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Il Rotary di Washington e la bandiera italiana

 
Il generale Pietro Tornabene, addetto militare presso l'Ambasciata italiana, ha tenuto una letcure al Rotary Club of Washington sulle origini della bandiera italiana. Il RC di Washington si riunisce ogni mercoledi' dalle 12:30 alle 1:30.  In un'ora vengono sbrigati, con tipico pragmatismo americano, i lavori dei singoli dipartimenti del club dando poi spazio all'ospite di turno che parla per non piu' di dodici minuti . Pietro Tornabene, grazie al suo stile pieno di humour, ha 'sforato' rispetto ai tempi tradizionali, divertendo i 150 rotariani con l'esposizione, a tratti ironica, delle vicende di storia italiana.
Qui sotto ospitiamo il testo in inglese del suo intervento e alcune slides che lo hanno corredato.
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150 Years of Italian History



On 17 March 1861 the Italian Parliament convened after the defeat of the last independent reign of Southern Italy, proclaimed the former king of the reign of Sardinia, Victor Emanuel II, King of the “Reign of Italy”. With this act a new nation was born, and Italy ceased to be simply a geographical expression and took its place on the political European scene.

In 1861 the Italy of today was not yet complete. The path toward complete unity would take another 59 years with the acquisition of Trieste from the defeated Austrian Empire at the end of the First World War.

Four wars were needed to reach this unity: three wars of independence and one World War.

We owe a debt of gratitude to France: our flag was born reflected in the pattern of the French Tri-colored Flag, symbolizing the principles of fraternity, equality and freedom whereas the Italian flag adopted green in place of the French blue.

The Italian flag was born in Bologna in November 1794 as a rosette brought by two students wishing to rebel against the Pope`s rule. These two martirs of the Italian liberty are worth to be remembered and paid with their lives the ardent love for our beloved country.

Their names were Luigi Zamboni and Giovanni Battista de Rolandis, two youths in their twenties, who dreamed of an Italian State free from the privileged classes of nobles, priests and  foreigners.

These two men chose to combine the red-and-white colors of Bologna with the green: the color of spring and symbol of hope for a better future as well as the beauty of the Italian countryside.

When Napoleon came to Italy in 1796, red, white and green were the colors of Italian independence and this fact was reinforced on the 7th of January 1797 in Reggio Emilia: the Cispadana Republic adopted the red, white and green flag as its own. The flag had horizontal stripes, but the stripes were changed to vertical when in July 1797 the Cisalpina Republic emerged from the ashes of the Cispadana Republic.

The Italian Republic of the 1802-1805 and the Napoleonic reign of Italy 1805-1815 retained the three colors even if in a different format that today represent the flag of the Italian President.

The Italy dream by Dante, Machiavelli, Pietro Bembo, and other intellectuals took political shape with the Napoleon adventure and did not die when Napoleon fell at the battleground of Waterloo in 1815.

The old dynasties which returned to power in an Italy - still a geographic expression of more than 7 different States on the peninsula - failed miserably in  destroying the vision of a unified Italy and ruthlessly killed arrays of patriot harbingers of the future.

In 1820, 1821, 1831 insurrections were squashed and tri-colored flags burned, but the momentum of history was against these reactionaries and the idea of an independent Italy, fueled by the ardor of young patriots and military and by the political intentions of Mazzini, won over the idea of independence at the very beginning of modern Italy in 1848 when Milan raised up against the Austrians, “The Five Days of Milano” (le Cinque Giornate di Milano) from 18 through 22 march 1848.

The insurrection of Milan sparked the First war of independence when, on the 23rd of March, the king of Sardinia, Carlo Alberto, declared war against Austria and ordered the Sardinian troops to adopt the Italian tri-colored flag, the “Tricolore”, in its present form, as the flag of the Army and of the State.

The war was a disaster: the Reign of Sardinia was defeated on 23 March 1849, but nevertheless the “Tricolore” remained the flag of the State as a reminder that the hopes of a unified Italy had not been destroyed.

Thanks to the outstanding political skills and efforts of Cavour, the reign of Sardinia, in 1859 with the help of another Napoleon, Napoleon the III, declared war on Austria resulting in the 2nd war of Italian independence. After the bloodshed of the battles of San Martino and Solferino, Austria was finally defeated and the regions of Lombardy and Central Northern Italy became part of the Reign of Sardinia under the Italian “Tricolore”.

In 1860 Giuseppe Garibaldi, a former ardent follower of Mazzini, under the secret direction of Cavour, together with 1089 men succeeded in defeating the Southern Italian Reign of the two Sicilies.

In order to avoid a civil war, Garibaldi in Teano (Campania, 26th October 1860), with a gesture of generosity unique in all of history, put his love of Italy above his own interest, decided to hand over the newly conquered Reign of the South to the king of Sardinia, Victor Emanuel II. Garibaldi then went into self-imposed exile on a small island off the coast of Sardinia, Caprera.

With this act Italy as a political entity was born! And the first Italian parliament convened in Turin (then the capital of Italy) on 18 February to proclaim that on the 17th of March 1861 the new nation of Italy would be born: the Reign of Italy under Victor Emanuel II.

At this time, Rome, Venice and Trieste were under foreign rule: Rome was under that rule of a stubborn Pope who, unable to understand the spirit of the time and backed by France was unwilling to relinquish power; Venice and Trieste were under the rule of the much despised Austrians.

Venice become part of Italy after the 3rd war of independence in 1866 when Austria was defeated by an Italian and Prussian coalition.

Rome was taken on the 20 September 1870 after France was defeated on the battleground of Sedan by the Prussian (2 September 1870).

Trieste became part of Italy at the end of the bloodcurdling First World War.

Finally in 1918 the long path toward unity and independence had been completed, and our founding fathers gave us the invaluable gift of the Italian Nation that we enjoy nowadays.

However, the path towards unity, even though it seems complete today, remains unfinished. Every generation needs to regain the values of its own identity while avoiding to lose that which was gained with enormous sacrifice.

Today Italians are a people under a unified country with a single national language. We are no longer the downtrodden and derided people under foreign rule that we were in the 1800s. It is important for us to continue to acknowledge the great difficulties others overcame to attain our unity. It is important for us to remind the new generations of the need to understand our history and not take for granted the “Normality” we enjoy every day.

Nothing is forever, and we need to celebrate in order to remember, we need to pay respect to the symbols of our unity in order to grow in strength and reaffirm the values of our unity.

Liberty, Equality, Freedom are not forever but are rich fruits that need to be cultivated and maintained throughout the generations.

We as military, as people that have chosen an ethical profession and vocation, stand firm in our desire to celebrate and honor the sacrifices of such personages as Zamboni, De Rolandis, Ciro Menotti, the Flag brothers (i fratelli Bandiera), Pisacane, Goffredo Mameli, Mazzini, Cavour, Garibaldi as well as all the countless, unnamed people that with their love, sacrifice and humility built the wonderful country that is Italy.

Thanks for joining me in remembering the Italian History.

Viva l`Italia, Viva il Tricolore!
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Ciao Oscar,
un po' celebrativo, ma va bene per gli amici americani.
Cordialità
Lorenzo Cafaro
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Risponde Oscar:
Una volta tanto che parliamo bene della nostra Italia e non la infanghiamo coi comportamenti di una certa parte politica, ci sta bene una parentesi celebrativa. Soprattutto pensando a quelle migliaia di giovani italiani che hanno perduto la loro vita per farci vivere in una nazione che ancora oggi suscita ammirazione per la sua cultura, la sua gente, la sua tradizione culinaria. E siccome gli americani (che non sono dei coglioni come siamo portati a credere) si sentono uniti, nonostante le differenti pelli e culture, proprio dalla loro bandiera, la lecture tenuta dal Generale Tornabene li ha particolarmente interessati.
Comunque: "tot capita, tot sententiae".
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Finalmente un alto ufficiale italiano col senso dell'umorismo. Un caro saluto. 
Maurizio. (Torino)
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Egregio Oscar, 

I wish you had also expressed your opinion about  General Tornabene's conclusions. 
I disagree that today " We are no longer the downtrodden and derided people under foreign rule that we were in the 1800s" .

Today the nation economy is almost entirely owned by foreign corporations, mainly American, British, French, German, Dutch and Chinese. 

The globalization spirit in Italy is in one direction only, very few Italian corporations have merged or acquired interests in foreign countries. 

Italians are now used to buy products from companies like Carrefours, Auchan, Decathlon Lidl, that have invaded Italian territory from north to south. Italian brands like La Perla, Polenghi, Locatelli, Peroni and so on and so on keep the italian name but share their profits in foreign lands. 

Even the renown Pasta di Fissan  has been taken over.

We depend on our energy almost totally from France nuclear power, while United States consider our country as one of their flag stars. 

With the difference that they don't have to bother to finance it, they just use their military bases from Aviano to Sigonella free of charge. 

In our so called "Free and unite country", everyday Fedex unloads in Aviano whatever type of missiles . Italians are not even informed about nuclear heads carried by such missiles.

The Pentagon smiles at the easiness of having an additional state on their flag, without the financial burden of intervening in natural calamities or providing public security and utilities.

Most of the italian strategic points of entry such as the marine ports are controlled by China.

Almost everyday, long established italian companies are taken over by foreigners. 

Just last week the Cova confectionery chain and the luxury textile Loro Piana by the french Lvmh, Pernigotti by the Turkish Toksoz. Not to mention about the sensational sale by Berlusconi of Standa, "la casa degli italiani" to the AustroGerman Billa.

Alitalia and Esa (european space agency) have their headquarters in Paris.

Most of italian chain of Hotels have been taken over by American corporations.



Carlo Emanuele III of Sardinia used to say that Italy is like an artichoke, that must be eaten slowly leaf by leaf....or as Indro Montanelli  said that Italy is " the spezzatino of Europe", anybody can do "scarpetta" in its stew.

In conclusion  my opinion is that today the italian peninsula is much more under foreign rule than it was under Napoleon. 

After having realized that the italian peninsula is too difficult to be governed, the same foreign powers of centuries ago, have decided to buy it....leaf by leaf......



All the best

giancarlo belluso 
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Risponde Oscar
Caro Giancarlo,
La ringrazio per il suo articolato commento che si inserisce in una cultura un po' troppo domestica. Se gli altri ci comprano e' perche' noi non abbiamo piu' la capacita', voglia e senso del rischio di comprare gli altri. Oggi viviamo in un mondo caratterizzato dalla competizione globale. A questo proposito ricordo a Lei ed a coloro che si lamentano perche' molte nostre industrie sono cadute in mani straniere che il "Mondo e' piatto" come scrive nel suo famoso libro Thomas Friedman.
Sarebbe bello se fossimo noi a comprare gli altri. FIAT ci sta provando con successo. Anche se facciamo di tutto per farla andar via dall'Italia.
Molti cari saluti.
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Egregio Oscar, 
non voglio polemizzare con chi ha molta piu' ampia visione internazionale, ma mi consenta di dissentire sull'oggetto FIAT.
Il governo americano era giunto al punto di non poter piu' usare fondi del comune taxpayer per salvare l'industria automobilistica ridotta al collasso. 
I pensionati della Chrysler si stavano rassegnando a non ricevere piu' l'assegno mensile.
Il debito della Chrysler con gli istituti finanziari era contratto ad interessi spropositati.
Cosa si sono inventati gli gnomi della finanza americana? 
Hanno girato il mappamondo e si son chiesti quale fosse la nazione piu' naive, per usare un eufemismo, in Europa e, dopo aver scartato i francesi, tedeschi ed inglesi, si son fermati sulla penisola nostrana.
In accordo col governo canadese han deciso di "prestare" a un manager di comodo, canadese di nascita e fedele alla bandiera americana, certo Marchionne i fondi necessari ad acquisire l'industria fallimentare della Chrysler e ad assorbirsene l'ingente debito..
Risultato: oggi i pensionati della Chrysler hanno ripreso a sorridere, il debito si e' ridimensionato ed il bilancio ha cominciato a restituire profitti ai propri azionisti.

Le FIAT nostrane sono diventate delle Chrysler mascherate con abile cosmesi, eccezion fatta per la 500 che sta pero' costando un patrimonio in marketing ma che serve a dare fumo negli occhi all'italiota cui si fa credere di conquistare le strade americane.

Non bisogna chiamarsi Nostradamus per immaginare in un prossimo futuro la sede della FIAT a Detroit, luogo dove oggi si puo' acquistare un intero quartiere residenziale  e capannoni industriali a quattro dollari. 

Lo sfacelo che le superstiti comunita' umane, principalmente ispaniche e afroamericane hanno compiuto, devastandone gli edifici abbandonati e facendone crollare il valore immobiliare fa quasi dubitare che si tratti di un evento naturale e non di una manovra pilotata.

Non mi stupirei che la FIAT nel frattempo abbia gia' cominciato ad acquisire terreni , quartieri residenziali e capannoni.
Come innumerevoli attivita' nostrane che hanno mantenuto dell'italianita' la sola ragione sociale, anche la FIAT dividera' i suoi profitti all'estero lasciandone pero' gran parte agli azionisti Chrysler.
Agli operai FIAT in cassa integrazione verranno fatti notevoli sconti su viaggi guidati a Detroit nella futura nuova sede e gli verranno regalate Tshirts con la foto di Marchionne stampata sopra a girocollo. 

Come al solito nelle sue risposte si cela sempre una sentenza chiave : "Se gli altri ci comprano e' perche' noi non abbiamo piu' la capacita', voglia e senso del rischio di comprare gli altri."  
Concordo principalmente sulla sua prima riflessione, "Se gli altri ci comprano e' perche' noi non ne abbiamo  la capacita'".

Ha ragione l'acuto Thomas Friedman a scrivere che oggi il mondo e' piatto, purtroppo gli altri  corrono ad alta velocita' verso la nostra penisola e quando sembra che anche noi lo si stia facendo in direzione opposta, cadiamo in intricate e bizantiniane trappole straniere.

Devo ancora vedere una acquisizione chiara e netta nostrana di una qualsivoglia solida  industria o corporation affermata all'estero.

Rassegnamoci a diventare la Las Vegas o la Disneyland dell'Europa, apriamo le porte a cinesi e giapponesi che difendano il nostro patrimonio artistico e paesaggistico di cui siamo divenuti degli ignobili custodi, e andiamo servilmente a lavorare come caddies nei golf resorts, camerieri o al massimo maitre d'Hotel, bagnini, direttori di Spa, terme e stabilimenti balneari, stazioni sciistiche, croupiers di casino liberalizzati ovunque, o continuare a impersonare il gladiatore di turno al Colosseo. 
Libereremmo cosi' migliaia di uffici statali e potremmo aprire un fantastico resort al Quirinale con tanto di roller coaster e tavoli da gioco.

cordiali saluti
Giancarlo Belluso
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Risponde Oscar
Ce la faremo, caro Giancarlo. Ce la faremo!