Comments on: How Beppe Grillo stole the left’s clothes

By: Dave K

Dave K — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:15:29 +0000

Grillo is not a right-wing cult. Just compare it to UKIP. You have to distinguish in any case between the
Grillo/Casallegio leadership, the elected, the mass of activists and its electoral sympathisers. Neither is it a left wing movement or does it represent a shift to the left in Italian politics. It is funnily enough what its leadership says – neither right nor left. It is populist movement of a new type characterised by the political and social context of today i.e. mass alienation from left, right and radical left parties, failure of the Ridfondazione project when it went into the second Prodi government, the lack of fightback by the unions, de-industrialisation and the rise of an educated precariat, the rise of the occupy/indignados and the way the internet can work to help new political mobilisations. What its vote represents is anger against austerity policies and a justifiable rejection of the political parties who did nearly all support the austerity governments, not just from Monti but for 20 years. High proportions of Grillo’s supporters (between 40 and 50 % according to recent surveys) identify with the left and thousands have been actively involved in social movements against the privatisation of water or against the high speed rail link(NoTAV). People on the left need to reach out to these people – not particularly to Grillo – and work with them in action. Denouncing them as purely right wing or fascist like mussolini is just silly and not many serious analysts make this mistake in Italy today. For more details on this see articles at http://socialistresistance.org/4835/italian-no-backing-for-austerity-but-no-political-alternative-either
and http://socialistresistance.org/4781/four-things-we-should-know-about-the-italian-elections

By: wuming

wuming — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:54:56 +0000

Grillismo: Yet another right-wing cult coming from Italy
by WuMing

http://www.wumingfoundation.com/english/wumingblog/?p=1950

By: Michael Kenny

Michael Kenny — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:03:47 +0000

Italy was the last of the five Member States that the Americans sneered at as “Piigs” to hold an election. Not surprisingly, the parties in power were heavily beaten. The electorate blamed them for not being able to avoid the Wall St attack. Monti was blamed for the hard measures needed to ward off the attack but, more importantly, Berlu was blamed because he was in power when all this started. That explains Grillo. He is “NotBerlu” and, in practice, little else. He wasn’t even a candidate in the election and he may be able to control the 5 Star name, but he cannot control the deputies and senators elected from his lists. Probable outcoem: a coalition of Berlu and the left, possibly with Berlu getting the presidency when Giorgio Napilitano’s term ends in May. Grillo will then slowly fade away from the political scene leaving his deputies and senators to float around.

By: steve ryan

steve ryan — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:35:38 +0000

The more I read about Grillo the more sounds like Mussolini. The reason for the success of which, and how the BNP did well here was to get out to the people rather than papers sales or worthy meetings with 10s of speakers doing the same thing.

Its also how left politics used to be until we replaced them with facebook and twitter, useful tho they can be

By: David

David — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:03:30 +0000

A related song to the outcome of the elections in Italy – ‘Talking Beppe Grillo & The Five Stars Movement’ by Topical Songwriter Michel Montecrossa
(song and music video on the website http://www.MichelMontecrossa.com )
Michel Montecrossa says about ‘Talking Beppe Grillo & The Five Stars Movement’:
“Beppe Grillo in Italy stands with his ‘Five Stars Movement – Movimento 5 Stelle’ for the people and a non-criminal banka & polito world.
Beppe Grillo is not alone with this aspiration nor is Italy the only country demanding a new level of political and economic ethics. All countries in Europe and all people of the European Union want that. European politicians must become true statesmen at the service of the people, bankas must become real value bankers at the service of the people, rich speculators must develop a social conscience, must be ready to share with the people and to pay higher taxes. Banka-gangstas shall get jail instead of bail. The living, housing, food and energy costs for the people must be radically lowered so that European workers can adjust their wages to the global reality without losing their jobs and their civilised living standard.
On this basis Europe’s working hand will stay competitive in the global economic scene and the well-being of the young will have top priority by giving free education and quality jobs instead of outsourcing. The securing of pensions and health-care then will equally have top priority to guaranty peace and human dignity.
For all this and more I sing my New-Topical-Song ‘Talking Beppe Grillo & The Five Stars Movement’.”

By: James O'Nions

James O'Nions — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:17:40 +0000

Interesting that Franco Berardi says "The important and positive function that the [5 star] Movement can have is to make the country ungovernable for the anti-European party of Draghi-Merkel-Monti." Full interview with him on criticallegalthinking.com