Mafia, Camorra and all the other Italian criminal organisations have always sold well in Italy. In the '80s, a TV fiction like La Piovra was one of the biggest hit ever in the country. In the last years, Roberto Saviano's book (and later film) Gomorra has constantly been a best-seller. And when, between May and July 1992, Mafia killed the two most prominent anti-Mafia judges Falcone and Borsellino, Italians were shocked and united in their grief. Yet, never has an Italian government pledged to root the "grande criminalità " out.Through drug trafficking, extorsions, prostitution, Mafia eats up 7 percent of Italy's GDP, dragging down the whole economy, particularly in the South. Despite some high-profile arrests in the last years, it's as active as ever. And it kills, not just rival criminals, but also innocent and honest people like Raffaele Granata, a beach-owner murdered yesterday near Naples for refusing to pay protection money, the so-called "pizzo".
Sicilians, it has been recently reported, are waking up against Mafia. The number of people reporting extortions to the police is rising. Citizens' associations have been founded. And what is the goverment doing? Nothing. The much-talked about "security emergency" focuses on Roma and immigrants.
Berlusconi's is surely to blame for never mentioning Mafia as a priority, and many analysts have linked the extraordinary success of the centre-right coalition in the South (in the 2001 elections, it scooped up all the 61 contested seats in Sicily) to the "soft approach" towards Mafia, a decisive vote-gatherer in some Southern regions. But the centre-left coalition, despite some commendable candidates (like Borsellino's sister Rita) has hardly played the Mafia card in any elections.
Maybe politicians think that Mafia is too big a cancer to eradicate, therefore it can just be contained. Maybe the Mafia backing is too important to win in some constituencies. Maybe investing heavily in the struggle against the high criminality would not improve noticeable results. Maybe it just requires too much courage to stand up to Mafia, because vengeance is likely. But I guess that, if a national coalition put the struggle against Mafia, Camorra, 'Ndrangheta and the likes at the top of its priorities, stressing the message that Italy can be different, that the state can really protect those who dare stand up, Italians would pull together and things could change.
Think of a new prime minister announcing on TV, or in his first speech to the country or to a crowd of supporters, "We shall overcome against Mafia", or "yes, we can". Unthinkable? Maybe. Surely unseen in Italy, up to now.
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Ciao Sandro,
I asked Fabiana many times which site it is again where I can read articles of you and now after approx 10 months she finally sends me this link :) Keep posting please...
te spetemo in Olanda
John
Of course they always take about the Roma. They are perfect. Their skin is darker, many live in shacks, some of them are not exactly the ideal citizens. Why focus on a long term goal that wont give any immediate results when you can focus on something that will stir up the anger of everyone, grannies included? Everyone will remember it when they step in the ballot box. Many will remember it with pride, and will mark X in the appropriate box. The others, the not so happy ones, will remember it too, and put the X in the other box. In both cases, no one will forget easily. On the other hand who would remember the 'announcement' of fighting the mafia? Who would remember a small - but necesary - arrest? It's great to arrest the big guys, as they can serve their purpose: be remembered as a big event. But the long term policies, most would not even know about them.
And also, the Mafia is an Italian. Denouncing it and fighting it is pointing the finger towards something within ourselves, a dark spot we would rather not think about. Self criticism is one thing, but recreating the notion of the Other and projecting on it all of our own failures, well that's easier. Easy, practical, clean. It points the finger outside, it leaves the Italian identity clean, and to a certain extent leaves it stronger, and why not, more Italian. We Italians, bonding in the face of the aggressor. Us and them. Them and us. Us. This wave of dirty people kidnapping our kids, raping our women, and breaking into our houses. Talk about it and write about it enough... and the Italian image becomes whiter and purer than it has been in a while.
It would be interesting to draw links between the difficulty of the Italian struggle against organized crime and the current struggle going on in Mexico against the gangs there... it's cost Mexico an extremely heavy price in people killed or who have been intimidated into stepping down. If Italy were to try to completely wipe out the Mafia, it would require a great deal of bloodshed and personal courage at all levels of government.
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