Italian
This is the debut of the famous lyric by Luigi Mercantini that we all know. Late June 1857: about twenty Mazzinian volunteers, led by Carlo Pisacane, set sail from Genoa headed for Sapri to incite the population against the Bourbons. A futile endeavor, for sure. The Austrian police knew everything and had already alerted the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. History wrote the ending: a massacre that took place in a few hours, where the local population, instead of rising up, helped the Bourbon army neutralize the improvised invaders.
Those men knew what they were facing. The poignant farewell letter that Pisacane left to his wife before embarking is a testament to this. Once, that text was read and commented on in high school classrooms. It served to explain to young people the specific weight of words like freedom, will, sacrifice, dedication to family, and to a homeland that did not yet exist. The sense and prophetic value of a gesture that was merely symbolic but, in reality, tragic and futile, were taught.
Today, the chronicles present us with another story: that of the “flotillas” of activists. And although it is difficult to fully understand the dynamics and the real reasons behind certain actions, the comparison arises spontaneously, albeit by contrast.
The arrest of a flotilla in international waters is often portrayed as a violation of the law. But real geopolitics responds to different needs. If today a fleet were to depart from Barcelona with the declared intent of overthrowing the Italian government, who would cry scandal if it were blocked before reaching our shores? No one. If the police disperse an unauthorized political demonstration, public opinion recognizes the legitimacy of the State in defending public order. A century and a half ago, no European government protested against the brutal Bourbon reaction; on the contrary, the intervention was facilitated by shared information.
Today’s flotillas, on the contrary, are not vanguards of a tragic ideal, but calculated political provocations. Consequently, the blockade and arrest by the Israeli government (or any state defending itself) are nothing but an equally political reaction. A reaction that, in recent times, has even played out on a symbolic level, almost as if to mock and humiliate the protest without the need to resort to the violence of arms.
Now that our modern “heroes” are returning home, they will be greeted with applause and sympathy. It has been argued from various quarters, including official and diplomatic terms, that young people driven by humanitarian intentions should not be treated this way. However, it seems that the intentions were only seemingly humanitarian, in reality, blatantly provocative, almost seeking a serious incident. One can bet that, given the bloodless outcome and the return of image, they will try again.
But forcing a naval blockade is a dangerous game. This is evidenced by global geopolitical tensions, such as in the Strait of Hormuz, where the rules of engagement are clear: anyone attempting to breach a legitimate blockade risks sinking.
The present story should remind us of that of the past, when different men and real values were at stake, willing to pay the ultimate price for their beliefs. The law and common sense should apply to everyone. The primary responsibility should fall on the States from which these provocative expeditions set sail: it is up to them to prevent them. Conversely, the target State of these actions has the full right to protest in advance against those who, through negligence or calculation, have not lifted a finger to stop an unauthorized “invasion.”
