Viva la España

[trochee]

Spain has rejected their conservative, Bush-loving government in the face of terrorist attacks. My respect for the people of Spain has just climbed another notch.

Why can't I live in a country that responds rationally to violence? The right response to violence is exactly what the Spaniards have done: to throw out the belligerent bums who beat their chest and the drums of war with equal vigor. Unlike some countries I might name, which, when confronted with pointless and horrifying tragedy, rally around the flag and threaten passersby with being bombed flat.

Yet another reason I want to move to Barcelona.

¡Viva!

I wish I could figure out how to enter ñ and ¡ on LogJam without cutting and pasting...

Comments

[epanastatis.livejournal.com]

If it had in fact turned out that the bomb was planted by ETA, rather than by Qaeda types as it seems to have been, then there would be far fewer grounds for admiration. ETA-hatred, which by legal extension has turned into hatred for any public manifestation of Basque separatism, is such a pervasive feature of political consciousness in Spain that it even infects the far left. The first reaction to the bombing of some left groups in Spain was an echo of Aznar's--to assume that ETA were the perpetrators and call for public demonstrations against them.

What got the PP was not primarily the bombing, but the fact that the bombing was not carried out by their terrorists of choice--and as that began to be clear, Aznar tried to cover that up.

[trochee.livejournal.com]

Huh. I did not know that.

Where could I read to learn more about Basque separatism from a fair source? I don't mean "unbiased" of course -- what is that? -- but just somebody who's willing to do their homework...?

Your description of the situation seems quite plausible given the little I have heard about Basque separatism and the majority Spanish feelings about it.

[epanastatis.livejournal.com]

Where could I read to learn more about Basque separatism from a fair source?

It depends. There's very little in English. How's your Spanish?

[trochee.livejournal.com]

Not too bad. But it's rusty. I'd still be curious to have the links; maybe I can practice my Spanish. I can't really deal with Catalan, or Basque, though.