Blogging the democratic revolution
The Spanish are known for doing their protests big. Everytime they’ve had an anti-ETA or anti-terrorism march, it’s been huge. They’ve been dealing with terrorism for decades like few developed countries have, and with nearly a thousand deaths accumulated over the years, the airport bombing two weeks ago have been them over the edge. Tonight, rather than going out to the nightclubs or spending time with family and friends, all of Madrid poured into the streets together as one with just one thing to say: No to Eta! From where I am at an internet cafe, it looks like there…
A large reason for my absence here from Publius, beside a hectic end to the year, has been that I’ve been enjoying my vacation time with my family here in Madrid and Andorra. Since I’ve been in the latter for the past several days, it’s been nearly impossible to get on the internet without forking out five euros an hour at the nearest cafe, but a week is long enough to remain holed off from the rest of the world. And frankly, my fingers were getting fidgety. I was in Madrid the day that the bomb went off at Terminal…
A procession to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe in Palm Springs Source: The Desert Sun At this time of year, millions of people participate in processions like this across the American hemisphere, an event that unites two American continents, Spain and the Philippines. On or around Dec. 10, millions will march for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. No, it’s not just a Mexican celebration, although the miracle it commemorates happened near Mexico City in 1517. It’s meant to unite the continent. This procession, pictured here, happened the other day in Palm Springs. It’s worth considering in the age…
Is there any greater freedom than to be a bozo? That’s the way it seems with Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the prime minister of Spain. He really, really, really hates the U.S. He hates it with a loathing that would challenge Hugo Chavez. He kicked the U.S. out of the Columbus Day parade in Spain a few years ago and invited in Cuba instead. Columbus Day – which in Spain is National Day – is a big deal there. Then in another incident, Zapatero pointedly refused to stand for the passage of the U.S. flag at a parade. “Why should…
On Sunday, Catalonian voters approved a referendum for greater autonomy from Madrid by about 75% of the population with nearly 50% turnout. Below is a summary of what’s at stake: Residents of Catalonia will today vote in a referendum that could see the region granted more autonomy and move further away from Spain’s government. If a yes vote is delivered as expected then the region will become one of the most independent in Europe, effectively achieving nation-within-a-nation status with powers to decide how taxes are spent and how visas are granted to immigrants. Although the majority of Catalans are believed…
Two days ago, Madrid has been flooded with over a million people who marched to say a sound NO to Zapatero and his appeasing policy toward ETA. The Spanish Prime Minister decided to open a dialogue with those who terrorized and murdered hundreds over the last decades. This demonstration was not at all meaningless. It showed how not all of Spain’s population supports their prime minister’s absurd policies. And yet, there has been a total media blackout. However, I found tons of photos in several Spanish blogs. It fills the media vacuum! “Why do you hate Spain, Zapatero?” “Spain does…
We always knew there was something wrong with Prime Minister Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and today that missing link got just a little bit more primal. Turns out his idea of democratic revolution is equal rights for apes under the law. That’s right, Zapatero’s gone ape for ape rights, and given that he’s lost the confidence of his human supporters one can probably surmise that he wants to empower a newer and far more loyal core constituency that sees things as he does. Here are the monkeyshines: The Great Ape Project is founded upon the genetic similarity between great apes –…
I’m sure you’ve all heard that the Basque terrorist group ETA declared a permanent ceasefire with Spain a couple of days ago. They’ve waged a decades long campaign, killed hundreds of people, and have not furthered their interests one bit. Now it appears as if the train of thought in the ETA leadership has finally changed. Here is what they have been saying: MADRID, March 23 ???????? The governing party in the Basque region of northern Spain said today that the permanent cease-fire announced by the militant Basque separatist group ETA opened the way for the region to loosen ties…
No one has a penchant for coming down on the wrong side of the issue like Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Whenever there is a critical juncture, a challenge from brute force, he has a way of placing himself on the illiberal side of the issue. So now he’s made a new string of appeasing statements about the Islamofascists, right in the middle of the Denmark cartoon crisis – taking the side of the rioters. In part his actions may be due to fear, considering that Spain gets more immigrants from Islamic countries than elsewhere. But such people…
Franco at Barcepundit reports that it’s official – al-Qaida had every intention of influencing the Spanish election with its atrocity in Madrid last year. They found the evidence and what we suspected was true. It’s well worth reading in the wake of London’s terror bombings as well as the current wretched political situation in Spain. An excellent writeup – read it here.
The Times has an incredible piece on how fast and how hard the revolutionary winds of change are hitting Europe. Europeans everywhere are rejecting the Franco-German centralized-welfare-statist model and embracing the Anglo-Roman ideal of freedom and rule of law. It’s happening at breakneck speed, and among people no one ever expected such enthusiastic support from. East and West are uniting under common ideals, not degrading spoils-grabbing. Europeans everywhere are rejecting subsidies, taxes, bureaucracy, privilege, inequality and inertia, in favor of free capitalism and fairness, something that could make Europe the dynamic powerhouse it is meant to be. The Revolution is…
Zapatero may have given in to Al Qaeda an easy time after the Madrid train bombing, but the Spanish won’t have any negotiating with the Basque separatists. Victims, relatives, and supporters are marching in Madrid against government plans to negotiate with the ETA terrorists. Great photo here. Spain’s prime minister Jos???? Luis Rodr????guez Zapatero faces the first major demonstration against him today when tens of thousands are to march through Madrid demanding he does not negotiate with the Basque terrorist group Eta. Organisers said at least 200 coaches were due for the march, which has the backing of the main…
Probably one of the least noticed news items of the day is the results of municipal elections in the Basque separatist region of Spain. BILBAO, Spain, April 18 (Reuters) – Spain’s ruling Socialists declared Basque premier Juan Jose Ibarretxe’s plan for virtual independence from Madrid dead on Monday after he suffered a setback in regional polls. Ibarretxe, who had tried to turn Sunday’s poll into a plebiscite on his controversial plan, emerged weakened. The big winners were the Socialists and a little-known party backed by radical nationalists unable to vote for Batasuna, banned as the political wing of guerrilla group…
Spain’s Foreign Secretary Miguel Angel Moratinos expressed from Washington “the military ships and planes sold to Venezuela ought to be considered as humanitarian aid”. Whilst in Capitol Hill he was scolded by both Republicans and Democrats with respect to the shady relationship that Spain maintains of late with the Cuban dictator and his Venezuelan toyboy. What’s more, John Kerry declined to a pre-arranged meeting with him. However Zapatero’s representative did have the time to keep at defending the indefensible and went as far as to suggest that Bush may be ready to meet with Zapatero. Well I for one doubt…
Alek Boyd emailed one of Prime Minister Zapatero’s minions about the purpose of selling chemical agents to Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez. He writes that in the reply he got from Spain, the Zapatero official said the exported chemical agents were used in tear gas. I guess we know what Hugo Chavez is planning now, given the disposition of Venezuela’s citizens. It should give one pause. Take a look at what Alek has learned here. UPDATE: U.S. Secretary of State Condi Rice has expressed concerns to Spain about its arms sales to Venezuela.
In view of the utter silence of the anglo phone MSM with respect to recent announcements of chemical warfare agents and other weapons sold by Spain to Venezuela Ä1Å I decided to dig a little and the findings, as usual, are rather grim. It turns out that Venezuela has been spending, since 2000 Ä2Å, substantial amounts of money in the procurement of defence and “Double Use” materials. According to Spain’s Customs and Special Taxes Department of the Treasury ???????247.509 and ???????2.812.827 worth of defence and ‘Double Use’ materials were acquired by the Hugo Chavez administration in that year; in 2001…
It doesn’t get worse than this.
We all know from reading Barcepundit that there is a lot of nonsense going on in Spain. But to a Venezuelan observer, it doesn’t quite look that way. In an indication of how low dictator Hugo Chavez has taken Venezuela, blogger Miguel Octavio notes interesting comparisons between the two states. In terms of progress, they seem to have switched positions, with Spain decisively moving upward and Venezuela moving downward. It wasn’t always that way. In fact, it wasn’t even that way within most of our lifetimes. There are reasons why. Read the whole thing here.