Someone pointed out the similarities, and the similarities are astounding, but no one can explain why con men so easily gain national political power. Berlusconi, from his first term, found himself in legal hot water. It's reported this was the reason he got into politics in the first place, to avoid prosecution. Yet, he came back and came back, serving three times as the Italian Prime Minister. And the people loved him. We're living through it now and I still don't understand why.
"The tycoon-turned-politician spent his career mixing entertainment and power, escaping sex scandals and remodeling his party in his own plasticized image. He claimed elections he lost were actually stolen from him. Law enforcement scrutinized his businesses, and he incessantly praised his longtime friend Vladimir Putin. Struggling to beat him politically, opponents relied on prosecutors to oust him through the courts. But he managed to turn even that to his favor, raising the specter of political persecution to re-energize his electorate and remain firmly at the center of his country’s politics for years.
That sounds a lot like Donald Trump. But it’s actually Silvio Berlusconi." - NY Times Opinion
