Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain
Spain- Ahead of the end-April general election, the left-of-centre parties outvote the right-of-centre parties but not sufficiently.
- As you might expect in these times of far-right populism, the Vox party wants to go as far as outlawing parties like Podemos or Catalan pro-independence parties.
- Spain, says the Guardian, is shuffling towards confronting Franco's legacy. A valid point form the article: Spain has more mass graves than any country except Cambodia and there is an odd irony that a nation that frets so much – and usually so unnecessarily – about how it is viewed abroad should have continued to exalt one dead man while leaving so many others to rot into anonymity.
- Migrants: Spain 1: France 0
- With apologies to readers who are already well aware of all of these, from Richard North this morning - 1. A valid criticism, 2. An interesting comment on immigration, and 3. A final (despairing) point:-
- You can only go so far with ignorance when confronted with MPs who put forward completely unrealistic proposals. When they do so again and again, unable to learn from experience, one must conclude that one is no longer dealing with ignorance but outright stupidity. In nearly 3 years, MPs have been unable to craft a workable exit plan. This is institutional stupidity at an extreme level. As for Mrs May, her initial thinking was tainted by her need to close down freedom of movement and to contain immigration from the rest of the 30 EEA members. But her perception of this need was flawed. Because . . .
- An Ipsos/Mori poll has revealed an astonishing reversal in recent years of British attitudes to immigration. Back in January 2011, 64% thought immigration had had a "negative impact" on British life, with only 19% viewing it positively. Ever since then, the two figures have steadily changed places, to the point where the "positives" now stand at 48% and the "negatives" at only 26%. The 2 lines actually converged just after the 2016 referendum. But even during the campaign one poll asking which issue ranked highest in deciding people's voting intention put the economy top after it was chosen by around twice as many people as immigration. Undoubtedly, there has been a growing awareness of all the ways in which immigration from the EU has been beneficial. The greatest irony of all this, of course, is that the largest component in our immigrant population comes not from the EU but from the rest of the world, under rules that have nothing to do with the EU at all. Brexit will not help us to reduce this in any way. So much for "taking back control of our borders".
- We do have a means to solve the Brexit problem and could craft a solution which could satisfy our needs[RN's Flexcit]. Brexit, therefore, isn't the problem. It's the close-on 650 stupid people who are unable to do the job for which they are paid.
- Courtesy of reader Sierra, here's some very funny placards from the weekend Remainers' march in London.
- Every sensible Brit fears the appointment of Boris Johnson as the next leader of the Conservative party and possibly the next Prime Minister. Someone who has both worked with him and likes him spells out why he would be a disaster: He is a liar, a philanderer, a reckless stirrer, and a man of unconstrained egotism. But these are not the most important reasons he shouldn’t make it into No 10. What really matters is what Johnson lacks: ideas, political purpose, a reason for seeking high office beyond personal ambition.
The USA
- Fart: If I were a liberal Democrat, people would say I'm the super genius of all time. See his 'modesty' video here.
- There's an interesting article below - from a Brexit Remainer, as it happens - on the intrusion of 'celebrities' into our lives. At least in the Anglosphere. Don't know whether it's as bad as in, say, Germany. I very much like her opening admission: Even for those of us who voted to stay, it’s galling when showbiz aristocracy deride Leave voters as old, stupid and racist
- You knew that your Android phone was spying on you, no?
- I knew that Nutter Uri Geller was a fraud but I hadn't seen this series of videos showing how he does his 'magic'.
- On Spanish TV last night I watched a bit of a film which - bizarrely- involved Roman soldiers running around what I thought was the Borobodur temple in Indonesia. But it turned out to be a place in Thailand. Looking on IMDB, I wasn't terribly surprised to see Scorpion King 3 described as one of the worst movies of all time. I waited to see what was said in the credits about locations but I'd forgotten that Spanish TV never shows these, but cuts to ads the second the film ends. As at half-time in football matches. For the entire 15 minutes.
THE ARTICLES
Smug celebrities do the Remain cause no favours. Libby Purves, The Times
Even for those of us who voted to stay, it’s galling when showbiz aristocracy deride Leave voters as old, stupid and racist
Something odd has happened in the past half-century: the python of entertainment has swallowed up current affairs. Hard news is still in the snake’s belly, like an undigested rat, but it’s being worn away by the acids of emotion and personality. The dour old days of “Here is the news from London”, factual and dutiful and a bit boring unless there was a war on, moved sensibly enough towards a “mission to explain”, but then to 24/7 competition for telegenic, simpatico politics and personalities.
Entertainers who have never stood for election, studied deeply or run a business are asked on Question Time, and comedy’s addiction to personal mockery drowns out nuanced thought. Celebrity, once reserved for a few screen stars, has become commonplace. The broadcaster Robert Robinson once described a radio DJ as “behaving like a universal favourite on mere assumption”. That skill is now very lucrative.
In a time of complicated national argument and fragmented government there is something unnerving about the role that such celebrity is playing. Searching for guidance, a reasonable person might listen to time-proved politicians and diplomats, economists, seasoned business leaders and experts on international trade law. But in petitions, marches and social media the cacophony of opinion-forming is deafening. We are told how to think — overwhelmingly to remain in Europe — by TV chefs, pop stars, actors, directors, ex-footballers, Britart millionaires, comedians, presenters. Political instruction comes from Gary Lineker and Bear Grylls, Delia Smith and Elton John. Figures who have made their wealth through popular entertainment fund coaches to demonstrations. Stars tweet contempt for the 17,410,742 voters who dared to disagree.
Some — notably musicians and performers, but also some scientists — are professionally and reasonably concerned that losing EU status could restrict international exchanges. Fair enough: co-operation by professions is sensible and will need finessing if we leave, but is not the only priority. Other star campaigners may be serious thinkers; for all I know, maybe between rehearsals their secret hobby is studying import tariffs and books on industrial supply-chain management. Yet many owe their prominence entirely to their talent or appeal being spotted, marketed, scripted and managed by back-room figures whose signature would add no lustre to an open letter.
But publicity and fans make you believe you’re a leader. I was startled by the tone of Dan Snow’s appeal in our Red Box: scorning all British politicians, throwing in some not entirely relevant problems like climate change, big tech and Chinese gene editing, and urging us on to the streets to “raise such a tumult that it will force the government to remember that it will take more than an antiquated electoral system to shield them from our will”. Whose will? I like Snow, an entertaining pop-historian, though not an academic: wealthy, bright, well-connected, handsome, kindly intentioned. But what he is doing here is throwing his TV image on to the scales of serious democratic politics.
I hate writing this because I am not a Brexiteer, grew up in France and Germany comfortable with Europeanness, and also because I have worked with stars and artists all my life and liked them. Living far from the metropolitan bubble I am no insider, but a fan who genuinely reveres the work of many people now playing that troubling follow-my-famousness card. I may lose friends, as I did when I expressed surprise that the arts world — which I assumed would be open-minded and curious about its fellow men — merely raged with contempt at those who voted for Brexit.
Respect to sincere footsloggers with cheeky banners, and even Tracey Emin’s scrawled “subliminal” neon love letter to Europe — but others are scornfully savage. It is not edifying to see a cultural elite, often from relatively privileged and tight social circles, accusing dissenting strangers of racism, ignorance and self-harm. Some display what in others they would call nasty populism. Peter Davison, better known as the Doctor and a 1970s TV vet, derides all Brexit voters as “mad old farts”. JK Rowling accuses them of “nostalgic jingoism, fear-mongering, racism and flag-waving delusion”. TalkRadio’s star Ash Gould says only people on £50,000 a year should be allowed to vote because they alone have a “stake in society”. Even the illusionist Uri Geller now claims to have psychic knowledge that Britain (where he hasn’t lived since 2015) doesn’t want Brexit. He promises to stop it “telepathically”, which I suppose is less tiring than marching.
These cosmopolitan “anywheres” so confident of being somebodies, have a right to a view, but no more than any anxious jobseeker, pensioner or trawlerman. I respect the marchers, even though a second vote could well be Leave again, partly due to lesser mortals’ irritation at being hectored by the famous. I would actually be relieved (unlike some in my region) if Article 50 vanished at a wave of JK Rowling’s wand and we could move on. It’s just that I balk at the exploitation of showbiz dazzle in a serious arena.
At first I couldn’t think what the dangerous, innocent bossiness of privileged campaigners reminds me of. Then I remembered: a Jane Austen opening. “Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence, and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.” Read on: Emma controls and patronises the lower-status Harriet, snobbishly steering her protégée away from her preferred farmer’s son towards a gentry marriage. It all goes embarrassingly wrong.
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