carlo cimmino

You are right, ratman. Israel is not a racist state, but "just" fascist. But I don’t think that makes much of a difference. Especially for a Palestinian. Anyway, before calling me a discriminator of Jews, read carefully: I spoke of Israel, not of Jews.

This one I "prefer". However, I must tell you that the one you posted under the name Chik Corea was actually not bad at all. And in that case, the plot twist alone was worth the price of the ticket!

Alessio, here I am finally to comment on your review. I was hoping to see a recording of the event in these days, but alas, I just haven't had the chance. I must say that I really liked your review. I remember that penalty well. I have to admit that I didn’t mind that Brazil, but I was quite struck by the whole Baggio situation: he steps up to take the shot like a God (and let's not forget, it wasn't just him who missed that time), he fails, and for everyone, he's just a poor jerk. That's when I began to love Roberto Baggio: a champion questioned by various Sacchi, Lippi, Capello, and capable of having the strength and humility to restart in the provinces (Bologna, Brescia), to play hoping for a well-deserved national team call-up until the end of his career, and not to banalize his career by recycling himself on TV like many of his former colleagues. Dear world sbk fan, wet rabbit my ass! But let's get to the "serious" matters. I fully agree with the points raised by Il Paolo and Vortex (comments 145, 146). TV shows, interviews, books, films, Saviano’s sticker albums (which are good, he writes well and is a brave man) are all welcome. But it's not enough. Too little. Practically nothing if the subject is treated as gossip (I don't specifically mean Fazio's show) and is accompanied by the usual, traditional immobility of the institutions regarding the issue. Institutions that only canonize Saviano, because that way, in the eyes of the media and the general public, they have done their part. I've seen this story before, unfortunately. Finally, if I have one last note to add on the matter: Saviano is good, but who knows what day he will start mentioning more than one name of people from the political world if they will allow him to be seen on television again. I also agree with Vortex: those works by Sciascia, although dated, are much more current and meaningful concerning the issue compared to many, even cheap, TV shows (and I am referring to the usual talk shows).

Dear ratman, as far as I'm concerned, the racist one is Israel. A country imposed from above (in a strategically and economically crucial area for reasons that it’s pointless to explain here) and culturally fascist (if it’s even possible to link the term "culture" to fascism). The real terrorist is the government of Israel and those behind it, primarily the United States, which for fifty years has fueled a situation as obscenely horrific as the Holocaust. I’m not familiar with the movie, but for the matter at hand, I recommend the excellent and always relevant "Oltre le sbarre." A true masterpiece. Bye!

Dear acca bi, you have clearly expressed your point of view. I respect your opinion (especially I respect you as a "voting man," since voting is always a good thing), but I must partially disagree with your reasoning. Unlike our Stoney, I do not go to vote for the likable representatives of the Pd because I do not consider the Pd a left-wing party. That's all. I couldn't care less about instability—especially when in our country it rhymes with "simplification," that is, democrats against the people of freedom, a clash less thrilling than Coppi vs Bartali, who at least were two great champions. The problem lies in the content, in the ideas. You rightly say that Berlusconi holds the entire radio-television system and has "very well" operated to shape the Italian masses in his own image and likeness. But it is also true that a good part of the Pd component has let him do what he wanted, has rowed (and still rows) on many ideological and cultural issues in his same direction and against what is called the "far left" (?) and has been mistakenly pointed out for rowing against the last Prodi government, which it had instead indissolubly linked its destiny to (paying). The center-left has even made itself a quasi-Berlusconi party. A party without heart and soul, physically intangible and ideologically far from what I call, what I am used to calling and considering left. Because this is where you and I do not meet. You define Tony Blair as a man of the left, while I practically detest him. Today, the problem of the left, of the center-left is not to say leftist things, nor necessarily to do them if that is not possible, but at least to think them: to work in that direction and return to doing politics, a serious left-wing politics. And this is not done by Grillo, nor Travaglio, nor Moretti, nor Santoro, since one is a comedian, one a journalist, the other a deplorable director, and the fourth an obese anchor-man. Probably Berlusconi has so effectively operated with his media that someone should remind the leading class of the Pd that politics is not done in TV salons.

Iside, by now you're becoming a regular in the legal discussions! I've gone to listen to the version sung by Alice anyway. Beautiful, it is. But is she still making more records?

Alessio, I must say that Beto was also my favorite for obvious reasons. He was sold off, and it was a shame because he was really a good player. Among other things, I think he scored a great goal against Vicenza just a few days after the final: it was a nice yet pointless revenge! And that was a good team (even though it had some issues, especially in attack since Caio, Caccia, and MitrAglietti were certainly not three world-class players)... that could have really won the Coppa Italia. It was a shame. I remember that season well.

Stoney, the real problem with the Italian left is that it has become difficult to actually define it as left. For twenty years now, it has only mirrored the right and followed them on all issues. The left almost seems to be ashamed of its communist past, as if it were a crime, as if it were being equated with fascism: the two are even put on the same level. And all of this is obscene. The historical revisionism that's often discussed in probabilistic terms is a reality. Last week, newspapers and news programs talked about the massacre at the Fosse Ardeatine as something related to the "guilt" of the partisans who did not self-report. The left today does politics in the living rooms of Vespa, Santoro, Mentana, or Chiambretti (?). But where are these parties physically located? They don't exist. Just like the right. Then they come to talk to us about the economic crisis. The real crisis is primarily social and cultural, but this, clearly, suits them just fine.

I don't know, Jimmy. Violence and "troublemakers" can be found everywhere, and a few kilometers don’t change things, of course. About Naples, I can tell you that some things seen in the stadium unfortunately are also seen outside. The problems need to be looked for outside the stadium. I don’t know Vicenza. As an "outsider," I tend to think it’s a smaller city than Naples, with a smaller pool of supporters and, above all, lower football expectations. From this perspective, I hope not to be misunderstood in defining Vicenza as a "provincial" team. Each player must be placed in a specific context to perform at their best. The Guidolin-era Vicenza was a good team, with some players of decent level (no one mentioned Ambrosetti), but it was definitely the group that made the difference (by the way, in the specific case of that Coppa Italia final, it’s important to note that Napoli had a squad of decent players: Ayala, Cruz, Boghossian, Pecchia among them, and also, Ferlaino fired Gigi Simoni during the season). About Naples... well, despite everything, it’s a great city and, since the times of Maradona, the fans’ expectations have been high: they all want the team to fight for great goals. The pressure is higher. All this can explain, in football terms, the failure of players who might have done well elsewhere.

Dear Brusko, it’s not true that resources are starting to run out. They are poorly distributed; there’s a global disparity (and, why not, also a local one) that is appalling. There’s no reason for me to care more about the worker in Prato than the Chinese worker. They are both victims of the same system, and the worker in Prato is not in a worse position because of the Chinese. Furthermore, what has happened did occur illegally, but right under everyone's noses: and by "everyone," I mean the state and institutions—but that’s nothing new, since when it comes to local issues, the obscenities we face every day in Naples also happen in broad daylight. If everyone keeps minding their "local" business, then this is what you end up with. You might skip a round, but sooner or later your moment arrives. People ask for populist answers because this is a country of layabouts, educated from above to be like this: it’s what they want. Prato is in a mess now, but everyone benefited from that situation for years, and as long as it worked, no one had anything to say. Lega and Di Pietro gain support because, although in different ways (thankfully...), they are shouting "wolf, wolf." Tonino might be a decent guy, but politics is another matter, and in this country (and elsewhere, of course) - the "hunt for the Chinese" as a response to the problems of the city of Prato further confirms to me that it seems to be dead.