Saturday, September 12, 2009

Italian Police Forces

Entities ought not be multiplied beyond necessity.

However, in Italy there seem to be an extraordinary number of different police forces, all with rather shoddy looking uniforms. I think they all aspire to be paramilitary, strange to think, for everyone knows the Italian army is best only at running away.

There is the carabinieri, the polizia municipale, the guarda di finanzia, and so on and so forth! Mi scusi per il poverello Italiano...

Just yester-day I saw the most fearsome variety, a set of heavily-armed grim-faced he-men in flak jackets that looked like extras from a film about gladiators of old; they were guarding Silvio Berlusconi, who made a short impromptu public appearance on the Piazza Colonna just as I wandered by.

He's a short little fellow, this Prime Minister of Italy - and clearly whips up the passions of those around him (allusion to his personal life intended), for some were nearly delirious, taking his photo with their cell phones, while others derisively shouted Buffone ("buffoon").

It was great street theatre.

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