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Italians are susceptible to nostalgia and prone to forgiveness. Besides, the bewildering parade of 28 postwar governments, most of them incapable of coping with domestic problems, has made the old days suddenly seem nicer. "If quello were here, this wouldn't happen," says a Roman trapped in a traffic jam. "When lui was around," complains a robbery victim, "even the Mafia behaved." In a recent poll, 66% of those asked whether they would temporarily surrender full power to an "honest, disinterested and energetic man" to carry out reforms replied that they would.