Interview with ITALY'S TEA PARTY Organizer!

UPDATE: Check out the new post – An AMERICAN in FLORENCE…for an ITALIAN TEA PARTY.

Dear Readers: I wanted to take this opportunity to share some dialog that I have had with David Mazerrelli, the coordinator for Italy’s First Tea Party, which will be held tomorrow, May 20, 2010 at the Council Chamber of Circoscrizione Centro of Prato. It’s theme: “Free Italy from tax dictatorship.”

ITALIA TEA PARTY

MUT Note: One of the key elements of success for this project has been GOOGLE TRANSLATE (click HERE). If you want to read something in Italian, insert the text/web-address, select “Italian” and then hit the TRANSLATE key. Se volete leggere qualcosa in inglese, inserire il testo / web-indirizzo, selezionare “inglese” e premendo il tasto Traduci.

David is a 28-year old advertising expert who lives in Prato, who has been inspired by following the activities of American Tea Party groups, such as the Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition. SoCal-TRC compatriot, and one of its most enthusiastic members, has been Anthony Porrello. Anthony has been acting as a translator and intermediary between the two groups and is planning to translate America’s founding documents into Italian for this project.

I will say one of the most gratifying aspects of this project has been reading the respectful, liberty-embracing exchanges between Americans and Italians on the FACEBOOK PAGE — TEA PARTY ITALIA (click here). Between GOOGLE TRANSLATE and people’s knowledge of each language, a lot of essential and meaningful information, suggestions, and offers of assistance are being shared.

Italian Coordinators Staff Tea Party Booth

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Here is my interview with David:

MUT: How did you first learn of the American Tea Party movement?

I first heard about the Tea Party movement during the first American demonstrations (February of 2009) , then I followed on Fox News the great event of September 2009 (Sept. 12 March on Wasington D.C. in which over 1.5 million people participated) and I was very impressed.

MUT: How does the Italian media portray the American Tea Party movement?

Unfortunately, in Italy, the Tea Party movement has had little space in the media. Italian media often speak only about Sarah Palin, but do not give much room for Tea Party. But there are newspapers that speak of many blogs on the Internet and the subject. European culture does not understand why millions of people can take to the streets to demand less government, lower taxes, and the fact officials should respect personal freedom and the people’s right to do whatever they want with their money.

MUT: How many people do you anticipate attending the event?

We’re expecting several hundreds at the first Italian Tea Party in Prato. Prato is a small but important city in the heart of Tuscany, very close to Florence and it is the first textile manufacturing center of Italy. It’s a city that has suffered greatly the economic crisis. After 63 years of liberal government, it has changed color in the last local election. In short, Prato is a city symbol of business and a city full of great entrepreneurs, an ideal place where begin the Tea Party in Italy.

MUT: What inspired you to organize the Italian Tea Party.

I’m inspired by the passion in American politics and history, which I studied first at university with a final report about American political TV ADS …and then meeting many people in Italy who look to the United States Tea Parties like a very interesting movement. We believe in the same values: Against big goverment, less taxes, more freedom and opportunity. I think that the European socialist system is dying and the failure of state like Greece represent a clear signal. Something has to change, but this change it’s not similar of the Obama’s change: our change is less government intervention in our life and more freedom. The Tea Party claims are the issues that Europe needs immediately in this time of History.

MUT: What are the most significant ways that Italy’s businesses stifled by taxes?

The business companies in Italy are persecuted by taxes every year more. If you want to open a business in Italy, you will find a lot of obstacles: There are many bureaucratic steps, which cost much time and money. And once formed, you must pay half of your income in taxes, and half of the wage of your employers will be spent in taxes, too. But the Italian state gives you more more bad surprises: 1 euro per liter of fuel goes to taxes, 20% of taxes in all products, not to mention the tax on cars and houses.

MUT: Are the other, similar “Tea Party” groups ready to go in other Italian cities?

After the Tea Party in Prato, we will organize a tea party in Rome, one in southern Italy and one in Milan after the summer. The Italian tea party movement will not stop until the demand of freedom is heard by Italy’s representatives.

According to David, the Roman Tea Party is one June 26th. We will be praying for the success of all these events, as well as the safety of all these participants.

Italian Tea Partiers

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MUT LESSON OF THE DAY

For kicks and giggles, I wanted to demonstrate the power of GOOGLE TRANSLATE. The Italia Tea Party Website had this introduction from David: Prato, 20 maggio: primo Tea Party italiano, per uscire dal torpore fiscale. Since the only languages I speak are American, English and Australian, I went to GOOGLE TRANSLATE and entered the web address.

Lawn, May 20: Italian first Tea Party, to leave the tax torpor

The first Tea Party will be held in Prato in Italy May 20, 2010: follow steps throughout Italy. To better understand how we got the idea to “import” even in our country this form of protest (inspired by the famous episode of Boston that gave the ideal way for the American Revolution), it is good to step back, analyzing how the instances of Tea Party USA can be translated in our country with a renewed sense, absolutely original and, in some ways even more profound.

Ours is a country in terms of economic freedom and individual is far behind not only the U.S. but also to such other part of the world. Why not emulate a peaceful protest from overseas to ask for some ‘of our freedoms at home?

GOOGLE TRANSLATE will come in handy as I learn more about the DUTCH TEA PARTY. From Roy Hofkamp, the Dutch Tea Party Coordinator:

Dutch Tea Party: an unwillingness to compromise is naive

A movement of party independent citizens who strive for a smaller government and lower taxes, something that many libertarian should find to be music to the ears. However, the opposite appears true: there are mainly conservative speakers, and do many libertarians decide not to go. Shortsighted, irresponsible and naive.

A struggle between libertarians and conservatives in the Netherlands! Whodda thunk!

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MUT News and Views:

I am so happy for my friends today who are celebrating the victory of Rand Paul and the defeat of Arlen Specter. The Liberator Today is even breaking out the bubbly!

I would like to take this brief moment to remind my readers, who seem to despair of Democrats in general, that it was Democrats who kicked the now former Senator to the curb. So, please give us rebel Democrats just a little love, sometime.

The essential reading for today:

• The U.S. Department of Blame America First
• Matthews: There are certainly a lot of, er, Europeans in PA-12
• HELP ARIZONA: Target all major California Convention and Visitors’ Bureaus and let them know you won’t be coming to California as long as it boycotts Arizona
• Is Rahm Emanuel an American Kapo?

My friend the Anchoress has her first site video: Asking the Age-Old Question

Thanks to American Freedom Network and Left Coast Rebel for spreading the word about this important development. And a big thanks to Beer with Demo, the Liberator Today, and W.C. Varones for spreading the word on my other HOT topic, the CA-GOP manipulations of the California Senate race.

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