Dear friends,
I sent a reply to a post by someone who calls him or herself "pepón" who made a number of affirmation in the discussion following an editorial by Prof. Joseph Wieler published in the European Journal of International Law.
Unfortunately the editors have suddenly decided to close the debate, a few hours after I sent them the following response, which has not been published:
"I would like to respond to Pepón, yet another anonymous contributor
enthusiastically defending the Spanish Unionist cause.
"(i) He claims that ‘“Putos espanyols (lladres)” has become a standard
comment in Catalonia’. Well, I live in Barcelona and I’ve never heard that
expression in the mouth of any God.-fearing Catalan myself. But maybe I’m deaf.
Let’s look it up using Google. Holy Mary! He’s right: See http://www.racocatala.cat/forums/fil/124881/si-si-si-4-equips-valencians-1era-divisio.
However, just one small point. That’s the
one and only time the expression can be found on the whole of the Internet, so
it’s hardly a “standard comment”. Moreover it was not uttered by a Catalan, but
by a supporter of a Valencian football club, Ontinyent, who identifies himself
(or herself) using a Basque name (sic), Beti aizkolari. He wrote this over two
years ago, 21 June 2010, after his team “was robbed” of victory by a Madrid
side. I think, Pepón, we can rightfully demand that you withdraw your accusation.
"(ii) He or she tries to substantiate the claim that
‘all the Catalan “intellectuals” treat Castilians and Andalusians *literally*
as an inferior species’ by referring us to a venerable gentleman, Pompeu Gener
who died no less than 93 years ago.
"(iii) Moreover, he or she adds insult to injury when he
or she claims that “there was some persecution on the first
few years and that you had to learn in Castilian at school, but it is also true
that Catalan language had never before been so productive as under Franco”. How
dare he dismiss not only the first-hand experience of a multitude of Catalans,
but also the thorough academic achievements of, among many others, Josep Benet (1920-2008),
Catalunya sota el règim franquista. Informe
sobre la persecució de la llengua i la cultura de Catalunya pel règim del
general Franco (1973) and L'intent franquista de genocidi cultural contra
Catalunya (1995) and Francesc
Ferrer (1935-2006): La persecució política de la llengua catalana (1985)
and Catalanofòbia, Història del pensament anticatalà (2000)?
"These sources and many others are referred to in an issue of the Cercle
21 bulletin, which shows clearly that Pepón’s discourse joins that of a
long succession of negationists even including, unfortunately, the author of a
speech on the history of the Spanish language given by the Spanish King in
2001. See http://www.cercle21.cat/butlleti/03/index.html
"The Franco regime repression formed part of a strategy which has lasted
for centuries which has never been as crudely put as by Ángel Ossorio y
Gallardo, who wrote “La Guerra de España y los católicos” in 1942: “Los ocupantes del Poder español nada
odian tanto como Cataluña. Si pudieran pulverizarla, la pulverizarían.
Engrandecerla, de ninguna manera. Por si acaso” (The occupiers of Spanish power hate nothing
as much as Catalonia. If they could pulverise her, they would. Certainly not
enlarge her. Just in case.)
"(iv) Pepón has no qualms about recommending this source, and I too would invite readers to refer
to it and to reach their conclusions as regards the academic and intellectual
status of the posts and links therein. I will certainly not be the one to
suggest that this website is little more than neofascist, anti-Catalan
propaganda. Certainly not."
See also earlier posts of mine in this debate:
See also earlier posts of mine in this debate:
See other comments to Dr. Wieler's post here: http://www.ejiltalk.org/catalonian-independence-and-the-european-union/#comments
See other comments to Dr. Krisch's reply here: http://www.ejiltalk.org/catalonias-indepence-a-reply-to-joseph-weiler/#comments
See other comments to Dr. Krisch's reply here: http://www.ejiltalk.org/catalonias-indepence-a-reply-to-joseph-weiler/#comments
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