: Battista laments the disappearance of thinkers like George Orwell, Albert Camus, and Simone Weil—"irregulars" who were willing to betray their political affiliations to remain true to themselves.

: He criticizes the "squint" or selective vision of the Italian cultural elite, which ignores certain historical crimes (like those of Castro or Chávez) while obsessing over others.

A summary of the from other Italian intellectuals

I conformisti. L'estinzione degli intellettuali d'Italia - Amazon.it