A comparison on the theme of the participation of the illusion of direct democracy. It is discussed in Rome, at the Chamber of Commerce in Piazza di Pietra, Wednesday 19 December, in the presence of trade unionist Marco Bentivogli, general secretary of Fim Cisl, economist Veronica De Romanis, professor Giovanni Orsina, philosopher Massimo Adinolfi and Cisl confederal secretary Piero Ragazzini. We will talk about one is worth one, the so-called total citizen in the times of social networks, post-truths and fake news.
For Bentivogli “the issue of information is too important for democracy and the conscious participation of workers and citizens in the democratic life of the country. Liberal democracy is in crisis but national populism gives the wrong answers to wrong questions, in the illusion of an empty democracy without awareness and participation. The Internet and millions of devices that connect people in real time with the world and with information, as never happened in the history of humanity, has set in motion great opportunities but it also has its dark side. The illusion of the "total citizen": the one who thinks he knows and extricates himself from the complexity of the world by deciding with a simple click".
Cases such as Cambridge Analytica and Brexit, the anti-vaccine movements and flat earthers demonstrate, according to the Fim Cisl secretary, how profiling techniques and fake news can condition and destabilize entire nations: "It is not true that one is worth one, especially when the information it receives is of poor quality or worse, it is artificially distorted. Like Fim we think that the union must go back to being a subject not only of bargaining but also an active subject in informal education, this must be done both in the online and offline world, if this distinction still makes sense”.
“For too many years – concluded Bentivogli – we have left the conscience of workers in the hands of scammers who have nourished the worst racist and populist instincts. The root of trade unionism is ethical and especially solidarity. There is no room for free trade unions in the sovereign world. This is why we thought of this day, which brings together trade unions, universities and the world of information. We need choral work and a network of education and awareness, only an informed and aware worker and citizen can choose in complete freedom".
