We would like an opposition

Italian parliament The second Prodi government was a kind of mini Berlusconi government. Not so for the duration, as for the decisions taken: the war in Afghanistan and the increase in military spending, incinerators, high speed rail and the base of Vicenza without regard for the opinions of citizens, attacks on the judiciary (the case De Magistris), no committee of inquiry into police abuses of the G8 in Genoa 2001, no limitation of Berlusconi's media power, no law on civil unions, and nothing for work and against precarious jobs.

The only positive decision, the withdrawal from the disastrous war in Iraq and a bit of order in the public accounts for the price of tax increases, an unpopular and not so good idea because ended up hitting workers and the middle class. That government also tried to combat tax evasion, with some temporary result, and to liberalize the economy, starting with taxi and truck drivers, that certainly are not the worst problem of an economic system that is rigid in all fields. Nothing useful was done for the integration of immigrants, in fact they maintained the "detention center", ie the prisons for illegal immigrants. None of the shameful laws of the previous Berlusconi government was repealed. Instead of a serious reform of prisons, a pardon. Insufficient promotion of renewable energy and recycling, with the emergency of Campania waste. This curriculum was so bad it's obvious that the center-left suffered a heavy defeat in 2008 elections.
Too bad that Italians have voted not for an alternative but for a deterioration. It would be nice if instead in Italy there was a real opposition, or rather if there was a decent political force somewhere with a proposal different from the destruction of the country and the Constitution.
For example, respecting the human rights of people and the international conventions, we could stop imprisoning innocent people just because they have become illegal losing their jobs. Indeed, we could legalize all immigrants and open borders. What! Thus Italy would be invaded by barbarians, Arabs, Turks, Slavs, would say the xenophobic voice. What no one says in Italian politics is that legalizing all immigrants nothing bad would happen in Italy. The situation would be absolutely equal to that which is, however, only the criminals would remain undocumented. This could be useful to arrest them, the real criminals. As for the borders, they have never been closed. 90% of immigrants who are in Italy today arrived legally. Because they are european citizens or because they came by plane, boat or other means of transport and then stayed. Turn into illegal immigrants the non-EU citizens when they cannot find a regular job means just to force them to work illegally, to undertake small criminal activities and prevent them, if they wish, to return home. The remaining 10% of immigrants arrived illegaly on rafts. But most of them are refugees and have used a similar mean simply because they flee from wars or dictatorships, or because they are too poor to afford a regular trip. These are people who would have the right to asylum. Europe should welcome them, because if we didn't want them, we should have avoid the war in Iraq, the one in Afghanistan or supporting dictators like the one of Eritrea.
This is just one example of how a true and courageous opposition could promote a more intelligent and just society, really alternative to the current majority. The same could be done with many other issues: first of all jobs, opposing unequivocally precarious work, possibly suggesting a single contract to have a bit of flexibility but eliminate abuses. Or about security, saying clearly that the only way of achieving it is to avoid taking funds away to the police and the judiciary. Or prisons, which should be a place of rehabilitation and not a black hole where anything could happen. Or renewable energy, electric cars and recycling of waste, which should be developed before it is too late for the planet. Or many other issues with one thing in common.
Courage. It takes courage to do real politics, you must have recognizable, clear, innovative proposals and not be afraid to support them and defend them. Just look at Berlusconi to understand: he had the courage to support the destruction of the Constitution, emptying of the parliament, the return to nuclear power, the total disregard for the problems of unemployment and precarious jobs, the demobilization of public schools and universities, the shameless pursuit of his interests, the nomination of the showgirls who attended his villas, the clearance of racism, corruption, and of direct aid to the Mafia.
Clearer than that. It would be nice if Italy in 2010 will develop an opposition with the courage to remain united and to put forward alternative proposals to the policy of Berlusconi, that could be summed up as the prosecution of his private affairs with some sketches of the more bigot Catholicism and the most vulgar racism.
To oppose him, it would be enough to have the courage to defend reason and civilization.