Mussolini Village

Good Morning 247: a delightful greeting to a new day of work that we follow online. Breno Altman, in one of these programs, recommended the book, the first in a trilogy, "M - The Son of the Century," by Antonio Scurati, published by Intrínseca. An excellent reading recommendation, especially in these times of neo-fascist mode. Terra Brasilis rampant. Benito Mussolini is the protagonist of the book.

Let us read and inform ourselves about everything that is of interest or, if uninteresting, about everything that is necessary, practically obligatory. A current call to compulsory study for anyone who wants to exercise their full citizenship and democratic participation in any society. The imperative need to read and study the contemporary approach, whether you find certain topics more arduous and boring or not.

Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, I argue, should be read. I've read it and recommend it. Let the criticism begin. In the book, the vast majority of the narratives escape our temporal and geopolitical context. The author speaks of the geopolitical scene of his time, cites names that almost all of us don't know, countries that no longer exist. He also discusses his theories of ethnic hatred, eugenics, and convinces those who truly want to be convinced and identify with the narrative.

I must say, I couldn't turn the page on Olavo de Carvalho; they say he writes well. I consider the principle of not separating the author from their work to be coherent. Mein Kampf seemed more necessary. If the current neo-Pentecostal president were to write the best science fiction book of all time in Brazilian history, a particularly highly esteemed literary genre, it would arouse little or no interest in me.

Due to journalistic obligation, many watch the infamous lives Thursday's neo-fascist demonstrations. I couldn't stand ten seconds, my liver was too weak. Whoever wants to stone and label this writer as anti-Semitic should consider those who attend those infamous events. livesPerhaps, rightly or wrongly, these viewers are on the same level of sadism when compared to the demonized Mein Kampf. And millions watch such things. lives.

In Breno Altman's excellent reading recommendation, we see that historical figures such as Marshal Badoglio and Mussolini himself switched sides, embracing fascism from their exact political opposite, Mussolini from the socialist trade union movement. Both, and others, scandalously illustrate the names of streets, none other than the so-called Vila Mussolini, in the Rudge Ramos neighborhood, municipality of São Bernardo do Campo, in the ABC Paulista region. The "B" alongside the A and C of Santo André and São Caetano do Sul.

The ABC Paulista region, now merged with the neighboring municipality, the megalopolis of São Paulo, has a strong immigrant presence in past decades, as was the case in many places, with entire neighborhoods in São Paulo where Italians and Spaniards were particularly prominent. The ABC Paulista region is the birthplace of trade unionism and of Lula, with a strong historical presence among the automotive industries teeming with working-class people in the 70s and 80s.

In the village of São Bernardo, there are perhaps some nostalgic Il Duce enthusiasts who remember the founding of this part of the neighborhood in the past. Those people comparable to those who appeared in the photograph of the Duce hanging next to his lover, avenged by the people amidst Italy's capitulation in the Second World War.

It's quite plausible that among those in the photograph are some passionate supporters, wanting to remove the fascist label from their foreheads so they can live in hiding after the war, but perhaps not so repentant or even so ashamed.

Brief observation: the typography of Portuguese and other languages ​​sounds flawed when referring to the initial capital letter i. Thus, Il Duce, Ilana Casoy, for example, without any further comparison to the author, obviously, these are some words spelled this way, the capital i generally very similar to the lowercase letter l. Read, "il Duce e ilana Casoy", she an author of excellent books.

"Duce" is a title or nickname, "il" is the masculine article "the" in Italian. Il Duce therefore means "the leader" or "the duke". (Addendum here to a pretentious writer's nitpicking.)

There are countless differences between honoring someone while they are alive versus posthumously, and, on the other hand, mentioning a historical figure in a museum or library is essential. The Costa e Silva Bridge, named after a military dictator, was inaugurated in Brasília. The Bandeirantes Avenues and Squares, dozens of them throughout Brazil, honor the pioneers of the forests and backlands. More controversies and criticisms.

Yes, the bandeirantes were extremely important historical figures, but it's worth considering their clear role as ethnic cleansers, imbued as they were with the mission of clearing land, that is, fighting the "wild ones," entering the territories of the original pre-Columbian peoples, and abruptly removing them. At most, they offered them a very difficult choice: the cross or the sword. The sword prevailed, historians attest.

Within a few blocks, Villa Mussolini honors commanders, dukes, military figures, a count, a king, and a viceroy. It's unfair to label them all as sympathizers or collaborators of the Duce's fascism, but such a connection is, in fact, the most plausible.

Rodolfo Crespi edited a newspaper in São Paulo aimed at Italian immigrants sympathetic to fascism. Pinotti Gamba was among the successful Brazilian businessmen who financed it. King Vittorio Emanuele, whose Portuguese form was Vittorio Emanuele, played no less a leading role in the geopolitics of invasion and massacres in Ethiopia and the surrounding region, and formalized the implementation of Mussolini's fascism.

Gabriel D'Annunzio, whose name is Portuguese, theoretically inspired fascist ideals. Marshal Badoglio switched sides and decided to support Mussolini's newly established fascism. Awarded the title of Viceroy of Ethiopia, he oversaw the use of poison gas in the African war zone, violating the Geneva Protocol, which had recently been ratified by the Italians themselves. Duke D'Aosta, an officer in the Royal Italian Navy, was at the heart of the Second World War.

These are historical figures honored in the streets of Villa Mussolini, this illustrious leader himself remembered posthumously, perhaps one of the greatest inspirations to his colleague in Germanic sadism, who was graced with the sending of Italian weapons and soldiers sent to martyrdom, side by side with better-prepared Nazi troops.

It is reasonable to assume that Italian fascists, as well as Nazis fleeing in the post-war period, sought refuge in overseas lands, which indeed occurred, especially in the temperate climate regions of South America. The opposite also happened. People persecuted by fascism and Nazism in Europe, or disillusioned after the intense and traumatic confrontations and despair, vilified people, sought other more distant lands and more oxygen for their minds and hearts.

Adding to the situation in Spain, where "Generalissimo" Franco proved to be a consummate fascist, shrewd and astute enough to keep himself somewhat distant from Hitler and Mussolini. Quite a few were forced to leave Spain in search of South American lands with a similar language.

In São Bernardo do Campo, there was a past attempt by the local Legislative Chamber to change the name of the town. Several years later, in the midst of a pandemic, with the world turned upside down and neo-fascism rampant, a new attempt was made, this time in isolation.

A flawed strategy. With the health restrictions on movement, the aim was to publicize the proposal to change the village's name through a group of... WhatsApp Locally, among the residents. A community watch group, one of those in which participants alert others about suspicious behavior in the neighborhood and report the disappearance of a pet dog in the vicinity.

The initial proposal to change the name suggested to the residents was actually quite appealing: to change the name from Vila Mussolini to Vila Monte Castello, where soldiers of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB) in World War II confronted Hitler's troops on Mussolini's land. The aforementioned misguided strategy would have been easy to foresee and avoid. What can be expected from a community security group, one of those where the most active members are those who believe "The only good criminal is a dead criminal" or "A shot to the head"?

It went wrong, obviously. A preliminary poll showed initial disapproval of the proposal or, at most, total indifference. Would we also be indifferent if we lived in Villa Adolf Hitler? Why then doesn't Mussolini bother us so much? Certainly because of our historical ignorance. Between the creator and the creature there can be no significant distinction regarding the responsibilities for their actions. Historically, it is not an exaggeration to consider the Italian an almost fundamental inspiration to his Germanic counterpart.

In parallel with the preliminary survey among residents, an official attempt was made to get the management of a German multinational company located in the village to participate. This was another unexpected refusal. It was expected that, in Germany where legislation is strict regarding Nazi references, there would also be some consideration or recognition in foreign countries where companies operate. Nothing.

Two years ago, new legislators were elected in São Bernardo do Campo. Reviving the attempt to change the town's name, an attempt that began in the city council more than a decade ago, would be a welcome greeting to a new Federal Government. Perhaps, hopefully, let's hope it's truly new, a government that will be willing to cool down, as much as possible, the insane and contagious neo-fascist fever present in... Terra Brasilis at this very depressing historical moment.