The Spanish
president, Sr Rajoy, has insisted that the welfare state is a
'non-renounceable achievement'. I assume this means that cuts in
healthcare and education, cancellation of school meals and free books
for the poorest pupils, and pension increases below the inflation
rate are not really happening. Purely spectral.
Talking of
education, there've been 3 major changes in policy in the last
decade. These go under the acronyms formed from the particular
statute (Lei) in which they're embodied. So we've had the
LOCE, the LOE, and the LOMCE. Confused? Who wouldn't be. It is, of
course, a right wing-left wing war-game. With the children filling
the role of innocent bystanders.
Talking of
new laws . . . Plans to force all cyclists to wear helmets on public
highways have been watered down, so that now only children under 16
riding in built-up areas will be compelled to wear protective
headgear. Once again, I don't understand the logic here. Adults don't
fall off bikes and hit their head on the tarmac? Perhaps this
provision applies only to cities and towns and outside these everyone
is obliged to wear a helmet. I hope so. That
said, given the speed some helmet-less cyclists achieve in
Pontevedra's 'pedestrian' areas, they surely run the risk of dying
from a fall. A fate which some would probably wish for them. But not
me, of course.
The Spanish
for 'woman' is mujer. As is the Spanish for 'wife'. There is
another word for 'wife' - esposa - but this also means
'handcuff' and is little used. But, anyway, what I wanted to say is
that this double use of mujer is something I'm still
uncomfortable with. Rightly or wrongly, I associate it with the old
English equivalence of 'wife' and 'chattel'.
Finally . .
. After a face-saving delay of a couple of weeks since the
demonstrations, they've re-opened the second lane on the bridge into
town. But they've kept the detour for those of us going downhill. The
logic escapes me but, as I say, it must make sense to someone.
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