MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
The silent majority of Catalonia and the December 21st election-referendum
By Gwynne Dyer - It's been going on for a while. “Recently in Catalonia we have been living through a kind of 'soft' totalitarianism...the illusion of unanimity created by the fear of expressing dissent,” wrote best-selling Catalan author Javier Cercas in the Spanish newspaper El País in 2014. Those who didn't want independence kept their heads down and their mouths shut, in other words. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesWow, what a bias anti Catalan article you are peddling here.
Nov 02nd, 2017 - 09:26 am - Link - Report abuse 0https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/10/intellectual-dishonesty-guardian/
Spain uses the same flawed territorial integrity excuse with Catalonia that it uses against Gibraltar to deny that the people have the right to self-determination. (And why it didn't prevent Kosovo from becoming independent). Gibraltar – Territorial Integrity (1 page):
Nov 02nd, 2017 - 10:55 am - Link - Report abuse 0https://www.academia.edu/29347730/Gibraltar_-Territorial_Integrity
Where are the facts and figures? Here are some facts. Franco seized power by military action in 1939. He was aided by nazi Germany. His regime lasted until 1975 when he died. That's 36 years. It was a period of economic disaster where Spain didn't even take part in WW2. The historical record shows that innumerable people moved from various parts of Spain to Catalonia. After Franco died, Spain slowly moved to democracy. A new political party called Allianza Popular was formed by a guy called Iribarne, one of Franco's cronies. It wasn't successful so he changed its name to Partido Popular. Which party is in power in Spain? Examine the actual meaning of the word “fascism”. Check out the Partido Popular's “policies”. So here are the questions. What proportion of the population of Catalonia is Catalan? The largest population grouping in Catalonia is Barcelona. A comment seen said that over 50% of the population of Barcelona is non-Catalan. Who are these “silent majority”? Are they non-Catalan? If Catalans want independence, who are non-Catalans to say they shouldn't have it? What is the truth behind those referendum figures? Did the Catalans come out to vote, whilst the non-Catalans stayed home? It would make sense.
Nov 06th, 2017 - 08:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0And the thing about “territorial integrity” is that it doesn't apply. Gibraltar was ceded to Britain in 1714. The concept of “territorial integrity” didn't appear until the UN Charter. Shoul we go back and re-order things that happened over the last 250 years? Great! North America belongs to Britain. And, in any event, “territorial integrity” only applies to the actions of an external nation state. Could America argue? But Gibraltar was ceded by treaty. And the situation in Catalonia has nothing to do with any external nation state. It's “a people” seeking their freedom. As they have the right to do in accordance with the principle of self determination. Spain is engaged in fascist oppression. And the nazis made “laws” as well. Did that make them right?
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