General Roberto Vannacci, author of the book The world upside down, spoke during the August 30 episode of the transmission Zona Bianca, on Rete4, hosted by Giuseppe Brindisi. The exponent of the Italian army clarified what prompted him to write the text: “Whether it will become a manifesto I don’t know, I have no idea, it certainly wasn’t the intention for it to become a manifesto. I wrote a book for personal satisfaction, out of a sort of desire for realisation, I jotted down some ideas, shareable or not, certainly not vulgar or offensive. Now for some time a political value has been attributed to what I wrote, but I’m not the one who attributes it to it. I spoke about social, economic and current issues. Of course politics deals with these issues, but then if every time we talk about current events we talk about politics then we will no longer be able to express ourselves. I understand that there are many who pull me by the jacket wanting to attribute a political meaning to what I wrote, but honestly it was not my intentions “.
Brindisi interrupts the general and goes to the point: “The League opens its doors for you, do you enter the door they are opening for you? Could you apply?” Vannacci thus replies to the question: “I always answer in the same way. In the meantime, I thank you, because in any case you offer me an alternative it means that you believe in me and in my abilities. I am a soldier and I want to continue doing so. The trade has taught me to be prudent and wise. I don’t close any doors, but when I decide to do something, I’ll be the one to say it”.
Vannacci is accused of being pro-Putin and does not think twice about debunking the thesis of being pro-Russia: “I return these accusations to the sender, asking to prove them through facts and documents. During my time in Moscow, I represented the defense minister, so if I assumed any posture that was not in line with the Italian government, I would be immediately deported. Journalism is done on the basis of documents and facts, not bar talk. I challenge anyone to come up with those objectively real documents and facts that can configure me as a Putinian. Right to hate? Probably – the general continues – the words I expressed were slightly distorted. I refer to the feeling of hate. Hating the child rapist in my opinion is a very normal thing. This does not mean condemning him to lynching, but feeling natural contempt for those who commit atrocities. Taking action is different. Laws harness actions not ideas. I also claim the possibility of a feeling opposite to love”.
During the Mediaset broadcast, Bruno Vespa, a well-known Rai journalist, intervened by telephone, slapping the army officer: “I’m sorry that General Vannacci has ignored our extensive and pleasant correspondence, even in the last few hours, in which he did not say the things he said here. Also because the central point is that I said that if the general had assumed attitudes contrary to the line of the Italian government while he was in Moscow in his very delicate role, he would have been repatriated immediately. The problem is that in recent months, this spring, General Vannacci, meeting some people, has expressed, and not according to the bar, given that I don’t go to the bar, legitimately as a citizen, less as a very high army officer, very out of line with Italian politics. One on NATO that was wrong to get too close to Russia, two on America and the Western states that behaved badly almost forcing Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine. All a series of theses that are questionable but respectable for an ordinary citizen, but for a senior army officer they don’t work”.
Could General Vannacci’s book become a political manifesto? #zonabianca pic.twitter.com/3RIfvFwrMw
— Zona Bianca (@zona_bianca) August 30, 2023
