Italy to pay Libya $5 billion US

[jdobbin]

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/08/30/italy-libya.html

Italy agreed Saturday to pay Libya $5 billion US as compensation for its 30-year occupation of the country, which ended in 1943.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi signed a memorandum pledging a $5 billion US compensation package involving construction projects, student grants and pensions for Libyan soldiers who served with the Italians during the Second World War.

"It is a material and emotional recognition of the mistakes that our country has done to yours during the colonial era," Berlusconi told reporters at the airport on his arrival. "This agreement opens the path to further co-operation."

I wonder if we will see more of this type of thing from the Spanish and Portuguese and the British.

[Ontario Loyalist]

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/08/30/italy-libya.html

I wonder if we will see more of this type of thing from the Spanish and Portuguese and the British.

So is somebody going to compensate me for the Soviets dispossessing my grandfathers of their properties???? This kind of post-colonialist nonsense is ridiculous.

[jdobbin]

So is somebody going to compensate me for the Soviets dispossessing my grandfathers of their properties???? This kind of post-colonialist nonsense is ridiculous.

Keep your fingers crossed, the check may one day come in the mail!

[moderateamericain]

Leave it to the Italians to ask for forgivness for being Italian. If they had any back bone they would tell the Liberians vaffanculo

[blueblood]

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/08/30/italy-libya.html

I wonder if we will see more of this type of thing from the Spanish and Portuguese and the British.

That's a good way to bankrupt a government in the middle of a worldwide economic slowdown, are you expecting a cheque from the governments of England and France?

[jdobbin]

That's a good way to bankrupt a government in the middle of a worldwide economic slowdown, are you expecting a cheque from the governments of England and France?

I don't think I commented on the wisdom one way or other on what Italy did.

Edited September 2, 2008 by jdobbin

[M.Dancer]

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/08/30/italy-libya.html

I wonder if we will see more of this type of thing from the Spanish and Portuguese and the British.

I wonder if the British will get a reward for ending Italy's colonial rule in Lybia?

[eyeball]

So is somebody going to compensate me for the Soviets dispossessing my grandfathers of their properties???? This kind of post-colonialist nonsense is ridiculous.

Some things will likely never be returned but that doesn't mean people shouldn't expect some acknowledgment of past wrongs. This kind of post-colonialist reckoning is way past due. The world is an increasingly dangerous place due to the colonialism of the past. Some honest reconciliation might help defuse a good part of that.

I say good on Italy and thanks for showing the way.

[moderateamericain]

Some things will likely never be returned but that doesn't mean people shouldn't expect some acknowledgment of past wrongs. This kind of post-colonialist reckoning is way past due. The world is an increasingly dangerous place due to the colonialism of the past. Some honest reconciliation might help defuse a good part of that.

I say good on Italy and thanks for showing the way.

Im german and Native American. I would like compensation for the trail of tears and the rest of the world bombing my country....twice. Never mind that distant relatives were Nazi and in some way or another might have contributed to the Holacaust. You owe me regardless. My people suffered. BLAH BLAH BLAH I just want to start handing out pamphletes with a picture of a bridge over water with a caption on one side saying "Sorry we hurt your feelings" and on the back it can say "Cry me a river, build a bridge, and get the fuck over it."

[White Doors]

*pointing to Italy on the Map*

HAAA HA!!

[Argus]

Some things will likely never be returned but that doesn't mean people shouldn't expect some acknowledgment of past wrongs. This kind of post-colonialist reckoning is way past due. The world is an increasingly dangerous place due to the colonialism of the past. Some honest reconciliation might help defuse a good part of that.

I say good on Italy and thanks for showing the way.

Sure. So Ghadafi and his other senior bosses get to funnel more billions into their hidden offshore bank accounts, and the people of Libya - do you actually think they will derive any benefit whatsoever from this money?

The Italians are nuts.

[guyser]

*pointing to Italy on the Map*

HAAA HA!!

Succinct and perfect !

Is there a Nelson Muntz icon on MLW?

[AngusThermopyle]

Hey now! Maybe Eyeball is onto something with this.

We can all start apologising to each other, it could be the basis for a whole new glode spanning industry. We could have a huge bunch of people who do nothing but historical research to see who can apologise to who. Then theres the international flow of money, billions zipping from bank account to bank account worldwide. Wow!

In time we could refine it, countries apologizing to cities, cities to neighborhoods, neighbourhoods apologizing to individuals, shootin them a few bucks; "here ya go buddy, sorry about blocking your driveway.

Since there is so much we don't know about the past we could just identify everyone individually and have everyone apologise to everyone, not forgetting to shoot some cash along with the apology.

What a super dooper idea Eyeball!!!

[eyeball]

Sure. So Ghadafi and his other senior bosses get to funnel more billions into their hidden offshore bank accounts, and the people of Libya - do you actually think they will derive any benefit whatsoever from this money?

The Italians are nuts.

Yup, crazy like foxes. Did you read the article? The Italians are hoping most of this money will be used to deter Libyan immigrants from crossing to Italy.

Many immigrants from around the world say they'd rather stay at home if conditions were better. If this attempt to reconcile past wrongs works and it succeeds in improving conditions in wronged countries to the extent immigration is slowed I bet you'll be singing out the other side of your mouth in no time. Even if Ghadafi and his other senior bosses do manage to steal the Italian's money the idea is still a sound one don't you think?

OTOH if immigrants start staying away you'll probably be calling for a return to slavery, again.

[M.Dancer]

Yup, crazy like foxes. Did you read the article? The Italians are hoping most of this money will be used to deter Libyan immigrants from crossing to Italy.

Many immigrants from around the world say they'd rather stay at home if conditions were better. If this attempt to reconcile past wrongs works and it succeeds in improving conditions in wronged countries to the extent immigration is slowed I bet you'll be singing out the other side of your mouth in no time. Even if Ghadafi and his other senior bosses do manage to steal the Italian's money the idea is still a sound one don't you think?

OTOH if immigrants start staying away you'll probably be calling for a return to slavery, again.

Not as sound as using the money on the glass bottomed italian navy and using it to sink the ships the illegals sail in.....preferably before the illegals boards then....