Radio War Nerd #348 — Italian Elections, Giorgia Meloni & Neofascists, with Annibale
Guest: Annibale
Recorded: September 26, 2022
We talk to friend of the show Annibale about Italy's election and prime minister-elect Giorgia Meloni's neofascist/post-fascist politics.
For background, listen to RWN's "Years Of Lead" series with Annibale:
-EP #134: Post-War Italy: Prequel to Years Of Lead
-EP #135: Years Of Lead, Part 1
-EP #136: Years Of Lead, Part 2: Red Brigades & Aldo Moro
-EP #139: Years Of Lead, Part 3: Ustica Downing, Bologna Massacre & the Radical Implosion
-EP #264: The 1970 Borghese Coup, Part 1
-EP #265: The 1970 Borghese Coup, Part 2
-Also check out EP #205: Recovered history of Neoliberalism & Fascism
Total time: 1:23:42
Comments (12)
I just don't get it. The most war nerd event in Ukraine is happening. Mark speaks Russian THIS IS YOUR WHEELHOUSE, why nothing?
They're releasing quite a lot? I think there is a lot happening and they're aware as any that the fog of war exists.
I’m in Sardinia right now. We should hang out, John
Love this man
Anabile is so cool lol
Annibale and John have to play a live-streamed game of Risk
I don't want to read too much into one person, but I have a cousin who was elected to local office in Italy and used to post pro-Lega stuff on Facebook and Instagram who is now strongly in favor of Meloni. What's interesting from her party being pro-NATO is that the main thing he says to support her is that she will stop Italy's support of NATO and Ukraine and "bring peace." I'm not sure if this is an instance of right wingers hearing what they want to hear or something else.
John, talking about "the bluechecks" is about as meaningful as talking about "them". You're a man of language, so it's pretty discouraging to hear you increasingly talk in such vague terms. Same goes for you Mark, increasingly talking about "experts" and "elites" but never concretely naming names. I still love my RWN but I expect more from you both!
So.. you want gossip?
Annibale is an excellent guest. It seems like there wasn't a huge difference between the UK & US conservatives and early European fascism. All were extremely pro business, anti labor, imperialist, white supremacists. The only distinctive and extreme deviation occurred with the Germans holocaust. But the fundamental beliefs were in sync.
I don't know how to phrase it, but I'm wondering just how lucky Italy is, that the main cohort of the current fascists weren't put through the horrors of the southern/eastern front in ww1
less castor oil and fisticuffs, and more “my woke granddaughter won’t sing ‘I Watussi’ with me!”