Wrong Comparison

Canale 5, one of three commercial TV channels owned by Mr Berlusconi, last week secretly filmed judge Mesiano who only few days earlier had ruled against the prime minister’s Fininvest group. Although Claudio Brachino, the Canale 5 presenter, has apologized for the item, both he and other figures on the right have accused the centre-left of hypocrisy. “Does the right to privacy apply only to magistrates? . . . What about normal citizens or the prime minister?” asked justice minister Angelino Alfano, in an apparent reference to a series of “poolside” photographs “stolen” by paparazzi at Mr Berlusconi’s private Sardinian residence and published this summer. (Quoted from:Irishtimes.com)




Of course statements about privacy are fair. What is definitely not fair is comparing Italian Prime minister and the Judge. There is a wide difference between the two terms of comparison. There is also a huge difference between the episodes that have been investigated by press and other media.

Italians have the right to know what kind of person is their Prime Minister. This right include some investigation about his personal life. Do anybody remember what happened to President Clinton, when some doubts were raised about the fact he had said the truth about the episode with miss Lewinsky?

Considering in more detail what media analyzed further differences come out. The video on Judge Mesiano was a deliberate privacy violation showing private life episodes that nobody found interesting. The author himself apologized quickly. What Mr Berlusconi may have done is instead very interesting for those Italians who share some ethical values and religious belief.

Therefore is not fair to compare Judge Mesiano and Mr Berlusconi.