Now that the M5S has obtained unprecedented success, we believe it is no longer possible to avoid examining the political lacuna that Grillo and Casaleggio’s movement represents and fills. The M5S fills the absence of radical movements in Italy. There is a gap in the political system; a blank that the M5S fills in order to keep it… empty.

Despite its radical appearance and its revolutionary rhetoric, we believe that over the past years the M5S has effectively protected the status quo, acting as a protective barrier and stabilizing the system. It is a counterintuitive statement. At a superficial glance, it seems absurd, especially if one focuses exclusively on Italy. How can Grillo be a stabilizing factor, he who aggressively wants to “sweep away the old political system” and who is universally considered the greatest obstacle to the formation of a stable cabinet?

Yet, we believe that over the past few years Grillo kept the old system afloat, willingly or not.

Over the past 3 years, while movements fighting austerity and neoliberalism gained strength everywhere in the Mediterranean basin and in the West, nothing comparable has happened in Italy. There have been some important struggles; however, they were confined to local territories, or they did not last long. There have been small fires but not a major blaze that would burn down the entire prairie, as in other countries. We did not have a movement comparable to the Spanish #indignados or to the #Occupy protests. We did not have anything comparable to the “Je lute des classes” struggle against reforms to the pension system. Our Tahrir Squares, our Puertas del Sol, our Syntagma Squares remained empty. In short, we did not fight back. At least, not as hard as they did (and sometimes still do) in other countries. Why is that?

The reasons for this are many, and today we would like to suggest one. Perhaps it is not the main factor – yet, we believe it matters.

In Italy, a large share of ‘indignation’ was intercepted and organized by Grillo and Casaleggio, two wealthy sixty-something year-olds with a background in the entertainment industry and in marketing. They created a hybrid franchise, a blend of economy and politics, with its own copyright and trademark. Their movement is rigidly organized and structured. It has a ‘summit’, collecting and proposing mobilizations and buzzwords from social movements, mixed with apologies for a ‘healthy capitalism’ and superficial praises of the individual honesty of those who rule and administer the public good. Their program is a confused mixture of neoliberal and anti-capitalist recipes, centralism and federalism, liberal and conservative values. A one-size-fits-all program, without a clear aim, as it is typical of all political ‘diversions’.

Pay close attention: when the M5S presents its “us vs. them” division, it frames it in a completely different way than the other radical movements mentioned above. The #Occupy movements’ distinction between the 1% and the 99% of society was based on the distribution of wealth, which is the root of social inequalities. The 1% are the millionaires. Had they known Grillo, the #Occupy supporters would have included him in the 99%. In Italy, Grillo belongs to the 1%.

When the Spanish movement cites the Argentinian Cacerolazos’ rallying cry “Que se vayan todos”, they do not simply mean the “politicians’ caste”, nor do they aim at replacing them. They are calling for the self-organization and the autonomous reorganization of society. Their cry means “let’s do without them”. Let’s invent new forms, whether in the workplace, in our neighborhoods, or in our schools. Furthermore, none of their forms resembles the technological, fetishistic compromises of Grillo’s movement, such as the petty rhetorics of the online ‘parlamentary elections’; their practices are radical, they entail organizing our communities to protect them, for instance by physically preventing evictions and foreclosures.

The Spanish protesters would include Grillo and Caseleggio among those who “must leave”. A movement led by a multi-millionaire and an advertisement company would be simply inconceivable! They would probably also include Pizzarotti – the same person who has led the austerity policies in Parma for a few months now, and who is denying his bombastic electoral promises, one after another.

A new phase begins, one in which Grillo’s followers are entering Parliament, chosen as a last resort by millions of people who were understandably fed up with all the other political options. But understanding the role recently played by Grillo and Casaleggio in the political phase that just ended is the only prerequisite for understanding their role in this newly beginning political phase. Many believe they acted as ‘arsonists’ of the system; we believe they were actually its ‘firefighters.’

Is it possible for a movement born as a diversion to become a radical force, addressing crucial problems and distinguishing ‘us’ from ‘them’ on pertinent fault lines? It could happen, but there are some prerequisites to it. There needs to be some Event, opening a rift or a fracture (even better, many fractures) inside that movement. In other words: the movement should free itself from Grillo’s grip. It has not happened so far, and it is unlikely it will happen in the future. It is not impossible, though.

As usual, we side with “rebellion”, even inside the M5S.

getfiscal posted:

When the Spanish movement cites the Argentinian Cacerolazos’ rallying cry “Que se vayan todos”, they do not simply mean the “politicians’ caste”, nor do they aim at replacing them. They are calling for the self-organization and the autonomous reorganization of society. Their cry means “let’s do without them”. Let’s invent new forms, whether in the workplace, in our neighborhoods, or in our schools.

how about you invent new forms, think about them for a while, try them out in limited situations, see if they are robust, and admit that there are still going to be national elections in any democratic system, and that those will probably always be more important in a certain sense than who gets on the board for your housing coop.

what's that? it doesn't fit some mystical idea of "rebellion" which is for schoolchildren? oh wow.

seems like youre reading alot into this, Donald, Donnie, donnieboy

getfiscal posted:

When the Spanish movement cites the Argentinian Cacerolazos’ rallying cry “Que se vayan todos”, they do not simply mean the “politicians’ caste”, nor do they aim at replacing them. They are calling for the self-organization and the autonomous reorganization of society. Their cry means “let’s do without them”. Let’s invent new forms, whether in the workplace, in our neighborhoods, or in our schools.

how about you invent new forms, think about them for a while, try them out in limited situations, see if they are robust, and admit that there are still going to be national elections in any democratic system, and that those will probably always be more important in a certain sense than who gets on the board for your housing coop.

what's that? it doesn't fit some mystical idea of "rebellion" which is for schoolchildren? oh wow.

no it isnt u buffoon

Ironicwarcriminal posted:

who is history's most genuinely anti-political politician

ron paul

littlegreenpills posted:

"small scale social experiments in controlled environments lead to valuable empirical conclusions about the feasibility and effects of implementing them on a national or global scale" - a very very clever person indeed

*Operation PBSUCCESS* Hell yea, spicks more like spooks!
*Bay of Pigs* Woops
*Che rocks the boat in Cuba*
*Che gets rocked in Bolivia*