The Age Of Cowardice

The Italian Government has (finally) released the details of what will happen from the 4 May, and they aren’t good. 

The good news is that the Country has decided to avoid outright economic suicide. Therefore, most factories will reopen and a lot of productive activities will operate; but, really, this is all.

An oppressive, freedom-negating regime, that has been gladly accepted for a temporary emergency, is now becoming like that guest that does not take the hint that it is time to go away, and with the head of the family without the guts to tell him that it is the time to go. Prime Minister Conte has decided that churches will remain closed.  Funerals with up to 15 people in attendance are allows, but churches must remain closed, even if social distancing is respected. Who is the idiot that finds a logic in that?

The answer is simple and depressing at the same time: the “experts” on one side – who have, now, clearly seized power, and have to interest in faith – but, much more, the cowardly politicians who do not dare to go against them. It is a vicious circle: the “expert” does the only thing he can do (because, frankly, he has tunnel vision, and it’s not his job to tell the Government what risks are necessary) and the political power simply feels obliged to follow the lead, both in order to avoid being considered “genocidal” by those who hate Capitalism and because it’s easier, in difficult times, not to take responsibility.

“It’s not me, it’s them!”, say politicians from Boris Johnson down to Italy. It truly makes you despair for Democracy.

There are a lot of comparisons of this virus with a war, but wars normally cause the emerge of brave, strong leaders. This phoney war is a war which the leaders themselves say should not be fought; not only suggesting, but ordering that the entire world cowers at home.

This is not only a failure of the “expert” tribe. This is, more importantly for all of us, an abject failure of political leadership, and at this point it must be said that not even Trump (certainly the best of them all in his general approach) is exempt from criticism.

In this godless, church-less XXI Century, if you are a politician it pays to be a coward. It pays for you to hide behind the “experts” and slowly strangle the Country entrusted to you in order to avoid taking responsibility and risk criticism. Interestingly enough, this is common to government of several political colour, from the centre-left in Italy to the (barely) centre-right in England.

I see no Ronald Reagans around. Trump is, if he keeps listening to the Dr Fauci on the world, on his way to a half Reagan. he also risks to anger mightily, very mightily his own poolitical base, which has more common sense than listening to a Dr Fauci for more than three weeks, four tops.

Wake up, leaders of the West.

The age of cowardice needs to come to an end, or there will be an extremely salty bill to pay for you, too.