The Mafia: defeated by the Net
p2pnet news | Freedom:- The Music and Movie Mafia isn’t alone as it shrinks in size and importance under the growing influence of The Net.
Cosa Nostra is also finding it increasingly hard to go up against people who are no longer chained by the inability to be able to quickly and effectively communicate with each other.
And it’s at least partially down to online resistance.
In the same way consumers are showing the cartels who’s really in charge, businesses are organizing and going up against the Mafia,
And they’re winning —- thanks to Addiopizzo (Goodbye Pizzo).
“Everything started during a friend meeting in the summer of 2004. We were daydreaming about opening a pub,”says the site, continuing >>>
But then someone said: ‘What if they ask us for the pizzo?’. In sicily this is the name of racket: pizzo.
It is the system the mafia uses to impose tax and bring territory under their control. The next day, Palermo woke up with walls, light poles and phone booths covered by these stickers:
It reads: ‘A WHOLE PEOPLE WHO PAYS THE PIZZO IS A PEOPLE WITHOUT DIGNITY’. Contrary to expectations, the city seemed to wake up and react. Around the boys who had pasted stickers during the first night a group of young people began to gather who shared the same idea. As long as somebody continues to pay the pizzo we will not be free. Because if my baker pays the pizzo, I am giving money to the mafia when I buy bread too, and so I submit myself to the mafia. In this way the Comittee Addiopizzo was born.
Since the first stickers we have gone a long way. Above all, we have found a new strategy to fight mafia: critical shopping against pizzo. The campaign ‘Against pizzo change your shopping habits’ wants to create a group of consumers in Palermo and in the region, ready to support businesses who stand up against racket and, overcoming fear, denounce their extorters.
But what’s good for Italians oppressed by Mafia hoods is also good for other people around the world, say those behind Goodbye Pizzo, adding:
“You too can show your support for our campaign, even if you don`t live in Italy, by filling in the form below and leaving a message if you want,.
“These are the name of supporters and a selection of messages left in our Guestbook”.
When we logged onto the site at 7:44 pm Pacifik, 2,523 people had signed up.
Also check out this post on europocket.tv featuring a video about another group of people who’ve had enough of organised terror.
With English sub-titles, it tells the tale of anti-Mafia Activists in Urbino, Italy.
Singly and together, the two stories again demonstrate how the Net opens people-to-people communications which first by-pass, and then defeat, the Powers That Used To Be.
“First they ignore you, said Mahatma Ghandi.
“Then they laugh at you.
“Then they fight you.
“Then you win.
Definitely stay tuned.
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January 14th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
and then they sleep with the fishes…