Wow, this is surprising.
From what I gathered, since this link is behind a paywall, he had leukemia.
Silvio Berlusconi, a Showman Who Upended Italian Politics and Culture Dies at 86
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Re: Silvio Berlusconi, a Showman Who Upended Italian Politics and Culture Dies at 86
#12Berlusconi was said to have had ties to organized crime, going back to his time as a real estate lawyer. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/04/silvio-berlusc...
Aren't politicians with ties to the mafia quite common in Italy?
Re: Silvio Berlusconi, a Showman Who Upended Italian Politics and Culture Dies at 86
#13One of the very few people whom it's not worth shedding tears over. The sheer destruction Berlusconi brought upon his country and democracy at large is unimaginable. Berlusconi was the pioneer of modern populism, of all of it. Corruption, embezzlement, buying up or otherwise controlling media for manipulating or influencing coverage, being involved in so many scandals that it became completely impossible to track the…
You forgot buying judges and (financial) police officers
Re: Silvio Berlusconi, a Showman Who Upended Italian Politics and Culture Dies at 86
#14This is really sad actually. Whatever you think about him, you can't deny he lived life to the maximum!
The trouble with having your own personal prostitution harem is that eventually it turns out that some of the girls are (a) under 18 and (b) coerced. Berlusconi was his own Epstein, and that is what ultimately did him in rather than any of the other misconduct.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvio_Berlusconi_prostitution...
Re: Silvio Berlusconi, a Showman Who Upended Italian Politics and Culture Dies at 86
#15This is really sad actually. Whatever you think about him, you can't deny he lived life to the maximum!
I actually think these kinds of people live a pretty unhappy life.
For sure: imagine the mind games all the time, with everyone in and outside your family, just because they're targeting your humongous wealth.
Re: Silvio Berlusconi, a Showman Who Upended Italian Politics and Culture Dies at 86
#16For those who did not grow up like me in Berlusconi's Italy, he was an interesting character and in many ways a precursor of today's politics. When Trump came to rise, I felt many aspects were similar: both very rich entrepreneurs, arrogant personalities, a tendency to go against well established rules, personal attacks on opponents, an admiration for strongmen (Berlusconi had a clear crush on Putin), tax creativity,…
What many people outside of Italy don't understand is how crazy the left side of politics in Italy was (and still is).
Italy had a looong period (that arguably hasn't ended yet) in which there were no good choices to vote for: either corrupt Berlusconi or Communists (who were also corrupt).
Meloni has so far been a pleasant surprise. I didn't have any positive expectations when she became PM but she seems to be doing ok.
Re: Silvio Berlusconi, a Showman Who Upended Italian Politics and Culture Dies at 86
#17One of the very few people whom it's not worth shedding tears over. The sheer destruction Berlusconi brought upon his country and democracy at large is unimaginable. Berlusconi was the pioneer of modern populism, of all of it. Corruption, embezzlement, buying up or otherwise controlling media for manipulating or influencing coverage, being involved in so many scandals that it became completely impossible to track the…
As the Guardian obit puts it, he represents a slice of Italy promoting power and wealth over lesser qualities.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/12/berlusconi-dea...
Re: Silvio Berlusconi, a Showman Who Upended Italian Politics and Culture Dies at 86
#18Berlusconi was said to have had ties to organized crime, going back to his time as a real estate lawyer. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/04/silvio-berlusc...
Anywhere in the world, I doubt any real estate business functions with no contact with criminal organizations and local politics - too much money depends on regulations and their executive applications or lack thereof. In early 90's Italy ? Is that even a question ?
Re: Silvio Berlusconi, a Showman Who Upended Italian Politics and Culture Dies at 86
#19It's a terrible thing to say this of a man, or someone who has died, but thank God.
I mean, it might well by the end he was been pretty aged in his mind and was being used or fooled or had lost the plot : his comments about Ukraine were staggering, appalling aberrations you never want to hear from someone with considerable public stature in any country.
Re: Silvio Berlusconi, a Showman Who Upended Italian Politics and Culture Dies at 86
#20Berlusconi was said to have had ties to organized crime, going back to his time as a real estate lawyer. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/04/silvio-berlusc...
Aren't politicians with ties to the mafia quite common in Italy?
Aren't politicians with ties to the mafia quite common?