Please, before reading, consider my english is not so good as I would like.
Answer to Matthew Parris' "Catalonia is a bigger timebomb than Cyprus".
I can picture Matthew Parris in the airport of Barcelona (or maybe not even there) thinking how can I begin my article? I will write that I'm here (in the airport) and link it with the subject that I want to analyze (the independence of Catalonia); the fact that I have to invent the link between these two concepts (aiport-independence) didn't seem to bother him so much...
Because he writes that the new terminal of the airport and its emptiness, the T1, "was meant to be a showcase for Catalonia's future as an independent nation" despite there is absolutely not any foundation in that assert. Just say that this terminal was inaugurated by Zapatero (spanish PM), José Blanco (Transport Minister) and José Montilla (catalan PM); none of them suspicious of having separatists intentions, specially the catalan president, Montilla, who had been born in the south of Spain, Iznájar (Andalucia).
He has to admit then that the Airport of Madrid suffers from the same oversize problem, but, in his opinion, Barcelona's case is worse because "has been playing an anything-you-can-do-we-can-do-better catch-up game [with Madrid]". That kind of statement should be backed by some kind of data, but there isn't. We can oppose the project of Warner Park, that Madrid promoted after Barcelona succeeded with Port Aventura, from the past, or the project of the Olympic Games of Madrid 2020, because Barcelona succeeded with the Olympic Games of 1992, in the future.
There is something really weird about this article by Matthew Parris: if you think farther on what he has written you realize that he is foundating why Europe would force Spain to accept the independence of Catalonia and it's membership in the EU.
He writes: "Forget cyprus: among Europe's small nations it is Catalonia that could bring the European project tumbling down. Nowhere depends on Cyprus, but the integrity of Spain and the credibility of Spanish economy depend on Catalonia: on wether Madrid and Barcelona can manage their differences."
He is admitting that Spanish economy depends of Catalonia, or if we put it the way catalan separatists say: the problem is not if an independent Catalonia is viable, the problem is if Spain without Catalonia is viable.
"A disorderly secession would devastate the whole Iberian peninsula, from Portugal to the Basque Country." And now he is writing the same that we have at the top of this blog: "Even so, Catalonia's economy is bigger than Greece is, and the risk of a greek exit of the single currency has caused chaos around the world. It's hard to believe that Europe would follow through on threats like these to Catalonia." James Mackintosh, Investment Editor at the Financial Times. [Financial Times]
So, unwillingly, Parris is giving reasons to those who belive that and independent Catalonia would be fastly and easily admitted in the EU.
Mr.Parris then writes about the rise in support to separatism shown by polls in the last decades, but opposes that "But the numbers have been levelling off. Wether this cooling is caused by the approach of a referendum, or by unease at the dysfunctionality of the "coalition from hell" that now governs Catalonia, it is possible to conclude that pushing the numbers much above 50 per cent may prove problematic.". Before any other consideration, let's make clear that nobody, not even separatists, belive it would be easy. Anyway, I find it astoundingly surprising to analyze the (tiny) descent in support of separatism in Catalonia, without saying absolutely anything about the manouvres of the Spanish Government, in Europe, for instance (leaving aside the dirty war carried by the spanish government).
There is another idea that Parris shares with spanish unionists: "One encounters a curious naivety about independence here" (idea that you can also read in the underline of the photo that goes with the text: "Catalans are curiously naive about the implications of independence"). This idea, that can be easily understood coming from spanish unionists (they simply can't/won't understand that there are foundated reasons for Catalans to desire not to be a part of Spain), surprises in somebody that should be able to see the facts with an independent view. This supposed naivety of the catalan separatists is discredited by the Wilson Collective, with members as naive as these ones, the studies of the Cercle Català de Negocis, the work of the Col·lectiu Emma, etc.
Mr.Parris tries to arguee his statement: "It has yet to dawn on many that Scotland (whose separatists many Catalans associate with) will probably vote no". Mr.Parris's origin is probably the reason of such distorted perception; he, as brittish citizen, may consider that Scotland is an importat issue, but it isn't at all for the vast majority of Catalan separatists.
He goes on saying that "They look surprised, even dismayed, when one points out that acceptance of a new, sovereign state by the international community would not be straightforward; that membership of the EU would not be automatic, that there would be huge resistance (especially from France and Belgium) to the precedent". Ignoring the mocking tone of the Mr.Parris' words, it shows that he absolutely ignores the debates that have been taking place about these issues in Catalonia (as an example, we can bring the many times we have written about this subject in this blog - We have even written about the "apportioning of Catatalonia's share of Spain's debt").
Mr.Parris goes on with his prejudices ("And arising perhaps from a small-nations resentment of a boss-nation's dominance [a language that would be signed by any proud facha], separatists do not skrike me as having understood the terrible vulnerabilibity to them of the rest of Spain", again I recommend him to read the works of the Col·lectiu Wilson. or, if he only has 50 minutes, to watch this interview to economist Jonathan Tepper.
In the end he's again confusing the effects of the independence of Catalonia with the effects of the non acceptance of the independence of Catalonia by Spain, which are two different things. And again, unwillingly, he is reasoning why the EU would force Spain to accept an independent Catalonia.
The next paragraphs are to hypothesize about what is the strategy followed by the Spanish Government and, at least here, Mr.Parris makes it clear he is writing about his own opinions. And to suggest a three answer referendum, only to make sure that in the end Catalans choose the option that Mr.Parris thinks they need: "greater autonomy", without making it clear if it should be real, or only on the paper; forever, or depending on the right party (PP) not winning under the rule of a more spanish nationalist president than Rajoy; etc.
It is sad to see that someone who has a home in Catalonia, hasn't been able to understand (practically) nothing about Catalan separatism (and hardly anything about Catalonia at all).
Because he writes that the new terminal of the airport and its emptiness, the T1, "was meant to be a showcase for Catalonia's future as an independent nation" despite there is absolutely not any foundation in that assert. Just say that this terminal was inaugurated by Zapatero (spanish PM), José Blanco (Transport Minister) and José Montilla (catalan PM); none of them suspicious of having separatists intentions, specially the catalan president, Montilla, who had been born in the south of Spain, Iznájar (Andalucia).
He has to admit then that the Airport of Madrid suffers from the same oversize problem, but, in his opinion, Barcelona's case is worse because "has been playing an anything-you-can-do-we-can-do-better catch-up game [with Madrid]". That kind of statement should be backed by some kind of data, but there isn't. We can oppose the project of Warner Park, that Madrid promoted after Barcelona succeeded with Port Aventura, from the past, or the project of the Olympic Games of Madrid 2020, because Barcelona succeeded with the Olympic Games of 1992, in the future.
There is something really weird about this article by Matthew Parris: if you think farther on what he has written you realize that he is foundating why Europe would force Spain to accept the independence of Catalonia and it's membership in the EU.
He writes: "Forget cyprus: among Europe's small nations it is Catalonia that could bring the European project tumbling down. Nowhere depends on Cyprus, but the integrity of Spain and the credibility of Spanish economy depend on Catalonia: on wether Madrid and Barcelona can manage their differences."
He is admitting that Spanish economy depends of Catalonia, or if we put it the way catalan separatists say: the problem is not if an independent Catalonia is viable, the problem is if Spain without Catalonia is viable.
"A disorderly secession would devastate the whole Iberian peninsula, from Portugal to the Basque Country." And now he is writing the same that we have at the top of this blog: "Even so, Catalonia's economy is bigger than Greece is, and the risk of a greek exit of the single currency has caused chaos around the world. It's hard to believe that Europe would follow through on threats like these to Catalonia." James Mackintosh, Investment Editor at the Financial Times. [Financial Times]
So, unwillingly, Parris is giving reasons to those who belive that and independent Catalonia would be fastly and easily admitted in the EU.
Mr.Parris then writes about the rise in support to separatism shown by polls in the last decades, but opposes that "But the numbers have been levelling off. Wether this cooling is caused by the approach of a referendum, or by unease at the dysfunctionality of the "coalition from hell" that now governs Catalonia, it is possible to conclude that pushing the numbers much above 50 per cent may prove problematic.". Before any other consideration, let's make clear that nobody, not even separatists, belive it would be easy. Anyway, I find it astoundingly surprising to analyze the (tiny) descent in support of separatism in Catalonia, without saying absolutely anything about the manouvres of the Spanish Government, in Europe, for instance (leaving aside the dirty war carried by the spanish government).
There is another idea that Parris shares with spanish unionists: "One encounters a curious naivety about independence here" (idea that you can also read in the underline of the photo that goes with the text: "Catalans are curiously naive about the implications of independence"). This idea, that can be easily understood coming from spanish unionists (they simply can't/won't understand that there are foundated reasons for Catalans to desire not to be a part of Spain), surprises in somebody that should be able to see the facts with an independent view. This supposed naivety of the catalan separatists is discredited by the Wilson Collective, with members as naive as these ones, the studies of the Cercle Català de Negocis, the work of the Col·lectiu Emma, etc.
Mr.Parris tries to arguee his statement: "It has yet to dawn on many that Scotland (whose separatists many Catalans associate with) will probably vote no". Mr.Parris's origin is probably the reason of such distorted perception; he, as brittish citizen, may consider that Scotland is an importat issue, but it isn't at all for the vast majority of Catalan separatists.
He goes on saying that "They look surprised, even dismayed, when one points out that acceptance of a new, sovereign state by the international community would not be straightforward; that membership of the EU would not be automatic, that there would be huge resistance (especially from France and Belgium) to the precedent". Ignoring the mocking tone of the Mr.Parris' words, it shows that he absolutely ignores the debates that have been taking place about these issues in Catalonia (as an example, we can bring the many times we have written about this subject in this blog - We have even written about the "apportioning of Catatalonia's share of Spain's debt").
Mr.Parris goes on with his prejudices ("And arising perhaps from a small-nations resentment of a boss-nation's dominance [a language that would be signed by any proud facha], separatists do not skrike me as having understood the terrible vulnerabilibity to them of the rest of Spain", again I recommend him to read the works of the Col·lectiu Wilson. or, if he only has 50 minutes, to watch this interview to economist Jonathan Tepper.
In the end he's again confusing the effects of the independence of Catalonia with the effects of the non acceptance of the independence of Catalonia by Spain, which are two different things. And again, unwillingly, he is reasoning why the EU would force Spain to accept an independent Catalonia.
The next paragraphs are to hypothesize about what is the strategy followed by the Spanish Government and, at least here, Mr.Parris makes it clear he is writing about his own opinions. And to suggest a three answer referendum, only to make sure that in the end Catalans choose the option that Mr.Parris thinks they need: "greater autonomy", without making it clear if it should be real, or only on the paper; forever, or depending on the right party (PP) not winning under the rule of a more spanish nationalist president than Rajoy; etc.
It is sad to see that someone who has a home in Catalonia, hasn't been able to understand (practically) nothing about Catalan separatism (and hardly anything about Catalonia at all).
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