Tag Archives: politics

The War Is Lost—Now Europe Pays the Price

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has clearly outlined the three concrete conditions agreed upon by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to initiate negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine: no NATO membership for Ukraine—a demand Russia has made since the Munich Conference of 2007, when Putin explicitly stated that this would be an unbreachable red line. No presence of American troops in Ukraine. No application of NATO’s Article 5 and no NATO peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. The latter two conditions seem self-evident, considering that the war erupted precisely to prevent the presence of NATO forces on Ukrainian territory.

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Even before Trump, the world had rejected U.S. unipolarism

The Biden administration will be remembered for creating the conditions for the return of a devastating war in the heart of Europe, its unconditional support for Israel, and, last but not least, for escalating the economic war with China. The Doomsday Clock, managed by atomic scientists and symbolically counting the time separating us from nuclear apocalypse midnight, has moved from 100 to 90 seconds since Biden’s inauguration. Climate catastrophe is advancing inexorably; the United States has increased oil and gas production. However, the most critical front remains Ukraine, where two nuclear powers face off. The war, provoked by NATO’s eastward expansion—as is now evident to everyone—appears to be entering its final stage. The Trump administration will have to manage an epic defeat, this time not against an asymmetric enemy like in Vietnam or Afghanistan, but against a major power.

Continue reading Even before Trump, the world had rejected U.S. unipolarism

Forget Social Media: Fake News Lives in Traditional Newspapers

(December 15, 2024, Il Fatto Quotidiano)

In Italy, as in other Western countries, most media outlets are controlled by a few wealthy elites, including Cairo (Corriere della Sera, La7), Agnelli (Repubblica, La Stampa), Berlusconi (Mediaset), Caltagirone (Il Messaggero, Il Mattino), and Angelucci (Il Giornale, Il Tempo, Libero). This overlap between media and economic power has compromised information integrity, leading to a loss of credibility, prestige, and readers. Between 2013 and 2020, major Italian newspapers (Corriere della Sera, Repubblica, Il Sole 24 Ore, and La Stampa) lost 44-54% of their circulation. Similar trends are evident internationally, with UK newspapers dropping 30% in the same period, and the Washington Post losing 77 million dollars in 2023 and half its readership since 2020.

Continue reading Forget Social Media: Fake News Lives in Traditional Newspapers

Compasses as Guides in the Twilight Where “Monsters” Form

This essay is envisioned as an ideal logbook for these stormy times, aiming to provide an organic, albeit broad, framework to interpret the significant and rapid changes shaping the present. Its primary goal is to offer a compass to help understand the historical period we are living through. However, an analytical effort is necessary to pave the way for reflecting on possible paths to break free from the dominant ideology of the past 40 years: the “there is no alternative” mantra of all-against-all competition reminiscent of Thatcherism. In the current context, seeking an alternative has become both necessary and urgent.

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The new feudalism of social media censorship

Last May, the United Nations General Assembly voted on a motion for the recognition of Palestine, with 143 votes in favor, 25 abstentions (including Italy), and 9 against (including the United States). While the vote did not have tangible effects, it was significant in highlighting the international isolation of Western countries and stirring consciousness. Academic communities in Western countries have shown sensitivity to the issue, partly due to student pressures, with students being the first to show solidarity for the ongoing monstrous massacre. However, little institutional progress has been made. In Italy, the Academic Senate of the University for Foreigners in Siena unanimously approved a document on the events in Gaza, condemning “the excessive retaliation carried out by the State of Israel in Gaza in response to the heinous and unjustifiable massacre committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023.” More recently, the Academic Senate of the University of Siena, with a unanimously approved motion, addressed the Parliament and government to have “Italy join the many countries worldwide that officially recognize the State of Palestine.” Given the importance of the document, the website Roars.it, dedicated to university and research politics and run by a team of university professors of which I am a part, published and shared the document on Facebook, which, however, refused its publication. This situation calls for a reflection on freedom of expression, which, from a constitutional right, transforms into arbitrary concessions by platform owners. This is not an isolated case but a systematic policy of suppressing any critical voices toward Israel.

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NATO still barks at the gates of Russia.

The war drums are beating. Rob Bauer, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, stated that “we must realize that living in peace is not a given. And that is why we (NATO) are preparing for a conflict with Russia.” In the United Kingdom, the Defense Minister and the Chief of the Armed Forces speak of the current generation as the “pre-war” generation because “the era of peace dividends is over.” The rhetoric mounting is grave and seamlessly entering everyday narrative. When I read comments supporting the notion of “if you want peace, prepare for war,” I am reminded of the famous poem by Trilussa, “L’eroe ar caffè,” the one who “flattens mountains, breaks, shoots, kills, ‘for me – he mutters – there’s a road’ alone and dips his biscuits in the cup.” If these pathetic characters are popping up like mushrooms in public discourse, it’s not by chance: the militarization of society proceeds at the hands of an elite with no legitimacy to do so, but knows it’s the only way to maintain a power increasingly delegitimized every day.

Continue reading NATO still barks at the gates of Russia.