satisfactorio.
Looking over last’s week killings in Tucson, Arizona, comes to mind the crazy cry “¡Viva la muerte!”
It dates way back to the fall of 1936, in the opening of the school year at the Universidad de Salamanca, just few weeks after the military coup against the legitimate government of the Spanish Republic generated a dreadful civil war.
Salamanca had already fallen into the hands of the rebels and, in an attempt of a fake normality, the military authority acceded to the celebration of the ceremonial school year opening. Miguel de Unamuno, the aging president of the university and an upmost figure of the culture of the first third of the XX century Spain, pronounced a very sensible speech criticising the barbarian war between brothers. He was interrupted by one of the leaders of the coup, a cantankerous figure several times wounded and handicapped, as he sported a one-eye pad, an amputated arm and a cripple leg, who shouted: “¡Viva la muerte!, ¡Abajo la inteligencia!” (Long life to death, Down with intelligence), while one of his cronies threatened to shoot the old professor.
Trying to express one’s political views by killing the opponent is not only criminal but also senseless. It is very difficult to politically convince anyone by killing his friends and family. However, political violence has a centuries old history.
It has been in the recent past that political violence has been commonly labelled as terrorism. That’s no new though: it was Viriathus, a Spanish warrior who fought the Romans in the II century b. C who was called “Terror romanorum”, Terror of the Romans.
Trying to assassinate a US congresswoman known for her positions on several critical issues was definitely an act of political violence with the rally cry of “¡Viva la muerte!”
Should the perpetrator being a member of the Muslim persuasion by all means his act would have been considered an act of terrorism. Alas!, the current situation will probably move to a more psychiatric consideration. A young white guy with a gun in his hand he is just going nuts, a crazy alienated derelict. But the shivering in the spine he has given all the surviving members of the US Congress is sheer terror. Political terror.
Considering otherwise is to give bay to those who cry “Viva la muerte!”
Mai havia dedicat tanta atenció a uns resultats de futbol però, d'ençà la "manita" al Real Madrid em resulta difícil resistir-me a recordar aquestes victòries abultades del Barça, tot i que em consta que no es del gust d'alguns amics i lectors d'aquest blog. Permeteu-me però que xali una mica, al mig d'uns temps tan difícils com els que anem vivint.
equip es tanca al darrera el partit resulta avorrit; com els de balón-mano que atreuen poc pùblic.
Mis conocimientos de economía se corresponden al uso que hago del dinero: vivo de lo que gano, compro a plazos y sólo ahorro para mi pensión.
Me cuesta entender el beneficio económico del ahorro traducido a inversión: es decir, usar el dinero para ganar más. Siempre he entendido que lo único que añade valor es el trabajo y que el manejo del dinero para obtener beneficios está entre el límite que tiene la usura con la especulación. Y prefiero dejar aparte la estafa pura y dura que es lo que algunos genios como los Lehman Brothers y Bernie Madoff nos han enseñado. Los Lehmann Brothers me suenan igual que los Dalton Brothers, (“fellow Oklahomans”). Y Mr. Madoff me plantea la pregunta: What are you made of, Madoff?, porque seguro que su cara debe tener la consistencia del cemento Portland.
He renunciado a entender la trascendencia que tienen las primas de seguros sobre futuros para la financiación de los estados, el chalaneo con los créditos de las finanzas internacionales o dónde coño van a parar los fondos “de rescate” que los bancos centrales tienen que aportar para que las economías no se hundan, y mucho menos que han hecho los jodidos bancos privados con los millones que les ha dado el estado para que se tapen el culo que habían dejado al descubierto con maniobras fallidas. Y como no lo entiendo tampoco los voy a juzgar. Al fin y al cabo, Alí Babá compartía la ética de los cuarenta ladrones: el lucro a costa de otros.
Pero sí puedo juzgar a los políticos, a los dirigentes, que por imprudencia, complicidad o estupidez simple, mediante relajaciones de las regulaciones, connivencias impresentables y general desprecio de los ciudadanos a quienes deben sus puestos, nos han llevado por estas trochas. Y culpo igual a los ejecutivos en el poder que tomaron decisiones erróneas, o peor, no tomaron ninguna, como a las oposiciones incapaces de enfrentarse con contundencia u ofrecer alternativas utilizables. Derechas o izquierdas, demócratas o republicanos, liberales o conservadores, no han estado ni a las alturas ni a las bajuras de las circunstancias. No se merecen más que nuestro desprecio.
This week's The Economist prints a piece on Spain and ETA (On the verge of a nervous peace. Is ETA about to declare a permanent ceasefire?)
Bill Featherstone offers a comment:
In the Spanish version of the war on terror, good news are hard to come by. No matter how weakened is the ETA organisation, everybody realises that a definite peace will mean a very important boost to president Zapatero slim chances to opt for re-election and the overall chances of the Socialist party to perform positively in the upcoming local elections.
No mater how important a definite peace in the so called "North war" could be for Spain as a country, I fear that obscure interests, as it has happened before, will spoil the chance for a complete ceasefire in the foreseeable future. I wish I'd be wrong, though.
But so far, the extortion practices remain active for many a business in the Basque country and the hardened core of ETA would not be ready to give up those revenues.
As it has been mentioned before, today's ETA is more an organised crime syndicate that a political, however radical, organisation. The number of individuals, whether in jail or in exile, whose personal economy depends of the organisational funds has not declined in the past recent years, rather the opposite. And in the current economic situations it wouldn't be easy to "buy out" ETA's disappearance as it has been previously suggested (back in the 90's some thought that putting the whole of the Basque radicals population on some sort of government payroll, would cost three times less that the police and law enforcement dealing with the ETA terrorist problem budget).
There are still interests that favour a continuity of the so-called Basque independence struggle and not all of them are just political.
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