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The responsibilities of the intellectual

Roberto Saviano’s letter to Berlusconi

By Anna Maria Di Brina Published 18 November 2009 16:39

What are the responsibilities of the intellectual? It's an old question. Writers and journalists have often been called upon to act as defenders of free speech, for example, and sometimes have had to pay for their words with exile or with their lives. But their role is vital, especially in rousing opposition to dictatorial or otherwise illegitimate regimes. It is the job of the intellectual to give a voice to those who are unable to speak.

One thinks, for example, of Azar Nafisi, exiled from Iran, or the murdered Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, or else the hundreds of writers and reporters jailed in China. We should also think of ostensibly democratic Italy and Roberto Saviano, author of an explosive book about organised crime, Gomorrah: Italy's Other Mafia.

Something is rotten in the state of Italy these days: while the deputy secretary for economy and finance is suspected of long-lasting collusion with the Neapolitan Camorra, Saviano, threatened with death by that same gang, is one of the few voices openly denouncing the latest legislative travesty to be put before the Italian people.

A new piece of legislation, misleadingly named the "short trial", has just been approved by the Italian senate. The law, which will apply retrospectively, states that each stage of a trial should last no longer than two years. In an open letter published in the newspaper La Repubblica, Saviano directly addresses the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, asking him to rescind it.

Saviano argues that the act "destroys the law", transforming it into a "tool useful only to the people in power", not least the premier himself. "Those who have nothing else than the right to defend themselves will no longer be able to hope for justice." Indeed, if approved, the law would fortuitously erase all of Berlsconi's pending trials. Thousands of other lawsuits would also vanish, in a country where the average court case lasts seven and a half years. As the Independent wittily put it, "Silvio Berlusconi is so far above the law he's practically in orbit."

Saviano's letter has struck a chord, however. It has already been signed by more than 240,000 people, including the Nobel prizewinner Dario Fo and a number of other Italian intellectuals.

 

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6 comments

God rest Chomsky soul!'s picture

Thu, 2009-11-19 14:12 — God rest Chomsky soul! (not verified)

Why do we still assume that the intellectual has moral responsabilities in our Western capitalist democracies? We -as free, voting, educated citizens- do have responsabilities and moral obligations towards ourselves. Only 240,000 people decided to speak the truth (their truth?) signing Saviano's letter, and I assume that who didn't just see events in a different historical perspective. Isn't this democracy?

We need more intellectuals, not less's picture

Thu, 2009-11-19 14:46 — We need more intellectuals, not less (not verified)

Democracy is not a perfect system, it is just (slightly) better than others. The simple fact that Berlusconi has been elected in the first place speaks to the fact that Democracy is imperfect - most people actually do not care if others are victimised, until it happens to them. Hitler was a democratically elected leader and had a large following. So, we need more intellectuals: people that across disciplines and fields - artists, politicians, journalists, scientists, teachers, doctors, writers - talk to, and inspire, their local community, and alert others of the danger of the democratically-elected Berlusconi government.

Saviano displays the essential democratic role of the intell's picture

Thu, 2009-11-19 15:21 — Saviano displays the essential democratic role of the intell (not verified)

What's going on in Italy is an international scandal: people from all all over the free world have understood this well. World media of any colour from BBC to CNN to the Guardian to the Times to the New York Times to the Figaro to Le Monde to the Wall Street Journal, and the list could go on and on, have understood that well. The problem in Italy is that the Prime Minister controls directly or indirectly all of the media and the citizens are constantly anesthetized with gov't propaganda (all 6 major TVs are controlled by the gov't, directly or indirectly). How could this happen in a democracy?

Now with a law those in power are getting rid or thousands of trials, from Parmalat, to Cirio, to Berlusconi's corruption trials, etc.
It is unprecedented that in very few days 240,000 citizens and readers of a newspaper support a position as strong as the one by anti-crime writer Saviano. And it is astonishing that the vice-minister for Economy in the Berlusconi's gov't has bonds with the Casalesi, the criminals denounced by Saviano in his book 'Gomorrah.' The public opinion in Italy was not aware of the Casalesi before this book: any better demonstration, after what happened with Socrates a couple thousands years ago of course, of why in a democracy the role of the intellectual against power is more alive and well than ever?

paola's picture

Thu, 2009-11-19 15:26 — paola (not verified)

Being able to sign a petition is not necessarily the reflection of a democracy. I am not sure that the election to Head of State of a person, who controls the information system, whether directly or indirectly, overtly or not, can be called a democratic process. I am not sure Italy is a Democracy any more. Many Italians only access a biased information system, while intellectuals read more and are interested in what is said outside the country. However, it is also a fact that many supporters of the current government are aware of the same facts that make it so appalling to the non-supporters. Still, the government supporters clearly do not mind. There is indeed a responsibility of the intellectuals to push for change, but I am not sure how this would happen, in a system where the majority of people are happy to be run by a Government that is busy legislating ad personam and is certainly not interested in the opinion of intellectuals (I think Saviano’s petition [which I also signed] is not going to make Berlusconi even blink, let alone having doubts about the legislation he is changing).

Carlo's picture

Thu, 2009-11-19 15:34 — Carlo (not verified)

The municipality alert system in Italy is more and more weakened by a strong propaganda that day by day reach the highest information instruments.
The first channel public information news (with the largest audience) is colonized by the prime minister servants. Day by day everybody is in need to have self made opinions (by the net or mouth) if there there is some time left from work or everyday life...So everyone has to become an intellectual in Italy to obtain the facts. (An Italian reader)

Carlo's picture

Thu, 2009-11-19 15:47 — Carlo (not verified)

Paola! Italy is still a democracy, no doubt. But we are still in need of a Left Alliance..

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