gbrunoro

@world sbk fan: "great technological progress of the USSR"?!?!?!? "necessary deaths"?!?!? We’re talking about a person who tested hundreds of nuclear bombs in Kazakhstan without notifying the population, without evacuating anyone except those living 100 km from the explosion, causing an outrageous increase in the percentage of deformed babies and cancer deaths. A person who starved millions in Ukraine just because the farmers were enemies of the working class and didn’t want to collectivize. A person who demolished the largest Russian church (kind of like someone in our country tearing down St. Peter’s or in France Notre Dame) overnight. And these are just a few examples. Let’s not say nonsense, please; in '89, when the Berlin Wall fell and perestroika fully erupted, Russia was at a third-world level. Even the Americans have repeatedly said they were surprised by the level of backwardness of the Russians. We’re talking about a completely collapsed economic system, unheard of environmental disasters committed on its territory, etc. etc. What’s happening in China is similar, but at least there the economy works in the end. In the former USSR, people lived on bread and water but were playing around with atomic bombs and (broken...) nuclear plants. Come on, let’s not say silly things, please. Every authoritarian regime does something good; it’s impossible to find a government system that is only and exclusively negative throughout its duration. The point of the matter is whether we consider freedom and civil rights as something important. That’s it. One can even say no, I think economic development is more important than freedom and civil rights. Fine, let's discuss it, but you can’t expect to have your cake and eat it too. Someone pointed out that in Cuba there are so many graduates: that’s laughable talk, it’s like hearing that when he was in power, the trains ran on time or that the Duce drained the Pontine marshes and turned Italy from an agricultural state into an industrial power. In short, history isn’t like football; we can’t just sit at the bar and share our opinions. I know it’s a tough concept to digest, but with certain statements, you make yourselves ridiculous, that’s all. And I repeat, enough with this absurd obsession with comparisons... yes, Totti is great, but Paolo Rossi won the Ballon d'Or... who cares, enough, just shut up, close the comments on this review because it’s really the festival of nonsense (and I’m not speaking for everyone; I have read intelligent comments more than once, it’s just that some really drive me crazy).

The extreme banality of the review and most comments lies in the fact that they cannot resist bringing up the other side, namely the objective inability to accept that any expression of humanity has its limits, and that these should be judged as such. This applies to Nazism, Communism, but also to the Catholic Church or Buddhism, for example, or any other institution. If I say that some partisans committed crimes, I am not saying that the partisan movement was criminal; similarly, if I say that some members of the Catholic hierarchy committed crimes, this does not mean that the entire Catholic Church is criminal. One must have the courage to confront reality and realize that any idea or ideology, when translated into practice, becomes fallible, because we humans are fallible. Ideologies themselves do not kill anyone, and it is absurd to compare Russian communism to Chinese communism, for example, just as there are huge differences between Italian fascism, Spanish fascism, and German Nazism. Yet everything continues to be lumped together and discussed as communism and Nazism/fascism—a truly ridiculous, third-grade mentality. I could understand if one spoke about democratic states (do they exist? :D) and anti-democratic states because this is the point: when the democratic fabric is missing, everything falls apart and anything becomes permissible. But this is independent of the ideology underlying the group that leads the state. The only goal is to maintain power. I find it unbearable that when talking about Nazism, someone immediately brings up communism, or when one must judge a historical fact, they come up with "yes, but we must consider the others"... enough, enough with this improvised and absurdly comparativist narrative that always pretends to assert that there is a revealed truth, that there is something better than something else. It’s the same absurd method that our politicians use to delegitimize everything: if I place a plaque on a street for a victim of black terrorism, I must also put one up for the victim of red terrorism... just to show that we are all on the right side and that we are all correct. This is not how history is made; this isn’t history. It is one of the most sordid forms of politics, something in which we Italians excel, by the way. Sorry for the typos, but I’m in a huge rush.

I haven't read it, but from the statements made by Caprotti himself, it seemed to me that it was also a political book. In any case, Caprotti is certainly a fascinating character, like all the big players of his caliber (and this in both good and bad ways, to be clear). Very vibrant reception.

I don't understand why one should feel ashamed of what they listen to: we all have a personal journey that leads us in specific directions, it doesn't matter if others can understand it. A very personal, emotional review that at times brushes on poetry. Very beautiful. As for Mango, what can I say, I know him very little so I'll keep quiet.

The melodies of ABBA are truly fantastic. An essential band, they may not be to everyone's taste, but that is a fact.

Milestone (when Italian comedy, not yet aware of the dreadful term "cinepanettone," still made us laugh). Great review.

:D

Patton is definitely a genius, for better or for worse. It's a shame that many of his projects are often too extreme (for my tastes) and end up in pure cacophony, which always remains hard to digest (a bit like shit). This album also gave me the impression of alternating brilliant moments with others that are decidedly inconclusive. Merry Christmas!
P.S.
@Ludovica: why do you women all have this fixation of decorating the Christmas tree with at most two or three matching colors? The Christmas tree should be an exploding nuclear power plant; there should be ornaments and crap in every color, so many lights that they could cause serious damage to your eyes if you stare at it for more than five minutes... in short, a bit like Mike Patton, to put it bluntly!

Definitely overrated. The Cohens have done much better. The starting idea isn't even bad, in fact, but then everything just stays stuck there.

Spitty idol. And it couldn't have been easy for you to write this review either...