Antonio Gramsci, Dominic Losurdo, Silvia Fredirici, etc. [Technically Michael Parenti if we go by his surname, and the fact that New York City is rightful Italian land (/s)].
Obviously there are good authors everywhere [and obviously AES states have more], but I feel like Italians get a slightly bigger proportion of non-AES originated publications compared to other places like Germany and Britain [although in the latter’s case, their intellectuals are so endlessly insufferable im genuinely considering calling for a ban on all publications from the god forsaken island]
Anyway, probably just confirmation bias, but if anyone has any thoughts on it then id love to here them
North Italy especially had a very revolutionary tradition, throughout various periods there were more communists than liberals, especially after the russian revolution, and during the 1950s-70s. It was one of the main fronts of the cold war, which is why the CIA put so many resources into killing them during the years of lead and stamping out their orgs via gladio.
The Italian and other southern and eastern european expats to the US during the early 1900s formed the core of most of its communist / socialist organizing too. They were highly-communitarian minded people, pretty much the opposite of anglos.
Highly recommend comrades read Paul Williams - Operation Gladio.
North Italy as well? You know - they seem surprisingly revolutionary, despite being what I presume to be the most richer region amongst North and South
It’s because they were the more industrialized region. Southern Italy used to be a lot more agrarian. It’s like how Hungary used to be to Austria under the Dual Monarchy.
Italians are either fash or leftist. Their libs have all been scratched
Catholicism was also a major force behind revolutionary energy in Latin America. Growing up feeling guilty about how selfish you are and looking up to a guy who sacrificed his life for others adds an element to the culture that can often lead to wanting to go out of your way to make the world better for those less fortunate.
The vatican and catholic power structure was always allied with reactionaries in both europe and latin america, and helped latin american countries hunt down and kill leftists, including liberation theology priests. The last pope, pope Francis, even helped imprison and kill several during the argentian junta.
Highly recommend reading Paul L Williams - Operation Gladio, because it gets into this history, especially the cold-warrior alliance of the CIA / NATO, the catholic church, fascist lodges and stay-behind units in Europe and SA, and the mob. The vatican played a large role in many of anti-communist atrocities of the 20th century.
Yes the Catholic church is trash and many catholics are in turn.
But every now and then, people do take the lessons to heart
I mean, Marx came from Germany so…
But I think it has to do with how both Germany and Italy were heavily industrialized while also not having as many colonies like Spain, Britain or France.
But Germany actually got a socialist government in the east after the war, so their western counterparts by necessity had to be social democrats. The Communist Party of Italy on the other hand went on existing for most of the 20th century, supported by the Comintern.
In all of Western Europe the last century, I think Italy and maybe (Northern) Ireland had the most consistent revolutionary potential until Eurocommunism doomed the peninsula.
I would say it’s confirmation bias because you can’t name every other Italian. Go on.
looks around nervously Uh, um, uh, I um dabs sweat with hankerchief
Chef Boyardee?
