Posted on 11/19/2023 9:26:06 PM PST by texas booster
I have been writing a lot on Israel, and thought I should write about another one of my lifelong interests: Spain
Spain is undergoing its greatest crisis since the death of Franco, and the struggle began to develop a parliamentary system of governance. We see the reemergence of themes from Spain's complex and endlessly fascinating past. While in theory, and mostly practice, Spain has been a unified kingdom/state for some 500 years, under the surface separatist forces continue to work.
Very quickly, and others can fill in more details. This, after all, is just a humble vanity blog.
In October 2017, Catalan separatists tried to hold a referendum in Catalonia demanding the region's independence. The Government in Madrid declared the referendum illegal and unconstitutional, and ordered it suppressed--which it was. The organizers were accused of sedition and several of them, including the ring leader, Carlos Puigdemont, fled to Brussels, from where they continued to call for Catalan independence. Others went to prison.
Jump to July of this year.
As I wrote briefly then, the main conservative party (PP) won a narrow victory, and the main left party (PSOE) suffered a narrow defeat. Neither party had a majority in parliament and, thus, could not form a government on its own; each went off to look for allies among smaller parties, or face another election later this month. It seemed that's where Spain was heading, to wit, new elections, but, no, the PSOE, defying the "experts," has pulled a major stunt to save its government. Despite having vowed not to make alliance with parties seeking the dissolution of Spain, and sworn not to promote an amnesty for those convicted or charged with trying to dissolve Spain, that's exactly what the PSOE is doing, and it looks like it might succeed.
PSOE has promised an amnesty to those involved in the 2017 referendum; to give Catalonia a special tax status which would enable Catalonia to keep all tax revenues it collects; and, apparently, to hold another referendum on separation. That has not gone over well in most of the rest of Spain. Hence, we see widespread demonstrations in every major city.
I was quite surprised to see so many young people waving Spanish flags and calling for the end of socialist rule, and--surprise!--an end to open immigration. The Diplowife and I got caught in one demonstration in front of the PSOE HQs--our place in Madrid is right around the corner--and we sucked in a lot of tear gas. The cops overreacted as the crowd was loud, but not violent, well, not until the cops started with the tear gas and the rubber bullets. Back in North Carolina, we have been watching YouTube videos of the demonstrations and see our building featured, bathed in blue police lights and swirling clouds of tear gas. Nervous laugh.
The PSOE looks determined to ride out the unrest, promising to have a vote in parliament (Las Cortes) this week to formally set up its new government.
Many questions and uncertainties: Can this coalition, in fact, govern as a key component does not recognize the legitimacy of the King, the constitution, or the Spanish state? Is this even constitutional? Lots of my Spanish friends hope/trust that the King will step in (as did his father to halt the 1982 coup attempt) and refuse to recognize this as a legitimate governing coalition. Don't know how much an activist this King is.
It seems that everywhere, we see the structure of Western Civilization under attack.
There's no qualifying adjective needed, it's just 'civilization'.
Progressives have developed (the phrase) 'Western Civilization' in order to treat all groups as though their contributions to global development were on some sort of parity.
But.. the 'eastern civilization', namely, ancient China ('the'), did develop the very original meritocracy that was co-opted quite effectively in the west.
- reader #1482
While this posting discusses the Spanish political crisis, a similar issue exists in America.
If one side is allowed to play by any rules it selects, then it can effectively select the rules that ensures only its victory.
If the only goal is power, then who reigns in the powerful?
Spain does have a monarchy, so they have *at least* a chance.
The USA has ... a bureaucracy intent on self preservation and expansion.
Spain is experiencing the same cultural devolution that pervades most of the West. Most of Europe has entered a post Christian, neo pagan era where a majority or near majority of the population has embraced hedonistic decadence. Nationalism, love of country, heritage, borders, legacy mean little to people who at their core care little or ridicule such concepts. It is nearly impossible to have a consensus when there are no real commonly held political values to unite a people. The result is a withering society, a very low birth rate and the ultimate transformation by determined migrants.
This is a very old problem. The union of Castille and Aragon that created modern Spain was very unequal: Castille got most of the political power even though Aragon (including Barcelona) was larger (included Sicily and Naples) and far richer. There were several attempts by Barcelona and other Spanish cities to rein in the power of the Spanish crown or separate by civil war. France acquired trans-Pyrenees Spain (Perpignan) because it assisted the monarchy in suppressing Catalonia. These historical divisions were exacerbated by Catalonia’s heavier industrialization, comparative greater income, and greater secularization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Muslims will become a dominant force in Western Europe. So you may see kingdoms like Catalonia emerge. Maybe that will be necessary to fight the Moors of the 21st Century.
You may call this a "meritocracy" I call it a recipe for unrest and endless wars. Which is exactly what happened.
I had not heard of this part of Spanish history, but it certainly makes sense from what I know.
Thank you.
Honestly, Barcelona is just about the least likely Spanish city to take on the Moors of the 20th century. I was just there a few months ago. It’s a beautiful city in places with a great history, but to a large extent it’s like the San Francisco of Spain, with the liberal/left safely in control and complete with bums smoking weed on the street.
*21st century
I was in Madrid the week before when all this started. The impressive thing was that it was hundreds of thousands of just average Spaniards of all ages, not student activists or really political people.
The thing that stuns me is that the media outside of Spain is totally ignoring it.
Also, one thing that nobody mentions is that Spaniards are not only demanding that Sanchez step down, but are also chanting “España es cristiana, no es musulmana”. The socialists are extremely anti -Christian and support unlimited illegal immigration from Muslim countries. The area with the highest percentage is Catalonia.
Sanchez just “recognized” the “State of Palestine,” btw, so he’s just doubling down.
I think the King should act.
Every time I see “parliament” and “coalition” there’s trouble afoot.
Perhaps the system is vulnerable.
Not that Basque and Catalan speaking people are troublemaking newcomers, they’ve been around forever. But that’s just it, they’re still unassimilated.
Furthermore they’re in the economically powerful regions. Spain’s almost an Australia in miniature, rather empty in the interior.
Portugal managed to become separate and sovereign, without destroying Spain. Catalonia could do the same, but not with leftist agitation guiding it.
An old saying comes to mind: if you can’t defend it, it ain’t yours.
A very apt description of bureaucracy, as perfected by China. The managerial caste in America is getting there. Deep State accomplished a revolution without the r.
Barcelona has been smokin’somethin’ for well over a century.
We don’t have as much regionalism in the US, because people move around so much. At least the middle class does, going away to college and after to wherever the best jobs are.
I have a niece who works for the State Dept and is stationed in Madrid. She says the US government is not too concerned about any of it.
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