Lessons from Italy

He is a crook.

He is a womanizer...favoring 18 year olds by the boat load.

He is richer than God.

And in some circles, more powerful.

He has had more plastic surgery than Joan Rivers and even his hair plugs are dyed.

Perhaps, most impressive - he has a pizza named after him. (I have a Crepe David at a little neighbourhood cafe, but a Pizza! Oh, the pure jealousy!)

He is Silvio Berlusconi and he is the Prime Minister of Italy.

Again.

In spite of being indicted half a dozen times on a very democratic broad range of charges, he manages to sweep the popular vote and dash into office at will.

For the casual observer, the inevitable question is, "Why?"

Are these people mad? Have they no good common sense? Has he promised them all a free bottle of Prosecco once a week?

No.

It is much simpler than that.

And here's where Carole James and Iggy Pop and Jack the 'Stache come into the picture.

Berlusconi - love him or move to Malta - keeps getting elected and re-elected because:

a) He is tremendously organized, and

b) The other guys aren't.

"The other guys" constitute about 94 other parties, each one dumber than the last and all clawing away at each other over the fine print, while Silvio skates across the finish line again.

Travel is refreshing and instructive.

I recommend it for certain other also-rans.

You see different buildings. You eat different foods.

And you get a glimpse of how some people have figured out the basics, while others gab, gab, gab...