View all newsletters
Sign up to our newsletters

Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Culture
28 September 2017

“Are all human beings too thick for government?” asks Italian radio

Ensuring life-and-death matters slip the mind. 

By Antonia Quirke

“Do you know that you’re interviewing a genius?” On the Italian national station, Radio RAI, a couple of hosts are indulging in a favourite pastime: crucifying politicians. There are times when it can feel like an entire show nominally about pop music and chit-chat is actually trying definitively to answer the question “are all human beings too thick for government?”

This afternoon the subject for mockery is Roberto Giachetti, ex-radical and now vice president of the Chamber of Deputies, who fancies himself a poet. One of the hosts, pretending to be him, quotes from Roberto’s supposed work. “It is impossible to stop an ineluctable / flow of time unless you /make somersaults” goes the verse. “Did sunstroke generate this poem?” examines the host, and “Giachetti” shrugs. “I was in Rome,” is his excuse. This, everybody on air finds hilarious, just as my car’s radio signal falters, while I teeter across pitted tracks and potholes on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria – technically closer to Africa than Italy.

Round certain bends on the coastal road the station frequently gives way to Radio Quran Tunisie, on which Cheikh Said Jaziri interprets scripture, and tells stories of prophets and messengers. Today an imam is picking apart the phrase: “And they asked the people of remembrance that ye know not.” Is it a sarcastic expression? A legal directive? A call for independent use of the mind?

For a time, no radio. Just the indifference of the landscape. Scooped and jagged mountains of obsidian, a small field full of bickering hens. Then abruptly back to RAI, where they’ve moved on to Berlusconi and his new weight-loss diet of one lemon for dinner. And perhaps “the veggie-burger” someone trills, to wild laughter.

Were Giachetti (or Berlusconi) actually in the studio they would probably be playing along. Italian politicians appreciate that they’re not treated with awe or expected to be armed with the tools of logic and ethics or comprehend state pensions. It’s only when you ask them a real question that they get pissed off.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Tease them about Greek yoghurt and they’ll play along with even the most vicious character assassination. Italian radio: ensuring life-and-death matters slip the mind. 

Content from our partners
The promise of prevention
How Labour hopes to make the UK a leader in green energy
Is now the time to rethink health and care for older people? With Age UK

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU