Gianfranco Fini's penance

[drdon326]

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1069906927763

The storm of criticism surrounding the visit of Gianfranco Fini, vice president of the Italian Council of Ministers, is anachronistic and hypocritical.

When Fini began talking of visiting Israel four years ago, the purification of the Fascist past was already an old story. In January 1995 at the Congress of Fuggi, when Fini transformed the post-Fascist and partly anti-Semitic Italian Social Movement (MSI) into the Alleanza Nazionale Party, the anger of many members was great. Fini was accused of committing party suicide. He stuck to his convictions, though, proposing rejection of racism as a condition for membership in the new party.

snip

He made a pilgrimage to Auschwitz and supported the institution of a national Holocaust remembrance day. He spoke many times of Mussolini's racial laws as the worst error in Italy's history and as a horror without equal.

He gave a frank interview to Haaretz recently, expelled a party member for his open admiration of Nazism and has repeated, on every possible occasion, his remorse and rejection of the past.

This week in Israel he spoke of the Holocaust as "an abyss of infamy," explicitly recalled the racial law's Fascist roots and repudiated Mussolini's pro-Nazi ties.

WHAT MORE does a man have to say to prove his conversion? And yet the Israeli and Italian Left persist in presenting Fini to the public as a liar in search of legitimacy for the sake of political machinations.

.......................................................

interesting alternative view.

[bluesoul]

1. The right wing

defends a right wing fascist from Italy...

I guess if you say the right things you're ok even if all of your actions prove that you'r still a fascist. I never thought some in Israel would go at such length to defend one of the rare fascist politicians in Europe that gained power (vice pm). They may be fooled by his words, many of us are not...

[Paschall]

2. Old story?

"When Fini began talking of visiting Israel four years ago, the purification of the Fascist past was already an old story."

Fini only retracted his statement that Mussolini was the greatest statesman of the 20th century in January 2002. Not even 24 months ago.

[drdon326]

3. Paschall or CL or Bluesoul...

i'm fairly ignorant on this subject other than whats
been posted.

What political benefit in Italy would Fini receive in his country
by courting israel ??

[drdon326]

4. kick....its not a TRICK question.

.

[Classical_Liberal]

5. Probably none with voters

but the right aren't all that popular with them anyway, and the fascist right doesn't really care that much about voters. They generally speaking care about kowtowing to the forces of martial law, weapons manufacturers and the like.

[drdon326]

6. Fair enough....

so what or why would he court israel??

thats what i dont understand....especially if their is
no political benefit.

:shrug:

[bluesoul]

7. I don't know really Drdon why he courts Israel

But believe me, for someone living less then 100 miles away from where mr Fini had his gatherings and hearing from Slovenians living in Italy knowing fully well what he stands for (whatever he may say today being in such a position) you will have to believe and trust me that I know what I talk about, when I call him a fascist. If Israel considers him a friend, fine that's their choice. But I really do hope they know what they'r doing. To people that are deeply hurt by anti-semitism or fascist ideology, I will say that this whole thing (with people in Israel actually defending him, saying he is not what others say) is very very odd to me. It may be that he finds a soulmate in the rightwing government of Sharon, as I never before heard him being a friend of Israel under Rabin or Peres. And now suddenly he has changed. And only months (or even less) he was saying that Mussolini was a GREAT man and that he admires him or Berlusconi's concentration camps being turist camps (and Berlusconi is far less extreme then he is). Come on Drdon, you must understand our reservations. I live in a country right next to this jerk (Fini) and I remember well his speeches and people holding hands Heil Hitler style at his political gathering of Allianze Norda...

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[rini]

10. LOL

I had no idea I had such power. I'm impressed!

[Classical_Liberal]

11. It was a typo

I meant fini!

[Paschall]

12. Well, obviously Fini would appear more palatable...

...to a wider Italian electorate. And since he apparently aims to be the next Italian prime minister, that's important, because every voter in Europe knows that having a Fini, a Haiger, a Le Pen, or other extremist as head of government could be very damaging not only for the country's image, but for intra-European relations.

Actually this courting of Israel is perfectly in keeping with the "new neo-fascism" in Europe. The extreme right wing has dropped its historic nationalist and anti-Semitic rhetoric in the supranational EU context, blending paganism and Judeo-Christianism, and aimed its principal attacks at people of color ("immigrants"). Think of Hitler's praise for the Teutonic knights and Germania writ large.

Jean-Marie Le Pen's National Front in France exemplifies this perfectly, though the neo-pagan and fundamentalist Catholic elements of his party are only allied by the force of his will.

Bruno Gollnisch, who is second in command at the National Front, is a leading figure in the neo-pagan wing of the party and closely allied with the think-tank GRECE (Groupement de Recherche et d'Etude pour la Civilisation Européenne). Here's a bit about them:

<snip> As a pagan movement, the New Right is opposed to both Christianity and Judaism, but anti-Semitism is no longer a cornerstone of its political agenda. </snip>
Anti-Semitism Worldwide 1999/2000 - France

<snip> While in the 1970s GRECE maintained a racialist worldview, in the 1980s it adopted a communitarian policy, recognizing the right of each culture/ethnic group to live in accordance with its own standards and customs. Thus, for example, it acknowledges the right of both Muslims and Jews to have their own state-recognized legal systems (Sha`ria and Halakha, respectively) in their host countries. </snip>
Anti-Semitism Worldwide 200-2001 - France

These disparate forces in the National Front seem to find their common ground in the defense of "European" (meaning white) civilization, the neo-paganists harking back to lost Golden Age, and the fundamentalist Catholics rejecting more explicity non-Christians as "non-Europeans."

Or that's at least my understanding of these things. Hope that helps.

[drdon326]

13. Interesting perspective....

thank you....not sure i agree with everything, but i
certainly learned alot.

thanks

[rini]

9. IMO

that is called growing up. "He thinks, therefore he is."

[edzontar]

14. So you support Mr. Fini now?

Interesting politics for a "progressive" board....

[rini]

15. I don't know enough about him to do

anything but check him out.

[edzontar]

16. You could check into it, y'know....

As you mught have read a few dozen times on this forum, he's a NEO-FASCIST.

[Muddleoftheroad]

17. Question

Do you assume he can change? Or do you agree with me that once a racist, you are always suspect? (An no, I wouldn't EVER vote for Byrd for anything. He was in the KKK and that's enough for me.)

[edzontar]

18. I think people can change, actually....

And I think Sen, Byrd has come a long way. He's still pretty conservative on many issues, but was heroic in his stand aganst the latest war.

As for Fini, this is a guy who is very clever and skillful as a politician. Even his most committed enemies admire his brilliance in rhetorical combat.

Fini may in fact be completely amoral. He may not hate Jews and/or Muslims at all.

(But he does not respect or care about either group--we can be fairly certain of that).

What I really think he does is exploit the hatreds and fears of others to further his own ambitions.

[Darranar]

19. I share your suspicion of Byrd...

but at least he holds several progressive views.

[Muddleoftheroad]

20. Perhaps in this day and age

His quasi conversion would never have been possible. I believe people can change and will give them some chance to do so, but I won't turn my back on them.

[edzontar]

21. My policy is--every day is a new opportunity....

Not to be corny, but when you are a teacher, you have to give everyone a new deal every single day.

Not that any of this excuses Fini.

There are limits, even for a bleeding heart like myself.

[Paschall]

22. Muddle, does that apply to Europeans in general

You know those Europeans on whom their history of anti-Semitism hangs like a "stench"--to use your word?

Or is it just Fini who may have "changed" and overcome his--using your words againg--"ingrained European anti-Semitism?"

And I'll mention: your comparing Fini with Byrd is rather specious. Byrd recanted decades ago and now belongs to a party clearly dedicated to racial equality. Fini's conversion happened--or is reputed to have happened--only yesterday and he has neither left his party nor repudiated its alliances with other neo-fascist organizations in Italy or across Europe.