories burst out, and they collapsed in a heap of hilarity..."it's the ancient and traditional scorn British people ...have for everything Italian. Organ grinders, ice cream salesmen, the mafia, swarthy men with curly moustaches, waiters who say things like "che bella signorina!" while grinding pepper mills the size of California redwoods. It all came out, an elemental surge of contempt."

...Poland has, in Tory mythology, all the manly - you might say British - attributes the Italians are presumed to lack....

The British ancient and current scorn and contempt for Italians!!!! ????
British have all the manly attributes the Italians lack!!!! ???

Forewarned is Forearmed!!!

And give me ONE good reason I should have respect for Britain????
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TORIES IN MELTDOWN OVER ITALIAN TENACITY
The London Guardian
Simon Hoggart
Tuesday, December 16, 2003

It must have been the most richly satisfying weekend of Tony Blair's entire premiership. Saddam Hussein captured - plus an EU summit in delicious chaos, and it wasn't even his fault!

Michael Howard could sneer, but it didn't change the facts: the prime minister doesn't need to pitch the EU constitution, still less hold a referendum before the next election. The Tory leader did not just see his fox shot; the fox had been caught hiding in a 6ft by 8ft burrow, covered in lice, and came out quietly with its paws up.

But, as I've said before, Mr Blair doesn't do gloating. Or rather, the way he gloats is to be utterly non-gloatmental. He is calm, reserved, downbeat. And, of course, we know he is metamorphosing into Hugh Grant.

So yesterday he pointed out that the Tories often tried to wiggle out of EU decisions, without much effect. Or as he put it: "At Maastricht we got an opt-out from the social chapter, and a fat lot of good it did us, actually, really."

A million women swooned as he flicked his hair and did that famously roguish glance down at his shoes. Bring on the sexy tea lady!"

A negotiation among 25 sovereign countries was bound to be complicated..." he mused. "But a great deal of progress has been made, and I pay an unqualified tribute to the Italian presidency, whose skill and tenacity made that progress possible."

Some deeply buried lava inside the Tories burst out, and they collapsed in a heap of hilarity. That was not just because of Tony's friend, the dodgy Berlusconi, with his famous inability to handle detail; it's the ancient and traditional scorn British people of a certain age and class have for everything Italian. Organ grinders, ice cream salesmen, the mafia, swarthy men with curly moustaches, waiters who say things like "che bella signorina!" while grinding pepper mills the size of California redwoods. It all came out, an elemental surge of contempt.

Determined to ignore it, the prime minister went on, "these included key changes on very important issues for the United Kingdom," and the Tories started melting with delight, like gelatos left out of the fridge.

"The opposition don't believe these things are important at all!" he said prissily. This is the feeblest of all responses; to imply that, when you have said something silly, the other side is mocking not you, but the issue itself.

The Tories then went on to praise Poland, a country which, unlike the prime minister, had "stood up for its convictions". For some reason, plucky Poland has, in Tory mythology, all the manly - you might say British - attributes the Italians are presumed to lack. Poland is Lech Walesa, Solidarity, brave fighter pilots flying alongside us in the Battle of Britain, boiled cabbage stuffed with gristle - well, perhaps not the last.

We moved on to Saddam. Mr Howard wanted to know whether he would be hanged, though he stopped short of rephrasing his own old slogan: "death works."

Ann Clwyd was a little more dignified. "Saddam Hussein will now face the justice he denied tens of thousands of people." She described a scene in which they brought in 30 Kurdish prisoners, whom he shot himself, with a Browning pistol."

The president was laughing, clearly enjoying himself," she said. So they brought out 30 more prisoners, just to keep the fun going. "That is the regime that we have brought to an end," she said quietly.

It was a vivid and shaking moment in the midst of the party vituperation. I looked for Saddam's old pal George Galloway, but he seemed to be absent.

No doubt he is signing a book of condolence somewhere.

Guardian Unlimited | Columnists | Tories in meltdown over Italian tenacity
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,1107812,00.html