Spain
By blighters rock
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Under Spanish law, rebellion is defined as ‘rising up in a violent and public manner’, so how can it be that twelve Catalan leaders are now in the dock for representing rebellion when the only violence caused during the 2017 referendum was inflicted by Spanish militia on defenceless Catalans?
The Grenfell enquiry will have the same problem in getting to the truth because the truth has already been clearly defined; all blame lies at the feet of the state that presides over the enquiry.
Like every atrocious delusion played out under the guise of democracy, it’s only when evidence is absorbed and digested that we begin to see the charade. Or is it? Maybe that’s when the delusion goes up a gear, when denial is repeated so often that we actually believe it, and when, for the large majority, we enter into the process of consciously forgetting cold hard facts in order to think clearly.
Ignoring the result of a referendum has happened before. In February 2005, Spain voted on establishing a Constitution for Europe. The result was a resounding Yes (81%) but with the lowest turnout (41%) since the end of the Franco era. In May 2005, with EU masterminds sure of another momentous victory, the French rebuffed the proposed constitution by voting No (55%) with 69% voting. As if that wasn’t enough, days later, the Dutch voted No (61%) with 62% voting, which should have nailed the EU’s coffin before it had even been born.
But, while delusion is at the heart of politics, ignorance is its lifeblood, and in 2007 France’s newly elected president, Nicolas Sarkozy, pledged a re-negotiation for the constitution without a referendum, which effectively placed Europe alongside China, where political decisions are made by a hierarchical electoral system and to hell with what people think.
In the following months, the EU member states repackaged the constitution into what became the Treaty of Lisbon of 2009, which demanded in no uncertain terms that all member states give up their sovereignty from 2020.
In light of this and perhaps in an attempt to seek independence from Spain before the treaty came into effect, after which they would be forced to pit their wits against the will of the EU, Catalonia, as a sovereign entity with its own parliament, announced a referendum in 2017, which was roundly ignored by Spain as malicious and divisive. The referendum went ahead (after Spain declared it illegal) but the result, also ignored by the state, was an overwhelming 92% for independence with a 43% turnout. Diametrically opposing the 2005 Spanish referendum on Europe, this result not only demonstrates Catalonia’s dismissal of Spain, if not the EU, as ruling state. It also shows the fearless complexity of its self-determining spirit.
And so the delusion groans on like the broken chassis of a banger, an illegal referendum bumbled and booted into an equally illegal and lengthy court process, the outcome of which will have no effect whatsoever because, even if Spain gets to lock them up, all the Catalan leaders need to do is appeal to the EU and they’ll be free under the Human Rights Act.
Whichever way it goes, by the time a verdict is made (they reckon three months for the case and three months to sit on it), 2020 will be just around the corner and Catalonia will have to face the prospect of being another unwilling substate to a state it deplores while being bound to a fake treaty it never condoned.
The outcome of this pantomime will do no harm to Catalonia’s dream of independence. It was cast long ago to ward off the attentions of Franco and it will ward off Spain with as much vigour.
From what I’ve seen of daily life there, Catalonia possesses an unrivalled sense of compatriotism that can only be attained by those who have lived through hard times and earned their small freedoms.
While some may say the Catalan plight for independence is pure arrogance, pigheaded pride or even gross ingratitude, the French gilet jaune and Britain’s Brexiteers will differ, and if you can find the guidelines of the Treaty of Lisbon online, you’ll see why. With around 70% openly denouncing the EU as a fraud constitution, France seems to be on course for big change and Britain looks set for a hard ride.
It’s a shame we can’t just go back to being countries again, each fighting for the odd win here and there, but what if England are banned from playing in the next Euros? Now that really would cause a stink.
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I've got some sympathy for
I've got some sympathy for the Catalans, but greater sympathy for us Scots. Brexit is like the Hawaians voting to leave the US. We didn't vote for it in Scotland. I've been thinking about Grenfell too. And I guess we know that's a farce too.
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Controversial piece. Working
Controversial piece. Working on the basis that there are always at least two sides to every story:
There's a funny thing that happens with controversial votes that one side or other doesn't recognise (the Catalan vote was in breach of the Spanish constitution and therefore illegal under national law and therefore unrecognised by many Catalans), those not favouring the change tend not to vote, hence an ostensibly obvious result is actually not representative. Support for independence in Cataluña is thought to be about 50:50.
Another related point is how we tend in these discussions to forget the essential lego blocks of state and go straight to the passionate argument. So we say that Spain has done this or Cataluña has done that. With so much at stake, we need to talk detail. There is a quasi federal state made up of autonomous regions or comunidades with varying levels of autonomy but all under a single negotiated written constitution (which is more that Britain has) and a constitutional court that oversees it. That can be changed, but so far hasn't been. The law, then, is the law, and just as it restrains some Catalans, it protects others.
Secessionist politics are a good distraction from the true causes of hardship and inequality and do have their place, but without order we have no stability and no shared wealth. The people of the peninsula know that we'll. How far do you go with seccesion? I'm currently in Yorkshire. There's a small but passionate minority who would back an independent Yorkshire but, thank goodness, there are many more who see the benefits of being part of something bigger.
Parson Thru
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Hi Blighters. It's only my
Hi Blighters. It's only my opinion in the end. I speak to a lot of people and read a bit and watch a bit. Just my view of how it looks to me. People have been doing silly things on both sides. Most recently, the refusal of Catalan independence politicians to agree a state budget has pushed the socialist president to call a general election. The Right are almost certain to gain an overall majority again. Spanish nationalism vs Catalan nationalism: not a pretty picture. You have to ask why?
Parson Thru
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They blocked the budget.
They blocked the budget. PSOE (the socialists) are only in power because of an oddity of Spanish government. They proposed a vote of no confidence in Rajoy, the previous president and leader of the Popular Party. If that vote is won, the leader of the party that proposes it (PSOE) has to form a government, which they did, but they have no overall majority. Since the recent electoral successes of the right wing populist party Vox in Andalucía, the right can probably poll a majority in Congress. My understanding is that the Catalan nationalists refused to give their support to Sánchez' budget as a protest. After a period of paralysis, Sánchez gave up and called the election. Sánchez has been trying to negotiate with the separatist politicians but they insist on unilaterally breaking the constitution. Previously, PP wouldn't even negotiate. It'll probably go back to that. It's not really like Hungary or Czechoslovakia, there's no plucky patriot vs powerful aggressor. It's an ongoing open wound that occasionally erupts. I just think it increases the risk when outside commentators (politicians and media) romanticise it or try to use it for their own ends. It's not my fight, but I feel concerned that someone might tip things over the edge at some point. It's also another potential crack in the EU for the many who would like to weaken that bloc. Think geostrategic gains and trade. Russia, some in the US, China, and their Brexit footsoldiers. The single market was conceived to give European businesses some kind of level playing field against US and now Chinese corporate giants. Subsequently, the EU was manoeuvred by the US and Blair into being the guarantor of eastern European states against the territorial claims of a resurgent Russia. There's a lot going on. I fear someone somewhere would be happy to see Cataluña as the next proxy battleground. What a tragedy that would be.
Parson Thru
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Humanity: a far from perfect
Humanity: a far from perfect situation. I blame the Greeks. Everyone was happily accepting of chaos until some clown came along and said "No, it's actually all really simple. Look..."
Parson Thru
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I often think WW1 and WW2
I often think WW1 and WW2 ought to be represented as WW1/2. Nice chatting blighters.
Parson Thru
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