I learn that the mayoral candidate Totò Scerra, 22 percent of the votes, a hard and pure opponent, has decided to donate the harvest of votes obtained in the first round to the mayoral candidate Grazia Cosentino, Terenziano Di Stefano’s challenger.
The trench, deep built between himself and the technocrat strongly desired – among others – by Albert’s manager, Angelo Caci, dissolved like snow in the sun: it was knocked down with negligible ease, offering final success to the former adversary-enemy on a silver platter and to the city of Gela a local government of… corporate inspiration.
Now the word passes to the people of Scerra, and it is not at all a given that the followers will obey. The change of perspective of the young man, hard and pure, intrigues, however: he fascinates, stuns, consumes volatile reasoning and thoughts. Thoughts and second thoughts about how the world is going, vague ambiguous suggestions, vague indistinguishable perceptions and the naturally rogue nostalgia of a very ugly past but full of dignity. The young man doesn’t want to leave the group of those who count. Nothing new. He is surprised, and he shouldn’t be because of the knowledge of the political world accumulated over the years, every time he happens to hear a brazen denial of what has just been stated.
If even the “warrior” of the council opposition turns out to be in canvas trousers, so weak and fragile to the enticements of temporal power (the Albert is a church), it means that the force of necessity – remaining in the party of the decision-makers – breaks down all resistance even in champions of coherence.
Let’s not place Scerra in the dock, guilty of (political) betrayal – who are we to absolve and condemn human nature, and then quartering is also a bit like returning home (Brothers of Italy) – rather thoughtful on the political nerve of those, and there are many, who practice quail jumping, transforming the denial of their professed belief into a tolerable, even legitimate habit, because that’s what everyone does. All you need is elegance, bon ton, good reasons illustrated with grace for the benefit of those near and far.
How to discover the cheek in time? What clues make you suspicious? What gives her away? fleeting or too fixed gaze, eyebrows that arch, the forehead that wrinkles, tense facial muscles, a dazed look, wrinkles that form on the forehead, tense and unnatural movements of the facial muscles in moments of tension or falseness , the dazed look, the out of place or exaggerated expressions? A painter, even if he is so skilled as to describe every movement of the soul, would remain with brush in hand, disconcerted and frustrated, ready to surrender.
Physical indicators are useless. Physiognomy is certainly not the science that can help us. The character data escapes any inquisition. Those who know how to pretend, with themselves before with others, inherit flexibility, nonchalance, modulate words, gestures, tones, somatic features suitable for affirming something and its opposite, finding favorable terrain.
The recipients of the well-packaged fiction have the necessary tolerance, the distracted and indulgent memory that tolerates intolerable contradictions, unheard-of lies, shameless idiocies. Brazenness, shamelessness, impertinence, arrogance, impudence have been cleared through customs, promoted to skill, political intelligence, because truthful narration is almost never liked, and it is useful to tell what you want to hear.
Developing critical thinking would avoid being deceived and manipulated. It is a skill that is refined over time and experience and you learn if you are equipped, temperamentally and culturally. Coming to terms with yourself is the cornerstone. The issue transcends the Scerra case. The cheek has no face, and the Scerra case, ultimately, is not representative of political flaws. He touches them, almost tenderly. There’s much more on the dashboard.
How, for example, does the cold Meloni manage to keep together the love of the country (one and indivisible) with the differentiated autonomy that draws a map of (denied) needs between one region and another, in favor of the “Poland” invoked by the Northern League of yesteryear, defeated at the polls? It takes a lot of nerve to abdicate yourself with dedication. The culture of flexibility and adaptation hides or embellishes shop-floor interests; to honor it by believing in it is crazy bullshit, to use a generous Fantozzian expression.
Let us therefore abandon the Scerra case to its fate, and that of the city to the voters, who will have to exercise their right-duty in a few days, trying to think about the tools we have at our disposal to look around us.
This is not a far-fetched digression. In the contemporary Italian political landscape, tolerance towards the manipulative and contradictory behavior of politicians is a phenomenon to be reckoned with. Indulgence in manipulation and deception, often perceived as a necessary evil, has complex roots that are rooted in the culture, history and social dynamics of our country and have serious implications for our democracy.
Italy, with its long history of political and social transformations, has developed a certain resilience towards contradictions. From the times of municipal fragmentation and the Lordships, up to the turbulence of the First and Second Republic, Italians have learned to navigate an often tumultuous political sea.
The culture of “knowing how to make do”, deeply rooted in the social fabric, is also reflected in the perception of politics. Citizens, accustomed to finding creative and adaptive solutions in their daily lives, are induced to extend this mentality to the political sphere, thus justifying behaviors that elsewhere would be considered unacceptable.
Modernity has brought with it a revolution in political communication. The media, with their ability to shape and manipulate public perception, plays a crucial role. Spectacle politics, the personalization of power and the strategic use of social media have made it easier for politicians to escape responsibility for their contradictions. Voters, bombarded by a myriad of information and misinformation, appear disoriented and more inclined to forgive or ignore the inconsistency.
Another significant factor is the growing disillusionment with the political class. Distrust in institutions and their representatives has led to widespread cynicism, inconsistency is seen as an intrinsic characteristic of power, rather than an aberrant deviation.
The phenomenon of leaderism, where attention is focused more on the figure of the leader than on the contents of the policies, further amplifies this indulgent acceptance. Charismatic leaders and skilled communicators can manage to maintain popular support despite obvious contradictions, thanks to their ability to embody collective hopes and desires.
Indulgence towards manipulative and inconsistent politicians therefore represents a challenge for Italian democracy. Educating citizens for active and conscious participation, strengthening the role of the media as guardians of the truth and encouraging a policy based on ethical principles are fundamental steps to build a more just and respectful society. As for Gela, well, he doesn’t require particular perspicacity or particular skills to make a wise choice.
