February 27, 2006
A DEVASTATING JUXTAPOSITION:
The Fascist Soccer Star and the Auschwitz Survivor: Roman soccer star Paolo Di Canio is infamous for flashing the Hitler salute to his team's far-right fans. The mayor of Rome wants it to stop. He brought Di Canio and his Lazio teammates together with three Holocaust survivors. (Alexander Smoltczyk, 2/27/06, Der Spiegel)
Paolo Di Canio, captain of Lazio, has been suspended twice for saluting fans with an outstretched right arm -- the so-called "Hitler greeting." Among Lazio's right-wing fans -- the "Ultras" -- Di Canio has been their celebrated idol since. "Ave Paolo" has become a favorite chant in the Olympia Stadium where they play. On this day, though, Di Canio sits silently in the second row, listening attentively as the mayor explains why they are there.There are a number of incidents to point to. Recently, during a match against Livorno, a swastika flag and a portrait of Benito Mussolini -- Italy's fascist leader during World War II -- were seen on display in the hardcore fan corner. Even worse, some young fans unfurled a 30 meter long banner with a verse rhyming the place name Livorno with the Italian word "forno." The word means "oven." Livorno, prior to World War II, was home to a large Jewish community.
Were Di Canio not wearing his suit on his visit to the mayor, one would be able to see the so-called "fasces" he has tattooed onto his back. An ancient symbol depicting a bundle of sticks with an axe protruding from the top, the fasces is a symbol for Italian fascism, and was used on Mussolini's personal flag. On Di Canio's right bicep, he has a second tattoo: "DUX" it says -- Latin for "leader."
Shlomo Venezia wears his tattoo on his left forearm. His tattoo reads: 182727.
Posted by Orrin Judd at February 27, 2006 12:00 AM
One would hope that the meeting would stimulate Di Canio's consience. That assumes, of course, that he has one.
Posted by: Mike Morley at February 27, 2006 12:07 PMAnd then there's the ending:
No, says Schlomo Venezia, he doesn't think much of soccer.
Posted by: Matt Murphy at February 27, 2006 3:01 PMDoes anybdy remember what was on the back of a Liberty-head dime?
Moving on, this business remends us of our reaction to American First Amendment jurisprudence, back when other shoes were on other feet and other oxen were being gored. I doubted that "free speech for the speech you hate," was other than a cynical sham, and it looks more and more as though I was right.
Displays such as those described in the article are vulgar and offensive. Do they not also serve a valid purpose of provoking criticism and remembrance?
Give me weapons I can use to crush my country's enemies and I might welcome all sorts of prior restraint. That's not what this is about is it? Rather this is about the state supressing the marketplace of ideas in certain cases and not in others.
Why not have counselling sessions for wearers of CCCP sweatshirts? I know, it's because the Communists didn't kill as many people as the Italian Fascists. That's it, isn't it?
Posted by: Lou Gots at February 27, 2006 3:38 PMLou:
The eagle on the dollar bill carries a fasces--it's a perfect emblem of federalism.
Posted by: oj at February 27, 2006 3:53 PMFasces flank the dais in the senate too.
Posted by: RC at February 28, 2006 7:36 AM