Roma vs. Inter 2-2. Rising extremism and AI. Power is nothing without control.
In the first half, Roma played with a level of intensity and dominance that was truly historic; they stepped up the pace and set the stage for a victory in the second half. Yet, they ultimately lacked the mental and physical strength to hold onto the result. Similarly, those who escalated the political confrontation—foremost among them the moderate parties—found themselves surrounded by forms of extremism that had grown massive and unbeatable.
Let's start with the problems highlighted by this match. The first, already seen against Fenerbahçe and Atalanta, is the lack of concentration in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Historically, Roma starts strong in the first half. They might even take the lead. But then, after halftime, we relax too much.
| 5th Serie A | First Half | Second Half | Final Score | Scorers |
 | 6′, 37′ Koné | |||
 | 46′, 79′ Lautaro Martinez |
The second issue, già accennato nei primi paragrafi, is the stamina management. in the first half (power without control). We played a fantastic first half—perhaps the best since the start of the year. Then, by the 70th minute, we were absolutely exhausted. There was criticism regarding Gasp’s substitutions (he took off Koné, Molina, and then all the center-backs: Balerdi, Mancini, and Hermoso), but I think they were forced moves; the defenders, in particular, were dead tired, if not actually injured. If he could have, Gasp might well have substituted Wesley too—who was struggling against Carlos Augusto in the second half—as well as Malen, who was also very tired.
I also want to make a couple of positive observations from a technical standpoint and a couple regarding mentality. From a technical standpoint, I would like to highlight the performance of two of our players. I am glad that Koné has found his stride. If he also starts to establish himself as a goalscorer (in addition to his technical quality in passing and ball recovery), he could become one of the top three midfielders in the world. Good stuff. Soulé as an attacking midfielder on the left. The left-footed forward is gradually adapting to the new position, and his performances as a left-sided attacking midfielder are improving dramatically.
In terms of mindset, I would have been happier if we had secured the win, but at this very early stage of the season... Such an important victory would have changed Rome. with the yellow-and-red painted convertibles, the colorful streets, and the flags in the windows. Our strength, our power, is nothing without control. So, the first positive note regarding the mindset. it's just that we know well that We must keep grinding the wheat. With a great deal of effort, perhaps fortune will smile upon us—though we must always bear in mind that Inter is the top favorite and Lazio is an excellent team, that Como plays fantastic football, and that I certainly wouldn't rule out Juve, Milan, and Napoli: great clubs that may not have started at full throttle but are lurking dangerously, capable of pulling off big performances.
We thus come to the second positive point regarding the mental aspect. The bitterness over how the match unfolded—dominating the first half and leading 2–0, only to finish 2–2—is tempered by the fact that Inter is the strongest team in Serie A. They are the Italian champions and one of the best teams in Europe, as well as one of the most decorated clubs on the continent (the only Italian side to have achieved the Treble). If we managed to avoid defeat in such a tough head-to-head clash... means that this year we are really strong.
In politics, too, power is nothing without control. The radicalization of the conflict by moderate parties has paved the way for the success of extremist forces. This is what happened in Germany—specifically in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the far-right AfD emerged as the leading party—whereas in Berlin, where the Left dominates as it does in most major metropolises, the victory went to *Die Linke*, a party positioned further to the left than the Social Democrats. A similar scenario could unfold in France, where moderates find themselves squeezed between the right-wing extremism of Marine Le Pen and the left-wing extremism of Mélenchon. Extremism is an issue affecting Italy as well, with the right-wing extremism of *Futuro Nazionale*—fueled by the polarized clash by *Fratelli d’Italia* and by the *Lega Nord*.
It is a situation that has spiraled out of the control of opinion-makers (myself included, on my own small, modest blog). Similarly in AI it is not right to always go faster, However, oversight is needed for a technology that is highly useful but can backfire on humanity—just as the giants of science fiction, such as Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick, predicted.
Trump said, “A smart president can keep AI in check.” The problem is that the US doesn’t have one right now. In fact, he suggested changing the name of AI to “supreme intelligence” or “superior intelligence.” That just goes to show the mess we’re in regarding AI and the extremists—often corrupt charlatans—who end up in power.
There are various ways to deal with extremism—something we have already discussed on this blog. One approach, for instance, is to temper it through alliances with moderate parties. Conversely, the anti-Nazi alliance currently being attempted in Germany risks strengthening the AfD rather than defeating it, potentially paving the way for an outright single-party majority. Ironically, such a scenario would actually spell the end for these charlatan-like extremist movements; when put to the test, they are unable to implement their "easy-to-grasp" solutions, which fail to address the complexities of political and social reality. The danger, however, is that they can inflict irreparable damage—much like Trump is doing in the United States.
Extremist forces (primarily right-wing extremism) could seize power in Germany and France—a tragedy that might prove fatal for Europe. Moderate parties pushed too hard on the accelerator of polarization and confrontation, and this is the result. Similarly, Roma—both on the pitch and within the city—must avoid recklessly flooring the gas, whether in terms of how the players manage the match or how the fans handle their enthusiasm. The message left to us by the Inter match is clear: we are strong.
Daje Roma!
Giordano Sepi