Welcome to issue 296! Unlike Parmalat, there is no scandal about Carlo Oliva beginning this issue, with an article on the (mis-)use of the term “terrorism” by those holding power. Antonio Cardella comments on the Parmalat scandal in fact, and identifies a deeper, irremediable corruption in the capitalist system.
Cosimo Scarinzi looks at the significance and implications of the “wildcat” strike action by Italy’s transport workers, then Maria Matteo links this theme with the struggles in support of migrant workers and against military actions.
Once again there is discussion of the Israel/Palestine question in this issue: Francesco Codello argues in favour of equality and coexistence against separation.
A stimulating article by Stefano Boni, “against identities”, criticising the tendency to label people and be labelled by them. Equally thought-provoking is a contribution by Andrea Papi, claiming that nonviolence should not be an essential position for anarchists, who should rather seek to be “anti-violent”.
In the regular “Fatti & Misfatti” column we have an overview by Lorenzo Guadagnucci of Lula’s successes and failures as president of Brazil, plus two reports on the Malatesta conference in Naples. Speaking of Malatesta, Massimo Ortalli interviews Giampietro “Nico” Berti about his recently published “definitive” biography of the great figure of Italian anarchism.
Ten years after the Chiapas rebellion, a major piece on the situation in the region today by Marco Gastoni of PaviainserieA.
In his “à nous la liberté” column, Felice Accame looks at the legacy of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland”.
From literature to music, and “... e compagnia cantante”, which this month looks at the work of Jean-Roger Caussimon.
The centre of this month’s issue is filled with one of those in-depth reports that Adriano Paolella does so well, this time with huge scope (and height), covering climate change and skyscrapers.
In the “libertarian review”, Francesca “Dada” Knorr reviews “Poesia di corpo e di parole”, poems by Nadia Agustoni.
Paolo Finzi presents the newly published first volume of the “Dizionario Biografico degli Anarchici Italiani”, followed by a reproduction of the introduction to the book by Maurizio Antonioli, Giampietro Berti, Santi Fedele and Pasquale Iuso, with the inclusion of a number of biographical data sheets and photos.
There follows an interesting exchange: the reproduction of an article published in Panorama by Adriano Sofri, one of Italy’s most famous prisoners, entitled “dedicated to my teacher”, written in response to the dossier on Ivan Illich in issue 294 of “A” by Filippo Trasatti, followed by the response of the “teacher” himself, Pietro Toesca.
The letters page contains a rant by yours truly about the article by Christian Ferrer on Patagonia, which appeared in issue 292, plus letters by Fulvio Perillo and by Dario Sanniti, the latter prompted by an article by Andrea Papi, to which Andrea in turn replies.

by Leslie Ray