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They're Not All Wearing Cheesy Red Baseball Caps, Are They?
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As went the U.S. and U.K., so goes Italy, with the rejection of Prime Minister Renzi's reform plan and his self-imposed pledge to resign, meaning populism is taking over there. A few notes, though: Renzi's reform would have consolidated much law-making power into his own hands, reducing the legislature by over two-thirds, and that came off as a little authoritarian. And the Italian economy is stagnant at best, so something had to happen; this is not a surprise like Brexit or Trump. And it wasn't close, either. One Trumpian element: The Five Star Movement, leading the populist wave, is headed by a comedian, Beppe Grillo, who like Trump tends to focus on things other than real issues, and flaunts his wealth (though he insists he's paid his taxes). He can't serve in the government because he was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in a traffic accident. (BBC)
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