Dawn

Dawn

Wednesday, April 04, 2018

Thoughts from Galicia, Spain: 4.4.18

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
- Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain. 

If you've arrived here because of an interest in Galicia or Pontevedra, see my web page here.

Cataluña
  • Don Quijones addresses the current state of affairs here, concluding with:- Judges in Germany must decide whether or not to extradite Puigdemont. The most serious charge he faces, rebellion, is only reserved for “violent and public uprisings” — something neither Puigdemont nor any other of the defendants can justifiably be accused of without bending the meaning of the law beyond all recognition, though that hasn’t stopped the presiding judge Llarena from trying. If Puigdemont is ultimately extradited on the full roster of charges for reasons of political expediency, the escalating crisis in Spain’s richest region is likely to get a whole lot worse, not better, with potentially grim consequences not only for Catalonia’s economy but also for many of the businesses with operations here
  • It's hard to be optimistic, with both right-wing parties in Spain – the PP and Ciudadanos – seeing short-term political advantage in playing hard-ball and in continuing to see this as a legal, not a political, issue.
Spain
  • It's a relief to note here that our narcotraficos aren't (yet?) as violent as these down at the other end of Spain. Interesting to read that the stimulus for smuggling Moroccan hash there is said to be the same as that behind our local clans turning to Colombian cocaine – a crackdown on cigarette smuggling. Which I've heard attributed to pressure from Brussels, presumably after lobbying by the industry. The law of unexpected consequences, then. Here's the Washington Post on the same subject.
  • Does this classify as another list from The Local? On ways Easter was celebrated here.
Life in Spain
  • The trouble with looking for evidence of a firm belief is that you tend to see it everywhere. I've said that I suspect young Spaniards aren't taught to think, perhaps because of too much learning by rote. So, I was never going to be too surprised by this conversation in a café/bar yesterday:-
Me: Did I leave a woollen hat here last night?
Barmaid: I don't know. I wasn't on duty.
Me: Well, could you ask your colleagues?

I suppose I could also see it as evidence of poor service . . .

The EU
  • Like me, Philosopher John Gray regards the EU as an empire in the making. And, also like me, he believes the effort will ultimately prove futile. As evidence of the first belief, he cites comments from Guy Verhofstadt, who just happens to be an ex-president of Belgium and the EU's chief negotiator on Brexit. Gray claims that British supporters of the EU shy away from this reality. If you want to understand his views, click here for the relevant podcast.
The USA/Nutters Corner
  1. The utterly reliable Jim Bakker claims that God - well, the Christian one, anyway - put Fart in power to test folks' faith. To find out if they trust him to make sure everything works out. Video of this (wealthy, crooked) imbecile here.
  2. Chuck Baldwin is a 'right-wing pastor': Citing a passage from 1 Timothy, he asserts that: Every adult has a duty to provide for their family. But you can't provide protection for your family without being equipped to do so. Therefore, you must have the means of self-defense. And in our society today, that means a firearm in the similitude of an AR-15.  . . . If you are not prepared to defend your family and your neighborhood and your community with the force of arms, you have denied the Christian faith and you are worse than a heathen. Frankly, I'd be happier with heathens.
English
  • Dear god! A Daily Express sentence: The Dutch Prime Minister, has already took aim at the romanticised vision of the European Union that pledges an ever-closer union.
Social Media
  • Action is seriously needed, says a Dutch MEP here. Self-regulation is simply not working well enough, she claims. Surely correctly.
Galicia/Pontevedra
  • The other observation I made about the orchestra on Monday night is that not one of the 44 young women had hair any lighter than dark brown. This is stark contrast to all the Spanish women of 40 and above who have somehow become blonde. Well, at least in wealthy Pontevedra anyway.
  • Monday's headline: The Galician government urges local universities to target foreign students to compensate for the large fall in local undergraduates. Tuesday's headline: Galicia's universities demand that the Galician government reduces the bureaucratic barriers to this.
  • Incidentally, one of said foreign targets is Portuguese countries, on the basis that Galician(Galego) is close to this language. It makes me wonder just how much Galego is (counter-productively?) demanded of young people who might want to study here.
Finally
  • I defy you not to enjoy this.

© David Colin Davies, Pontevedra: 4.4.18

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