UNTHINKING MIDDLE CLASS ---- Diego Bianchi, the famous "Zoro", declared on September 21st on the programme "8 1/2" (La7) that Putin would win in Italy. There would be much to say about the intellectual level of the character and the programme he hosts ("Propaganda Live" also on La7), but here personal tastes also come into play . I can only say that, exactly like Fazio's programme, these are centre-left identity programmes, designed for that audience that Paul Ginsborg would have called the "reflective middle class"[2], a social class that in reality today has numerically reduced, impoverished and pulverised, but which still thinks of itself, in some way, as the vanguard of moderate progressivism, whatever that means. An often downgraded niche that does not throw itself to the right mainly for sentimental reasons and to identify the term "left" with civic sense and the belief that it is still anthropologically superior.
Also worthy of note are "Zoro's" statements on the Italian resistance, devoid of any historical dignity.
Unless, to bring together distant and diverse events, one says that beings breathe, walk, and eat.
Obviously, the right-wing press has jumped on the bandwagon, going so far as to praise Diego Bianchi, when, generally speaking, even those who ask for a receipt are considered communists. Not to mention the atrocities of the "Foglio" of the "Riformista" (better known as Rifognista).
Aside from these considerations, I would like to focus once again on the true war propaganda that has been trying to convince a reluctant public opinion for almost 5 years.[3]
This toxic propaganda has transformed a tragedy like the war into an Italy-World game, where anyone who tries to use reasoning is considered ipso facto a traitor.
INVADES-INVADERS-INVASED
It's worth recap. On February 24, 2022, the Russian bombing of Ukraine began, but he stated, "Who cares, who cares if public opinion is against military support for Ukraine!" Just as the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was not the primary cause of the Great War, it's impossible to separate 2022 from what happened in the previous decade. But while this simple fact would seem self-evident to anyone, without necessarily having to choose sides, for nearly five years every attempt at rational discussion about that conflict has been assailed with incomprehensible violence. Previous history doesn't matter. What matters is the fairy tale of the promised land 3,000 years ago, or even the punishment of Versailles for the rise of Nazism. But it doesn't matter if Russia is involved. Where Russia exists, there is no history, but only an incomprehensible and fearful Moloch whose entire existence must be destroyed, including its culture, including its writers, just as in 1935 it was forbidden to perform Beethoven or read Kant (yes... Kant, the one read by the Ukrainian Nazi armies).
WHERE IS THE VICTORY?
In 2022 there were 59 conflicts in the world[4], presumably where one of the two actors was invaded or attacked and the other counterattacked or defended itself. This is to clarify that the terms "invader" and "invaded" can take on very little "value-based" characteristics (e.g. Italy was invaded by the Allies in 1943). Also because it is tautological that war is waged by two. Except for the unique case of the genocide in Gaza where Israel voluntarily and knowingly exterminated the civilian population, with the applause and support of the pure souls who equate Putin with Hitler.
Therefore, 59 conflicts where, in some, there is the hand of the powers (Russia, USA, etc...). But in none of these cases have the leaders of the European Union ever expressed not only the slightest intention of supplying weapons to one of the contenders, but they were also not even the slightest bit interested in the humanitarian situation. Obviously, there has been total silence from the press too.
Ukraine is not in NATO, it is not in the EU, it has no particular agreements with EU countries and EU countries have never had specific interests in that area.
The question arises spontaneously: what is the point of agreements, treaties, commercial and/or military unions, if then every type of diplomatic articulation is bypassed, to put both feet in a war that does not concern us?
Of course, there is the humanitarian question and there is the disgust that every war should cause. But faced with a total lack of humanitarian interest (with the exception of the uncritical and false infatuation of the first part of the conflict where "white and Aryan" refugees were welcomed with great fanfare. Finally, non-black immigrants!)[5]and, above all, a total diplomatic absence, the path of supplying weapons was chosen right from the start, causing an escalation that has now come to the brink of nuclear conflict.
Together with this choice of side, war propaganda has begun. As I mentioned earlier. "We win and we will win!" such obtuse and demented propaganda that, despite the constant harping and harping, every time polls are conducted, even the most ambiguous and convoluted, the Italian population demonstrates that they have no intention of waging war.
THEY TELL ME IT'S NOT TRUE
In the 1970s, the brilliant comedian Alighiero Noschese performed a marvelous imitation of the journalist Mario Pastore. He excitedly announced the most sensational news. Then, after answering the phone, he specified, "They tell me it's not true."[6]
A few days ago, Ansa released a story, taken up by the newspaper El Mundo, which opened the national news, according to which the CIA had discovered a Russian plan to attack Italy, Spain and France with drones. The news, obviously a hoax, was denied almost in real time and was repeated until the evening.
Now, unless we think that the international press has carried out the CIA's plan to pour SD into the sewers, the situation seems much more rudimentary to me. Even if the CIA is always present.[7]
That is, how to prepare the European population for war. Here we really have to think about what is going on in the heads of the European and NATO leaders. We do not know if they are bluffing, if they want to push the accelerator for a stress test, if they really want to go into conflict with Russia. I believe it is always worth remembering the outcomes to which these sleepwalking strategies have led[8]by remembering Caracciolo's words on the half-hour duration of the next nuclear conflict.[9]
RIGHT AND LEFT
Until about thirty years ago, if there was an issue that could unify the ever-divided left, it was peace. The left, any section of it, was against nationalism, fascism, war and in some cases fiercely anti-imperialist.
Today we are faced with a bellicose spirit that cuts across both positions (in many cases differentiated only by nominal topography). And we curiously witness a Salvini, as well as the Nazis of the AFD, who say apparently pacifist things about war. Pro domo sua obviously, but so be it.
On the left, however, we have long witnessed the imperial transformation of its own positions[10]. The last flash was the first Gulf War (1991) during which the PCI, still in liquidation, maintained an almost contrary position despite a thousand distinctions and obviously, amidst the mockery of the "liberal" press ("Il Corriere", "Repubblica").
Advice supported by Cossiga, should not be forgotten.
Thus, to enter the good living room (a bit like Nenni's naive "control room") the price to pay was to practically leave one's own identity outside.
A GENOCIDE AT THE UN
And we come to the other side of the same problem. A genocidal perpetrator indicted for crimes against humanity not only speaks at the UN, but exultantly displays the mass slaughter, while his henchmen threaten and intimidate those present in an institution the criminal despises. Meanwhile, Abu Mazen cannot attend because the US has denied him a visa. This is extremely serious behavior, given that the UN is the international representation.
Yet, faced with this scandalous and criminal behavior, our "free" press has not shown the same indignation it daily expresses against Russia. Indeed, there are journalists and newspapers (not just right-wing ones, because we know who that cesspool is) who praise it. Moreover, the famous "Left for Israel" group is among the most biased in our country (and is part of the Democratic Party).
THE WALKING DEAD
In April 2003, a month before his death, Luigi Pintor wrote a memorable article that seems to me perfectly timed for the current historical moment. Twenty-three years have passed, and someone clearly understood where we were headed.
The Italian left as we know it is dead. We don't admit it because it opens up a vacuum that daily political life cannot tolerate. We can always console ourselves with partial elections or a noisy demonstration. But the representative left, a broken oak tree, a withered daisy, and a trunkless olive tree, is out of the picture.
They are neither an opposition nor an alternative, nor even an alternation, to use this jargon. They have reached a level of subordination and subjection not only to the policies of the right but to its point of view and mentality, both internationally and domestically. I don't believe they are doing this out of opportunism or that it is the fault of individual leaders. Since '89, they have lost their historical position and their reference points and have crossed over to the other side. With some nuances. They want to return to government without any chance and believe this depends on their relations with the dominant groups and with the moderate and right-wing majority opinion. They consider their third of the electorate a hindrance rather than the only available resource. They have put the war behind them with a consensual parliamentary vote. Not the Iraqi war, but the American preventive and permanent war. They use the UN as a formal shelter and fail to see the scenario that has opened up. This also applies to the Italian scenario, where the confrontation is merely propagandistic. It's not a thousand voices and a single soul, as a manifesto claims; the soul has been missing for some time, and now there's no credible political face or physiognomy. It's an observation, not a polemic. We rely heavily on movements where the left's presence and spirit are evident. But they're not an adequate force on an international scale. Our ideas, our behaviors, our words are outdated compared to the dynamics of things, compared to current events and prospects. What's needed isn't a turning point, but a profound upheaval. Humanity is divided in two, above or below the institutions, divided into two parts irreconcilable in their way of feeling and being, but not yet in their way of acting. Nothing Manichean, but we need to draw another boundary and establish a sense of extraneousness with respect to the other side. Right and left are formulas. superficial and vague ideas that do not mark this boundary. Even peace and civil coexistence, our banners, cannot be an option among others, but an absolute principle that implies a conception of the world and of daily existence. Not a banner and an ideal, but a way of life. If the dominant segment of humanity today were to return to the state of nature with all its modern prostheses, it would make killing and the subjugation of self and others the rule and the
lever of history. We must abolish all contiguity with this irreconcilable side. An international, another ancient word that should also be abolished but to which we are attached. Not a formal organization but a myriad of women and men whose nationality, race, faith, political or religious background is irrelevant. Individuals but not atoms, who meet and recognize each other almost instinctively and enter into harmony naturally. In our microcosm we called each other comrades with this spontaneity but in a limited and jealous circle. Now it is an area without borders. It must not win tomorrow but operate every day and invade the field. Its aim is to reinvent life in an era that is depriving us of it in unprecedented ways."
(Luigi Pintor, April 2003, "Il Manifesto")
[1]A word to be linked to the wonderful sketch by Aldo Fabrizi
[2]P. Ginsborg, History of Italy from the post-war period to today , Einaudi 1989 and subsequent editions. But the concept has appeared in his other writings.
[3]So much so that the possessed Marie Teresa Meli, last September 16th on Aria che tira (La7!)
[4]For details on the conflicts it is a must to read the editions of the Atlas of wars and conflicts, see also the site https://www.unimondo.org/atlante-delle-guerre
[5]In this regard it is advisable to see the film https://www.mymovies.it/film/2023/green-border/
[6]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBYpDqThxqA
[7]In this regard it is worth reading the book by Frances Stonor Saunders, The Cultural Cold War. How the CIA influenced the European imagination , Fazi, 2026 (original ed., 1999). The author passed away on August 31st.
[8]Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers. How Europe Came to the Great War , Laterza, 2013.
[9]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpKKoeAADLo
[10]"Imperial Left" is a term coined by the philosophy scholar Stefano Azzarà.
Andrea Bellucci
https://www.ucadi.org/2026/09/29/taci-tu/
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Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca