why should I lie?

why should I lie?

Monday, August 23, 2004

VIGNA di VALLE
Museo Storico dell’Aeronautica Militare

A pochi chilometri dalla capitale, affacciate sul lago di Bracciano, tre splendide cittadine augurano il benvenuto ai turisti, sia a quelli della domenica, provenienti in maggioranza da Roma, sia a quelli che dal nord dell’Europa calano fin qui per un’indimenticabile vacanza estiva.
Le tre cittadine, Bracciano, Anguillara e Trevignano, hanno in comune un cuore medievale che ci ricorda le grandi famiglie che qui hanno regnato per molti secoli. Il tutto, e non è da poco, legato da un filo storico unico al mondo: la civiltà etrusca, che in questa zona si è sviluppata e ha lasciato la sua impronta indelebile.
Ma come può essere che in un’area come questa, che qualsiasi archeologo al mondo ci invidia e ci incita a proteggere contro speculazioni e degrado possa esser sorto un aeroporto militare?
L’Aeroporto Militare L.Bourlot si trova a Vigna di Valle, a metà strada tra Anguillara e Bracciano. Ma dove sono le piste di decollo e atterraggio? Siamo in riva a un lago vulcanico incorniciato da colline. Sarebbe quindi impossibile realizzare delle piste per gli aerei. A meno che non si parli di idrovolanti, di quegli aerei, cioè, che hanno costituito l’orgoglio dell’aviazione italiana, a cominciare dagli anni venti.
Ai nostri tempi, dominati dai “widebodies” che trasportano centinaia di passeggeri, si è un po’ portati a dimenticare le glorie dell’aviazione italiana che si basano su nomi quali, Marchetti, Gabrielli, Campini. E non dimentichiamo chi quei nomi li ha resi più famosi con le sue imprese: De Bernardi, Balbo, cioè gli Schumaker dell’epoca. Senza il loro apporto, la perfezione tecnica di quelle macchine volanti non sarebbe mai stata raggiunta.
Quest’amore del bello e della perfezione, unito con un sentimento della storia vera, ha ispirato coloro che hanno organizzato una collezione eccezionale, diventata nel 1977 un museo. Aerei e cimeli dell’aviazione italiana sono raccolti, restaurati nei minimi dettagli ed esposti in quattro hangar. Alcuni di questi hangar sono quelli originali dell’aeroporto stesso, altri sono stati costruiti come padiglioni d’esposizione del Museo.
Chi scrive queste poche righe ha avuto l’occasione di visitare il museo dell’aeronautica della Boeing a Seattle,USA. Questo è certamente un museo bellissimo e ricco, dove si possono ammirare pezzi unici quali l’Air Force One del presidente J.F.Kennedy e il famoso Blackbird detentore di tutti I record in quota stabiliti prima dell’avvento degli Shuttle. Posso però testimoniare che l’atmosfera che vi si respira, anche se pervasa dallo spirito dell’altissima tecnologia, non è quella che regna nel Museo di Vigna di Valle.
Quest’ultimo crea nel visitatore le emozioni che l’archeologo, lo storiografo, il ricercatore, possono sperimentare di fronte a quegli stessi monumenti che abbelliscono tutto il Lazio. Esaminare da vicino il motore dell’aereo costruito dai fratelli Wright, ammirare il biplano che fece parte dello stormo che D’Annunzio guidò su Vienna, analizzare in dettaglio I cimeli delle trasvolate atlantiche di Balbo, fino a mollare uno sberlotto confidenziale al più moderno Tornado, è possibile solo qui, al Museo di Vigna di Valle.

Monday, August 09, 2004

EUROPE


Geography and politics

In spite of the poor definition of its boundaries, Europe is a continent. But, do the Urals constitute a true European frontier? Is the shore of the Atlantic Ocean an other clear border line? And what about Caucasus?
Let's make an example. Is Moldavia an European country? I happened to visit Chisinau, capital of Moldavia, in the seventies. On that occasion I learnt that the local population speaks romanian and russian. The country is located in Bessarabia (russian: without Arabs, i.e. without Islam). Accordingly, I feel the population of Moldavia consists essentially of Europeans. Will Moldavia soon or later follow the Romanians thus joining the European Union? Will they remain independent? Will they revert to a Russian Union when this will replace the former USSR?
Will Ukraine and White Russia make a similar decision? What will happen with the former Eastern Prussia, i.e. the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, unforgotten place of German traditions? What about Georgia (bordering Tchechnia)?
Norway is included in the Schengen treaty, together with Iceland. They are not members of the European Union. Let's not forget that, on the contrary, Greenland, being this island a major component of Denmark, constitutes a true physical border of EU with the American continent.
Switzerland, the common safe box of Americas, Europe, China etc., will probably keep its wait-and-see position for still a quite long time.
Turkey is an other clear example of the geographic undefinition of EU versus Europe. As a matter of fact the geographical Europe ends at the Bosphorous. Let's add Israel, being this state considered as one of the possible future members of EU.
Geographically speaking we are in a mess.

The situation reminds me of the old gag about Reagan and Gorbachev:
"We have made our utmost. Now, let's get hibernated and wake up in twenty years and see what's happened in the meantime!"
Twenty years elapsed and the two guys wake-up. "Come with the newspapers!"
"Look here Ron! USA is not doing so well! I read that Mexico is claiming Texas back under its jurisdiction!" (laughing)
"But Gorby, I read here about riots of the independists at the frontier between Germany and China!" (laughing)

Structure and Organization of EU

Regardless of the geographical problems, Europe should aim to become a Union consisting of all those European (and not) countries willing to lay off their sovereign status (not their culture), to benefit the harmony among the populations.

The Structure of the Union shall take advantage of all positive and negative experiences of the member states. This means that:
· The structure of the Union shall be democratic (positive experience)
· The structure of the Union shall not be fascist nor communist oriented (negative experiences).
· The structure of the Union shall not be influenced by any of the religions that, by tradition, deviate from the most beautiful instruction ever dispensed: give to Caesar what pertains to Caesar, to God what pertains to God.
· The structure of the Union shall be set up in order to represent every European citizen, regardless of the country of origin. To make it clear: the representatives sitting in a European Parliament must be nursed and trained to evaluate the interests of the country they represent within the frame of the higher interests of the Union. (The number of the representatives per country and their right of vote and veto were at the origin of the failure of the negotiations on European Constitution).
· The Government of the Union should be a true government i.e. Prime Minister (or President of the Union), Ministers, Ambassadors etc. fully empowered by the reduced staffs that shall administrate the several countries of the Union.

The Organization of the Union must, I repeat must, take into account:
· "…that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
(The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America - July 4, 1776)
· The way of living of each population, being this understood as the way of acting in respect to work, enjoy the life, suffer and mourn. But in no way this shall be in conflict, nor affect negatively, the life and activity of other populations not sharing the same traditions.
· The geographic position, being this important for studying and determining the type of central and peripheral infrastructures, communication systems and technical organization to be set up for the common benefit of the Union.
· The idioms. Based on their practical use across the world, three of them should be chosen and taught, namely English, French or Spanish, Polish or Bulgarian.
· The religions and the atheism. These are often strictly connected to the way of living. Anyhow, although being granted their freedom, they should in no way interfere with the organization and the management of the Union, both at local level as well as at central level. Europe should gratefully adopt the spirit of the French revolution, namely the laic spirit of the state.
· The education. A common scheme shall be adopted to provide the same minimum education level to all the citizens of the Union.
· The Justice. This will be probably the most difficult item to be dealt with. Some practical directives are already in force, but the main point will be to choose between the abstract sense of justice (Roman right) and the more practical sense of justice, typical of the Anglo-Saxons.
· The Defense. Personally, I find nonsense the creation of a second military organization in parallel with NATO. Please, do not hide behind "different scopes etc."
Let a PC study the possible combinations of the following factors: conflict of interests, competition, lack of communication, jealousy among commanders, collapsing of the different organizations.
· Bureaucracy. This is the real tragedy. Just a prayer: forget the old Romans. Forget Napoleon. Forget Franz Joseph. Forget all the fathers of bureaucracy.
An example (unfortunately 100% true): a guy is citizen of two countries of the EU. He is working in one of the two countries, where he has been resident for some thirty years.
Since he finds stupid to have two different documents with the same heading "European Union", he holds only the passport of one of the two countries, the one country where he is not resident, but usually more efficient. He is suddenly called for a business meeting in a country oversea. This country requires an entry visa. He sends the visa application together with his passport to the Consulate of the said country in the town where he is resident. The application is turned down since he should have submitted also copy of the stay permit (!!!) issued by the authority of the country where he is actually residing and working.
This is absolutely correct, when seen with the eyes of the representatives of the third country. Anyhow, don't you find tremendously stupid that the European Union, in spite of the fact that it proudly announced years ago the free circulation of manpower, still imposes a stay permit (application, validity, renewal etc.) for citizens of the same EU?
I know that many people would loose their job if the bureaucracy is simplified or cancelled, but I find complete nonsense to go on with this idiot game.

This is my contribution to a debate about Europe. I've tried to express the ideas of an old man who has spent 50% of his lifetime abroad, feeling always at home. I will be delighted to add clarifications and answer possible queries.

Francesco Pitrelli
Born 1934

EUROFUTURUM
I concluded my contribution of October 16 stating "I feel somewhat deceived" Now I am even more deceived. Why?
I was deceived of the too restrictive and limited spirit of Europe which has inspired the draft Constitution. Europe must be Europe. I want to be one European out of 400 millions (or more) Europeans. I feel I behave already as a European citizen. 1960-1966 I have been working in Denmark for 6 too short years. I loved and criticized this Country as any Dane did.(because you only express you criticism on countries you love)On top of my Italian and English I learnt Danish. I moved to France, I lived there, French became my official language. My criticism was addressed to that country. It was also very easy to produce comments concerning the way of living of a country very concerned with "la grandeur! General De Gaulle was still there. Anyhow, I loved to live in France and I loved French people, their way of living too. Back to Italy, I started critizing the structure, the behaviour of the Italians, the politicians. Nevertheless I loved Italians: in particular the poor Italians of the southern provinces, where I had the opportunity to work. I loved and expressed my criticism on my beloved Latin America: Colombia (the sweetest, cultured castillano they speak!)Venezuela and Argentina, became my new beloved fatherlands.It is easy: live always the way they live.The same happened to me with Germany..with Poland..and many years ago with the URSS. May be I can teach something:
love, get involved, criticize.
This is to love, pardon... to live a country. This is the way you will love Europe.

Franco - born 1934
LICENZA D’UCCIDERE
ovvero
LA PATENTE AUTOMOBILISTICA


Quale percentuale della popolazione conosce I dati statistici relativi all’infortunistica stradale in Italia?
Scommetto. Meno dell’un per cento.
Perché questi dati non vengono diffusi e propagandati a sufficienza? Qui la risposta è più semplice: potrebbero danneggiare gli interessi dell’industria automobilistica, dell’industria del petrolio e quella collegata dei trasporti su gomma. Continuare a propagandare due, tre e quattro ruote, come status symbol, come segno di potere ed espressione di potenza, è in realtà puramente criminale.
Numeri:
· Anno 2002 oltre 6500 morti sulle strade
· Anno 2002 circa trecentomila feriti sulle strade, di cui
· Anno 2002 oltre 20,000 invalidi permanenti
Mettiamo il cuore da parte. Parliamo di numeri puri.
Quanto costa un morto? Funerale, tomba, parenti tristi etc. Diciamo 20,000 Euro di una tantum? Quindi 6,500 moltiplicato per 20,000 Euro fanno un giro d’affari (in gran parte attivo) di 130 milioni di Euro. Non parliamo delle assicurazioni che I soldi che pagano li hanno riscossi abbondantemente in anticipo.
Quanto costa un disabile? In maggioranza sono rappresentati da non deambulanti. Carrozzina, indennità d’accompagnamento, pensione? Non solo. La perdita principale è rappresentata generalmente dal suo mancato apporto al mondo del lavoro e della produzione.
Numeri? Vogliamo azzardare una cifra conservativa per indicare la perdita che la società, cosiddetta civile, patisce? Vogliamo dire un numero infimo? Vogliamo dire 30,000 Euro/anno per disabile? Il calcolo diventa più complesso: 30,000 * 20,000 = 600 milioni di euro ogni anno. Sommiamo anno dopo anno: anno zero: 600. Un anno dopo 1200, ancora un anno e siamo a 1800. E, purtroppo, si raggiungono cifre da finanziaria. Nel 2000, se non erro, solamente I costi accumulati (senza considerare cioè la perdita dell’apporto al mondo del lavoro) erano di 47,000 miliardi di vecchie lire. Tondi tondi 25 miliardi di Euro.
E la strage continua. Qualcuno degli imbecilli dirà: sì è vero, ma qualche disabile morirà anche lungo il triste percorso della sua esistenza. Il bilancio economico migliora!
E se per farlo migliorare ulteriormente augurassimo una rapida e felice dipartita ai fanatici della velocità e dello status symbol? Come sopra indicato, un funerale costa molto meno.
Imitando un pacchetto di sigarette potremmo obbligare I produttori d’auto a scrivere a grandi lettere su cofano e fiancate “nuoce gravemente alla salute” e “l’auto uccide”

Convincetevi: l’auto è una condanna; necessaria, ma pur sempre una condanna.