Many of us know the story of Gandhi, the great Indian politician and philosopher who led his country to independence.
This great man was inspired by the essay ‘Resistance to Civil Government’, published in 1849 by the philosopher H.D Thoreau, which called for civil disobedience.
Finding the American government’s slavery policies unacceptable, Thoreau decided to openly break the law by refusing to pay taxes and ended up in prison for it.
Gandhi thus drew inspiration from his actions and writings, and became famous because he succeeded in bringing his country out of British rule through non-violent action, without firing a single shot.
The Mahatma incited to:
- not paying taxes;
- practising conscientious objection to military service;
- violating legislation or administrative acts that unlawfully restricted fundamental freedoms (press, demonstration, strike, assembly, etc.).
I personally believe that violence, such as the episodes in Naples, Rome, Turin and other Italian cities, does not lead to results favourable to change.
Violence always generates disorder and destruction.
I understand but do not share.
I believe that today more than ever there is a need to change paradigms: we are witnessing the failure of a development model based on speculative finance and we are far removed from the real economy.
Certainly, we are faced with an inadequate political class, be it from the right or the left, that restricts personal freedoms, does not empower citizens from the heart, and unlawfully prevents the fundamental freedoms of doing business and living together.
However, let us not make the mistake of using violence to make our point.
Gandhi achieved this through a path of union, not division and destruction.
We share values and do not make mistakes that would cost us dearly.
Viva La Vita!