Pescant salmons al Iemen!

Em va encantar la novel·la (és dels pocs llibres que he comprat dos cops: el primer exemplar me'l vaig descuidar en un avió!).

Espero poder veure la pel·lícula (versió subtitulada en català, no cal dir-ho!) ben aviat.


http://fishingintheyemen.com

El preu de la independència escocesa?

The Economist del 14 d'abril publica el següent article: "It’ll cost you. Scottish independence would come at a high price". http://www.economist.com/node/21552564

S'hi fa referència a Catalunya.
 
I és interessant veure com les enquestes troben que l'anunciat vot a favor o en contra depèn molt del cost de la independència, o el benefici, que hom percep.
 
En el text, en termes estrictament monetaris de curt termini, l'autor desautoritza el titular llampant ("an independent Scotland would currently gain roughly as much in taxes as it would lose in subsidies...". No és el primer cop que passen aquestes coses! També és cert, com diu, que el futur és més incert, per diferent raons.

Se sustenta el to negatiu (que podem esperar, és clar, d'una revista de l'Establishment anglès!) a través de l'article publicat el mateix dia sobre "The economics of home rule", "The Scottish play. Scotland could probably go it alone now, but the economics of independence are steadily worsening". http://www.economist.com/node/21552572




 
 

The Siege

"El Setge" is an article written by Manuel Cuyàs and published in the Catalan-language daily newspaper "El Punt Avui" on April 15th: http://www.elpuntavui.cat/noticia/article/7-vista/8-articles/528207.html

Unbeknown to the author, who will I hope be indulgent, I have made a hasty translation of the artricle, in the hope that English readers may know the opinion of a highly reputable and respected Catalan journalist, about what is going on in Spain.
Here it is:

Someone I trust and who knows things tells me: Don't think that Madrid observes quietly and without concern the proindependence statements of Catalonia. They are taken more seriously than we believe that I can assure you that there are drawers with dossiers that compromise the good name of some Catalan leaders in various fields. Whether or not the dossiers contain information that is true, false or intentionally inflated is not relevant. The point is that the drawers are waiting for the order or the right time to be moved to the printed or electronic word, with the intention of making noise, of smearing and of hurting.

Without knowing anything about dossiers, I already thought that the possible independence of Catalonia does cause much concern in Spain, in particular the current government, which in this issue is no different than the government displaced in the last general election. Artur Mas relies on a fiscal agreement that will significantly improve the Catalan coffer. Let us not be deceived: there will be no agreement, just as they will not pay their overdue debts. The State machinery will never give us money that could be used to pay or subsidize independence. That's how seriously they take it, that's how afraid they are, that's how possible they think it is.

Observe the evolution of railway communications. Everyone who know how to add and calculate says that building the Mediterranean corridor should be a priority, and yet the Spanish government wants to join Madrid with France by drilling through the Pyrenees in Aragon. It doesn'r seem to make sense, but it does: Spain will not build a line that passes through a territory that tomorrow may be a foreign country. They aren't building it for the neighbors to enjoy it. That's how seriously they take it.

The Convergència party congress [the governing party] spoke of the right to have a state so as not to talk of independence, which seemed too strong, and the State found it so strong anyway that it is barring our independence not with a fiscal agreement but with a hunger agreement. So either we do what we have to, however difficult it seems, or we shall remain imprisoned in a vicious circle which, rather than a circle, is really a siege.

La història visual d'Europa des de l'Imperi Romà fins el 2010... en 5 minuts! 5 minute- timelapse of history in Europe since the Roman Empire until 2010

Conclusió: Qui afirmi que els Estats -i les fronteres- són sagrats, simplement no té cap noció d'història!

VÍDEO: Continuem somiant!

1. Flashmob per la independència, diumenge 18 de març de 2012 a les 12h a la Plaça Catalunya de Barcelona. 


2. "Fora de joc", un documental promogut per la Plataforma pro Seleccions Esportives Catalanes que aprofundeix en les maniobres del govern espanyol contra l'oficialització de les seleccions esportives catalanes (51 min). A documentary in Catalan about how the Spanish government manoeuvres to prevent Catalan federations joining international sports federations (Esport3 / TV3/ 30/12/2011).

3.Versió inèdita de 3 minuts de Somiem, encarregada per Òmnium, amb lletra de Lluís Llach i direcció de Lluís Danés (27 de juliol de 2010, al cap de pocs dies de la multitudinària manifestació a Barcelona el 10 de juliol de 2010)

http://www.omnium.cat/ca/video/somniem-junts-73.html

Més vídeos sobre el cas català: 

* http://miquelstrubell.blogspot.com/2011/11/proxima-estacio-independencia.html 

* http://miquelstrubell.blogspot.com/2012/03/assemblea-nacional-catalana-video-de.html

* http://miquelstrubell.blogspot.com/2011/06/spains-secret-conflict-video-39-min-45.html