Number 295 is the issue ringing out the old year
of 2003 and ringing in the new, 2004. New Year, but
same old problem: war- and strife-torn Iraq; Antonio
Cardella and Maria Matteo report on the situation there
today.
Strangely, in the period leading up to the celebration
of Christ’s birth, the burning issue was the symbol
of his death, the crucifix; Carlo Oliva discusses the
outrage provoked by its proposed removal from Italian
state schools, accompanied by accusations of “Islamic
intolerance”.
Time was that democracy was participation; not any more,
in Francesco Codello’s view. And for those who
increasingly have trouble telling their left from their
right, Andrea Papi looks at the history of these political
terms. Speaking of left, a series of reflections by
Francesco Berti on the myths and realities of Fidel’s
Cuba, followed by a review by Lily Litvak of Frank Fernández’
book on Cuban anarchists, “Cuba Libertaria”.
The big question taken on by Antonio Paolella in this
issue is that of energy sources and the environment.
Marvi Maggio of the International Network for Urban
Research contributes a piece on the issue of reproduction
in the feminist movements.
In this month’s “... e compagnia cantante”,
Alessio Lega looks at the songs of Herbert Pagani and,
sticking with music, in “Musica & Idee”
Marco Pandin reviews the June concert by the Jan Garbarek
Quarter in Verona. More music follows, this time a throughly
informative article by Arianna Fiore on thre songs of
the Spanish Revolution (1936-39): Ni militares ni curas,
ni jueces ni gobernantes, podrán detener los
pasos de anarquistas militantes.
These days no issue of “A” is complete without
something on Malatesta; this one has Piero Brunello’s
introduction to his anthology, edited with Pietro Di
Paola, of Malatesta’s writings: “Autobiografia
mai scritta. Ricordi (1853-1932)”.
Another article-book link is Tim Jordan’s piece
on culture jamming, coinciding with his volume on the
phenomenon, “Azione Diretta”, published
by Elèuthera.
In “à nous la liberté”, Felice
Accame discusses the book “Flicts” by Ziraldo
Alves Pinto, recently reissued. In this issue’s
“Ritratti in piedi”, Massimo Ortalli looks
at the work of Fulvio Abbate.
Concluding the issue, as ever, the letters: in response
to Felice Accame’s article on “madman”
Carlo Cafiero, Donato Romito replies by means of a long
piece by Cafiero himself, and regular “A”
contributor Luigi Veronelli controversially proposes
lists of “social centre” candidates for
the European elections.
by Leslie Ray
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