that is, the freedom of choice about a “biologic testament” that everybody can set and spell out in advance, so then the authorities are bound to respect it no matter what – so, first of all the parliament must openly discuss and approve a specific law about it, not rushing through incostitutional decrees or manouvering at the last second to supposedly save a life, IMHO

a first draft of such law was introduced a while a go in the italian senate..

Rest in peace Eluana…

indeed, the situation is not so bright for the future of democracy in italy, the eluana’s case being just the last of several controversial issues

one more reason to keep monitoring closely any future development, actually to have the whole world watching, and to keep spreading the news and talk about it anywhere possible…

I summarized on my blog a series of actions that the current government has done and is trying to accomplish, the picture that comes out of it is gloomy for the future of democracy in Italy.

http://kittenlulu.wordpress.com/2009/02/07/something-scary-is-going-on-in-italy/

These are my own views, my personal perspective. I am not alone in believing them: for example, recently Massimo Ottolenghi, born in 1915, brough up during fascism, dean of the lawyers organization in Turin, wrote:

http://www.chiarelettere.it/post/2166597.html

“Situazione triste e allarmante quella in cui versa il nostro Paese: sono angoscianti le analogie con le vicende che io, testimone ultranovantenne, ho già vissuto sotto il fascismo, e che oggi non posso e non devo tacere.”

Sad and alarming situation in our country: there are distressing similarities with the events that I, now more than 90 years old, witnessed and I have already lived under fascism, and today I can not and must not be silent.

“La grave crisi finanziaria si presenta di nuovo come occasione per scardinare lo Stato di diritto. E offre la tentazione di svincolare il potere da qualsiasi ostacolo e controllo conclamando, nel caso di Eluana Englaro, il trionfo di un’invocata legge naturale o divina in spregio alle sentenze definitive dei supremi organi giudiziari.”

The financial crisi represents once again an opportunity for invalidating the rule of law. It offers a tentation to remove all obstaces and controls from power enstablishing, in Eluana Englaro’s case, the triumph of an invoked natural or divine law over final sentences from the highest judiciary courts.

“La crisi si presta a individuare come nemici la Costituzione e i “diversi”, che appaiono come la fonte di tutti i guai, mentre il Parlamento è costituito da rappresentanti designati dalle segreterie di partiti anziché essere eletti dal popolo, così come era costituita la Camera delle Corporazioni durante il Fascismo.”

The crisis allows to identify as enemies the Constitution and the “different”, which appear as the source of any trouble, while the Parliament is made up of representatives appointed by the secretariats of parties rather than elected by the people, as was the House of guilds during Fascism.

[Background: the current electoral law, changed in 2005 months before the elections, gives inordinate power to secretariats, who can effectively decide who gets elected in the major parties, by making it very hard to propose new parties (lots of signatures and red tape required) while making life simple for the existing ones. It also removes personal preferences: you vote for the party or list, not the individual.

Thus they obtain inordinate power, being able to choose who gets on what list and in which order, since they can basically decide who gets elected and who doesn't. "Elected" officials no longer owe their elections to citizens, who can withdraw their preferences, but primarily to party rulers. ]

“Inoltre, con i nuovi provvedimenti avviati dal governo, la giustizia viene spogliata dal potere di avviare le indagini su notizie di reato; potere che viene invece conferito alla polizia giudiziaria, soggetta direttamente all’esecutivo. Nel contempo la polizia, depotenziata di mezzi, viene umiliata dal controllo di costituende ronde di volontari designati dai partiti: una nuova milizia costituita da squadre di tifosi e di facinorosi così come è accaduto sotto il Fascismo. E per controllare l’opinione pubblica e trasformare l’informazione in propaganda, non sarà più permesso divulgare prima del processo i contenuti delle intercettazioni sebbene messe a disposizione delle parti.”

Furthermore, with new measures pushed forward by the government, judges are stripped from the power to initiate investigations on reports of crime, power is instead given to the police, subject directly to the executive. Meanwhile the police, with reduced powers and means, is humiliated by the control to set up patrols of volunteers appointed by the parties: a new army made up of teams of supporters and troublemakers as happened under Fascism. To control public opinion and transform information into propaganda, it will no longer be possible to disclose before trial the contents of interceptions although they made available to the interested parts [lawyers and the people they represent].

“Si tende infine a trasformare i cittadini in delatori, a cominciare dai medici, che ora sono indotti a denunciare gli immigrati irregolari, in violazione dei loro principi deontologici. Mancano solo i capifabbricato e la taglia sui diversi. Non occorre neppure la marcia su Roma né il Concordato: bastano un nuovo uomo della Provvidenza e un Papa re.”

Finally, they want to turn citizens into whistle-blowers, including doctors, who are now encouraged to report [to the police] illegal immigrants [who seek to be cured] in violation of their ethical principles. We only lack the “capifabbricato” [in war time, they were officially people who were in charge of antiaircraft shelters - in practice, they were also used by fascism to have a local eye in each flat or building] and the ransom on the Different [hebrews, handicapped people, political dissidents, homosexuals, foreigners, etc.]. You do not need a new march on Rome or a the Concordat. Just a new Man of Providence [strongman] and a Pope-king.