Several
times over the last decade, I've confessed myself nonplussed at how
El
País
and El
Mundo
select the people for whom they publish obits. Today's El
País
offerings, for example, were in respect (literally) of Beate S. Gordon
and Jon Finch. I knew nothing of either of them, though might just
recognise the latter from his Shakespearean roles of thirty years
ago. Who next? My brother-in-law?
Healthcare
is one of the state provisions which is delegated to the regional
governments of Spain. As a result, there are wide differences in the
per capita spend on health across the country. As you'd expect, the
(rich) Basque country and Navarre region spend the most and the
Canaries the least. I don't know about the States but this “post-code
lottery” would be seen as anathema is the UK, where equally good
(or bad) healthcare is seen as a quasi-religious totem. It is, of
course, impossible to achieve. But, anyway, all of Spain's regions
are cutting back on their spend, leading to fears Spain will lose its
position as the country with the longest male and female life
expectancies in Europe.
El
Correo Gallego
was in no doubt yesterday that “this interminable crisis” had
brought one positive consequence in its wake. This was a realisation
– at least among the citizenry – that it was time to end the
privileges of the political class. This was an odd way to refer to
rampant corruption but that's what the theme of the leader was. The
latest example is the Treasurer of the governing PP party being found
to have salted away overseas the trifling sum of 22m euros. There'll
be another one tomorrow.
But
how angry are the Spanish about corruption among their businessmen
and politicians? Sure, there are the newspaper op-ed columns. And,
yes, there are letters to the editor of a type we never used to see.
But as the writer of one of these pointed out, people in Argentina
and Pakistan have gone out on the streets in their hundreds of
thousands to protest against corruption, whereas we've seen nothing
here. Except a passive approval of the idea there should be a
cross-party approach to finding a solution. I wonder if people
believe the problem will solve itself as economic decline –
hopefully temporary – means fewer and fewer opportunities. I hope
not
A
random number – 7. The number of trashed umbrellas I saw on a brief
trip into town this evening. Reported in tomorrow's Diario
de Pontevedra,
this will be 7.36 umbrellas.
I
guess it was a story just too romantic to be true – that crates of
brand-new Spitfires would be found buried in the soil of Burma,
having been interred at the end of World War 2. Since none were found
by an international team of archaeologists,
the venture is now being seen, in hindsight, as an expensive farce.
Which is a double shame. If not triple.
Talking
of archaeologists,
there
was a program on BBC last night about the Chachapoya civilisation of
South America, who inhabited a lofty part of what is now Peru. I was
reminded of it today, when reading of the blessing of animals on
yesterday's feast day of St Anthony. My thought was that, if we'd
read of a Chachapoyan high priest blessing a ferret with 'holy
water', we would have given a condescending smile at the
primitiveness of it all. And quite rightly too.
Finally
. . . I
mentioned an un-busy copistería
last night. Almost inevitably, I passed one today that had closed.
I'm sure it won't the only one.
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