Due presidenti, un filo conduttore, libertà come partecipazione |
Il 25 aprile 2026, il capo dello Stato lancia un messaggio. Il senso: pace e libertà sono fragili, non sono acquisite per sempre. Quando prevale la legge del più forte, si arriva alla barbarie internazionale. (Questi valori non vanno mai dati per scontati poiché appena ci si impigrisce o si retrocede, beh… lo vediamo). Si creano architetture debilitanti, il tempo prende altri confini e sembra sfumare in luoghi insoliti. Con esso la motivazione. Seneca l’avevo intuito: giusto il tempo è veramente nostro, il resto appartiene ad altri. Anche le democrazie si sono fatte via via più illiberali. Troppi CEO e lobby politicamente attive e gestire un’azienda o gestire uno Stato non si possono equivalere. La cittadinanza verrebbe/viene sempre più esclusa da scelte serie. Pigiando sul tasto rewind al 1970 e inquadrando la Camera dei deputati, ritroviamo il filo conduttore. Pertini: “Non c’è libertà senza giustizia sociale”. Eppure, tra le due epoche sembra che ci si sia dati un bel da fare per smontare la giustizia sociale quale tappa fondamentale per la pace. Correva il venticinquesimo Anniversario della Liberazione e Pertini (Presidente della Camera) pronunciò quel discorso forte, intenso. La libertà politica che si traduce poi in leggi è fragile senza eguaglianza e diritti per i lavoratori. Aveva visto bene il “presidente di tutti”, forse intuendo che la creazione del benessere parte dall’alto. Due presidenti, un filo conduttore, la partecipazione ai valori fondanti della Carta. Forse Pertini aveva capito che banche, istituzioni e detentori di grandi asset riscuotono e manovrano da subito. Architettano, manovrano, incassano. Beneficiano subito e le masse arrivano solo dopo al benessere, spesso pagandolo. Una volta che i soldi arrivano alle masse vanno veloci e si spendono sull’essenziale, o sulle stupidaggini (dipende). In ogni caso l’inflazione non si traduce tanto in un assioma ricchi/ poveri quanto dove arrivano prima i sesterzi. In fondo alla scala sociale se ne leggono semplicemente gli effetti ‘inflattivi’ tramite le bolle, i prezzi della spesa, ecc. Ecco il concetto che la pace necessita di giustizia sociale. Senza un minimo di essa non si va lontani. In un’era dove ricchezza, potere, privilegio, impunità risiedono in pochissime mani, si gradirebbe riscrivere coscienze attraverso la narrativa (come sempre), e conservare la memoria ‘democratica’ rimane i pochi antidoti efficaci. Si fa politica keynesiano certo, ma per arsenali e bailout. Si offrono una vasta gamma di prestiti ma chi vuole rischiare nell’incertezza? Questo lo capiva anche un grande liberale come Hayek, esperto di conoscenze e motivazioni capitalistiche in movimento, ma comunque favorevole a un minimum safety net o minimum income (una rete minima di sicurezza sociale o reddito di cittadinanza) purché non infranga i parametri del libero mercato. Libere elezioni, legislazione, partecipazione fan sì che sociale possa convivere nella liberaldemocrazia e viceversa. Liberazione, vivere quindi pienamente senza velleità in mondi instabili. Il 25 aprile la Città Eterna ha visto svariate manifestazioni, inclusa la Festa della Resistenza presso il Mattatoio di Testaccio. Tutte con lo stesso filo conduttore. Dal 23 al 26 una piccola kermesse di incontri, dibattiti, bandiere che sventolano, libri per grandi e piccini, giochi e area ristoro. Giornate incorniciate dal bel tempo. Una moltitudine di volti, fasce di età e provenienza da mondi distinti. Esattamente come i partigiani: liberali, democristiani, socialisti, repubblicani, comunisti, anarchici. Un pubblico eterogeneo come sempre quando si tratta di valori Costituzionali ma con un unico sentire, la Carta. Cantava bene Gaber nel suo brano del 1972:” la libertà non è uno spazio libero, è partecipazione”. Non a caso in chiusura della kermesse testaccina troviamo La Costituzione come progetti. Democrazia, pace, giustizia sociale (a cura di Marco Dalimano e Bendetta Tobagi) e Il Combattente. Storia di Sandro Pertini (Giancarlo De Cataldo). Tutti ottimi spunti di riflessione.
Two presidents, a common goal: freedom as a means of participation On April 25, 2026, the head of state sent a message. The gist: peace and freedom are fragile, they aren’t forever. When the law of the strongest prevails, we end up with international barbarism. (These values should never be taken for granted, because as soon as we become lazy or regress, well… we see it). Debilitating structures are created; time takes on different boundaries and seems to fade into unusual places. Along with it, motivation. Seneca guessed it: only time is truly ours, the rest belongs to others. Even democracies have become increasingly illiberal. Too many CEOs and politically active lobbies and running a company and running a state cannot be the same. Such policy excludes citizens on dire matters. Pressing rewind to 1970 and zooming in on the Chamber of Deputies, we find the common narrative. Pertini: “There is no freedom without social justice.” Yet, between the two eras, it seems a great deal of effort was made to dismantle social justice as a fundamental step towards peace. It was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Liberation, and Pertini (President of the Chamber of Deputies) delivered his powerful and intense speech. Political freedom which translates into laws is fragile without equality and rights for workers. The “everyone’s president” had seen things clearly from the start, perhaps sensing that wealth creation begins from the top. Two presidents, a common goal: participation in the founding values of the Charter. Perhaps Pertini understood that banks, institutions, and holders of large assets collect and manipulate immediately. They plot, maneuver, and cash in. They benefit immediately, and the masses only arrive at prosperity later, often by paying for it. Once the money reaches the masses, it goes fast and is spent on essentials, or on trivialities (it depends). In any case, inflation doesn’t translate so much into a rich/poor axiom as into where the sesterces arrive first. At the bottom of the social ladder, its ‘inflationary’ effects are simply read out through bubbles like grocery prices when shopping. Hence the concept that peace requires social justice. Without a modicum of it, we won’t get very far. In an era where wealth, power, privilege, and impunity reside in very few hands, one would like to rewrite consciences, as always, through narrative. Preserving ‘democratic’ memory remains one of the few effective antidotes. Keynesian politics is certainly being practiced, but for arsenals and bailouts. A wide range of loans are offered, but who wants to risk uncertainty and instability? Even a great market liberal like Hayek, an expert on the dynamics of capitalist knowledge and motivations, understood this. Yet he still favored a minimum safety net or minimum income as long as it didn’t violate the parameters of the free market. Free elections, legislation, and participation ensure that society can coexist with liberal democracy and vice versa. Liberation, therefore, means living fully without pretensions in unstable worlds. On April 25th, the Eternal City hosted a variety of events, including the Resistance Festival at Testaccio’s Mattatoio. All with the same underlying theme. From the 23rd to the 26th, there was a small festival of meetings, debates, flag-waving, books for adults and kids, games, and a refreshment area. The days were framed in beautiful weather. A multitude of faces, age groups, and origins from diverse backgrounds. Just like the partisans: liberals, Christian Democrats, socialists, republicans, communists, anarchists. A diverse audience, as always when it comes to Constitutional values, but with a single sentiment: the Charter. Gaber sung correctly in his 1972 song: “Freedom is not a free space, it is participation.” It’s no coincidence that the closing sections of the Testaccio festival are “The Constitution as Projects. Democracy, Peace, Social Justice” (by Marco Dalimano and Bendetta Tobagi) and “The Fighter.” Sandro Pertini’s Story (Giancarlo De Cataldo). All excellent food for thought.
Two presidents, a common goal: freedom as a means of participation On April 25, 2026, the head of state sent a message. The gist: peace and freedom are fragile, they aren’t forever. When the law of the strongest prevails, we end up with international barbarism. (These values should never be taken for granted, because as soon as we become lazy or regress, well… we see it). Debilitating structures are created; time takes on different boundaries and seems to fade into unusual places. Along with it, motivation. Seneca guessed it: only time is truly ours, the rest belongs to others. Even democracies have become increasingly illiberal. Too many CEOs and politically active lobbies and running a company and running a state cannot be the same. Such policy excludes citizens on dire matters. Pressing rewind to 1970 and zooming in on the Chamber of Deputies, we find the common narrative. Pertini: “There is no freedom without social justice.” Yet, between the two eras, it seems a great deal of effort was made to dismantle social justice as a fundamental step towards peace. It was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Liberation, and Pertini (President of the Chamber of Deputies) delivered his powerful and intense speech. Political freedom which translates into laws is fragile without equality and rights for workers. The “everyone’s president” had seen things clearly from the start, perhaps sensing that wealth creation begins from the top. Two presidents, a common goal: participation in the founding values of the Charter. Perhaps Pertini understood that banks, institutions, and holders of large assets collect and manipulate immediately. They plot, maneuver, and cash in. They benefit immediately, and the masses only arrive at prosperity later, often by paying for it. Once the money reaches the masses, it goes fast and is spent on essentials, or on trivialities (it depends). In any case, inflation doesn’t translate so much into a rich/poor axiom as into where the sesterces arrive first. At the bottom of the social ladder, its ‘inflationary’ effects are simply read out through bubbles like grocery prices when shopping. Hence the concept that peace requires social justice. Without a modicum of it, we won’t get very far. In an era where wealth, power, privilege, and impunity reside in very few hands, one would like to rewrite consciences, as always, through narrative. Preserving ‘democratic’ memory remains one of the few effective antidotes. Keynesian politics is certainly being practiced, but for arsenals and bailouts. A wide range of loans are offered, but who wants to risk uncertainty and instability? Even a great market liberal like Hayek, an expert on the dynamics of capitalist knowledge and motivations, understood this. Yet he still favored a minimum safety net or minimum income as long as it didn’t violate the parameters of the free market. Free elections, legislation, and participation ensure that society can coexist with liberal democracy and vice versa. Liberation, therefore, means living fully without pretensions in unstable worlds. On April 25th, the Eternal City hosted a variety of events, including the Resistance Festival at Testaccio’s Mattatoio. All with the same underlying theme. From the 23rd to the 26th, there was a small festival of meetings, debates, flag-waving, books for adults and kids, games, and a refreshment area. The days were framed in beautiful weather. A multitude of faces, age groups, and origins from diverse backgrounds. Just like the partisans: liberals, Christian Democrats, socialists, republicans, communists, anarchists. A diverse audience, as always when it comes to Constitutional values, but with a single sentiment: the Charter. Gaber sung correctly in his 1972 song: “Freedom is not a free space, it is participation.” It’s no coincidence that the closing sections of the Testaccio festival are “The Constitution as Projects. Democracy, Peace, Social Justice” (by Marco Dalimano and Bendetta Tobagi) and “The Fighter.” Sandro Pertini’s Story (Giancarlo De Cataldo). All excellent food for thought.