I was fascinated by Andrea's revelations. I was unaware that these
Analyses existed. I attempted to access the articles but was unsuccessful,
which may have availed me very little, since my "Italian" would not do them justice. 
We would be indebted if Andrea would be willing to provide us with a series 
of more "in depth" reviews, and even how the "perspective" has changed in the
intervening 25 years.   
========================================================
>From Andrea Larsen:

I understand that the numerous and interesting Annotico Reports have 
fostered a keen interest on how Italy has changed over time, especially 
since the disbandment of Partito Comunista Italiano, which was the largest 
Communist Party of the West; and later the so-called "Mani Pulite" (Clean 
Hands) - i.e. the action by magistrates which kicked off the dissolution of 
the Christian Democratic - and the Socialist party.

Democrazia Cristiana had been the mainstay of Italian politics since 
1948; Socialists had formed an alliance with them which seemed to last 
forever.  Corruption had indeed risen to unknown highs, but the coalition 
appeared to be so strong, that its sudden collapse was a surprise to many, 
and indeed changed deeply the political scene.  The last effect of this was 
the arrival of a new party, Forza Italia led by Berlusconi, which won the 
last elections: for the first time since the war, the right is in power in 
Italy.

This long preamble was necessary to introduce the translation of an article 
appeared on Espresso (www.espressoedit.it) of 6th December 2001, which I 
thought might be of interest to you. Here goes:

"In 1974 Americans still maintained the same idea of Italy which they had 
formed some thirty years earlier, when they landed in Sicily.  A background 
country, full of art works, pizza, mandolins and jealousy.  The kingdom of 
mafia, the country of Machiavelli, of the largest Communist party of the 
West, of the Pope and of Caruso (the tenor).

For this reason, the special article on Italy by Daedalus, the famous review 
of The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, had a great success.  
The review is directed by Stephen R. Graubard; Sig. Fabio Luca Cavazza had 
cooperated in writing the article.

"The Italian Case" changed, especially abroad, the knowledge of our old 
country, and brought it closer to the reality described in the same 
years by Pasolini in his "Scritti Corsari" on Corriere della Sera , by 
Scalfari and Turani in "Razza Padrona"; and in Montanelli's "Giornale Nuovo".

After 25 years, 2Il Caso Italiano 2" (The Italian Case No. 2) has 
appeared.  It is another analysis supervised by the same S.R. Graubard and 
by T. Padoa-Schioppa (the Italian member of the board of the Central 
European Bank).  This new article, bringing forward the first analysis by 
Cavazza, appeared on two numbers of Daedalus in July 2001.  It is the first 
time that the authoritative American review dedicates a double number to a 
foreign country: the interest for the contruction of the European Union, 
and especially for a country having a double frontier, Mediterranean and 
Balcanic, made it necessary for Graubard to conduct a new socio-political 
research.

>From Pres. Ciampi, to Romano Prodi (the pro-tempore President of the 
European Commission), to F. Barca to Ilvo Diamanti, many and well qualified 
Italians have tried to described the state of the country.  The picture 
which emerges (in the words of Graubard) is that of a country (Italy) 
flexible but vulnerable, less confused than described by the media, capable 
of accepting and metabolizing change, even that of entering Europe, and to 
renew itself.

Graubard writes: "Many in the world keep considering Italy only an open-air 
museum, but what makes the country so interesting is its capacity to unite 
the present with its European tradition in its own way, so that it cannot 
be confused or assimilated by its neighbouring countries, notably France 
and Germany".

The volume is loaded with the good civil tension which distinguished the 
last investigation by Cavazza: "The New Conquest of Italy.  The writings of 
Diamanti and Cavalli will surprise the foreign reader.  Cavalli describes 
precisely some singular and fatalistic aspects of Italian behavior, like 
the hatred for leaders.  "The idea that all that comes from the people is 
good, while all that arrives from above is bad, is associated to the image 
of politicians as incompetent and corrupted leaders; this is the result of 
the very scanty legitimation of politicians in all the fields of political 
organization".   Some surprise is originated also by the moderate essay by 
Luciano Violante (former President of the Lower House) on why "the Italian 
judiciary democracy could work".  "

I trust the issues of Daedalus will not be too difficult to come by - they 
will certainly be interesting reading.