Silvio's back! (e la teoria del 'Pleasure Principle')

Anche l'Independent, oggi, sul signor Silvio Berlusconi (ma che c'hanno 'sti comunisti britannici contro il nostro Silvio?)

But by this time next week, Europe's funniest court jester should be back in place, cap, bells and tickling stick firmly attached, ready to keep us in stitches for another five years.

Dopo essersi divertito ricordando il Silvio gaffeur degli anni passati, l'Independent solleva una domanda, lecita.

Is it really plausible that a man can achieve all this simply on the back of being a charming, roguish buffoon? Even in a country as anomalous as Italy there must be a more nuanced explanation.

Insomma, è possibile che un buffone sia arrivato dov'è arrivato, anche in un paese anomalo come l'Italia? Risposta.

Mr Prodi has tried to implement what Freud called the Reality Principle. Mr Berlusconi goes with the Pleasure Principle and, as in 1994 and 2001, it looks like he's on to a winner. It's not that he is offering different solutions to his opponents: it's that he is on a different wavelength altogether. (...) Mr Berlusconi appeals at the ballot box because his voters would like to be as rich as him and have homes and yachts around the world like him, and they would like to be able to go up to gorgeous showgirls such as Mara Carfagna, now an MP in his party.

Eccola, la semplice verità. Colpa nostra, non sua. Lui ha soltato preso la palla al balzo. Siamo noi che non andiamo. Siamo noi che vogliamo case e yatch. Siamo noi che vogliamo farci la Carfagna. Mettiamocelo una volta per tutte nella zucca.