It may be Berlusconi's birthday today, but for all of

It may be Berlusconi's birthday today, but for all of you who say to stop complaining about Berlusconi, he's been democratically elected, should read this: https://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/28/berlusconi-family-newspaper-television-licence. 

Free press should be the pillarstone of any democracy and for a prime minister to control a large part of the media and bully the part that he doesn't, is highly undemocratic.  My Italian neighbours have started asking me about the latest news from Italy, because they stopped trusting their own media.  Many of the gaffs he comes up with, like the one about the camping holiday for the earthquake victims in Abruzzo, never get reported by the mainstream media in Italy.

And as for jokes about the skin colour of the US president, they may belong into a drunken pub conversation, but should not be uttered by a head of state. 

On the plus side, now we all have a good excuse for not paying our RAI licence fee.  We're just supporting the government!