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Christmas ergo cogito

"As long as there is one woman threatened as a woman, we will have no peace". [Lidia Ravera]. 25 November is the world day against violence to women. We in Mechanical Scylla feel that we are in the front line in the fight against human stupidity and delinquency. Not all men, of course, only some. Those few that take to extremes, with tragic violent events, visions and cultures of gender supremacy deeply rooted in worlds, usually organised by males, that have origins dating far back in history. However, they are worlds that are monstrously still part of the common male's retro-thinking and devious habits. That male, apparently gentle in the circle of trust, who does not commit explicit violence: the father, the husband, the son, the boyfriend, the partner, the lover, the friend, the brother, the uncle, the cousin, the boss, the colleague, the partner, the acquaintance, the traitor. The modernity of the male dissolves in his ambiguity of thought: protector of his own mother and his own woman, sacrificing himself on the altar of sacred principles, but immediately kidnapped by the raging fire of prejudice and disparaging judgement towards the woman who expresses herself freely, critically and autonomously.  Even more so, the modernity of the male is destroyed in his silence in the face of the daily repetition of announcements of violence to women: In 2021, 89 women in Italy will be victims of gender-based crimes every day. In 62% of the cases, it is family abuse. Femicides occur at the rate of one every 72 hours. As long as men continue to measure their relationship with women and the organised system of society by the greedy and childish principle of the right of ownership over the female and positions of leadership, regardless of merit, there can never be peace. There can never be that healthy competition, not between genders, not between ethnicities, not between cultures, not between religions and not between economies, but between intellects.  The enhancement and stimulation of the vertical and transversal skills and aptitudes of all human beings, which could bring the very existence of humanity and the globe towards better prospects than those that are emerging today. Mechanics is a traditionally male-dominated world. In this environment you can breathe in the prejudice of men towards women every day: from corporate roles to calendars hanging on the walls. This also applies to the aesthetics of trade fair exhibitions, which unfortunately are still often linked to the absurd combination of "women and motors", the most banal and obsolete expression of which is the Moto GP "Race Queen" or the "Veline" of TV programmes. Scilla Meccanica wants to stand out in this respect. Many strategic corporate roles are occupied by women. Not because of their being women, but because of the absolute merit of being thinking, organised and capable individuals. As many roles are occupied by men, not by right of nationality, not by cunning, not by malice, not by arrogance, not by spirit, not by privilege but, as is the case with our extraordinary women, by solid behavioural values, acquired skills, ability to involve, communicate, drag and teamwork. Nobel Prize winner Rita Levi Montalcini said: "It's easy to be a female, all you need is a pair of stilettos and skimpy clothes... but to be a woman you have to dress your brain with character, personality and courage." Following the concept, we could add that it is easy to be male where the display of muscles and prevarication is enough. To be a man, on the other hand, it would be enough to begin to understand and internalise the concept of respect. Respect for ideas, respect for difference, respect for rules... respect for women.             Glauco Pigoli architetto - project managerer
Christmas ergo cogito

“Courage, the best has passed,” goesone of the great Ennio Flaiano's most famous aphorisms. Perhaps we should resign ourselves too and admit that our dolce vita is now dead, irrecoverable. Perhaps Pier Paolo Pasolini was right when he said in the second half of the 1950s: “We are at the origins of what will probably be the worst era in human history, the era of industrial alienation.” If we think back to the last year our life, it is difficult to remain indifferent to Pasolini's prophecy and anxiety rises inside us. By isolating us, making us sick, killing our loved ones, the pandemic has tested our psyche and our economy. Is this really our historic moment? Are we, seventy years later, creatures condemned to live the worst era in human history? Is the era of industrial alienation really our era? My answer is that it depends on us. I am deeply convinced that in life there is always the possibility to choose. What is often lacking is the courage to make choices. The courage to change Because some choices are tough, they involve sacrifices that we are not willing to bear. This is our era: the era of choice. It is time to decide what we want to do with our lives and the shred of the world we have left.