The democratic system is the best you can aspire to live in: in it all freedoms are guaranteed. Let’s take freedom of the press and freedom of expression as examples; under democracy it is possible to say and publish everything, provided it is what the democratic system allows one to say and publish.
One of the most important guarantors of these freedoms is to be found in public prosecutor Manuela Comodi of the Perugia prosecutor’s office, who in a brilliant police operation unleashed her watchdogs – the ROS carabinieri – to raid the homes of numerous anarchists in Italy, looking for anarchist publications no less! And think, she even managed to find them… To tell the truth it wasn’t that difficult; like looking for philosophy books in a philosopher’s home or paintbrushes in a decorator’s workshop…
As a matter of fact this fine bloodhound of the democratic State was not looking for anarchist publications in general, but for one paper in particular, Vetriolo, where among other things it is written that it is necessary and ethical for anarchists to attack domination and consequently the persons and things that are the direct emanation of it. It is a discourse that many anarchists have been carrying forward in their publications and in their lives for about a century and a half. How can you be surprised after all? What else can you think of doing to put an end to the exploitation which for centuries the bosses, States, economists and so on have been inflicting on those excluded from any kind of dignified life? What else can you think to do to put an end to wars, the exploitation of the planet, human and animal suffering, to stop death projects such as nuclear power, the transformation of the human being into a machine and countless other questions which the State, the Economy, industry and technology are responsible for, if not attack the things and the people who are directly responsible? Above all, it is an ethical discourse, which we feel absolutely the same about.
And not only us. It is a simple discourse, which many people agree with in their heart of hearts; when at work or chatting in cafes they exclaim that certain people, those responsible for the disgusting living conditions and exploitation, should all be killed, or that Parliament should be blown up with all of them inside because it is just a den of parasites with fat cats’ wages, while many outside are starving. Of course, this is often barroom chatter dictated by an outburst of anger due to a life of misery, whereas anarchists sometimes actually do raise their hands against those they identify as enemies.
And yet, following the twisted logic of this public prosecutor’s office, perhaps one day investigations will also be opened against those who do this cafe chatter, and we are sure that, during the raids, hundreds of coffee cups will be found in their homes – proof of their criminal plan…
It would be a laughing matter if it wasn’t for the fact that a comrade in prison has received another arrest warrant and that there is another house arrest plus four compulsory residence orders. To them all our solidarity, without victimism, as we are convinced that we must continue to say and do what we have always affirmed.
11/11/2021, Biblioteca Anarchica Disordine