Comments on: An Independent Catalonia Will Be a Good Neighbour

By: Roy Waters

Roy Waters — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 15:34:17 +0000

I find the subject of independence for Catalonia increasingly boring as the years go by. The arguments in favour of independence for Catalonia are predictable and shallow. I think it’s time to move the debate to a more meaningful base by asking what’s it all about, what’s life all about. I suggest, and I like to believe that most thinking, feeling people (that’s not intellectuals, academics or less still, politicians), that life is all about being happy and providing opportunities for other human beings to be happy. Happiness is basically a mind set (ask the Dalai Lama) and I find so many catalans the least happy people in Spàin – they need to reset their mind. Making other people happy is achieved basically by integrating with them (listening, understanding, tolerating etc.) but the objective of the Catalan Assembly is separation not integration. The movement they promote has caused and continues to cause friction, polorization, disputes etc.. It’s contribution to increasing happiness is zero !

By: Marcus Pucnik

Marcus Pucnik — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 08:06:04 +0000

Dear Mr Strubell, the “high quality television in their language, recently silenced” in Valencia region must be TV3, which is Catalonia’s public TV channel. I am much against limiting the reception of regional TV stations to their regions (Comunidades Autónomas) of origin. In Germany, and I am German, we can watch public TV from any region (Land). I wish this for Spain, too.

However, TV3 reception in Valencia was closed down because it had no license there. So pray tell how an independent “Catalonia would make it possible for Valencians” to see TV3 again.

By: Miquel Strubell

Miquel Strubell — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 16:41:35 +0000

At the risk of boring readers, may I point out to Mr. Pucnik that the concept of "Països Catalans" that so aggravates him was first used not by a Catalan but by a Valencian, Benvingut Oliver, in his "Historia del Derecho en Cataluña, Mallorca y Valencia: Código de las Costumbres de Tortosa" (Madrid, 1876). And the person who revived it in recent years was not a Catalan but a Valencian, Joan Fuster, in 1962.
The concept originated as a term to refer to the Catalan-speaking lands as a cultural whole. Some have, indeed, used this as the basis for aspiring to a return to a politically federated State, as had existed untill the beginning of the 18th century. But a leading proponent of this idea, Josep Guia, goes further, and suggested in his widely acclaimed 1985 book that the simplest solution would be to call the whole territory "Catalonia". He is also Valencian.
Even the most separatist of Catalans accepts the right of Valencians and Majorcans to decide for themselves whether or not to federate with a free Catalonia.
As a good neighbour Catalonia would almost certainly put its mind to building its part of the Mediterranean freight railway corridor, which would open up Valencian ports to the lucrative trade routes between Western Europe and the middle and far East. Spain has dragged its heels over this essential and geopolitically sensible infrastructure, preferring instead to prioritise its ruinous network of high speed passenger trains, highways not to AC/DC’s hell, but in many cases to small provincial capitals.
And as a future signatory of the European Charter for Regional of Minority Languages, Catalonia would make it possible for Valencians to once again pick up high quality television in their language, recently silenced – despite a court ruling – by the Valencian regional government (who have also closed down their own Catalan-language TV channels).

By: Marcus Pucnik

Marcus Pucnik — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:34:01 +0000

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am surely aware that the author did no choose the illustration. I assume he does agree with its ideological content, or else he would have objected to it. This assumption is also founded on the fact that he, as I said, is member of organisations which promote said content. It is for this reason that I think my assumption to be a good one.

Thank you for your clarication.

By: Geopoliticalmonitor

Geopoliticalmonitor — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 13:25:16 +0000

Dear Mr. Pucnik,

The author did not select the image in question.Images are chosen by the editorial staff of the Geopoliticalmonitor.

Thank you for your commment.

By: Marcus Pucnik

Marcus Pucnik — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 12:50:36 +0000

Catalan separatism is represented by the flag shown as a wall-painting in the picture that accompanies this article: the four red stripes on yellow ground of the Catalan flag with the star that symbolises freedom.

One of Catalan separatism’s core beliefs is represented by the geographic contour added to the flag. It is the contour not of Catalonia, but of what is known as Països Catalans, the Catalan Lands, or Countries. In the upper part of this contour lies Catalonia proper, to the south, west and east lie other parts of Spain, to the north lie Andorra and parts of France. All those are included here in a depiction of what Catalan separatists call the Catalan nation, based mainly on the use of Catalan language: where there’s a Catalan speaker, there is (greater) Catalonia.

I have to assume that Mr Strubell agrees with both the flag and the pancatalanist idea added to it. He is also a prominent member of organisations that promote this idea, or what they call the "political reunification" of all Catalans in one new state. One of these organisations is the Catalan National Assembly he mentiones in his article.

This "political reunification" is a goal as accetable as any. However, given that Catalan separatists like Mr Strubell at present seek only the independence of Catalonia proper, so that "reunification" would have to take place afterwards by claiming parts of adjacent states, it is odd that Mr Strubell would speak of good neighbourliness.