Comments by Zparo

Agreed. That's right.

And let's not forget his incursion into politics in the ranks of PSOE.

He doesn't indict marxist leaders like Castro or Carrillo because it doesn't sell. It's more trendy and cool to indict right-wing leaders because they're the bad guys...pathetic, Zapathetic!

All you Garzón supporters know nothing.

Garzón rejected to indict Santiago Carrillo for war crimes against humanity based precisely on the amnesty law. He is completely biased. Same as you.

See: http://www.abc.es/20080903/nacional-nacional/garzon-rechazo-plano-1998-2...

Dear Milton,

when someone spoke about good government in Madrid, they meant the community, not the town hall. Just compare Catalonia's deficit with that of Madrid. (Watch out for health care professionals strikes and for massive teacher lay-offs)

Besides, money squander is a generalized thing in the whole country, not just in Madrid. And I'm pissed off about it!

As opposed to what you've posted, the thing is Catalan is not a foreign language, because Catalonia is not a foreign country. Besides, all Catalans speak Spanish.

However, I agree with you, bilingualism, or trilingualism... is always good. I envy you dutchs, and belive it or not you Catalans too. The problem is that it's very easy to use it as a political weapon.

What ever for is someone from outside Catalonia going to learn Catalan? (concept: regional languages) of course, unless you plan to live in Catalonia for some time, or any specific interests literature...

Don't you think it's more reasonable to learn any global language?

Why does the Catalan government use an interpreter to meet up with a Nicaraguan delegation?

http://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/noticias/20091109/53821535177/el-pa...

Why does the Senate has simultaneous translation for regional languages when senators speak Spanish among them in the corridors?

It's absurd, completely ridiculous.

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Lastly, I wipe my *ss with the Constitutional Tribunal. It's a political tribunal following orders. Bildu (or ETA) if it sounds more familiar will be present in May 22nd elections thanks to this tribunal.

They are now legitimate people and they will receive Spanish money (a country they do not acknowledge)

It sounds like a bad joke, does it?

Dear Vinarossenc,

ERC, very respectable party indeed, some of its member were part of the terrorist group Terra LLiure. Hitler was also democratically elected.

Whether you like it or not Spanish is also the language of Catalonia, your example involving Norwegian, other countries, etc. is not valid. Of course, in my humble opinion.

If Franco banned regional languages, which is understandable at first (after the war) since Catalonia was red zone and Catalanism fostered segregation from Spain, why where the professorships of Basque and Galician (which previously did not exist) created under his rule?

Why since 1941 works in Catalan started to be published again? And poetry and theatre flourished again during 1942,44,45…why was the senyera hanging from official buildings and the sardana danced again?

(see the complete works of Verdaguer. El somni encetat, of Miquel Dolç. The theather piece El cop desert of Brossa. See Pío Daví and Maria Vila…

Why did the lnstitut d'estudis Catalans exist and was chaired by Puig i Cadafalch?

Why did the Falange Española had fascist propaganda in Catalan, before and after the war?

Why did the Basque Academy of Language resume its activities under Franco’s regime?

By contrast, why is the Spanish flag missing in many Basque and Catalan town halls?

By the way, Nazism in Spain entered via the Pyrenees into Catalonia in the form of the “escamots” supported by the Catalan government of 1933 and created by Josep Dencás.

Dear biaix,

I find a few flaws in the backbone of the book you mention. Toledo became the capital of the Visigoth State of Hispania much earlier than Paris became that of France. Thus becoming a centre of power much before Catalonia existed. Therefore, the idea of having a centre of power cannot attributed to the Castilian obsession with Paris or Catalonia. Valladolid became the capital of Castille before Madrid did so.

I find the title “España capital París” quite unfortunate.

Furthermore, Madrid couldn’t drain the economic activity from places around because there was not such a thing. Ávila? Segovia? Guadalajara? Toledo? Cuenca? Beautiful places to visit with a thriving tourist sector.

Regarding infrastructures, there already is an “autopista del cantábirico” also a “vía de la plata”; as there also is an “autopista del mediterraneo” (which by the way was inaugurated in 1969 by the CENTRALIST regime of Franco). In fact, I believe Catalonia is the region with more motorways.

But anyway, shall we build an AVE that instead of connecting Barcelona and Madrid, connects León and Teruel, or Almeria and Cáceres?

However, I like your idea of reorganizing the provinces, the only setback that occurs to me in my twisted mind is that if we have the former Aragon, why not Castille? In such a case Castille would go from the Basque Country right to Cadiz and people in Leon might then say: “Hey we are not Castillians, we’re Leonese, we speak Leonese”

This country is no longer Spain but EZpain or EXpaña

Regarding immigration policies, and Catalan embassies:
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cataluna/creacion/embajada/catalana/Marru...

One of the paragraphs is very illustrative:

“Artur Mas assured that the Catalan govenment doesn’t want to “quarrel” with the Spanish authorities (as if they were not Spain) but then warned that the Generalitat seeks to have “its own channel” and its particular foreign policy.”

Data speak again:
Since 1998 till 2010 Catalonia has passed from having 38,857 Moroccans to 241,001.
Since 1998 till 2010 Catalonia has passed from having 1,212 Pakistanis to 42,982.

Of course, no one will find a paper that says “Catalan misgovernment fosters muslim immigration to dilute their Spanish identity”

But everyone know what goes on in their sick brains

What's wrong with you mate?

laugh a laugh but Catalans are already experiencing integration problems entailed by their immigration policies.

CIA was just an irony

Regarding linguistic policy,no comments, just clicka see:

http://www.ciudadanos-cs.org/prensa/Cs_en_contra_del_Reglamento_de_usos_...

And this below is the liguistic policy from one of Barcelonas town halls:

http://www.esplugues.cat/portal/cast/Documentacio.nsf/DOCUMENTACIOxCAT/R...

Sections II and III are very illustrative

Brilliant is it?

Can anyone say they are not imposing something?????????

And again, Catalans just do not care about this, as you Vinarossenc say, all this above is due to POLITICIANS

In the heat of the debate I forgot the most important thing.

They are Nazis, just read what Sabino Arana the father of Basque NAZIonalism and founder of the PNV (Basque NAZIonalist party) wrote:

"The Bizkaino walks confidently and in a manly fashion; the Spaniard does not know how to walk, or if he does, he is of feminine type."
Bizkaitarra, no. 29.

"It is necessary to isolate ourselves from the maketos. Otherwise, in this land we walk on, it is not possible to work toward the Glory of God."
Bizkaitarra, no. 19.

"We, the Basques, must avoid the mortal contagion, maintain firm our faith in our ancestors and the serious religiosity that distinguishes us, and purify our customs, before so healthy and exemplary, now so infected and at the point of corruption by the influence of those who have come from outside."
La Patria, no. 39.

"It is known that of course, from this cross of the maketo with the Bizkaino, all that blooms in our country is irreligiousity and immorality. The facts prove this and explain it perfectly."
Bizkaitarra, no. 6 bis.

"We have already indicated, on our part, that favoring the irruption of the maketos is fomenting immorality in our country, because if it is true that the customs of our People have degenerated notably in these times, it is without doubt due to the frightening invasion of the maketos, who bring with them blasphemy and immorality."
Bizkaitarra, no. 10.

"It terrifies them to hear that maketos should be driven out of towns with stones. Ah, those people who love peace! They are those who are worthy of the hate of patriots."
Bizkaitarra, no. 21

"A great number of them seem to be undeniable testimony of Darwin's theory, since rather than men they resemble apes, rather less beastly than gorillas: do not search in their faces for the expression of human intelligence nor of any virtue; their eyes only reveal idiocy and brutishness."
Bizcaitarra, no. 27.

"Every Bizkaino should be anti-liberal and anti-Spanish."
Bizkaitarra, no. 1

Cool hey?

jejeje yeah well, until the CIA Catalan Inteligence Agency discloses the documents, I'm afraid there will be no "official proof"

Dear Niam,

Honestly, I do not see why Esperanza Aguirre is going to spy on his number 2, Ignacio Gonzalez, who has been with her since day 1. It makes no sense to me. The tribunals spoke and said________

But hey, who cares about the spy game?

Zapatero carries the weight of 5.000.000 unemployed and there he is smiling all day, as if he had been illuminated by God.

nite, nite

Demagoguery? come on man! I invite you to check this official data:

http://www20.gencat.cat/docs/dasc/03Ambits%20tematics/05Immigracio/02Dad...

page 1: 245,005 Moroccans in Catalonia or if you want 20% of the immigrant population.

And this one also:

http://www.madrid.org/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=applicatio...

Page 13: 91,022 Moroccans in Madrid or 8.25% of the immigrant population.

Both communities roughly have 1.1 million immigrants.

Make your numbers.

I insist, the Catalan government favours North African immigration as a way of composing a non Spanish-speaking society. Of course they also have Latin American migrants, but that's their way of being different and fostering other type of migration.

That's that.

Just in case... I do not hate Moroccans

Even in Andalusia with obvious historical ties and geographical location just has 16.21% of Moroccans Vs. 16.10% of sun-loving Brits.

http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/empleo/OPAM/?q=peb_hist&id_peb=90

Thanks, I'll be more careful about my style, many people have told me to soften the tone. (I told you I was no friend of political correctness). My apologies to all those who dare to accept them.

Dear Niam,

I didn't realize you were referring to the spy game. I really do not know, I belive that all that ended in nothing (corrections appreciated). But I do not see why someone should resign just because EL Pais newspaper says this person is doing this or that.

Just look at Manuel Chaves in Andalusia, evidence presented agaist him a there he is. Let's see what will happen in Valencia with F. Camps and Gürtel.

Look what happened to JM Soria in the Canary islands, he was victim of a hunt that ended up in nothing and those media that crucified him didn't even mention his exoneration by the tribunal...

Dear Vinarossenc,

your moral superiority overwhelms me. As so does your blindness.

They are in fact nazis, politically removing from Catalonia all that smells of Spain, such as the Spanish language, bullfighting, promoting North African immigration as a way to oppose it to Spanish speaking Latin American immigration...

The diversity of the Catalan parliament can be defined as Ciutatans and PP Vs. a nazionalist mishmash (Ciu,PSC,SI,ERC,IC)

Why did it took so long for the major of Barcelona to install a big screen for all supporters of Spain to watch the world cup final?

Oh yes, I forgot Barcelona is not Spain

Why were more than two stabbed in the San Fermines and Bilbao during the world cup?

Oh yes, they were wearing Spain's t-shirt and had to be eliminated because they were not in Spain.

NAZIs

The trap of Catalan politricks: "All Catalans want independence, and if not, you're not Catalan and will be labeled as "maketo" retortingto Basque terminology"

They've already decided. 16% of Catalans went to vote for independence, 93% of those who went voted for it. The rest, some 84% have more important things to do.

I know you can distinguish. By reading some of you previous posts I can tell you know what you're talking about.

But please, don't portray me as a brainwashed Spanish natioanlist, just because I criticize nazi-onalist policies.

I combat nazionalist-regionalisms, not the fact of being/speaking Catalan/Basque. Again, who said those parties represent regional identities?

Anyway, TODAY'S PROBLEMS:

*socialist incompetence
*5.000.000 unemployed
*Lack of economic planning
*educational system, socialist LOGSE(no one talks about this)
*Spain's political system(s): leading to fragmentation of internal market, 3 civil servants (national, regional and local) for 1 work post, parliamentary system gives too much weight to nazionalisms
*the never ending story of left (good) Vs. right (evil) according to political correctness

contributions appreciated

Dear Rainer Müller,

“And, Zparo, please let people decide what they want to be. There is no "we have to give them".”

Keep falling in the same trap. People take for granted “they” are all a monolithic block but they aren’t. Respect non-nazionalist Catalans/Basques, which are the majority.

Dear Xavi,

Spain is the most decentralized country in Europe. The fact that Madrid is doing better cannot be attributed to those policies you mention.

Some time ago they inaugurated an airport in Lérida, as they also did in León. Again, money squander everywhere I look.

The airport in León only has two flights per week! Do you think it is worth it?

During the last two decades Catalonia has kept falling behind, and this fact cannot be attributed to anything else but to the policies of successive Catalan governments that have been more focused on their crusade for independence than on the lives of citizens.

Companies are leaving Catalonia due to the delusional policies of Catalan governments.

With the greatest respects, don’t play the victim and pretend to be the only one who cares for the future of Catalonia. We in other parts of Spain do also care, because its future it’s that of Spain.

Dear Niam,

“This is the man who has toured the world spitting venom about the Spanish government almost since the day after his party was ousted from power”

Was he not right? 5.000.000 unemployed or if you prefer 21,3%. Just like the previous socialist government of Felipe Gonzalez. Socialist egalitarianism and misery for everyone!! Hooray!

“Another recent article quoted one of Esperanza Aguirre's acolytes in the government of the regional autonomy of Madrid, someone suspected of corruption)”

Neither Esperanza Aguirre, nor Francisco Granados (he’s the one you probably refer to) are suspected of corruption. By contrast Nº2 in the socialist list for Madrid is not suspect of corruption but condemned.

Dear Fed-up,

““Castilian Spain” lost The Netherlands, Portugal, Central and South America, The Philipines…., on the contrary, the United Kingdom is able to keep the Commonwealth. British elites have been able to share some power, and keep some of it. Some Castilian ones… seem not able to learn from past mistakes.”

What a lot of crap.

I believe the crown of Aragon not Catalonia, also maintains control over half of Italy, Sicily, Sardinia and Greek territories, right?

I also believe UK maintains control of the 13 colonies in North America, Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, etc. down to South Africa and Nigeria, India and Pakistan, Hong-Kong etc.. and Australian taxes subsidy UK citizens, right?

“Nowadays, after 500 years, Spain is, legally and in the hearts of many people, the addition of different cultures, traditions, languages...even if some people don’t like it.”

Agree. Not so sure about “cultures” though. Could someone clarify this to me?

Dear Rainer Müller,

perhaps you're right. I apologize for heating up my verb and lumping together all Catalans/Basques.

I frontally oppose regionalists, but indeeed, only a small minority in those periferic regions are nazi-onalists. Ironic that they govern Spain conditioning its politics, a country they do not acknowledge.

Here you have a very clear example of what's been happening in this country for the last century: 1) Regionalists (not the majority of people living in those regions) create hatred towards the rest of Spain. 2) The rest of Spain pays in the same coin without distinctions. 3) Reginalists play the victim and Catalans/Basques feel they're under attack.

However, if I did, I didn't mean to deny their past. I just told the truth, they were no kingdom. I belive that's no sign of disrespect.

By contrast, Valencia was a kingdom and they practise an inclusive regionalism not an exclusive one.

León was also a kingdom, should we now start segregating from Castille and just because Leonese was spoken also from Spain?

Why is Catalonia different from Leon?

Please, could someone signal to me cultural differences? Basques Vs. Andalusians? OK, and what about Asturians Vs.Andalusians?

Why doesn't Extremadura become a nazi-on also? they speak castuo there.

I do not agree with the relativistic post-modernistic manipulation of the term nation.

I do not agree with simultaneous translation (Basque, Galizian, Catalan) in the Senate for crimianl senators that in the corridors speak SPANISH among them. WE always have to pay for their money squanders. Many of the Basques don't even speak Basque.

I do not agree with the fact that many erasmus students that arrive in Barcelona find out clsses are taught in Catalan.

I do not agree with the fact that a Catalan/Basque can sit a competitive exam in the rest of Spain in equal conditions to the rest, whereas in those regions they have an advantage because knowing their language adds up points.

I do not agree with teh fact of having 17 health systems, and having some drugs available in one regions but not in the others.

What do you prefer a good professional oncologist or one that speaks Catalan? Better for him if he does and besides is a good professional.

Why does the major Basque regionalist party do not want the Spanish army in its soil but when the Alakrana is hijacked in the Indian ocean they ask the government to send the SPANSIH NAVY?

Accusing me of being a centralist? YES I AM

The regional model agreed on during transition to democracy has proven to be fatal.

Does this mean that I disregard the diversity of Spain? NO SIR

Are regionalist parties the paradigm of regional identity? NO SIR

Do I oppose Catalan/Basque/Galizian/Valencian/Mallorcan/AsturLeonese/Castuo/Andalusian language? NO SIR

Now, I do oppose those fines the Catalan government extends to those businesses that have their sign in Spanish and not in Catalan. Funny however how they do not fine those businesses with signs in Chinese, Pakistani etc.

People in Barcelona speak Catalan or Spanish indistinctly, it's just the NAZIonalist politicians who create this atmosphere. Only 16% of Catalans went to vote for independence during the last referendum.

People there are tired of all this shi*!

As you see I'm no friend of political correctness, I'm just fed up of constant manipulations and lies sowing mistrust and INEQUALITIES among Spaniards.

You say:
"Catalans can't make politics today based on that distant past, but you cannot deny them their history."

Agreed, but try to understand me. I'm not denying anything at all.

Regionalists are real yokels

Catalonia has never been a nation, perhaps a nazi-on.

In fact, it wasn't even a kingdom, just a county belonging to the crown of Aragon.

Same for the Basques, they now claim the anexation of Navarre... heard that? JAJAJA I wonder what Sancho VI King of Navarre (the founder of San Sebastián and Vitoria) has to say about that.

You know, some time ago I was in Cuba experiencing the socialist "paradise", and we stopped to ask for some help to another tourist, and you know what? he answered us in catalan... I asked him if I could see his passport and if he also spoke catalan to cubans...quiet as a mouse.

Dear regionalists, please pull your heads out of your *sses

Probably those regionalists that write here are victims of the brilliant educational laws (LOGSE) of the socialist government that has led this country to the abyss. 30% school failure, bottom rank in PISA report.

Juan A. Hervada, thanks for your analyses, they're always very bright!

Wow! very solid analyses from some of you here.

On those grounds, perhaps Madrid should also become independent because this region also transfers a big share of its GDP, and taxes here go to finance Catalan embassies around the globe.

Also Andalusian subsidies (PER) for people that just work a couple of months a year.

Or even worse, terrorist weapons via ANV in 40 Basque town halls.

Ignorant folks tend to think that regionalist (not nationalist) parties represent the paradigm of regional identity.

Who has ever said this was true?

Are those Basques that do not vote PNV not Basques? are those Catalans that do not vote ERC, PSC, SC not Catalans?

By the way, if some of you think that all those horrible blocks of flats in the Levante were built in just 15 years (not decades), you haven't got a clue. Learn your history

It's pathetic, Zapathetic

I´m utterly flabbergasted. You know in this country there are still people who support Zapatético. Absolutely amazing.

He actually never had a plan, but himself.

His an EMPTY DESIGN "SOCIALIST" SUIT belonging to another era. A bunch of void slogans.

I cannot express how much I´m disgusted by him or his cohort. It´s pathetic. Zapathetic.

Unbelievable

*Good one AshtonEJ

The only way out is for them (the terrorists & supporters) to be dumped on the fields of Spain and serve as fertilizer.

I´ll believe in the independence of Vascongadas when Madrid becomes an independent state. Also when Mr. Sarkozy surrenders the french basque region.

The state oppresses them exactly the same as it oppresses me, having to pay all those taxes for them politricks to waste our money in countless nonsense, subsidizing political parties,NGO´s, trade unions, 17 regional governments, thousands of advisers...endless corruptions, 5.000.000 unemployed, 30% school failure (LOGSE)...

@ junkyardmusician

No need to emphasize that much the economic model of the PP in Valencia, the truth is that PP only governs there since 1995. Do you really think that all those horrible blocks were just built in 15 years? Grow up. I must thank you, however, for acknowledging the participation of others else than the PP in the housing boom. Andalucía maybe? Caso Malaya: Marbella´s socialist town hall? Etc…

High taxes? To start with, regional PP governments have lowered taxes i.e. Madrid.

Instead of reducing pensions, cutting wages, increasing retirement age etc… something could have been done before, but of course “there is no such thing as a crisis” remember?…

There are other ways, such as massive lay-offs of “liberados sindicales”(thousands of state workers that haven´t undergone a competitive exam and are on the state´s pay role in exchange of fidelity ), ending subsidies to stupid NGO´s linked to Pajín and the government (mapas del clitoris, maricones de Zimbabue, pies zambos del Congo), centralizing the State and ending three work posts for one job: State´s , regional governments´ and local civil servants, centralizing the State and ending an endless money squander to Catalan/Basque governments in exchange for support (just seen it with 2011 budgets), trimming the public sector according to real needs. Reducing Ministries (what is the housing ministry for? Does it make sense to have a ministry for education and another for “culture”? Igualdad? For God´s sake!!).

Serious labour market reform, deep structural economic reforms… and above all a decent government that dares to explain the severity of the situation.

Red or blue, which pill do you prefer Neo? Say I junkyardmusician.

High unemployment? Economic models do expire and it´s the governments duty to update them when the time is right; my guess is 2004-5. But for Zparo it was easier to waste our money in nobody-asked-for “social” populist policies and fuelling hatred (he is really good at that: propaganda).

“Public money doesn´t belong to anyone” what do you expect of politicians who say this? Pray

Low productivity? Perhaps we should blame the socialists´ education policies of the 90´s for that (LOGSE rings some bells? Effort, meritocracy and teachers´ status were downgraded to favour socialist egalitarianism; results: 30% school failure, bottom ranking in PISA report…)

Welcome to the XXI century, socialism did die the past century; remember the USSR? China? Hehe he he he North Corea, Cuba, Venezuela? All you left-wingers are just wannabes who obviously haven´t been to Cuba to see the “socialist paradise” and wouldn´t want to live were private property doesn´t exist, and there is no such thing as freedom of speech… you´re just a bunch of bourgeois. It´s easy to live in good old Europe raising the fist, hey?

And stop blaming the international financial crisis, here we have one of our own. That makes two, just in case you are a victim of the LOGSE. Although you´re right in one thing, Zparo is not to blame for the causes, but he surely is for the more than poor management of the "inexisting" crisis.

Dear fellow citizens, is it only me who is hallucinating with Marxist comments like the first two and others or is there anybody else who´s trippin´?

Simply amazing.

Some here seem to take for granted that all Basques want to be independent.

Wow that must be a universal truth. What´s with the rest then?
Are we not Basques?

Right, many were forced to leave the region under threats and extorsion. Many others were ruthlessly assassinated.

The truth is separatists are minority but they enjoy too much power.

Moral: Education responsibilites must be devolved to the state. We´ve had enough brainwashing, lies and manipulation.

By the way, PNV supported Franco during the war...

Not a single argument, cheap propaganda booooo!

Following your delusional lines of thought maybe we should bring Berlusconi to court for the Romanization of Hispania.

Oh! and also Mohammed VI because of the islamization of Spain

and surely incompetent Zapatero because of Cortes´ victims in Tenochitlan.

Funny how Carrillo is sytematically mutilated from your history.

Let us guess: left(good) Vs right(evil) boooo again

"...was supported by Hitler and Mussolini against the legal, constitutional and democratic spanish government."

Ha ha ha

so democratic that the PSOE led a coup in 1934.

didn´t the USSR help Largo Caballero´s radical republic?

come on, grow up!

It´s the never ending story of left(good) Vs. right(evil); how is Spain going to progress with this curse?

History, it´s all in the books and records, you just have to bother and read. I belive it´s easier to be a passive recipient of propaganda.