Enzo Reale was born in Turin. He has lived in Barcelona since 2002. Just for love. His present job has nothing to do with his passions - international politics and journalism. But life is not always a matter of will. Sometimes he writes for Italian newspapers and magazines about the political situation in Asian countries. Enzo blogs at 1972 and Asia e dintorni.
Why do you blog? > First of all, because I need to put my ideas in order and to fix my opinions. Then, because it's an easy way to reach a wide sector of public opinion. But now, to be honest, I'm a bit tired.
What would be your main blogging advice to a novice blogger? > Blog carefully and don't open comments.
Who are your intellectual heroes? > There are many, but I would mention Czeslaw Milosz.
What are you reading at the moment? > Comrades. Communism: a World History by Robert Service.
What is the best novel you've ever read? > One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.
What is your favourite poem? > 'Avrei voluto sentirmi scabro ed essenziale', and in general the whole poetical work of Eugenio Montale.
What is your favourite movie? > All in all, A Few Good Men.
What is your favourite song? > It depends on the personal moment I'm living. Anyway it would be a song by Fabrizio de André, an Italian singer-songwriter.
Can you name a major moral, political or intellectual issue on which you've ever changed your mind? > Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the others that have been tried.
What philosophical thesis do you think it most important to combat? > Relativism, in its political meaning.
Who are your political heroes? > Nobody, at the present time. In the recent past I admired Tony Blair and George Bush (at least in his first mandate), basically for their foreign policy vision and their trust in the power of freedom and democracy spreading. But I would not call them 'heroes'. I could mention, more, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher for example, or Vaclav Havel and many other dissidents. But for me the real heroes are common people suffering under oppression.
What is your favourite piece of political wisdom? > 'We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.' (Winston Churchill)
What would you do with the UN? > I would replace it with a League of Democracies.
What do you consider to be the main threat to the future peace and security of the world? > Appeasement of tyrants.
Do you think you could ever be married to, or in a long-term relationship with, someone with radically different political views from your own? > I don't think so, even if life is full of surprises.
What do you consider the most important personal quality? > Integrity and intellectual honesty.
What personal fault do you most dislike? > Hypocrisy.
In what circumstances would you be willing to lie? > When the lie is not against other people.
What, if anything, do you worry about? > Health and death.
If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything you'd do differently? > Of course, but not the fundamental decisions of my life. I would change just some details.
What would you call your autobiography? > One of the Few.
What would your ideal holiday be? > Travelling is my ideal holiday and, luckily, I do that whenever I can.
What do you like doing in your spare time? > Writing, reading, going to restaurants, meeting with selected friends.
What is your most treasured possession? > My blog. Really.
If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to? > To Norm, of course.
What talent would you most like to have? > The ability to be serene even in the most complicated situations.
What would be your ideal choice of alternative profession or job? > Journalist, without any doubt.
Who is your favourite comedian or humorist? > Carlo Verdone, an Italian comedian.
Who are your sporting heroes? > Michel Platini. I'm a Juventus fan.
How, if at all, would you change your life were you suddenly to win or inherit an enormously large sum of money? > I would quit my present job, I would buy a larger house, I would give some money to my parents. And, of course, I'd start a round-the-world trip.
[The normblog profile is a weekly Friday morning feature. A list of all the profiles to date, and the links to them, can be found here.]