Tuesday 25 September 2012

Indignant Spanish Population Converges on Parliament

Spanish protesters - bolstering their numbers by the day as the situation in Spain deteriorates further - converged today on Spanish parliament. This particular clash took place just 100 meters from the Spanish congress building.

This makes me so happy to see.

The clashes will only become increasingly violent, and the riot police are vastly outnumbered. Indeed, some of their police brethren are amongst those protesting.

When cuts start to affect cops, it becomes even more dangerous for those police officers who manage to keep their jobs. If I were those riot cops I would take off my mask, put down my baton and join in the protests to help overthrow the government. It will happen anyways, and all they're doing is risking further injury.

Viva la revolucion! Los indignados y la poblacion seran triunfantes!

Let's hope the cops stop protecting the thieves and dictatorial technocrats/plutocrats and join in the revolution. They will only meet troubled ends otherwise. The people will not sit down and watch the financial holocaust idly while everything is taken from them.


A Brief Overview of Spain's Woes


Austerity measures have decimated the finances of the populace since the peak of the European sovereign debt crisis began in 2008. The Troika came in to establish monetary policy control over the Eurozone from one central bank - the ECB - essentially obliterating the sovereignty of the PIIGS countries - Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain.

What now exists is a coalition of supranational bodies - the ECB, the European Commission and the IMF, making up the aforementioned Troika - that serve to dictate monetary policy of sovereign nations, directly circumventing and overriding the national governmental processes within the [formerly] sovereign states.

Indeed, Spain is set soon to announce a financial reform plan, concocted in conjunction with conniving and colluding central authorities. There are sure to be more austerity measures placed on the populace in order to save money -and even if there aren't, this will be nothing compared to what's coming up.

"[...] Citing officials involved in the talks, the FT said European Union authorities are working with the Spanish government to come up with a plan to pave the way for a new rescue plan and unlimited bond buying by the European Central Bank. Those officials said talks between Spain and the EU are focusing on conditions demanded by international lenders as part of a new rescue plan, which would need to be in place before any rescue plan was announced. [...]"

In addition to financial reform, the ECB is preparing to engage in unlimited bond-buying to attempt to "rescue" Spain from their financial abyss. This will further solidify the stranglehold that the Troika has over Spain's monetary policy and government.
"[...] One senior European official said negotiations have been taking place with Spanish Finance Minister Luis de Guindos, and talks are surrounding structural reforms to the economy, but not new taxes or cuts. Next Friday, the Spanish government is expected to announce results of a review of its banking system, which will also include how much the European Stability Mechanism needs to recapitalize those banks. A media report the prior day said Spain was looking into a way of using some of the 100 billion euros ($130 billion) that has been earmarked for a bailout of its banking system for a bigger sovereign bailout. Simon O'Connor, the European Commission's economic spokesman told the FT that Spain could not redirect aid money."

Read more about this here and here.

In related news, Catalonia is edging ever-closer to separation from Spain; however, the Spanish military has threatened force over any attempt to separate.

" Two weeks ago I was interviewed by the Catalan newspaper El Punt Avui. I said it would be unthinkable for the Spanish state to stop Catalan secession by military force.

Such action would violate EU Treaties and lead to Spain’s suspension from the European Union. You do not do such things in the early 21st Century.

"No pots ser membre de la UE si utilitzes la força" was the headline.

I may have underestimated the vigour of the Spanish officer corps.

First we have the robust comments of Francisco Alaman – a serving army colonel – comparing the crisis to 1936 and vowing to crush Catalan nationalists, described as "vultures".

"Independence for Catalonia? Over my dead body. Spain is not Yugoslavia or Belgium. Even if the lion is sleeping, don’t provoke the lion, because he will show the ferocity proven over centuries," he said."


More here.
This would be devastating to Spain, as Catalonia has an economy roughly the size of Portugal's. This crisis is also serving to further divide the country, not only pitting citizens against the government and the Troika, but also against other citizens. When unity and solidarity is so important, Catalonians and Spaniards are at odds. I take nothing away from the rights of Catalonia, but this does serve as further fuel to the fire overall - especially when so much wealth and capital are being diverted from the debt-riddled nations to the bigger players in the Eurozone.

It is extremely reminiscent of what happened when Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and the increasing violence calls to mind images of Yugoslavia pre- and post-dissolution. Here's an article that draws these parallels and many more - check it out, it's worth a read.

In any case, tensions are rising every day in Spain, and all throughout the Eurozone, pitting countries against each other while simultaneously keeping them locked into a Troika-led union that is benefiting those at the top of the Eurozone at the expense of those on the lower rungs.


Stand up, people of Europe, and fight against the oppressors that are stealing your sovereignty and wealth bit by bit. Revolution is upon us, and it is up to you now to carry it forward.

If the events taking place in Greece, Spain and Italy are any indication, there may be hope yet for the people to take back their power.

Read more about what's going on right now in Spain.







Here's a basic overview of the Spanish debt crisis since its begining.

UPDATE: For the second day in a row, thousands of protesters descended upon Plaza de Neptune in Madrid, 100 meters from the Congress building.

They demanded that the government resign, with chants of "resign, government", and holding up the now-infamous "NO" signs/posters/pieces of paper to signify their discontent with the harsh and supragovernmentally-imposed austerity measures that have swept across the country in recent years.

Today, there were pamphlets circulating in hopes of keeping the protest violence-free, urging sit-ins instead of clashes with police that would give them further cause (besides the wishes of the banksters running the country) to attempt to stifle the protests.


Pamphlets have been circulating through the crowd imploring those present not to repeat Tuesdays’s mistakes. The tract implores those present not to provoke the police, giving them a pretext to cripple the event, and has recommended a sit in protest.
Spain, as well as the other PIIGS countries, have been in depression for months now, and it is only getting worse as further austerity measures are set to hit the public in the face of the ECB's ESM bond-buying program. The Bank of Spain actually commented on the subject briefly:
The Bank of Spain said Wednesday that the country, where one in four faces unemployment, is in the grips of a deep depression.
They didn't add that there is no hope in sight of coming out of the depression, and that the people of the country are suffering and being further impoverished while the money flows into the hands of the likes of Bank of Spain itself - or at least their executives and their Troika partners-in-crime.
Evictions have also skyrocketed across Spain as thousands have failed to repay bank loans. Many protesters were particularly enraged that the government was making cuts to health, education and public sector salaries while pumping funds into the country's ailing banking sector to keep it afloat.
Read the original article here.

In addition, I wanted to share this link with my readers. It delves further into exactly what is going on in Catalonia, and their road to separation from Spain. I won't elaborate further - just read the article and you'll know all you need to know in regards to the split.

More to come as new developments take place. Stay tuned! This is far from over!

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