It's reported that
Britain is seeking to have Spain as its ally in the imminent talks on
the Brexit. Seems odd on the surface. It's down to tourism and trade,
it says here.
For aficionados of
Spanish politics, this article asks whether the far-left Podemos
party has blown its chances, having fallen foul of the fractional
fights which distinguish purer-than-thou parties at that end of the
spectrum.
Descendents of the Jews
expelled from Spain in 1492 are not seeking Spanish citizenship in
anything like the numbers they're doing in Portugal. So Madrid has scrapped the language test. I imagine they'll be paying them to come
here next, given the population decline in Spain.
Which reminds me . . .
Foreigners
are leaving Galicia in large numbers. We're 20% down on the 2007
pre-crash number. Most of these, I suspect, have gone back to South
America. The percentage of Chinese has bucked the trend and risen
from 2 to 3%. We Brits represent only 2% of the total. So it wouldn't
make much difference if Modelo 720 drove all of us out of the
country. The EU has just confirmed that the penalties under this 2012
law are illegal. But that won't make much difference to
its application for at least 10 years. The Spanish know how to play
Brussels games.
My thanks to reader
Sierra for this video of John Oliver shedding a light on the
abominable US tele-evangelists I mentioned yesterday. I've seen
several of Oliver's shows but not this one. It reminded me that for
many months I'd kept notes on a Financial Bible show which had
disgusted me beyond measure, given its obviously fraudulent nature
and its targeting of the gullible poor. When you watch the video,
keep asking yourself how it can be legal. Actually, there's no need
to; the question will raise itself frequently. I wish I had the faith
to believe these people would burn in Hell. By the way, more than 80%
of Americas evangelists voted for Trump whom they see as God-sent.
So, not just poor and gullible. Or even desperate.
Here's a useful
blog/page for optimists. It details how pessimists have treated every
new invention in the past. In this case the 'dangerous' bicycle.
Finally
. . . Another Private Eye cartoon, of possible relevance to something
above:-
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