Shades of Green Acres!

Do you remember the TV sitcom show Green Acres with Zsa Zsa Gabor in the 1970's about a wealthy New York lawyer and his Hungarian refugee wife who move to the country side and renovated a house. Well in Rome we have a bit of that after a fashion. The former Playboy playmate Ms Rita Jenrette has done well for herself, she is the ex-wife of ex-congressman John Jenrette now in jail in the USA for criminal activity.

She married last year HSH Prince Nicolo Boncompagni Ludovisi, Prince of Piombino, of the ancient and noble Boncompagni-Ludovisi family. Their Palace Villa Aurora in Rome was once part of the Villa Ludovisi complex of 36 hectares in the centre of Rome, most of it was sold by the family and demolished in 1880 to make way for Via Veneto, which is the no.1 wealthy tourist trap in Rome, with its hotels, restaurants and prices to send anyone into orbit, a processed cheese sandwich at 40 euros, a cup of tea at 15 euros.

Villa Aurora was built in 1570 and houses art treasures value to close to 800 million euros. The family comes from Piombino and are part of what is called Papal Aristocracy, meaning that the Pope as Sovereign elevated them to Princely status. The family counts 2 popes Gregory XIII and Gregory XV, who gave us the Gregorian Calendar and is considered amongst the richest families in Italy. Their family mausoleum in the celebrated Campo Verano Cemetery in Rome is covered in golden mosaics which shines bright in the late afternoon as the sun illuminates the building, even in death they stand out.

Rita urged the very private prince to open the house to wealthy American tourists. Today, this onetime U.S. congressional wife and businesswoman gives tours herself, recounting the history of the 16th-century house and its collection of masterpieces including ceilings by Caravaggio and Guercino.

Rita certainly saw an opportunity to make a few bucks by opening up Villa Aurora, she apparently wants to bring life back to the house, and give happiness and joy to visitors who would not have had the chance to see the masterpieces. I can just imagine what other Princely families in Rome are thinking. These great houses in Rome are never opened to the public, let alone silly tourists. The Princes guard the exclusivity of their rarefied circles jealously and surround themselves with people who match their social standing, money alone is not good enough.

Near us we have Villa Albani with its large gardens, Prince Torlonia whose family is equally famous, never opens the park or his palace to the public. You can only admire from the tall front gates what lies beyond. Prince Colona only opens a couple of State Rooms in his central Rome Palace 3 hours a week for people to visit and this is done with enough condescension that you feel privileged to be able to admire the wealth of his family.

Well there goes the neighborhood!

Conservative

I sort of followed from a distance the whole debate on Health Care in the USA, I am impressed with your President, he is one hell of a good President, I know many people do not like him but I like him a lot. I was impressed with him from the start and with his wife too. Just the way he handles himself and the way he approaches people, you know he is the Head of State but you also sense you can speak with him like a normal person, he will understand what you are saying. From a Foreign Affairs point of view, he is really saving your bacon USA. His demeanour and the way he approaches other Heads of State, small gestures like per example how he greeted Arab Princes with a few words in Arabic pronounced correctly, that goes a very long way. I say wow!
This is why when I hear all the so called conservatives in the Republican camp and the Tea party people with their rantings about socialism and communism and Nazism, etc... They sound so ignorant, they are also what ugly Americans look like, intolerant, arrogant and pushy.
Obama is the personification at least for me of the old fashion American, I use to know, soft spoken, friendly, kind, welcoming and not over-bearing. The passage of this bill on Health Care will no doubt do a lot of good to a lot of people in the USA. The common good that is what democracy is all about, always searching for something that brings the Nation and its people together. To think that some Americans because they have money would deny other less fortunate Americans access to health care, is the opposite of what American values, the ones of the founding fathers stood for, is all about. In any country social cohesion is based on sharing the wealth with all citizens, its equality for all, money should never be the defining element, such a society based on wealth and property and rank is not democratic. The Founding Fathers and the Americans who followed them said a loud NO to this type of Society. It would appear a lot of people have forgotten that today.

This brings me to ask what a real Conservative is, it is a word you hear a lot these days, it seems that conservative stands for me first and the hell with the rest, or only white Christians here and the rest of you are not included. The word has been bastardized by the Republicans and a few loud mouths who blab and blab without thinking.

To me a conservative is a person who adheres to moderate views and prefers tradition and stability in society, preserving established institutions, prefers gradual change. It is not what you see nowadays in the Republican party or in the right or far right. They may say they are conservative but I see more a form of extremism, which could very well lead to social upheaval instead of stability. Advocating violence per example in a protest against Health Care reform is NOT a conservative point of view.

In a civil society, discussion and listening to the other point of view is important for the advancement of ideas and of social change. Refusing to listen or coming to a debate with the idea that I am against it and will not consider any other point of view is not being conservative, it is being close minded. How did so many Americans arrive at this point?

I also think as an observer outside of America, that the fact that Obama is black, has a lot to do with the opposition we see today. It seems to me that a lot of people cannot accept that a black man is the President or that he can lead the Nation to important changes. He will pass into history now as not only the first black President but also as one of the very few President who made an important contribution during his mandate. That rankles a lot of people in America today and it is profoundly sad for such a great Nation.