Berlusconi Boycott By G8 Leaders' Wives Proposed By Academics

A group of Italian female academics is pushing for the wives of G8 leaders to not attend the G8 Italy Summit as a boycott against Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, according to the Times Online:

Wives of the world leaders due to attend next month's G8 summit in Italy should boycott the meeting because of Silvio Berlusconi's "sexist" and "offensive" attitude to women, a group of Italian female academics has said.

A number of wives, including Sarah Brown and Michelle Obama, are to join their husbands at the summit, although the wife of the Italian Prime Minister will not be hosting as she is seeking a divorce.

Berlusconi has long been the bane of women's rights activists due to his lascivious, misogynist, inappropriate, lewd, bumbling treatment of women with whom he comes into contact (either through happenstance or questionable means). His most recent scandals include allegations of an inappropriate relationship with 18-year-old Noemi Letizia, stacking his cabinet with unqualified 'showgirls', and his hosting of suspected escorts as seen in photos of them topless by his villa's swimming pool.

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Comments

[RobertHenryEller]

Shouldn't the academics be doing something worthwhile with their time? Like doing research, or teaching?

Actually, not only shouldn't the wives of the G8 leaders (How does Merkel's husband feel about this?) boycott the conference proceedings. They should gang up on Silvio en masse and give him a piece of their minds.

Why do people so often recommend actions that are exactly what the intended victim wants? What has Silvio been doing for a "good" part of his life except giving the Missus the slip?

This reminds me of the smart people at the 2005 Presidential Inauguration, selling t-shirts that read "Turn your back on Bush." Great. Exactly what he wanted you to do.

Any other bright ideas?

[Macready]

great blog RobertHenryEller

[RobertHenryEller]

Grazie, Macready. Molto gentile.

[KatarinaNolte]

The wives shouldn't boycott the summit. Women should influence important decisions any way they can.
Berlusconi has been in politics some 30 years or so. He is 72. What do people expect? He could die anytime, so he's living it up. He is buying things he can afford, knowing that he could not get these for free at his age.
His wife is a beautiful woman who can replace him with a hot young guy anytime. The scandal will give her a sweet deal in court.
Most of all, such examples should teach us not to elect men of advanced age into office as they can't bring themselves to care about anything else but themselves.
But the really sad part is that we still live in times where young women see no other options for fulfilling their dreams without having to sell their bodies.

[cobobs]

Talk to the Italians, ask them why they make weird political choices or is Italy like Iran, with powerful shadow figures actually making the choices? They elected and reelected this figure. What does that mean?

[Gianni Rosa]

berlusconi governs the Italy with 19% of the vote and with the complicity of the major opposition party. he has the money and the media

sorry for my write.

[Gianni Rosa]

The so-called plan for Democratic revival, (P2) part of the program piduista, consists of an absorbing devices Democrat of Italian society in the coils of a legal authoritarianism that has its center at the information

[Macready]

The G8 summit should be too important for this kind of boycott nonsense . . .that doesn't mean that I don't think the Italian PM is a joke and a waste of space because I do .. . . the Italians should get rid of him

[shaunmarie]

What gets me about this is that Berlusconi has always been the creepiest b*stard in the world; he breaks laws, and then retroactively passes NEW laws declaring that he himself is not prosecutable under the law. He has torched the Italian economy. He has engaged in so many unethical and criminal activities its not even funny....

But its topless women who bring him down.

[hmsbeagle]

wrong your view is very puritan and will be correct in the UK or USA there is no problem with berlusconi its exactly what the Italian people want and are . Bet you he is like James Bond going from one election to another , a lot like the other james bond Henry Kissenger who goes from one admin to another untouched despite having the blood of 2million+ on his hands

[Balzac]

Angstivism. I have to say it, as a high-school drop out. Ivory tower academics with too much time, wringing their hands about businessman's sex life.

Berlusconi should be bumped out of the way, but not for sexual indulgence. That's part of the greatness of a liberal society to have a healthy business sector so that a guy or gal can have disproportionate indulgence based on their wealth.

Berlusconi should have been knocked down a long while ago. Now is not the time. His wife might as well have divorced him during the height of his arrogance, hob-knobbing with Bush.

Now it's a bit late in the game for her and the academic, (I use the word with reverence)feminist angstivists of Italy to suddenly go for his jugular. There was a time I would have welcomed this attack, but as the ancient Chinese saying goes, they've "drawn the bow after the thief has gone".

[redsongia]

So true. Why waste time on a 73 year old laughing stock?

[teron678]

Leave Berlusconi alone ... he's a Don in my books ......

[TJCole]

Topless at his Villa's swimming pool..!

I'm outraged...

[Agentlady007]

My worry is the Vatican owns all of the peopls' heath care, and when movies show a place where these spiritual icons actually live and wake up everyday, - exposed to The Huffingtomn Post, now being recognised by commentors on national news tations such as MSNBC. FOX Network and CNN and all it's Affiliates. This reminds me of why Donald Trumpo could never be poor. We spend more money as born again Christians as the Jews opay to be a separate state. Judaism was scorned upon before the twentieth century because History intellectuals believed Freud and sex was the cause of all confflicts in America The United staes OIf America, A republic consisting of 50 states when I was born, and then they predicted Hawaii and Alaska until Bahamas started claiming our freeedom.
We are all a part of a tropical space exploration on earth, and serenity and sanctuary and growing young is THE ANSwer - not tHELMA TELLING lOUISE, IF SHE DOESN;'T WRITE IT SHE WON'T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREE'S....AND AS THE friend pauses, and says to the concierge at The Plaza, I am Eloiuse! I own the nPlaza, and this will become reality when I give my own life to destiny.

[cobobs]

What was that? I felt like I suffered brain bruise from a tsunami of disjointed words and images.

[MSusan]

I fail to see why it should fall to the G-8 wives to protest this man or to bring pressure to bear on his behavior. If anyone outside of Italy does it, let it be the leaders themselves. But more to the point, let it be the people of Italy.

[redsongia]

His wife is doing a good enough job of giving him the business. That's who should be speaking up, and she is.

[Deli]

So wives stay home so Bert can host a stag party? Bad idea. In fact, all wives should make it a point to show up with their husbands at every single event possible to put marriage in his face.

[Balzac]

Yeah, good idea. Smother your spouse! Rub their damn noses in it. You've got the ball & chain on now chump!

[Balzac]

Actually, you're right about not giving him the women's boycott which he would probably enjoy greatly. But the idea of using marriages as some kind of statement on gender politics to rub in single or soon-to-be-divorced men's face is not exactly in the spirit of matrimony.

[LooktotheLeft]

It's simply amazing how this guy has maintained his natural hair color after all these years

[AmandaBC]

Yeah, remarkably similar to this:

http://www.butlersheetmetal.com/tinbasherblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/marlonbrando_godfather.png

[Peabodies]

The wives could do a little Lysistrata action, if they are FORCED to attend.

[AmandaBC]

Moot point. Politician wives rarely have s.ex with their husbands. You know the "I stand beside my husband" types, no matter how badly he cheated. Trophy wives, basically, with few exceptions (Elizabeth Kucinich being one...)

[AtheistUS]

Seems you made two statements at once:

1. Politician wives rarely have s.ex with their husbands.
2. The "I stand beside my husband" types rarely have s.ex with their husbands.

Have you any statistics on this? Or just an 'educated guess'?

[AmandaBC]

Moot point. Politician wives rarely have s.ex with their husbands. You know the "I stand beside my husband" types, no matter how badly he ch.eated. T.rophy wives, basically, with few exceptions (Elizabeth K.ucinich being one...)

[Deli]

What an idiotic sweeping generalization.

[lmvd3]

I think Berlusconi dyes his own hair at home in the sink. It looks awful. Bleccch.

[white mende man]

Remember to strap on the Chastity Belts on your wives before leaving for any summit... remember they are ready to do that Tit-For-Tat thing that is so politically correct to do.

[Thwap]

Why should women remain at home or out of sight because of what Berlusconi did? These academics should have given this a bit more thought.

[AtheistUS]

"These academics should have given this a bit more thought." - These are probably not that kind of academics that give some thought.

May be boycott whole Italy? Or whole Europe?

[Peabodies]

Berlusconi, who owns 95% of Italian media, is a joke, not a great example of Italian "democracy". Why smart, sensitive, educated, politically aware Italians tolerate him is beyond me. It goes to show how sheeple are created.