Italian politics I believe is so masterfully ahead of the curve that it is in some ways paving the way for the entire world. Which is a problem, because the way it’s paving is the way to the worst of all possible worlds.
It all started with Berlusconi
…is what a great novel would start with. In this piece, actually, I’m gonna be honest with you, dear reader - it’s my own experience of Italian politics that started with Berlusconi. He’s the first politician I remember being aware of - I was about 9 years old as he “descended into politics” - his way of already painting the picture of his political life. He, an entrepreneur, in fact one that mainly dealt with real estate, “descending” into what is therefore an inferior facet of public life - politics. This is the first clue of the genius of Berlusconi as a communicator - he, an entrepreneur that made money by laying asphalt and cement over our cities, is superior in his value and moral virtue to those lowly politicians, who are obviously the source of all Italian problems.
Berlusconi was the amoral individualism. Nobody mattered except you, yourself, the individual. All that matters to me is myself. Maaaaaybe to me also my family matters a little bit - and of course that family is a man a woman and children. But mostly, to me, all that matters is myself.
Individualism. And completely amoral. I pay taxes - I pay them today, now, so all that matters is that I pay less of them. Today. I don’t really care about what is impacted by me paying less taxes. That’s somebody else’s problem. That’s the politicians’ problem.
Furbo. That’s the Italian word that could be most accurately translated as “foxy”. I manage to pay less taxes than I should? Furbo. I manage to sneak myself or my son into a cushy municipality job? Furbo. Am I completely unqualified for that job? Who fucking cares, that’s somebody else’s problem. I have a health problem? Who cares if healthcare is good for everyone - all that matters is that it’s good for me. Today.
And then came racism
It all started with Bossi. Fear and ignorance his only political tools. Fear of the different. Ignorance of the differences. “Shoot and sink the boats”, he screamed into nationwide microphones. Marvel of class warfare - point towards the different - the black, the queer, the muslim - as the source of Italy’s problems. Of course, those people who have and have had historically the least amount of power conceivable here - much less than we deserve and much less than would be owed to us in a truly democratic and representative republic.
It still appealed to individualism. I hate. ME. Me hates. I want it better. I want to feel better than the others. I want a scapegoat. Here’s your scapegoat. Have fun insulting others and feeling that your power over the different finally makes up for your lack of fortune in this world.
It’s still individualism. But it’s moral, now. Shit morals. Morale di merda. The elevation of ignorance and fear to moral values. The elevation of the caveman’s fight or flee instinct. The suppression of developed, social intelligence in favor of ideas that are not only abhorrent - but are also wrong, and proved wrong by all social studies. The different do not harm our societies - it is difference that makes us better, stronger, that fosters evolution and betterment. The different do not have too much power - we of course have way too little than we represent.
But individualism can only come so far. Even shit morals to survive necessitate collective action. Why?
Because the leghista - the voter of Bossi and his political son Salvini - at some point realizes he’s alone. He has hated, he has feared, he has idolized his ignorance, and now he’s alone. The world has left him behind. Those people he hates are always more intelligent, always more interesting, sometimes better paid than him. And those he hates are right. They stand on the right side of history. And the poor leghista is alone, ranting at the TV, and he realizes he’s alone. Individualism doesn’t even work for the racist.
Enter Giorgia Meloni
The collectivism of shit morals. It’s no longer everyone for themselves - it’s no longer the deification of the furbo. It’s us against them. Who is us? The poor ignorant downtrodden of the world. Who is them? Yes, the different. Yes, the cultured. Yes, the black, the queer, the intelligent. The two mothers with a child. Those that go to raves. Those that protest. Those that want it better.
The most passionate fans of Meloni don’t want it better. They want to be together. Together in shit morals. Strong while swimming in shit. Double timing backstroke in shit. They want to feel like they belong. Doesn’t matter even where.
It’s manufactured social warfare and masterfully so. The manufacturers are of course the rich and powerful. Making people feel like the government is not supposed to help practically but to be a group therapy for the poor downtrodden is masterful manipulation of the role of the public sector. Government can and should and must help. And yet it’s seen now as purely us versus them. People like going to raves? Law against raves. Them. Two women want to mother a child? Law that makes that child orphan by cancelling the motherhood of one of the mothers. Them. People want to protest? Who has even the time for that? Protest who, us? Them. Two boys kiss? Them. Punch them. The black, the immigrant? Them.
Who draws real benefit from all this? The right is working towards the “aliquota unica” - one tax bracket. The poor downtrodden would pay a little less, but the rich and powerful would pay buckets and buckets less. While Italy as a country goes bankrupt in a few years. But who cares about that? Ensuring a stable and prosperous future for everyone is not the role of the government. The role of the government is to hate them. It’s to fuck them over. The government’s role is to make me feel that I belong.
Belong where?
In shit.