January 19, 2018
In his book, “The Sack of Rome: Media + Money + Celebrity = Power=Silvio Berlusconi,” Alexander Still details the disgraced Italian Prime Minister’s rise and fall culminating in the now infamous bunga bunga parties. I was struck by the similarities between Berlusconi and another world leader, which raises a lot of concerns for me especially in light of a new book titled “How Democracies Die” and recent revelations about the president’s escapades with a porn star. Here are some of the similarities that I see between these two leaders.
• Both started their careers in real estate
• Both perfected the art of lying
• Both used lawsuits as weapons
• Both came to national prominence via TV, and demonized the media.
• Both were very aggressive versus women
• Both surrounded themselves with friends and loyalists rather than experts
• Both believed in their own versions of reality
• Both were master salesmen
• Both lived in garish surroundings
• Both were deal makers
• Both were plagued by scandals
• Both surrounded themselves with unsavory characters, who would become beholding to them
• It was said of both “he is too rich too steal.”
• Both would accuse their opponents of the very same things they were guilty of.
• Both were rife with conflicts of interest
• Both have had their “bunga bunga” moments.
We know what happened to Berlusconi.
The Spin Doctor 