On 10/17/06, Louis Proyect <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Basically, I have become convinced that the mafia is a direct result of the failure of the 19th century 'risorgimento', or national unification struggle led by Garibaldi. It is just another example of bourgeois revolutions stopping in midstream out of fear of the masses and retaining pre-existing feudal social relationships. The mafia got its start as the private cops of the Bourbon landowners in Italy. To understand this social layer, you should see the 1963 Visconti film "The Leopard".
I'd recommend one of the most fascinating fiction books I have ever read: "The Sicilian" by Mario Puzo. Puzo paints quite a different picture of the history of the Sicilian mob. The Mafioso or "the Friends of the Friends" according to Puzo evolved as a kind of local government in Sicily, partly because that island had a history of being conquered and plundered by a long succession of foreign armies. As the only social unit that endured over the centuries, the Mafioso (rather than the carabinieri) is supposed to enjoy the loyalty of the peasants despite the many abuses. Not sure if Puzo is a reliable historical source, but according to his account the Sicilian Mafia as an institution goes much farther back in time than capitalism.. -raghu.
