Dear Vannacci, in the triple role of professional bersagliere, amateur paratrooper and parigrade (although eighty years old and retired), I am writing to you in the impatient wait for a courier to deliver your "The world upside down". In the meantime I tried to get an idea by leafing through some newspapers and reading the tweet in which Minister Crosetto (Photo) with refined elegance pronounces that yours “personal ramblings”, thus expresses his Excellency, “they discredit the Army, the Defense and the Constitution. For this reason, the foreseen disciplinary examination will be initiated by the Defense". I imagine that Crosetto intends to keep public opinion informed on developments in the case through YouTube, some whats'apps and other social networks.
Point blank I retorted that "Crosetto's statement is a ranting that discredits the defense minister", but only now I wonder why he limited himself to bringing up the Constitution (which usually our supreme head of the Armed Forces does) and not other sacred texts such as the Bible, the Koran and the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu poem.
I confess that when a friend mentioned reading me the incipit of the first chapter of the book, "Common Sense", I said to myself (and forgive me for the sermo castrensis): “Vannacci fucked himself with his hands!”.
Common sense today is a blasphemy, a dirty word that has no weight on the scale of single thought. Today we go by slogan, by dictat!
The same friend also told me that the superior authorities promptly, blindly and absolutely (as obedience is required by the disciplinary regulation) to order that on 20 August 2023 you be replaced in office as commander of the IGM and steps in the extra-organic force of I don't know which body.
All in line with the wishes of the various Zan, Fassino, Fratoianni and the well-known Elena Ethel Schlein nicknamed Elly by her current partner. Desiderata received promptly by the Minister of Defense.
After this news my second impulsive whatsapp was: “Already dismissed! When is his degradation? Unless Crosetto has already arranged for his shooting".
I selfishly wonder what would have become of me if during my career I had come under the cleaver of a Crosetto. Having insistently criticized ministers, military policy and the hierarchies concerned in the public press, I think I would have been defenestrated before experiencing the privilege of commanding the "Sassari".
My good fortune was to run into an ...EMS chief who, instead of getting in my head for having confronted him in a national newspaper with my very critical agenda that was not in line with his which praised the Italian military contribution in the Gulf War ... well, that boss not only did he forgive me but he honored me with his esteem and his friendship.
My esteem and friendship are now for Roberto Vannacci.
Gen.d. (laughter) Nicolò Manca
PS: I wrote my first book when I retired ("From Calamosca to Calamosca - In search of an army") but in service I indulged myself hundreds of times in national newspapers, Online Defense etc. Now I will limit myself to coining slogans, the first of which, repeating the verse a anti-vax, it could be "no-common sense". I hope it's successful… at least in via XX Settembre.
Photo: ministry of defense (detail)
