Two men torch themselves in Italy as hardship bites ROME (Reuters) - A Moroccan worker in Italy set himself on fire on Thursday in protest at not being paid for months, a day after an Italian businessman set himself alight over a tax dispute, police said. The 27-year-old construction worker is recovering in hospital after dousing himself in petrol and lighting it outside Verona city hall in northern Italy, police said. Police said the man told them he was desperate after not being paid for four months and running out of money. On Wednesday, a 58 year-old businessman tried to commit suicide by setting himself on fire in his car outside a tax office in nearby Bologna. His appeal against a demand for thousands of euros in allegedly unpaid taxes had been rejected, according to Italian media reports. He is being treated in hospital for severe burns. The government of technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti is cracking down on tax dodging, which authorities estimate deprives Italy of an around 120 billion euros ($160 billion) a year. Unions say austerity measures, including tax hikes, spending cuts and pension changes, weigh disproportionately on ordinary workers. Vincenzo Scudiere from Italy's CGIL trade union said the construction worker's self-immolation was a "symptom of the utter exasperation felt by the weakest employees," and warned the government not to underestimate discontent among workers. The government presented labor reforms last week which face tough opposition from unions that are planning protests and strikes against measures that will make it easier to fire staff. Sandro Bondi from the large centre-right People of Freedom party said the crisis spared neither workers nor bosses. "The tragic tale of the businessman ... should help people realize that the divisions between workers and businessmen are a fantasy of the past," he said. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/two-men-torch-themselves-italy-hardship-bites-183740138.html Ponzi schemes always end badly. People are going to be hurt as the gov't tries to keep the house of cards from collapsing. _
Another superfluous Topic . This time , offering an absurd conclusion in a very muddled way to a general type of scenario that was identified and discussed ad infinitum a long time ago . Of course your Post is the usual unthought through muddle, because tax avoidance by two individuals has absolutely nothing to do with an imaginary Ponzi scheme , which neither of these two people were part of . Italian Tax tribunals are made up of ordinary people who are far from stupid . They will have investigated claims in detail , but unsupported sob stories get short shrift .
Thousands of Students Protest Across Italy... Students clash with police in protests across Italy Oct 5, 2012 - They oppose PM Mario Monti's austerity measures
For once people's economic struggles are based more on nationality than class. Unfortunately I don't know how differently they could go about it as I am not terribly informed about the specifics of the situation in Italy. Maybe someone could explain more in depth? I believe the students have a point but if you just say "(*)(*)(*)(*) the banks" it might have a bigger effect on the economy than is ultimately necessary to fix the problem...plus I don't know how much Monti's hands are tied by his country being a part of the Eurozone and thus subject to their rules and regulations...maybe if someone could clarify these things I'd be able to make a more informed comment?
Heheh...if you look at Europe between '45-'12 as a whole the economic struggles have always been based more on nationality than class.
I suppose that is true but its owing to a very specific political situation. In general it seems to me that most people in the world are ultimately divided by financial issues whether they choose to realize it or not.
