"If you have to tell a big lie! Repeat it without shame. In the end they will believe you."
What the Nazi propaganda minister taught seems to be a very current mantra. Too bad that it is recited by those who politically should be far from certain ideologies. This is what the alias defense minister is putting into practice "Roberta Pinotti"in remembering the genesis of the Naval Law.
"We have anti-militarists to command us" is the common comment to almost all the servants of the state that we have been meeting for years. A widespread and concordant opinion is certainly not an absolute truth, but a judgment expressed by men and women in uniform of all the armed forces can represent a reliable and valid "statistic".
A few days before the vote, what then invents the summit of a ministry that, only a few years ago, would probably have taken the streets against the military? It supports truths opposed to the facts! For example, that the Naval Law which has (partially) avoided the collapse of the Navy and damage to national industrial capacities is a personal merit and of its own government (v.articolo), when it should rather remember that the approval of the second part of the financing did not pass when it was actually able to take on - then yes - the merit.
Let's remember what the Naval Law of which Pinotti attributes merit. It was the 2013 year when - Defense Minister Mario Mauro in charge - the then Chief of Staff of the Navy, admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi, launches the "fleet extinction risk" alarm: in 10 years 50 ships on 60 would have been disarmed without replacements. The operation of an entire armed force would be compromised.
The warning does not remain unheard from Letta government and from the Parliament. At the end of 2013 in the 2014 Stability Law, a provision is inserted that authorizes twenty-year contributions, scheduled over the years, to be entered in the budget of the Ministry of Economic Development: "In order to ensure the maintenance of adequate capacity in the maritime sector to protect national defense interests and within the framework of a common European policy, strategically consolidating the high technology navalmeccanica industry".
The total amount allocated, with the transition from the mortgage system to direct financing, to avoid wasting resources on interests, was 6,7 billion euros and not 5,3 as Minister Pinotti claims today. Under elections, do we have to give a blow to the circle (Fincantieri) and a blow to the barrel (the voters of the PD)?
The provision allowed the launch of a program for the construction of the first seven Offshore Multipurpose Patrol boats (PPA) of 10 approved by the Government and Parliament, a multi-role LHD amphibious unit (Landing Helicopter Dock), a logistical support unit o LSS (Logistic Support Ship) and two fast means for the raiders.
Where was "Roberta Pinotti"? She had recently been appointed Undersecretary of Defense and watched with curiosity at the events thinking perhaps, like someone else before, that Italy did not need ships because in itself “a natural aircraft carrier reaching out into the Mediterranean“. Proof of this is that when he becomes Minister of Defense he will not propose the second tranche of the naval law that would have completed the second half of the work necessary to maintain credibility for the Navy as a military instrument, indeed, to complete the FREMM program, the unions had to intervene to prevent the FREMMs from stopping at 6 instead of the 10 approved at the time by the government.
In the typical style of ad policies without consequences, he proclaims these days - only at the end of his term, mind you - the need to supplement the financing of the Fleet renewal provision, to complete the naval program requested by the Navy already in the 2013.
With the same boldness, the Minister Pinotti is credited with having obtained for the first time a measure to save the Navy, pretending not to know that already in the 1975 the Parliament had passed a bill for a ten-year loan of 1000 Mld of Lire to build 100.000 tons of naval units, including the Garibaldi (photo), the frigates Mistral, the class submarines Sauro, the supplying ships Stromboli e Vesuvio, the class fighters De La Penne, ten missile hydrofoils sparrowhawk, other minor ships in addition to acquiring 70 medium helicopters. With the ten-year financing, anti-ship missiles were also developed Teseo, the guns of the Otomelara 127 mm., the compact 76, electronic warfare systems and radars of national production.
The 2018 election campaign will be remembered as an indicator of a fallen country. Already in December, the Defense portal had become an indecent election poster with several "Roberta Pinotti" on the home page in order to avoid uncertainties on the part of those in uniform at the time of the vote (v.articolo). Unveiled the attempt the business has returned - unwillingly - in the ranks.
"Roberta Pinotti"He must not fear. It will not be the last prank to mark his ministry. Already last year the confirmation of the boycott of communication and transparency in the activities of the Defense in missions abroad with the drastic reduction of journalists in the operating theaters will be remembered for a long time by the insiders (v.articolo). All this happened against the will of soldiers who for decades have opened up to the constant risk of being exploited by a press in search of scandals unable to learn - unique in the world - the function of the presence of soldiers in war zones. Areas in which having to shoot is still today disguised with terms such as "kinetic activity".
Dear Minister "Roberta Pinotti", do not try, will be re-elected. Its constituencies are - as they say - "armored". That being the case, exaggerating with the bales and groundless boastings only ends up damaging his party.
What I sincerely hope is that she will be able to have a new government post, perhaps in a ministry like that of education. A department in which the response to each directive will not be an "excellent and abundant" but a demonstration with whistles, signs and the press under the windows of the office. This is in the case of real data! Let alone for the lies ...
(photo: Ministry of Defense / Navy)
