An excellent, well-written account of Italian politics and society post-war. Covers the social conflicts between workers/Communist party and Industrialists/Christian Democrats/ex-Fascists through the 40s, 50s and 60s. Also includes a specific discussion of how the Americans worked to influence the first post-war elections to ensure the Communist party did not win the national elections. (Both of these preceding points seem to be mostly forgotten by most Italians I speak with, even the educated ones.) Chronicles the continual ties between governments and the mafia. Excellent account of the emergence of the Lega, which has been around as a separatists, racist party for decades. The biggest surprise was the account of Berlusconi and the Berlusconi years. Berlusconi was basically a Trump without Twitter. Same use of media to bypass the party system and speak directly to an alienated popular base. Same subversion of the party system to make it a one man show. Same view of government as a tool for furthering his business interests and those of his close allies. Same attempts to change the laws to avoid persecution for his corrupt business dealings.
In the end, it is a pretty hopeless picture, with a cross-party group of elites at all levels of business and government, including the judicial system, that work to protect each other and maintain their positions of power.
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