New lockdown? For Conte it would be “a paradoxical self-accusation”. Interview with Prof Luigi Curini

22 October 20204 years ago babelfish

The sick relationship between political power and science. Cts artfully exploited by Conte to legitimize his choices and to make them unquestionable. Hiding behind the scientists means eliminating the accountability of politics and building a perfect safety net from voters' judgment. And anyone who dares to question the “liberal” narrative of the pandemic is misunderstood, as happened to Johnson and Trump, who tried to spread hope. But fear is tyranny's best ally …

"The relationship between government and CTS is a strategic relationship, artfully exploited by Conte to legitimize his political choices and to make them unquestionable". Luigi Curini, full professor of Political Science at the State University of Milan, explains the political and media dynamics that have developed in recent weeks, advancing an important reflection on the relationship between science and politics.

MARTINO LOIACONO: Let's start with the growth of infections, how is Conte managing the crisis? Has anything changed since March?
LUIGI CURINI: Nothing has changed in form and style, perhaps the substance has changed. The Dpcm, the delays and the announcements of the Casalino method remain. Then there is the usual paternalism that guides all the speeches of Conte, a father of a family who speaks to his "subjects", making concessions and reproaching them. However, on Sunday evening the content changed, as had already been seen by reading the Fatto Quotidiano (the second spokesperson for Conte) which had abandoned the catastrophic tones and had played down the situation. Conte, in fact, did not accelerate on closures.

ML: Why, in your opinion, did you brake?
LC: We can only speculate. Perhaps because there are data on the virus that have not been made public and this has held back the closure measures. Or there is some negative economic data where no rebound is recorded. Finally, a third hypothesis could concern the negative sentiment surrounding a new lockdown . Among other things, adopting further restrictive measures would imply that the spring measures were not effective, a paradoxical self-accusation. But let me add a fourth hypothesis. It is a more subtle hypothesis that would be the apogee of his paternalism. Conte is showing good and understanding, leaving time for the Italians. If they behave badly, causing infections to grow, it could transfer all the responsibilities to local administrators and citizens. And, for the umpteenth time, it wouldn't be the government's fault.

ML: Do you think there is excessive media attention towards Conte?
LC: More than media attention on Conte, I would say it is attention for Covid . When there was (a little) less talk of Covid in the summer months, it is no coincidence that the premier had disappeared. In my opinion, Covid occupies most of the Italian newspapers (in addition to what it should have given the obvious importance of the thing of course) for two reasons: for an economic interest, which is to slow down the collapse in sales; and then for an ideological reason linked to a certain narrative, which we can call liberal , which has embraced a rigid position on the management of the pandemic. The narrative predicts that we suffer today, in view of a future redemption from our sins (which are many, and go beyond the pandemic). Those who question this line are misunderstood as happened to Boris Johnson and Trump, who tried to spread hope. In the dramatization of the facts, then, fear is created.

ML: It is actually a growing sentiment.
LC: Fear cannot be trusted. Elsa also rightly said so in that philosophical masterpiece that is the cartoon Frozen , and is also the ally of all tyrannies in a broad sense, of all those political choices that place limitations on the democratic process. As mentioned, the excessive media attention given to Conte is functional to the attention that the press has on Covid , so much so that the Casalino method works only in this highly dramatized context. In this process there is therefore a natural convergence between the interests of Conte, Casalino and the media. This creates a Gordian knot that is difficult to untie that does nothing but fuel fear.

ML: What is the relationship between Conte's choices and the technical-scientific committee?
LC: Beyond the exchange of dutiful (and competent) points of view, the relationship between the government and CTS seems evident to me that it is also a strategic relationship, artfully exploited by Conte to legitimize his political choices and to make them unquestionable. "I promise you that if the scientists give me the green light …" , "the government has given way to the scientific community …" are two phrases spoken by Conte, not invented. The report plays on the authority of science and the discrediting of politics in the eyes of citizens. Hiding behind scientists, and the hope offered by science, also serves to avoid taking political risks in a technocratic logic. But from a broader perspective, it means eliminating the accountability of politics and building a perfect safety net from voters' judgment. In addition to hiding the fact that in a democratic context, technical and scientific competence is always "at the service" of politics and not vice versa. And then it is also problematic from a let's say epistemological perspective, if you let me.

ML: Why?
LC: Because by exploiting science, one risks passing the idea that there is an absolute Truth, given once and for all. It is a dangerous approach that gives the public the wrong idea of what science is. In reality, in science there are no absolute Truths but always provisional conclusions that have the advantage of not having been falsified yet but that a future theory could very well do so. It is and remains a continuous process in progress, without an end, as on the contrary the idea of "truth" would pose for construction. The science-truth combination unfortunately often diffused by the media is instead typical of religions (including civil ones, such as communism), which believe that there is an absolute truth. In short, how much more distant exists from science. Among other things, this approach prevents a fair political debate. As Tzvetan Todorov reminds us, the domination of science transformed into religion is one of the pillars of totalitarianism.

ML: What can the opposition do in this context?
LC: The repeated use of the Dpcm excludes from the outset any kind of constructive relationship with the opposition. And it is not surprising because the Conte Executive is based on hostility (which borders on ostracism) towards Salvini. In my opinion, the center-right should move in a more united way, perhaps by making a shadow government, with clear proposals, also because to date the alternative solutions advanced by the center-right on many issues are not known, pandemic in the head. This would also allow a more virtuous parliamentary dynamic and greater control over the executive's choices. After all, despite Salvini's hopes, there will be no vote soon and, if the government falls, it will probably lead to a government of national unity. For this, a long-term strategy would be needed, also to attract the disappointed by the government's choices. And perhaps to get involved in the election of the new President of the Republic. Conversely, if the opposition were to remain frayed it would play Conte's game.

The post New lockdown? For Conte it would be "a paradoxical self-accusation". Interview with Prof Luigi Curini appeared first on Atlantico Quotidiano .

This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Atlantico Quotidiano at the URL http://www.atlanticoquotidiano.it/quotidiano/nuovo-lockdown-per-conte-sarebbe-unautoaccusa-paradossale-intervista-al-prof-luigi-curini/ on Thu, 22 Oct 2020 03:48:00 +0000.