Oops! Sorry for the typo - the correct spelling is "carabinieri", The unique nature of this police force was and is that it is part of the army. It originally policed the rural areas of Italy to combat brigandage. The more dubious part of its history is its support for the authoritarian monarchy and Italian fascism. In modern times, however, it played an important part in fighting the Mafia. General Dalla Chiesa, the tough anti-Mafia prefect who was murdered in the 1980s belonged to the carabinieri. In recent times, though, the carabinieri have been the butt of many jokes about their alleged stupidity. The carabiniere is the essential idiot figure in those jokes, which also convey Northern Italian snobbery towards the mostly Southern Italian recruits of the corps.
|