Italy has survived its 150th year since unification. How enthusiastic most Italians feel about this anniversary is apparent from a recent remark by Silvio Berlusconi, the latest and the worst Prime Minister to rule the country: “In a few months, I’ll leave. I’ll leave this country of shit, which nauseates me. Full stop. End of story.”

Berlusconi, according to some recent opinion polls, is no longer very popular. Yet he still retains the infuriating quality that has made him the most successful politician of postwar Italy: his preternatural ability to be the spokesmen for the basest thoughts