Italy's political trap: distributive justice
Last elections in Italy have finally decreed the selection of two main parties that share the liberal view of economy, which is simply a recognition of the world’s dynamics in the last n centuries.
Now if someone is a firm believer in redistributive justice, like myself, can only vote the Democratic Party at the moment. The main instrument of distributive justice is the state. So to believe in distributive justice, you have to agree to a high and progressive taxation level, and in particular to high inheritance taxes. Fine. Then the state will provide wealth redistribution, in particular ensuring universal access to health, housing and education. Fine.
Now in contemporary Italy the problems start here: in every single occasion of contact with the state, you realize the irresponsibility and incredible inefficiency with which the state “workers” operate, and this be it local, regional or central government. And if, like myself, you get in contact with the state not only as citizen, but as supplier of solutions (software), you become aware that it is much worse than the common citizen realizes: the waste of money is a habit, and nobody cares. Works that 3 people could do well, are done badly by 10. Managers have no power, thanks to state unions, and hence are either corrupted or absent. Unions have abused their privileges to the point that even when a worker commits crimes against the state, it is impossible to get it fired.
Only if belief in redistributive justice has been implanted in your mind in early childhood (like in my case), your belief can survive in this context. And the first aim of anyone who wants to enhance redistributive justice in Italy should be to work on the state and make it effective. This is something that in the last 15 years the left party when in power has not done, and it is a big mistake.
What is “funny” is that if instead you don’t believe in redistributive justice, you should give your vote to Berlusconi’s private party: but as he has shown, his government just sticks to power, and cultivates it; the huge reforms of which the Italian state should be subject to, to become slim and effective are not even planned by his coalition. The little that has been done, has been done by his opposers!
What should be understood, is that Berlusconi is not a capable entrepreneur: he made his economic success through politically enforced trust (in private TV’s, through his old time friend Craxi, another scary individual), establishing a monopoly, and also taking obscurely founded construction and editorial initiatives (corrupting judges along the way). He highly resembles in style and story the Soviet communist bureaucrats put in charge of monopolistic companies just after the Soviet collapse, which fits perfectly with his Putin friendship (they also share the same respect for democracy). He is an incompetent clown, not an effective manager.
Hard times for Italy…
Now if someone is a firm believer in redistributive justice, like myself, can only vote the Democratic Party at the moment. The main instrument of distributive justice is the state. So to believe in distributive justice, you have to agree to a high and progressive taxation level, and in particular to high inheritance taxes. Fine. Then the state will provide wealth redistribution, in particular ensuring universal access to health, housing and education. Fine.
Now in contemporary Italy the problems start here: in every single occasion of contact with the state, you realize the irresponsibility and incredible inefficiency with which the state “workers” operate, and this be it local, regional or central government. And if, like myself, you get in contact with the state not only as citizen, but as supplier of solutions (software), you become aware that it is much worse than the common citizen realizes: the waste of money is a habit, and nobody cares. Works that 3 people could do well, are done badly by 10. Managers have no power, thanks to state unions, and hence are either corrupted or absent. Unions have abused their privileges to the point that even when a worker commits crimes against the state, it is impossible to get it fired.
Only if belief in redistributive justice has been implanted in your mind in early childhood (like in my case), your belief can survive in this context. And the first aim of anyone who wants to enhance redistributive justice in Italy should be to work on the state and make it effective. This is something that in the last 15 years the left party when in power has not done, and it is a big mistake.
What is “funny” is that if instead you don’t believe in redistributive justice, you should give your vote to Berlusconi’s private party: but as he has shown, his government just sticks to power, and cultivates it; the huge reforms of which the Italian state should be subject to, to become slim and effective are not even planned by his coalition. The little that has been done, has been done by his opposers!
What should be understood, is that Berlusconi is not a capable entrepreneur: he made his economic success through politically enforced trust (in private TV’s, through his old time friend Craxi, another scary individual), establishing a monopoly, and also taking obscurely founded construction and editorial initiatives (corrupting judges along the way). He highly resembles in style and story the Soviet communist bureaucrats put in charge of monopolistic companies just after the Soviet collapse, which fits perfectly with his Putin friendship (they also share the same respect for democracy). He is an incompetent clown, not an effective manager.
Hard times for Italy…
posted by Pietro Polsinelli at 6:01 PM
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