"The head of Government
was repeatedly guilty during his career of crimes that, in the
presence of honest people, would have deserved the blame, the
shame and the deprivation of every authority of rule. Did the
people tolerate and even applauded these crimes? A part for moral
insensitiveness, a part for slyness, a part for personal interest
and duty. The majority naturally was aware of his criminal activities,
but they preferred to give their vote to the strongest rather
than to the righteous one.
Unfortunately the Italians, if ever must choose between duty and
personal interest, even knowing which it would be their duty,
always choose the personal interest. Therefore a mediocre, rough
man, of gross eloquence but of easy effect, is a perfect specimen
of his contemporaries. Among a honest people, he would have been
at the most the leader of a few followers' party, a minor character,
ridiculous for his manners, his attitudes, his delusions of grandeur,
offensive for the common sense of people because of his emphatic
and indecent style. In Italy he became the head of government.
And it is difficult to find a more complete Italian example.
An admirer of violence, venal, corruptible and corrupt, catholic
even though not believing in God, self-important, vain, falsely
good-natured, good family man but having several lovers, he uses
those whom despises, he surrounds himself of dishonest people,
liars, bunglers, profiteers; being a clever mime, he has effect
on a coarse audience, but, like every mime, he does not have his
own character, he always imagines of being the personage whom
he wants to represent."
Elsa Morante (1912-1985)
page
created: April
10th 2010 and last updated: April 10th 2010