The Sunday Papers.

international | miscellaneous | news report

Sunday March 14, 2004 21:04

by iosaf the ipsiphi

barcelona

incorporating the rival sunday review, the sun and the papers.

It has long been observed, that on Sunday the mass does different things.
Some go to church, some return from clubs and sleep, some read a book, some do the gardening, some catch up with their kids, some eat a lot, some practise yoga, some Vote.

The exit polls indicate that the PP have lost their absolute majority in the Spanish State.

The people of the Spanish State have gone to the polls under the shadow of the atrocity of M11, which is now being attributed to Islamic Extremist Terrorism in the name of "Al Qaeda".

Five morrocans and two Indians have been held for questioning.

Throughout Spain and the Spanish State people are polarised according to prejudice, and those who often seem incapable of reflection have added to the carnage which hopefully all of Europe and the world beyond is coming to terms with.

In the last days, a basque has been killed by an off duty policeman for refusing to place an "anti-ETA" sign in his shop. In the last 24hours a morrocan has been stabbed in a dormitory suburb of Barcelona known for it's ultra right sympathisers. These same sympathisers reached national news prominence in the last weeks, when two of their members disrupted the silent protest "rejecting in the Catalans name" the offer of a ceasefire by ETA to Catalonia alone, by shouting fascist slogans and waving a fascist era Spanish Flag.
Thereafter the national Police of spain arrested several members of this ultra right grouping, with known and proven links to ultra right groups throughout Europe when they attempted to disrupt the election campaign of the ERC the left republican Catalan Party.

It is difficult to write on this election in the normal mode. The spaniards and catalans and basques who have voted today have done so under the shadow of War, Terror and Manipulation.

They as -a people- are equally frightened, anxious and many of them are looking for scapegoats they can easily fit into their prejudiced view of the world. Left and Right alike are guilty of such prejudice. "Spaniard" and "Basque" and "catalan" are equally guilty of this prejudice.

It can not be denied that many on the right will find the loss by the PP of this election difficult to bear.

The exit polls conducted by Ipsos Ecoconsulting as reported on Catalan TV are
as follows:-

PSOE 41.4% Zapatero 154-158 seats.
PP 36.9% Rajoy 150- 154 seats.
other parties:-
CiU 3% Catalan right nationalist 10 - 12 seats.
IU 6.3% Spanish Left 9 - 11 seats.
ERC 2.3% Catalan Republicans 7 -8 seats
EAI/PNV 1.4 % Basque centreright nationalist "the lehandakari" 6-7 seats-

in addition nationalist candidates have been elected in other regions Galicia, Andalucia, Basque. These are a variety of rightwing and leftwing groupings and will account for approx 8 more seats if the exit polls are accurate.

http://www.telenoticies.com/eleccions2004/r_espanya.htm

There are now several coalition options as neither major party seems to have one an outright majority. This may be seen as a good thing considering the polarisation caused by the atrocity of M11. Even though all indications are now that a islamic group was responsible, there are still questions to be asked as to how they obtained the explosives they used and are they an integral part of what is understood as Al Qaeda.

The Leftwing, which as we can see from the exit polls now accounts for about 50% of voters, and appears to be siding with the AlQ hypothesis understandably as they were opposed to the War on Iraq.
The Rightwing which as we can see from the exit polls now accounts for about 50% of the voters, prefers to suspect ETA involvement in a north african cell.

Both sides feel manipulated, both sides feel they are being lied to, both sides are divided.

***********************************************

Historically we know that such division is dangerous. In recent times we have seen evidence that such divisions are not solely historical. This is still therefore a time for reflection, calm and tranquility. The people are in shock. It is imperative that both Basque and Islamic minorities are not scapegoated and not provoked into further polarisation. The voters of both the Basque and Catalonia have moved to the left, and/or political philosophies that included constitutional reform and increased autonomy, concepts which were previously anathema to the Spanish Right.
It can not be stressed, that the Spanish right feel they have lost an election because of the atrocity, and that thier grief, and sorrow at the massacre must now be contained within the civil system of democracy.

The Spanish people have voted, because they have the right to do so. They have survived at least technically the most serious threat to the democratic system with all its manifest flaws and limitations which was the effect of M11.

Now they need time and space to build their concensus to face the horror they have lived through. 200 people dead is enough, there is no point in more names being added to the "M11" list.

************************************************

famous people:-
Aristide is to visit Jamaica, he was expected on Saturday but was delayed due to unforseen circumstances.
http://www.theworldpress.com/ru/newspap/jamaiq/observ.htm

saving sensible options:-
Unity against Terror.
Terror ought be easy to understand, even "national liberation" heads will probably be able to get their heads around it.

What we now call "Al Qaeda" is not fighting to liberate a country, they are attempting to take down our civilisation. And they have proved to be very effective at sowing division in our society. They wish to take the West down.
All of it. The mobile phones, the internet, the Coca Cola the spliffs, the porn, the church on a sunday morning, the trainjourney to work, the mozart, the memories, the protests, the anarchist chatrooms, the teachers club, the sunday independent, the squats, the fiddle and the boudhrain, all of it.

Gardening:-
really is better without GM maize.
The British are indeed right about many things, but GM food is not one of them.
Hopefully the new European Green Party wil be able to do something. the Mekon bunch had their ard fheis this week.
http://greenparty.ie

Horoscope:-
we will recover. we will go through shock, disbelief, sadnes, anger, disgust, and then we will recover. Together. We all have so much in common, our differences are really so "material".

The Week ahead:-
recovering and seeking concensus not just in Spain, the Spanish State but also Europe.

save preference

Comments (10 of 10)

Socialists win out over PP in Spain

by wranboy

Sun Mar 14, 2004 23:20

"Opposition Socialists claimed victory in Spain's general election on Sunday as voters apparently punished the government over Madrid bombings that may have been retaliation by al Qaeda for the Iraq war. "

This summary leaves out the salient fact that the PP were punished because they were caught lying systematically to the public about the information they had about the provenance of the bombings.

They directly contacted Media Editors, Foreign Correspondents asking them to make it clear it was an ETA operation. They told their Ambassadors around the world to push this line despite the fact there was early information available which contradicted their claims and pointed towards an Qaeda related operation.

ETA issued denials early on as did their politicos. These as of early sunday morning had not yet been the subject of news broadcasts on Spanish national TV.

The government dragged the people kicking and screaming into a war against their clearly expressed will - then when the 'chickens come home to roost' they lie to the people and the world about it.

Liars seem to be going out of style - Who's next - Bush? Blair? Bertie even? Oh yeah and let's not forget Berlusconi.

Sunday papers - Bush visit - shoot to kill?

by INFO CALL

Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:53

I just caught the end of an intresting article on the radio, in a round up of the sunday papers.
The article was about the arrangements for G W BUSH Visit in June (re-shooting protesters etc.) Did anybody see the article or know what paper its in.
Thanks
infoman

Bush Visit SHOOT TO KILL

possible use of lethal weapons by US in Ireland

by kahootz

Mon Mar 15, 2004 14:22

Info call: that article was front page of the Sunday Tribune

Typical Tribune journalism

by Badman

Mon Mar 15, 2004 15:58

After the sensational headline the content was pathetic. Their only evidence was that Bush asked the brits to do the same and so he would presumably ask Bertie for it. They actually had no other information and the article could have been written by a 12 year old. A really pathetic newspaper, in the tradition of our sunday best.

However, there is surely a decent chance that Bertie will give in to Bush. Does bertie know how to say anything to the big man except "Yes Sir"??

where when how why who

by iosaf

Mon Mar 15, 2004 18:03

the 5º questions.

1. we do not know.
2. we now know.
3. we are learning
4. they want WAR not Peace.
5. we still don't know.

build concensus. not panic.

I can only write today of the Catalan reaction to the Regime change, some might think the weaker candidate won for the better reasons.
Aznar now is to be transformed into the leader of the very broad church of the Spanish and Hispanic right wing.
He and those he represents are as confused, terrified, hurt, manipulated, enraged as anyone else.
Recovery for the Spanish will take a long time, but they are made of very strong stuff.
Now we must move to ponder the next attack.

Thanks

by infoman

Mon Mar 15, 2004 18:40

Article was indeed usual crap rehash of article writen in UK pre Bush visit.

also see similer in Irish Independent today mon 15th march

Immunity for armed agents

you all have immunity don't you?

by left pragmatist

Tue Mar 16, 2004 16:19

oh yes, you have the good witches of the north and south looking over you.
you have a mass movement you can text out onto the street to counter manipulation dont you?
you have "horizontal channels" dont you?
oh and you have the wombles.
horses for courses my dears.

how are your prisoners of conscience?

by to a fault

Tue Mar 16, 2004 16:21

are they ok now?

It has been one year

Mon Mar 14, 2005 10:58

since the people of Spain took the neccesary political steps and exercised their rights
to vote in secret,
regardless of social economic class,
regardless of gender,
regardless of religious affiliation,
regardless of ethnicity.

The Spanish people are not now as divided as they were a year ago, the emergent political class is arguably more highly developed than in any other comparable state of the Union.
The emergent political class to which I refer, exists and grows regardless of social economic class, it grows wherever the seeds of democracy, communality of purpose in upholding the civilised values of democratic society have been sown.
It grows and is fostered wherever people of any age but more notably young have realised that the good governance means more than going to the polls once in a four year period.

It flourishes where citizens realise that any civilised society on the road to full democracy is "emergent", and must always balance the "estates" of the wider community, in the unceasing search for concensus, dialogue and peaceful solutions; those estates being the legislature, the executive, the trade unions, academia, the military and security forces, the media both commercial and independent (of all three strands Print, broadcast and internet) and the social assemblies and special services.

No government is perfect, but some are certainly worse than others, any government which disregards the will of the majority of more than one "estate" can be deemed to have broken the contract between ruling and governed.

No-one can say what the next three years will bring the Spanish government, but we can feel that the spanish people in their astounding diversity will continue to surprise and teach us much about the meaning of democracy.

The emergent political class spans both the poorest and indeed often dis-enfranchised to the most secure workers for whom precarity means nothing. The emergent political class is found in every constituency.

May it long continue to emerge.
True democracy will never be achieved without it.
Today is it's day.

The emergent political class had him elected to save democracy.

don't stop emerging. it will get you some hospital beds.

by %-)

Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:52

2 years into a government is long enough to know its just another government.
But the regime is more than the government and the elected political parties.

Regime change is an obligatory part of democracy. The emergent political class exists and grows regardless of social economic class, it grows wherever the seeds of democracy, communality of purpose in upholding the civilised values of democratic society have been sown.
It grows and is fostered wherever people of any age but more notably young have realised that the good governance means more than going to the polls once in a four year period.

It flourishes where citizens realise that any civilised society on the road to full democracy is "emergent", and must always balance the "estates" of the wider community, in the unceasing search for concensus, dialogue and peaceful solutions; those estates being the legislature, the executive, the trade unions, academia, the military and security forces, the media both commercial and independent (of all three strands Print, broadcast and internet) and the social assemblies and special services.

No government is perfect, but some are certainly worse than others, any government which disregards the will of the majority of more than one "estate" can be deemed to have broken the contract between ruling and governed.

The emergent political class spans both the poorest and indeed often dis-enfranchised to the most secure workers for whom precarity means nothing & equity means everything. The emergent political class is found in every constituency.

This year I hope to write in Catalan and Spanish on the Irish Regime change. & how the readers and contributors to Indymedia ireland as the "media" emerged & achieved it. we may never place the ne plus ultra on the emergence of democracy, liberty, equality or fraternity, and we never shall.

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Comments (10 of 10)