Here in Italy we have a crisis on the island of Lampedusa, which is the closest to Tunisia. Thousands of refugees are arriving by sea to escape the miserable existence they had in the Maghreb, pushed further to exasperation as a result of the current military and political crisis.
It's a rough and risky voyage, theirs, on small, overcrowded single prop boats. If it goes well it's only a couple of days without food and water. If not, you don't make it.
There are more from the Maghreb on Lampedusa now than there are Lampedusans. The island is in chaos, the locals are themselves on the brink of emotional collapse, while the filthy camps of refugees wallow in their misery waiting to see if the Italian state will give them asylum, or conduct them to other places in Europe.
For Italy's part, it asks more help in controlling the waters of the Med between North Africa and the Boot, but there is bickering among the protagonists in Brussels.
But then, then...there he is, Captain Silvio (Berlusconi)! The Knight arrives just in time to save the day. Its pure phantom politics, but we're used to hearing his big promises and sweeping resolutions, which normally amount to nothing but who cares.
The Italian premier has even told the Lampedusans that he is "one of them", having recently bought a villa, his 29th, on the island and within 60, maximum 90 hours, all will be well again. Like some JFK pronouncement "ich bin ein Berliner," only not rendering a private identity a universal status, but a common belonging a private affair. So be it.
But in this throughly grotesque and comical moment within the tragedy, we succinctly can see everything that's wrong with human society. One man owns 29 villas, while thousands not only can't afford even one, but have to risk their lives just to find "hope" among the injustices that an entire elite minority of internal and external forces has forced upon them: like the pawns to be sacrificed in a chess game played in the interests of the ruling cast.
While all the while the West thinks what's best for its oil interests and the Middle East what suits its evolving balance of power, and we are all simply reminded by this simple fact that, despite all the so called gains that democracy and the free market have given us, there are just as many imbalances and injustices that have been created.
Silvio may not resolve the crisis, but he has allowed us to see where it all really begins.
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