Silvio Berlusconi IS Italy

“Every Italian feels he or she stands alone against the world, or at least the neighbors. Survival — personal, family, social and economic — is a source of pride and a test of ingenuity. Much has been written about Italians’ individualism and resourcefulness, and Mr. Berlusconi embodies these qualities. First he amassed his fortune, earning his spurs as a self-made man. Next, he built on Italians’ distrust of everything shared, our intolerance of rules and the inner satisfaction that we take in finding private solutions to collective problems. In Italy, there is no real public pressure for a new, fairer tax system. People simply figure out ways to evade the one they already have.”
 — Here’s why Italians still put up with Silvio Berlusconi after everything.