The normalcy bias

The Crime We Don’t See

We’re the good guys. That’s what we’ve always told ourselves. During fascism, “we weren’t like the Germans.” When it comes to the mafia, “we’re not like the Sicilians.” The myth of the good Italian has followed us for nearly a century. But every myth has its cost. Today, while the mafia evolves, infiltrates, and thrives, we keep telling ourselves it’s “not our problem.” It’s always someone else’s fault: the South, the politicians, the past. Meanwhile, the mafia is grateful; working undisturbed. After World War II, Italy built its national identity on a comforting story: we were not like the Nazis. ….[READ]