The book collects some of the editorials published in the Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno "from 2000 to 2008, grouping them around four themes: the dis-unification of Italy, the feast of the own goal in the South, young people and work, federalism .
Lino Patruno was director of the "Official of the South "from 1995 to 2008. Thirteen years during which he could watch the Puglia and South from a window inside, but at the same time was able to give voice to the expectations of Southern Italy, not forgetting of southern Puglia and prodding to be free from defects and submissive resignation block the development, inviting them to react and to field so much potential they have. No injury or self-flagellation. Rescue, southerners!
Patruno has an easily understandable and engaging writing. His talk is frank and direct, coming straight to the heart of the problems without unnecessary convolutions. Like any good journalist should do. Patruno It is a great journalist. I received many awards bear witness.
The South continues to be Southern because nobody "angry black " with himself and with others. The extraordinary interventions of the past years for the South have agreed to all. But to remain as the South has always been screwed. The money arrived in the South to enable him to buy the products of the North. So he created the South a people more consumer and producer. In fact, the case for the South was especially the case for the North.
From 1861 onwards, there has been no decision taken by the various governments that are not served primarily the interests of the North and not those of the South Southern Industry has been abandoned and left to collapse. Even southern agriculture was destroyed. Banks have been destroyed, all the major banks have disappeared from the South
northern industrialists, making contributions, down in the south to open factories, closing down after having collected the money. Factories in the South did not remain or no money. Those who survive have their registered offices in the North, where taxes are paid. More money stolen from the South of the North.
In more recent times the European incentives for deprived areas are diverted south to the north. MPs and ministers are not aware of this southern cheating, or otherwise do not complain, they are only the southern for the registry.
Puglia is for sale. A company of Brescia has bought 22 hectares of land in Maruggio, which will produce wines: Rosso di Primitivo del Salento and Puglia. A major U.S. real estate company has purchased three large buildings at Bari Foreigners from all over the world descend to buy farms in Puglia, trulli, plots of land. Big finance, industry, entertainment, medicine fencing here in Puglia, pieces of paradise.
The most delicious Apulian wine are now in the hands of the Veneto. The milk of Gioia del Colle became Emilia. Tomatoes Tavoliere of Campania. We are flooded with Chinese parsley. With Dutch labels, are sold ourselves in our salads. The profits, which previously stayed with us, now if you carry them away. The fees, which were previously paid here, now are paid elsewhere. And we are getting poorer south.
And we continue to have more patience. It's about time we start to get angry a bit, 'says Patruno. By ourselves we can not keep our money here. With others that carry them away.
Puglia has to learn to use his best asset: tourism that is nature, culture, transport, housing, food, agriculture, livestock, entertainment, festivals, music, social life, fashion, commerce, hospitality, mystery.
But there also are stealing the soul of Puglia, writes Patruno. Washed away secretly centuries old olive trees to transplant them in luxurious villas in the North. Dismantled stone by stone our stone walls to rebuild on them. And in this regard here, by way 'of example, a poetic piece of writing Patruno: "This tender Puglia capable of meaning in a life without sense, Puglia of this pastel shade of the flood of light, Puglia this gilded lives and fertile turf as a woman's womb, this part of Puglia that piece will take us away. Here appears the spell of rich farms and stands as grim as fortresses, here allay the ocher country houses, manor houses buried here who have seen and made history. Ed è qui che si svolge la grande mattanza di mensole e altari, di pozzi e capitelli, scalinate e ringhiere, portali ed edicole, mangiatoie e abbeveratoi, tetti e caminetti, comignoli e tegole, fontanine e pinnacoli, maschere e macine, trappeti e norie, campanili e grondaie, statue e ceramiche, infissi e araldiche. Qui la Puglia viene svuotata della sua cultura » .
I giovani devono inventarsi nuovi lavori e rimanere qui. La « meglio gioventù » non deve più abbandonare la sua terra. Senza più figli che tramandano i padri – scrive Patruno – muore un mondo, un piccolo grande mondo antico.
Ultima trappola per il Sud è il federalismo that Bossi wants to impose on us. The costs will not decline, as they would have us believe, indeed increased, it will create new and unnecessary duplication of existing institutions. And to keep raising taxes.
Puglia has no need of fiscal federalism, they need the profits to what is produced on its territory remains in Puglia. Ilva of Taranto steel plant is the largest in Europe, Bari and Brindisi host two of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies: Sanofi Aventis and Merck Serono, Bari is the largest Italian industrial districts to engine components for cars with the installations Bosch, Firestone, Getrag, Magneti Marelli, Graziano Transmissions, SKF, Brindisi has the grande centrale termoelettrica dell'Enel, Taranto ha la più grande fabbrica d'Italia di pale per l'eolico, Foggia ha un grande stabilimento per la manutenzione di materiale rotabile, a Foggia vi sono gli allevamenti Amadori, a Lecce il tabacchificio della British American Tabacco, ancora a Foggia l'Istituto Poligrafico e la Zecca dello Stato. Se tutte le tasse che vengono pagate per questi impianti rimanessero in Puglia, non saremmo più Sud.
La battaglia affinché queste tasse restino qui dovrebbe vederci tutti uniti. Si può essere di destra o di sinistra, - scrive Patruno - ma il Sud è anzitutto Sud, un'unica regione con interessi unici.
Alla riscossa, terroni!
Rocco Biondi
Lino Patruno, southerners to the rescue. Because the South did not become rich. The case Puglia, Manni editor, San Cesario di Lecce 2008, pp. 176, € 15.00
