After weeks of massive public demonstrations across Catalonia with the slogan “Catalonia is not Spain,” a major rally was held Sunday in Barcelonia, in which anti-secessionists declared that after all this, Catalonia actually is Spain.
Hundreds of thousands of unionists (350,000 according to police estimates) took to the streets waving Spanish flags and EU flags. There were, however, reports that much of the crowd was bused in from elsewhere. Participants included members of anti-secession political parties.
It shouldn’t be surprising. Catalan secession has long been a divisive issue within the region, and polls have always shown it very, very close. The overwhelming “yes” vote in last weekend’s referendum likely represented a backlash against the violent crackdowns by Spanish police in the days ahead of the vote, as well as much of the “no” crowd just not turning out.
Many unionists supported the Spanish Constitutional Court’s decision that the referendum was illegal, and didn’t vote as a result. This skewed the results even further toward the “yes” side, giving the impression of overwhelming support for Catalonia when, in reality, the public remains at least somewhat split on the issue.
How that informs Tuesday’s meeting of Catalonia’s parliament remains to be seen. It has been expected they would declare independence on Tuesday, but they are faced with threats of punishment from Spain if they try. The Sunday rally may also give them pause, though pause for what is unclear since Spain is ruling out negotiations.
If California voted to leave the USA . I would be happy to let them and a few other states go . But the voting should be by the whole country not just the part that wants to separate . A small minority in a country could allow military bases from another foreign country and than capture and take over the whole country . Big countries like United States could easily divide into three fairly good sized countries . We would still be three of the wealthiest countries in the world and still all be in the top five as for population . This kind of division should give us better management and much better foreign relations with the 200 other countries . We would no longer be classified as a big bully . I suspect Catalonia’s desire to separate is about money . as the love of money is the root of evil . I like Spain and think they have a good government . I like Catalonia just as much . Slovenia separated from Yugoslavia because they were the wealthiest in Yugoslavia but I guess they don’t feel so rich anymore . Now the separated Yugoslav states all want to join the EU .But they are all little pipsqueak states and they don’t have near the power Yugoslavia would have had . I feel the illeagal dismemberment of Yugoslavia was a crime and it was accomplished with the aid of the western countries that think they are going to rule the world .
So everyone has to get the permission of everyone else to have their freedom? Sounds pretty tyrannical…don’t you think? The point of OUR Constitution anyway, was to protect the minority from the whims of the majority. EVERYONE deserves the right to pick their own government (even if that means 7+ billion sovereign states on this planet).
Excellent answer, David. And Eric, while I appreciate where you were coming from suggesting that California succeeding would impact New Englanders and thus they should have a say, by the same reasoning splitting the US would impact Ukrainians, so the UN should approve or veto California’s succession. Yet a world where we are all sovereign states also doesn’t answer the real question, how will individuals get along with and cooperate with each other in our collective self-interest.
We will get along the same way we all do in our everyday lives – by respecting the person and property of others and otherwise leaving them to their own devices. At least that is the MORAL and human solution. As for our “collective” self-interest, our individual needs are being addressed everyday by companies and organizations who voluntarily assemble to solve market needs. To think that the most immoral organization in society – government – is providing the structure that is truly keeping it all together is to ignore the great damage they have done over the millennia.
That’s where you’re definitely incorrect, IMO. Government has some major moral flaws, but the only entity more indifferent to morality than it is corporations. Corporations are legally obligated to maximize profit for their shareholders. Corporations are a legal construct built to insulate the people who serve it and profit from it from responsibility when disasters occur. Exxon Valdez. Deepwater Horizon. Endless growing hurricanes. Etc.
And corporations are a creation of government. Those legal protections, etc. are all about government laws and regulations, NOT the voluntary free market. A FREE people would NEVER allow someone to hide behind a corporate shield for protection from the crimes they commit. Government is more than happy to.
So you’re saying the excesses of corporations are the fault of government. But the basic problem is that “market needs” don’t cover everything that’s needed. Let’s get specific. BP, which markets itself as “beyond petroleum,” is hardly inconvenienced by their huge spill. Dead workers, dead fisheries, lost oil, it’s just a cost of doing business. They’ll drill deeper and buy more lobbyists for as long as it’s profitable.
The devastating impact on the lives of millions of people living on the Gulf coast, a toxicly brutalized ecosystem, and climate disruption from extracting all that oil even without any spills never get factored in. Somehow the costs to society of a gallon of gas must be paid. Now, it doesn’t even pay for the roads, much less the health effects. Companies won’t do it. Individuals living in suburban sprawl now have few options but to buy gas. For what entity is this problem on-topic for other than government? How else will this ever get fixed, assuming we want humanity to have a future worth living in?
“Big countries like United States could easily divide into three fairly good sized countries . We would still be three of the wealthiest countries in the world and still all be in the top five as for population.”
Actually not even in the top 10.
But why should voters in Missouri have any say concerning what Minnesota does. Why have the population of Connecticut have a veto over the decisions of Californians?
Beat enough people, shoot enough people, jail enough people, threaten enough people, and magically opinions begin to change. Likely George Soros paid for the bus tickets.