Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Berlusconi & Trump – Promotion & Populism

By Quirinale.it, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133092248By Quirinale.it,
Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133092248M

Although their political careers were twenty years apart, many similarities are apparent. Berlusconi and Trump were both masters of promoting their personal brands and whatever they were selling at the time. And as they took up politics, they both approached it from a populist perspective, appealing to ordinary people ostensibly ignored by elites, usually long on slogans and short on accomplishment but frequently entertaining.

They also both crossed legal and ethical lines to promote their businesses and their politics. Berlusconi faced trial at least 36 times in his life, but only a conviction for tax fraud kept him out of office for a time.

Unfortunately for the rule of law and democracy, both men were prepared to go to extraordinary efforts to stay in office and to avoid the consequences of their crimes and misdemeanors. Berlusconi, often beat the charge by running the statute of limitations (or changing them). At 86 the final limitation ran for him.

1 comment:

Dave Barnes said...

Somehow, I don't think you are/were a Berlusconi supporter.