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Friday, July 15, 2016

Ponters Pensées: 15.7.16

The Spanish Economy: If this interests you, you'll enjoy this article on the EU's attitude towards Spain's incessantly excessive deficits. All just words, of course.

Bullfighting: Following the recent (rare) death of a torero in Teruel, some people have 'celebrated' this on social media. Distasteful, yes, but is it really a crime? Well, some aficionados think so and are taking legal action because of what they see as "libel, slander and hate crimes." I don't know about Spanish law, of course, but I do know you can't defame the dead under British law. Perhaps a Spanish reader could comment on this bizarre case. Meanwhile, the Guardia Civil has said that: "Of course, we are investigating the potential criminal offences". Only in Spain? Acting President Rajoy has said the insults are "barbaric". A word he refrains from using in respect of much else in Spain, such as vast corruption, croneyism and nepotism in his PP party. Or in respect of this:-

The EU and Spanish Banks: The basic business model of the latter is Screw the clients wherever possible. In a rare consumer-orientated decision, the Spanish Supreme Court recently ordered them to pay back the billions they'd cheated out of their customers via a floor clause in their mortgage contracts which stopped their interest rate falling below c.3%, whatever happened in the real world.
Would you believe that Brussels has just pronounced that they don't have to, as this could bring down the entire Spanish and European banking systems. Assuming the situation in Italy hasn't done this already. See the wonderful Don Quijones on this madness here.

The 2013 Galician Rail Crash: More here on the rejection by Brussels of the pathetically corrupt official investigation into this. Is it any wonder that Spaniards hold the country's self-preserving establishment clique in contempt.

Which reminds me . . . 

Spanish Government: Acting President Rajoy continues to represent an insuperable block to the formation of any administration, 7 months after the general elections at the end of 2015. The man must have a humungus opinion of himself. And a lack fear that his PP party will make any sort of move to oust him. The contrast with recent rapid developments in the UK could hardly be more stark.

Russian Propaganda: Blaming the USA for every problem in Russia (be it a real problem or a fictional one) has become one of the most popular tactics in pro-Kremlin media. And, apparently, usage of this tactic has no limits. Igor Korotchenko, famous for his hawkish statements, is a very frequent guest in the main TV debates on Channel One and Rossiya 24. Last week, he visited Vladimir Solovyov's show, and even this notorious propagandist had to calm Korotchenko down: "You don't intend to say that it is Obama's fault that Russia fell out of the European Cup?" The answer was clear: "It is the fault of those conditions that have been set up in our country by America!"

Finally . . . You Have to Laugh:
  1. At the chutzpah of Spain. Having been accused 'hundreds of times' of illegal and dangerous incursions into waters claimed by Gibraltar,  Madrid has now responded with a complaint of its own against 'reckless behaviour' there. Details here. Can either side be believed?
  2. At this occurrence in Germany.
  3. At this video on the replica Ark built in America's bible belt.

The Boa Vista Plant War: I've been training my bougainvillea up my back wall for 16 years. But now comes the virginia creeper from the right, to challenge it for prominence. And growing at an amazing pace. Nice to see, especially when the creeper turns red in autumn/fall. But is this a good thing?


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