Dawn

Dawn

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Pontevedra Pensées: 18.10.16

SPANISH LIFE/CULTURE

Renfe: This is the Spanish public train operator. I'm in contact with them by email about the panama hat I left on the train last Friday. So far, so good. A nice form-response from the central office. I wouldn't normally bother to mention this but I just want to note that this is the nth bit of headwear I've left behind somewhere and that each of them had my phone number in them. To date, no one has ever called me. But I'm hoping this case will be different, as they're not cheap.

Corruption: See the Cavalcade below. And also this article on the PP guide to local illegal financing, mentioned a few days ago. Truly astonishing, for a number of reasons.

THE SPANISH ECONOMY & THE EU

The 2016 Deficit: Now, there's a surprise. For the 10th(?) year in a row, this will exceed the limit of 3.5% of GDP after which you'll be hit with a humungous fine from Brussels. But, also for the 10th year in a row, this ain't going to happen. As it never did with Germany and France. In the EU, 'fundamental rules' are only relevant for the likes of the little guys, like Greece.

THE UK

RT News: What a kerfuffle! Yesterday, NatWest bank announced it was closing its accounts. Cue predictable response from both the station (An attack on free speech) and from the Russian government (We will close the BBC accounts here). Of course, all the Russians saw the hidden hand of the British state in this – being incapable of seeing that it isn't always there and of believing in pure commercial decisions - but I'm very glad their reaction was so strong. And alos effective, as the bank immediately relented. What would I do if the station went under and I missed my morning laughs at the sheer hypocrisy of almost everything they do? Yesterday, for example, the main theme of the execrable Cross Talk was US illegal invasions of sovereign states such as Syria. Like the Crimea, Ukraine, Chechnya and Georgia, for example? Err, no. I leave you, firstly, with an hilarious comment from Russia’s foreign ministry Commissioner for Human Rights [sic]: It seems that freedom of speech is completely lost in Albion’s Russophobic fog. And, secondly, with this comment from Oliver Kamm of The TimesThe regime of Vladimir Putin murders journalists, represses homosexuals, imprisons critics, assassinates dissidents, flattens cities, attacks aid convoys, shoots down civilian aircraft, foments xenophobia and alters national boundaries by force. Yesterday its state-run propaganda outlet complained of an assault on its liberty because a British bank asked it to take its custom elsewhere. As Oscar Wilde reputedly said on reading of the death of Little Nell in Dickens’s The Old Curiosity Shop, you’d need a heart of stone not to laugh. It’s past time that Britain’s civil society, its broadcasting regulator and its elected government ceased pussyfooting around with RT. This is not a normal news outlet but a conspiracy of fraudsters in the service of a murderous autocracy. Denying it a bank account is the least of the problems we should be making for it. One can't say fairer than that.

GALICIAN STUFF

La Coruña: Ahead of my visit there last Friday, I ran a search in my computer and came up with a chapter from a 1909 book called Galicia: The Switzerland of Spain: Its opening para read: La Coruña covers 7,902 square km, and its population in the year 1905 amounted to 683,915 souls. It is the dampest province in Spain, and it has more misty days in the year than any other part; but, on the other hand, it is never troubled with those dry hot winds that cross to Spain from Africa: it is decidedly healthy, and its women and children have very beautiful complexions. Both factors possibly explain why it's a popular place with British expats.

LOCAL STUFF

Beggars: Those in Ponters clearly don't take Sunday off. Quite the opposite. I was assailed by 7 or 8 of these at lunch time, most of them new to me and so presumably on a day trip. Perhaps in the same coach. The locals all tend to avoid me.

FINALLY

1. Religions: This is very hard to believe but, on the same day as I read that some scholars of Islam believe Mohammed the Prophet is a fiction, my friend Dwight sent me an article about an American scholar who says he has proof of the long-standing belief that Jesus didn't really exist either. It's enough to make an atheist choke on his porridge! See here, here and here.

2. The Goths: I'd forgotten - if I ever knew - that these came in two sorts - Visigoths and Ostrogoths. Western-Goths and Eastern-Goths. As you can see from this helpful map, the former came down to Spain and did something never since replicated - they unified the country, under their rule from Toledo. Chasing out the residual Romans in the process. More on the Spanish Visigoths tomorrow.



THE CORRUPTION CAVALCADE

Latest entries first:-

The case
     Who
   Position
 Allegation
  Status
The cheating banker

F.J.O.G”
Director
Stole €1.9m from 14 clients

A Royal surprise

Princess Cristina
Sister of the king

Another royal    surprise

Ex-king
Tried to bribe the authorities not to proceed against his daughter.

No prospect of a trial.
Gürtel/
Correa
37 politicians and businessmen
Senior position holders
Illegal party financing

Bankía/Black Cards

Numerous ex-politicos and businessmen

Senior position holders
Use of 'black credit cards' to avoid taxation on income of more that €12m.
Bog standard case
Ventura Sierra Vázquez
The mayor of Vilareño de Conso, Galicia.
Falsification of docs and corrupt practices.

Trial just started
Bog standard case
José Ramón [Nené] Barral
The ex-mayor of Ribadumia, Galicia
Money laundering and drug smuggling

Under investigation
Bog standard case
María Antonia Munar
Ex-president of the Balearics parliament
4m bribes for changing property 
classifications
Awaiting sentence. 4 years demanded.

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