THE FORLORN ITALIAN

 

The forlorn Italian

In Italy, very little has been said about what is transpiring in Canada (an unrelated article on another subject including some possible financial ramification will be out on Intelligence Quarterly shortly). The story is: protesters against draconian mandates engaged in a peaceful occupation of places in the capital and closed key infrastructure. I won't expand much more on this since there are some amazing journalists on the ground, and also some amazing , very well funded media who would have jumped at the scoop of finding these people engaged in any shenanigan, finaNcial or otherwise. For an example of the first go look for RupaSubramanya, she's amazing, as is the crew at Rebel News online etc. Of course, that mostly goes to prove that Sikhs pick better songs than natives when it's time to dance on the streets, or look at kids on the bouncy castles, but... you get the idea.

Anyway, it was possible to help financially those people, even from abroad, using the likes of GoFundMe …. until it wasn't. First the company tried to divert the money to whatever other cause it “deemed appropriate”, then it decided to refund donors. I hadn't donated through that, but then another establishment offered to act as postman, Givesendgo. And I donated.

Then all hell broke loose, the banking/money transfer part of which will be covered in the other, riveting article (Warning: Shameless plug).

No, I am here crying for another reason.

That site was hacked, the list of donors published, and first the Canadian State Television, then apparently even the Washington Post has started sending emails to addresses originally obtained though a criminal act.

Yet here I am. A poor, sixty year old email-less man in Italy.

I scoured the antiques market for a suitable frame (or two, I haven't given up on CTV). I have moved the print of an ancient depiction of my home town from behind my desk at the office. I have a skilled artisan on stand by ready to properly frame the printed email. And yet, nothing. I walk the streets, hands behind me back, waiting. Nothing. I wonder if there has been a mistake of some kind, and rest assured, I will vigorously pursue the correctness of my data with the crowdfunding platform.

But really people..... was it something I said? WaPo, don't leave me here hanging.

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