In 2014 I went up to Edinburgh and lived there for 10 weeks to participate and vote in the Scottish independence referendum. Edinburgh was buzzing and foreign TV crews were every where including one from Catalonia. I wish Catalonia well. Devastated during the Spanish civil war by Franco's German backed fascists it was the great cause of the left in the late 30s until we had to go to war ourselves. All the great UK leftsts went to fight there in the International Brigade. Some were even killed. Catalonia was beaten.
Catalonia has a long and proud 1000 year history of independence as Aragon where Ferdinand father of Catherine came from. It has its own language and culture and is the wealthiest region of Spain despite the Spanish governments efforts to impoverish it. It lost badly in the war of the Spanish succession, the one that brought us Gibraltar. I quote from Wikepdia.
During the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), the Crown of Aragon sided against the Bourbon Philip V of Spain, whose subsequent victory led to the abolition of non-Castilian institutions in all of Spain and the replacement of Latin and other languages (such as Catalan) with Spanish in legal documents.
The Bourbons were the dominant power in Europe for 500 years. By marriage they acquired the Spanish South American colonies and large chunks of Holland
Like Scotland it wants to be independent. throw of the yoke of Castille and return to its own national historic identity.
The Spanish government backed up by the EU is now shutting down polling stations by armed force. If this were being done in a third world country the BBC, the whole political elite would be up in arms led by Toynbee & Ashdown. We would have whole Newsnight programmes, prop E Davies, devoted to this flagrant attack on democracy. But what do we hear from these August organs, nary a peep! There is one rule for the undemocratic EU and its client and another for UK elected democracy
Give it time for the EU to get its army and we will suffer the same fate. Beware what happened to the Greeks.
The EU will string us along like they did with the Greeks giving plenty time for the Europhiles to air their criticism of all things British on our EU loving media.
There could well be violence in Catalonia. I do not want to see it on our streets so get out of the EU now. The EU does not negotiate in good faith!
2 comments:
It does make you realise how cizilised we are in the UK.
We held a referendum to settle the future relation of Scotland within, or out, of the UK and I am sure at some future point if there is a appetite for it, another referendum will happen.
We held a referendum on the UK relationship with the EU.
Spain have made a big mistake. They should have trusted democracy and allowed a free vote on the Catalan issue. All they have done is further alienate people from that region.
Very interesting blog and a pity the BBC no longer educate.
" If this were being done in a third world country" are you sure that Spain is not a third world country? If it is first world why does the EU need to spend so much money there.
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