Gianfranco's proposition[1] appears a little disconcerting to me. There is in it a tone of "the man of letters," not to say a journalistic tone, that is hardly pleasing. Within certain limits, the subject could be interesting. It will be necessary to see. If it is good enough to be published, you must signal to him -- if he does not think so himself -- that it could not be published by Champ Libre under the glorious name of Sanguinetti ("Censor"), but, for example, with a signature such as "by a group of Metropolitan Indians." For the same reasons, I could not sign the translation in any case.
He wrote me that, for the end of the year, he had the idea for a more theoretical -- or more agitational -- book called Remedy for Everything (the title is taken from a text published during the French Revolution),[2] which seems more important. I have had very little contact with Gianfranco over the last 18 months.[3] He sends me long letters, often instructive concerning the Italian situation, but less frequently than before, because I now only respond with a few very brief lines. As I told you at the time, we formulated two opposed hypotheses on what was fitting to be done or not be done concerning the cynical Mursia,[4] with the goal of compensating for the blow on another terrain. Naturally, the subsequent events showed that my hypothesis was the correct one. Of course, I left him complete latitude to follow his own hypothesis, because after all I wanted to maintain the fact that, since the end of the SI, I am entirely independent with respect to him, as with all the others. The reciprocal situation is also true; and "Censor" was particularly his affair. Nevertheless, he has been too notoriously linked to me in the eyes of the Italian public and elsewhere, so I keep my personal relations with him limited, whereas he appeared cuckolded in a dizzying fashion by Mursia and happy to be so. But my life is already too complicated for me to permit myself to be in agreement with losers on his scale. This would give too much audacity to the enemy.
What will provide us with an evaluation of Thierry Levy[5] will be his formal agreement and, immediately afterwards, his effective action in this perspective, and so it will be necessary to make him feel a part of the game: to attack, as soon as possible and at the base, without any discretion or consideration, by beginning the loudest and most scandalous recourse available, either simultaneously or in rapid succession, on all the terrains where this affair can be carried out: on the terrain of the rights of companies, civil and penal (abuse of confidence, swindling). At this level, for example, if the clever capitalist[6] arranged the bankruptcy of the company that happened to be Elisabeth's company, it will be necessary to put into question the strange fact that, thanks to him, the sisters' actions concerned companies that were notoriously more profitable, etc. In brief, I would like that this bandit, who has defined me as a pimp, feels his [proper] pain! And also that any burst of brilliance in this affairs completes Kiejman's discomfort.[7]
Elisabeth will also show you the letter that she will send to Kiejman. I hope that this letter is equally instructive to Thierry Levy, and his reaction to it will be a test: it is necessary that he approves it, unwillingly or not. What I will write to Kiejman will be less polite, but it might be difficult to be any harder on him. Because nothing can be more difficult for a lawyer.
Best wishes,[1] Translator's note: A book to be called Indiani in citta ("Indians in the City"). Cf. Debord's letter to Gerard Lebovici dated 2 September 1977.
[2] Remedy to Everything, or the Invulnerable Constitution of Public Happiness by Francois-Joseph Lange (Lyon, 1793). [Translator's note: A portion of Sanguinetti's Remedy to Everything would be published in 1979 as On Terrorism and the State.]
[3] Translator's note: see Debord's letter dated 15 January 1976.
[4] Ugo Mursia, Italian publisher of "Censor."
[5] Translator's note: an attorney working for Editions Champ Libre.
[6] The father of Elisabeth Gruet. [Translator's note: Ms Gruet worked an assistant director on Debord's film In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni.]
[7] Translator's note: An attorney for Champ Libre of Mitterandist political beliefs, Georges Kiejman would be fired; eventually he would become the French Minister of Justice.
(Published in Guy Debord Correspondance, Vol 5: Janvier 1973-Decembre 1978 by Librairie Artheme Fayard, 2005. Translated from the French by NOT BORED! April 2007. Footnotes by Alice Debord, except where noted.)