Sure beats our two-party system.

I've never been to Bologna. But I wanna go there some day. Because from what I read, the city of Bologna and the surrounding region have been a hotbed of communist influence. Maybe more so in the recent past, than now. But still run in large part by communists. And maybe that's why Bologna has a reputation for a relatively high quality of life. 'It is a very strange situation,' writes Brit Charles Richards in his book, The New Italians. 'Because here 50 percent of the people in the past were communists, 50 percent were Catholics. Both religions were against profit, but 100 percent of the people live for profit.' Richards goes on to say that Bologna has changed. It's not the same as 10 or 15 years ago. But the difference is relative. It has changed less than other towns. 'The communist administration,' Richards said. 'They are honest. They were and are honest. That is the difference. Personally honest, because they always had a special interest in the co-operative movement. The administration is relatively efficient. It was better in the past. The hospitals and so on. But it still isn't bad.' Of course, I'm a socialist at heart. If not a communist. I like a part of the world that still has communists in parliament. Communists are accepted here. Ain't like in the U.S. Even the main street in the city (Carbonia in Sardinia) where I live is named after a communist (Antonio Gramsci). I'm not politically active here. Largely because I don't speak Italian. But I pay attention to Italian politics. Interesting, to say the least. So very many political parties. Sure beats our American two-party system. --Jim Broede