Issue 285 is necessarily dominated by the threat to us all posed by bellicose Bush & co. Carlo Oliva discusses the truth that there may be in the comparison of Bush with Hitler made by German government minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin, which cost her her job. Antonio Cardella is concerned about a single superpower that does not tolerate dissent, in the sense that “if you’re not with us, you’re against us”. Maria Matteo considers the growing war fever fomented by Bush, and his Italian cohorts, and the parallel growth in anti-militarism. An in-depth article by Francesco Robustelli affirms that violence is not in our DNA, even if our leaders would have us believe otherwise.

In pleasant contrast to the drums of war, an article on the antidote to hectic pace of life - slowness.
Cosimo Scarinzi looks at libertarian trade unionism and the crisis of Italy’s major trade union federation, the CGIL. Felice Accame discusses the way new names are used to conceal the old tricks that politicians use.

Several articles devoted to music and associated themes this month. In his music page, Stefano Starace reviews 4 new Cds, by Têtes de Bois, Davide Van De Sfroos, Andrea Mazzacavallo and Elvira and Giovanni Lo Cascio. Again on a musical theme, an article by Alessio Lega on Spanish singer-songwriter Paco Ibañez. In an article that first appeared in “Temporale” magazine, Ute Tischler and Rana Brentjes interview artist Andrea Crociani on the links between music, art and Malatesta. Also, in his usual music column, Marco Pandin reviews – falls in love with – the album “Bandiera Genovese” by Rosa Tatuata.

The memory of Fabrizio De André is kept alive in many ways in “A”, and the article by Mauro Macario is another example of this: he reports on the poetry competition organised at Parma prison by the “Fabrizio De André Foundation”. The book “Di sconfitta in sconfitta” by Vincenzo Guagliardo is reviewed by Riccardo Meloni.

An eye-opening article by Paul Benkimoun, who has recently published a book on the way health is now a commodity, entitled “Morti senza Ricetta” (Dead without a prescription), tells of how pharmaceutical research is not interested in the victims of disease on the south of the world.

There is also a contribution from Latin America: a report by Stefano B. on the campaign resisting payment of electricity bills (light resistance movement) in Chiapas.

In the Fatti & misfatti column: a short contribution by Elena Barbieri and Gianni Sartori of the Movimento U.N.A. responding to criticisms of animal rights campaigners by Pedro Almodovar. Also by Gianni Sartori, this time in his guise as representative of the Lega per i diritti e la liberazione dei popoli, a reminder that the view that the behaviour of the Italians in Africa during the colonial period was “not that bad” and “almost paternal” is overly rosy and revisionist.

This month’s Ritratti in Piedi, by Massimo Ortalli, looks at Carolina Invernizio, the anarchist writer of serial stories of the late 19th century.

Finally, the letters page, and a letter of thanks from Alice to “A” for its courage and commitment, and considerations from Pietro Acquistapace on the relationship between anarchists and the “movement”.

by Leslie Ray