"Italy: Not Yet in Its Finest Hour" by By Dr. Tseggai Isaac

[mesfin]

What do you guys think of this article about Italy. Just cruious to hear your opinion. Do you agree with the him? Disagree?

Thank You.

Italy: Not Yet in Its Finest Hour
By Dr. Tseggai Isaac

To read it online, here is the link:
http://eri24.com/Commentary_T25.htm

or if you wish to read it in this forum, here is the full text below:

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Italy: Not Yet in Its Finest Hour
By Dr. Tseggai Isaac

The might of nations is determined by their domestic stability and their ability to project power in global and regional settings. When nations use their power to positively influence critical events, they earn their citizens’ affection, and the respect of others. On the other hand, when nations recoil from assuming their regional and global responsibilities, and when they squander their potential to influence events for better or worse, they show symptoms of weakness. Italy, a nation of history and sublime civilization is one such nation that has long failed to live up to its global and regional potential. In regional terms, it is a member of the EU, but that’s all the extent of its regional influence. In global terms, as a member of the G8 (the exclusive club of industrial powers) one would expect Italy to have influence in its former colonies. Yet compared to the relationship of other European states with their former colonies, Italy is an absent partner to its former colonies. Italy’s lack of influence is symptomatic of its confused domestic politics and severe devaluation of its historic power.

Italy (Rome) was at its finest when Italian glory, embodied in Roman greatness, was dominant over Europe, Asia, and Africa. Rome, the “eternal city,” was a precious diamond among all cities. It beamed with refined art, literature, and engineering feats that were breath-taking in their inspiration, and awe-inspiring in their depth, resilience, majesty, and, almost supernatural energy. The Romans did not build static pyramids. They built functional edifices useful for worshiping, governing, playing, working, and for the expression of civilized living. Roman Cathedrals, statehouses, coliseums, villas, roads, bridges, and waterways, all graced in exquisite artistic expressions, testified of Italian might, wisdom, cleverness, and unmatched brilliance. Such an amalgamation of what is beautiful, brilliant, in scientific, artistic, and engineering expression did not stop at the emotional level of human inspiration. They transcended in the Roman military, political, and economic systems all blending to demonstrate Roman superiority, and Italian ingenuity. Surely the past was good for Rome. However, the past is irretrievable. It is this hour, the here and now that does matter, and Italy today is not in its finest hour. Today Italy finds itself a figment of its ancient self, because, over the centuries, its statesmen have devalued their ancient glory, underestimated the impact of their civilization, and caused Italian self-esteem to decline. In a greater measure, Italy’s inability to show supportive influence in the economic and diplomatic affairs of its former colonies is a clear illustration of the malaise currently afflicting this ancient nation.

Italy’s inability to live up to the profiles of its ancient greatness is tragic, but most Italians will not know it. Like a deadly cancer that grows imperceptibly until its deadly juices infest the whole body, Italy’s dereliction and betrayal of its Roman greatness developed stealthily over centuries. Its impact is shown on those events that Italian statesmen have deemed uninteresting, even though those events, in their totality and symbolism, are very crucial to Italy’s sense of honor.

Adwa: A Victory that was not

The last time Italians were keenly mobilized in a heroic and nationalist agitation was in the 1830s and 1840s when Guisseppe Mazzini, Camillo di Cavour and Guisseppe Garibaldi enflamed Italian passions for a united Italy. The union of 1861 brought together Italy’s fragmented entities; Italy was in its finest hour, and a slow recovery of national pride had begun. Very soon, it was obvious that the extent of healing did not go beyond scientific and industrial modernization. Full recovery lagged in the area of cultural and political realms.

On the cultural side, Italy climbed at the forefront in exporting soft art such as fashions, perfumes, and films. That is not much considering Italy’s potential and its past achievements. On the political side, Italy’s belated venture in the colonial race of the nineteenth century did not pay handsome returns. If any thing, Italy’s colonial footprints testified of its dismal decline. Adwa, Ethiopia, showed Italian refusal to even claim a victory in a battle they had already won. Italy's acceptance of the Adwa incident, and its subsequent acquiescent stance to Ethiopia has left an indelible blemish on Italy’s glorious past. It is a testimony that the Italians, descendants of the most famous generals, Caesars, conquerors, and emperors of the past, could not even claim a victory they had won.

On the other hand, the Adwa incident has given a false sense of self-worth to the Ethiopians who have used it to spread black racism in Africa. Adwa has also given Africans grounds for self-delusion and a perverted morale boost into believing that Ethiopia, an African state was “victorious” over Italy, an European state. What Ethiopians will not tell the world is that their Emperor, Menelik, was so defeated at Adwa that he “forfeited” Eritrea to Italy. Menelik’s signatures validating his defeat still stand as testimony to Eritrea’s borders. Those signatures also remain indelible stains vouching Menelik’s feeble military engagement at Adwa. Italian failures to confront this military reality and its ambivalence in creating strong and enduring ties with Eritrea have given validity to Ethiopian artificial victory.

Propaganda for Lunch and Dinner

The Ethiopians have used Adwa and subsequent events of 1935 to corner Italy into accepting Ethiopian flagrancy in Italy’s former colonies, Eritrea and Somalia. Today, Italy is an unabashed appeaser of Ethiopia, regardless of Ethiopian contempt for Italy and Italians. No matter how often Italy appeases Ethiopian flagrancy against Somalia, Eritrea, and indirectly, against Italy itself, the sense of false self-worth continues in Ethiopia. This false self-esteem is kept alive by the domestic and foreign propaganda campaigns that have been raging against Italy for more than fifty years. In the Ethiopian media, Italy is the object of the most hateful epithets and murderous anger. The Ethiopian educational system contains curriculum designed to depict Italy and Italians as an eternal enemy of Ethiopia. Such a perpetual campaign of animosity would have prompted any self-respecting country to at least reconsider its diplomatic ties.

Domestic propaganda is not confined to the Ethiopian urban centers alone. Ethiopian diplomats in frightening vitriolic and intense hatred against Italy carry their vituperations abroad. For instance, Ethiopian aggression against its neighbors is often justified at international venues, such as the United Nations or the OAU, by invoking "fascist Italy" even for events that have nothing to do with Italy or Italians. For no apparent reason than their false-pride, Ethiopian policy makers justify their lawless behavior in Eritrea by denouncing Italy. In fact, it is safe to say that Ethiopian foreign policy goals are based on de-legitimating any legal act that Italy observed with respect to its former colonies on the bases that Italy is not a country worth considering in legal or conventional manners. Even on those treaties and understandings that Ethiopia requested and signed with Italy, Ethiopians would rather refuse to accept responsibility and blame Italy for signing the treaties that Ethiopia initiated. Ethiopia now uses those treaties as grounds for Ethiopia’s proxy aggression against Somalia and Eritrea. Italy would have gone a long way in protecting its honor by contributing to Eritrean reconstruction, stability, and security while placing Ethiopia in its proper diplomatic space.

This is the Hour

Italy’s former colonies, particularly Eritrea, still entertain a reserve of good will towards Italy. The Somalis and the Eritreans, two of Italy’s three former colonial territories, look up to Italy for strengthening their political and economic links as well as providing mediation in the festering regional crisis. Italy’s industrial ingenuity has more reserve of resources which could help these countries recover from years of devastating wars and abject poverty without costing Italy exorbitant transfer of capital. They look for an Italian “Marshall Plan” in the Horn of Africa. Yet Italy is too improvident and derelict to play its duty of reconstruction and mediation.

As soon as Eritrea gained its independence, the Eritreans made repeated overtures to Italy. Eritrea wanted to renew its traditional link with Italy, but Italian policy makers showed remarkable dereliction and neglect. In the summer of 2001, the President of Eritrea, H. E. Isaias Afeworki, paid a state visit to Italy in an attempt to rekindle some enthusiasm among Italian policy makers. President Isaias showed a towering dignity and endearing grace as he interacted with Italian officials. His Italian counterparts did not reciprocate in similar manner. By contrast, they were mundane in their arrogance, and petty in the paucity of their hospitality. That lack of diplomatic grace was reflected among their diplomatic personnel in Eritrea as they tried to encourage dissention and crisis among Eritreans. Indeed it is disappointing to witness that the larger Italian body politic today, and the intellectual arena which brings together Italy’s diplomats and politicians shows astounding level of ignorance and negligence in reciprocating the Eritrean good will.

In all fairness, the previous Italian Administration deserves a great deal of Eritrean gratitude. It made valiant efforts and succeeded in realizing cease-fire agreement in the recent conflagration between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Under Secretary for foreign affairs, Signor Rino Seri was masterful in his diplomatic endeavors. Needless to say, that shining example of effective diplomacy was quickly jettisoned by Signor Berlusconi’s government. With its empty rhetoric about Italian past grandeur and the superiority of Western civilization over other civilizations, Berlusconi’s government illustrates a remarkable lack of focus and purpose.

Eritreans should also salute the few Italian citizens with progressive political tradition who are cognizant of their country’s traditional relations with and obligation to Eritrea and who are willing to reciprocate the Eritrean good will. A few political activists, artists, intellectuals, journalists, and patriotic Italians have contributed to the Eritrean struggle for liberation. What is striking is that they are too few. Italians from all walks of life, and specifically, from the industrial, educational, health, agricultural, and, most critically, the diplomatic sector should join the few Italian friends of Eritrea to strengthen Italo-Eritrean solidarity and mutual cooperation.

Italy’s abandonment of Eritrea while Eritreans enthusiastically yearn for the renewal of the traditional bonds of the two countries reflects badly on Italy. Italian policy makers ought to remember that the virtues of great countries are based on how their governments perpetuate their legacies of greatness. This is the hour for such retrospection with respect to Italy’s responsibility in Eritrea. One hopes that Italy will wake up and reclaim its finest hour to make up for the past legacy of neglect and dereliction of duty.

[antoninus]

ITALIA-- POTENZIALITA` SPRECATA.
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