February 28, 2008 (LPAC)--On Thursday, Feb. 28, Lyndon LaRouche was the guest of honor at a conference organized by Executive Intelligence Review in Rome, Italy, which was hosted by the Italian Senate. The event was organized as a dialogue between LaRouche and representatives of Italian governmental and business institutions, under the title "A `Rooseveltian' solution to the international systemic crisis."

The two other main speakers were Hon. Alfonso Gianni, Undersecretary for Economic Development, and Catia Polidori, National Chairwoman of the Giovani Imprenditori Confapi, an association of small and medium-sized enterprises. LaRouche called on Europe to draw upon its rich cultural history in order to reverse the current slide into a New Dark Age, as promoted by the British Empire, through its attempt to impose the fascist Michael Bloomberg presidency in the United States, and the dictatorial Lisbon Treaty in Europe. He shocked the audience with his warning that civilization is threatened by a collapse potentially worse than that caused by the bankruptcy of the Lombard banks in the 1300s. LaRouche's idea for a New Bretton Woods was strongly supported by Alfonso Gianni, who identified the key role played by LaRouche in the return to a recognition of the need for state intervention in the economy, and the consequent fall of the dogma of neo-liberalism. Catia Polidori said that she was elated to finally meet LaRouche himself, after having invited his "pupils" to speak at two of her organization's events. She then posed the question of leadership, as the issue which subsumes all immediate policy decisions, a few of which she addressed.

Helga Zepp-LaRouche gave the audience a second shock, by exposing the secret conspiracy behind the Lisbon Treaty, and calling for a public debate and vote over its ratification. There were then several questions, on the issues of technological innovation and the nature of the banking crisis. In conclusion, LaRouche presented the four proposals which he has put on the table to reverse the current situation: the Homeowners and Bank Protection Act in the U.S., New Bretton Woods, the four-power agreement, and a two-tier credit system.