Defense and Security: The Invisible Foundations of Our Italy

In his latest editorial in the Corriere della Sera, Professor Angelo Panebianco paints a stark but necessary picture of an Italy that seems to have lost its sense of reality. The paradox is evident: we live in an era of global storms, yet a significant part of the country prefers to take refuge in what Panebianco calls "onuism" — a manipulative and ideological use of international organizations to justify inaction and disinterest in our national security.

Security is not a "cost", it is the foundation of all societies

It must be said clearly: without security, no people can survive and evolve. Defense is not a budget item to be lightly cut, nor a "light opera" theme good only for influencing the public. It is the value at the base of every free society.

All countries that have understood the harsh lessons of history know that only through the development of a credible defense apparatus can they survive geopolitical changes. Those who think otherwise, who believe that democracy is an eternal and free gift, forget that it was paid for with the blood shed between the scorched rocks of the Carso and the icy peaks of the Alps by our grandparents.

The facade alibis

Starting from Panebianco's analysis, one can unmask the many "isms" used by those who influence public opinion:

• Intellectual antagonism: That habit, very widespread in certain social circles, of opposing the military to appear "enlightened" or populist, cynically delegating to others the task of defending us in case of aggression.
• The manipulative use of the Armed Forces: conceiving our men and women in uniform as "toy soldiers" to be used for purposes other than the primary Defense of the Nation, without having any idea of the national security strategy (document drafted for the first time in the history of the Republic in 2025).
• The UN facade: As the professor writes in the Corriere, invoking the UN apparently unaware of its structural limits.

The lesson from the North

While we linger in ideological discussions, the "very civilized countries of Northern Europe," as highlighted in the current debate, teach us what it means to have civic consciousness. Feeling the Russian threat at their borders, these peoples have rediscovered the spirit of service and the necessity of national defense. They do not do it out of a belligerent spirit, but out of pragmatism: they know that a people without a spirit of service towards their own people is destined to succumb.

Towards a new civic maturity

Panebianco makes an appeal for Italians to be helped to understand that there is no contradiction between wanting peace and the duty to defend oneself. Peace is not the absence of conflict achieved through surrender or indifference, but a good that must be actively protected.

"It is essential to help Italians understand that there is no contradiction between maintaining a peaceful attitude and, at the same time, recognizing the duty of governments to do everything in their power to defend their countries."

It's time to grow up. It's time to stop riding antagonistic waves and understand that the defense of the homeland is a civic duty that has no political color. If we are unable to develop this awareness, history, with its usual brutality, will end up sweeping away everything that we did not have the courage to protect.