mercoledì 7 gennaio 2009

X-mas Reflections

During X-mas holidays I had the time to make some reflections about some recent political, social and economic trends which are interesting Italy. Conflicts among State Institutions, the judiciary system collapse, political corruption at any level, widespread cynism, high unemployment levels and thousands of jobs at risk with a political class without scruples and full of privileges, about 3000 italian researchers who every year are living Italy looking for a job in research institutes abroad, the academic mafia which survives to any attack, environmental degradation as translation of ethic degradation. All this seems to be made worse by the lack of a political force capable to focus itself on the prevailing of public interest against the mediation of particular interests, as recent scandals investing opposition parties have clearly evidenced: in brief, there are no political expressions in Italy capable to channel dissenting voices.

This means that the essence of the mechanisms of a decent democratic system is seriously damaged. Italian society, in the economic, political and social dimensions, is thus suffering a degenerative desease.

The main problematic knot seems to be essentially linked to the perverse management of the relations between Society and State and to the modalities through which italian politicians are interpreting and managing the components of this Society, above all the most elusive ones. It is important to underline that these elusive forms are not necessarily translated into violent expressions which must always be condemned. The problem here is the role and fate of those forms of critical and reflexive dissent which in normal conditions represent an essential component of a democratic society. A real democracy is usually stimulated and supported by this dissent which stimulates an exchange of ideas and debates as well as an indirect political control over the politicians' activity. When this dissent is inoffensive anything becomes lecit.

The modern silenting of dissent in Italy is acquiring extremely peculiar forms: conventional repression is not necessary, because the continuing and progressive corruption of the whole public sphere is usually preferred as systemic alternative. The recent news about political corruption are not only related to judiciary issues but clear expressions of the modalities through which politicians, both left and right wings, are trying to definitively erode social solidarity and cohesion thanks to a system of differentiated fidelity rewards and acknowledgements. Thus any form of dissent is disgregated and also the entire society will be disgregated for the presence of a widespread pressure directed to obtain a wider and deeper conformity. All this happens in any social sector as in the case of the italian universities for which the sole possible replies to its inner corruption are: complete adhesion or escaping abroad. This replies are exacerbated and amplified at any level thus becoming a form of government.

"Disagreeing" in Italy has become a rather demoralizing activity involving discredit of reputation, doubts and suspects and independent actions are not allowed within a complex network of corruption complicity at any level.

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