The Spanish judicial
system is something of a mystery to foreigners, and I would guess
to most Spaniards as well. The estimable Don Quijones comments on it here. As he puts it: The Spanish judicial system
has a rather curious way of functioning: not only is it deeply
politicised, lacking the basic balance of powers of which Montesquieu
wrote centuries ago, but it also tends to make up the rules as it
goes along. And as he concludes:
It is a sign of our times that in Spain’s post-Franco democracy the
senior figures of the financial establishment enjoy even greater
immunity from the law than they did during Franco’s brutal
dictatorship. At least during the dictatorship, wayward bankers
occasionally saw the inside of a prison cell.
Under a
(pseudo-Francoist?) right-wing PP government, Spain also seems to be
failing as regards human rights, says Amnesty
International. See here. It's regularly commented that Spain doesn't
have a burgeoning far-right populist party akin to those in other
European countries. Perhaps it doesn't really need one.
Oddly enough, Franco
era activities are haunting us in other ways this week. See here
and here. As ever, the trial is taking its time. And its toll. Which is often what it's all about. Protecting the well-connected guilty.
Here's what someone
thinks are the signs that tell you you've mastered the Spanish
language, Castellano. At least as it's spoken here in the mother
country. Seems pretty accurate to me. As an aside, I understand that robust profaning and swearing are not a feature of South American
versions.
Talking of robust
language . . . . Que te den is a common insult which is
short for May you be fucked up the arse. Here's a video in
which this actually happened during the very Spanish 'sport' of
bullrunning. Query: Are the runners brave or foolhardy. Or just plain stupid.
The EU. This
what the government of the 4 largest members have announced: Now
is the moment to move towards closer political integration: Federal
Union of States with large skills. And the United States who do not
want to join immediately in that closer integration should be able to
do it later. So, a real federal superstate moving at 2 speeds? Time will
tell. But, truth to tell, they have to do this or watch the whole
enterprise fall slowly apart in the face of voter dissatisfaction
with what's been achieved todate. Which is terrific economic growth for Germany, for example, and massive economic retrenchment elsewhere. It'll surely take some convincing that this won't continue, even (especially?) if the Germans eventually accept liability for the debts of wastrel members. Can't see it happening myself. But, then, I never could.
UK Politics:
You'll recall I cited last week a classic piece of political
obfuscation ('spin') by Labour's John McDonnell. Well, now he's
invented something to which he attributes the very poor rating of his
(nominal) boss, Jeremy Corbyn. Labour's abysmally low electoral
support, he says, is the result of "soft coup" by moderate
MPs. Or, rather he did say this in an article for the far-left
faithful last week. But now he claims he was really (vaingloriously)
pleading for unity. Or, as a colleague put it: He is looking to
reach out in the coming days to those across all sections of the
party. Especially, I guess, to the majority of the MPs who detest
him and regard him as the person most responsible for the utter mess
the once-great Labour party is now in. Of course, he doesn't quite
see things this way and is clinging on to the remnants of such power
as a hopelessly split Opposition retains. But one thing impresses –
the quality of the TV training both he and the hapless JC have had in
the last couple of years. They are almost plausible when they appear
now. In contrast to the comical Diane Abbot, who is said to be a
Cambridge graduate but comes across as an imbecile of the first
order. And a (poor) liar.
Finally . . . An amusing extract from a recent Private Eye's Funny Old World section. Enjoy:-
No comments:
Post a Comment