You’d think most societies would want a civil one, but history seems to keep repeating itself with power hungry authoritarianism. Which only seems to survive with a disaffected youth nourished on fear, which in turn becomes violent and militant minded for their survival, not as a human, but as a rabid animal at this point. So when fellow citizens are hunting their own, I’ll call it fucked up (lead)ership. Fascinating, yet ugly eras of Italy’s struggle for an identity.
If you really want to drop down a rabbit hole, look into the twisted trail of Calvi's associates, Michele Sindona and Cardinal Marcinkus; the so-called holy machinations of Opus Dei and its rumored affiliations with P2; and the tenuous dotted lines that connect to the Watergate conspirators and Nixon's CREEP, the FBI and the CIA.
Thinking again of Germany in comparison, you've really got to hand it to the krauts. They might start a world war or two, but at least they keep it orderly.
As usual, I'm late to string. But this yet is another masterful detailing of a facet of Italian history that I was only tenuously aware of. I remember some of these incidents but I had no inkling of context behind them; now I do. I take away three primary observations from this mini-series; 1st, it's clear that the roots of fascism run deep and have proven to be as daunting to get rid of as bamboo. Knowing more of this history now makes the recent election of Meloni more explicable, 2nd, Italy's Anni di Piombo proves that there's nothing exculpatory about left-wing extremism, given free reign of it's excesses it too is injurious to the social order, almost as much as it's right-wing version. This reminds of the famous line from The Who's, "Won't get Fooled Again," that goes; "A parting on the Left is just a parting on the Right." Extremism is truly a bane no matter which side of the political coin it comes from. Finally, your writing Stacey, as is typical, has done the victims of the these atrocities a tremendous service, especially your recounting of individual victims of the The Bologna Massacre. You have given these humans, not just victims, the dignity of their humanity; it's a chronicle in short takes.
You’d think most societies would want a civil one, but history seems to keep repeating itself with power hungry authoritarianism. Which only seems to survive with a disaffected youth nourished on fear, which in turn becomes violent and militant minded for their survival, not as a human, but as a rabid animal at this point. So when fellow citizens are hunting their own, I’ll call it fucked up (lead)ership. Fascinating, yet ugly eras of Italy’s struggle for an identity.
If you really want to drop down a rabbit hole, look into the twisted trail of Calvi's associates, Michele Sindona and Cardinal Marcinkus; the so-called holy machinations of Opus Dei and its rumored affiliations with P2; and the tenuous dotted lines that connect to the Watergate conspirators and Nixon's CREEP, the FBI and the CIA.
Italy certains know how to f**k things up, but cleaning up the mess is another story.
Thinking again of Germany in comparison, you've really got to hand it to the krauts. They might start a world war or two, but at least they keep it orderly.
As usual, I'm late to string. But this yet is another masterful detailing of a facet of Italian history that I was only tenuously aware of. I remember some of these incidents but I had no inkling of context behind them; now I do. I take away three primary observations from this mini-series; 1st, it's clear that the roots of fascism run deep and have proven to be as daunting to get rid of as bamboo. Knowing more of this history now makes the recent election of Meloni more explicable, 2nd, Italy's Anni di Piombo proves that there's nothing exculpatory about left-wing extremism, given free reign of it's excesses it too is injurious to the social order, almost as much as it's right-wing version. This reminds of the famous line from The Who's, "Won't get Fooled Again," that goes; "A parting on the Left is just a parting on the Right." Extremism is truly a bane no matter which side of the political coin it comes from. Finally, your writing Stacey, as is typical, has done the victims of the these atrocities a tremendous service, especially your recounting of individual victims of the The Bologna Massacre. You have given these humans, not just victims, the dignity of their humanity; it's a chronicle in short takes.
I love these bits of Italian history. But don't "get" the term bunga bunga Berlusconi