Maybe I don’t hear all the BBC reports about Catalonia but the ones I do hear and read always leave out one obvious parallel…Brexit. How can that be when it is such an obvious link?
The Today show discussed Catalonia today [08:40] but remarkably made no mention of Brexit, then they moved on to Italy where two regions want more autonomy and we heard that they were ‘following Catalonia’….really? And who was Catalonia following? Again no mention of Brexit. Extraordinary omission….the BBC happy to link Brexit to 1930’s Nazi Germany making parallels to that but not to modern day European independence movements.
Why does the BBC make so much effort to distance Brexit from these other independence movements? Does the BBC not want you to think there is widespread feeling across Europe that leans towards some form of nationalism and local identity and control and that the grand EU project so beloved of BBC liberals is not in the interests nor in the hearts of the people of Europe?
The BBC manipulating the news in order to manipulate your minds.
The sad thing for Catalonia is that its leaders are leftists, and that means they are dopes. They honestly seemed to think that the EU would back them up, and welcome them into the fold of Mother Europe. They actually believe that shit. They don’t realise that the EU is a Franco-German power bloc. The aim is to create a United States of Europe, not to see its existing member states fragment. That is why we are leaving, and if the Catalonian leadership had any sense (which they don’t), then they should have realised that if they want independence, leaving Spain is not enough, they have to leave the EU too. They may dimly be becoming aware of this fact round about now. Too late dummies, you lost.
“… the EU is a Franco-German power bloc. …”
No it is the embryo Fourth Reich and France will be used, like the UK, only as a source of money.
I’m sorry but Catalonia’s leaders are a front of three parties: right-wing on top, left-wing second, and rad-left third. Rad-lefts are precisely the ones antiEU.
My apologies for being obtuse but, can anyone explain the BBC stance on Catalonia? To me, they seem to be floundering, liberally using the label Fascist but, not quite sure where to pin it!
I’m confused 🙁
It’s a difficult one for W1A.
On the one hand, they like exciting revolutionary groups, especially if they are seen to oppose “fascism”. On the other hand, they love the EU, which clearly has no time for Catalan nationalism, since Spain is an obedient vassal state.
Clearly, there is no way to square this circle, hence the anguish.
cb, your obtuseness is non-existent and apology unnecessary. You are right to be puzzled.
The BBC exist in a state of confusion these days and do their best to infect everyone else. Yesterday they described the Communist President Xi of China as ‘a populist’. Last week it was a conservative politician, newly elected in Czech Republic, who was ‘a populist’.
I think there is one thing of which we CAN be certain: the BBC is elitist.
I asked on a Spectator thread, concerning the Czech election, what the opposite of “populist” was. “Unpopulist” was the unfunny answer. “Populist” is classic EU-speak. If some motivation derives from the people, or if somebody authentically speaks for the people, that is “populist” and, as such, bad. Brussels would like to admit that it thinks democracy is a really bad concept, because it does, but that’s a bit too transparent for the EU, so it re-defines “democracy” as “populism” and denounces that, instead. Its shameless foot-soldiers in the British media obediently ape its vocabulary.
Owen,
It’s bit like the communist perversion of language such as ‘reactionary ‘ or ‘counter revolutionary’ or one party states called the ‘democratic republic of xxxx’. ‘Right ‘ can only be ‘extreme’ – there is no centre right or moderate right.
Some days the BBC puts more effort into bigging up the secessionist movement in Canvey Island than Catalonia – it’s not difficult to imagine that that might just be deliberate…
Freedom for the cats
Al beeb will be caught in the headlines by the vote and junkers52 will be on the booze even more during the weekend .
Time to hit the evil Eu with a googly while they fight a war on another front .
I think the BBC reporting on Catalonia is ok. Unlike Brexit the BBC doesn’t hammer out one side of the argument, but just reports what’s happening. I do agree though that the BBC is unusually silent about what the EU should do it about it. However, viewers and listeners are drawing their own conclusions.
It’s good one for the Snp . Do you take sides or go all neutral in the hope that come the time of independence ( please) the Eu will smile on them . If the Eu exists by then of course . This might even shut cranky and fat salmon up .
The contrast with Scotland is stark. Here we had a vote, and an outcome.
I live in Edinburgh and there is little talk among ordinary people about independence.
Alan, October 25, 2017;
“Maybe I don’t hear all the BBC reports about Catalonia but the ones I do hear and read always leave out one obvious parallel…Brexit. How can that be when it is such an obvious link?”
“…The BBC manipulating the news in order to manipulate your minds.”
Alan, October 21, 2017;
“To compare Catalonia to Brexit is utterly ridiculous and sensationalist…..”
…manipulating the news… [cough]
You’re a clown, Alan.
Maxi ,
You obviously do not like Alan but do you have an opinion about anything related to al beeb and it’s bias .
Example – al beeb is meant to be inclusive but on my calculation no presenter went to a comprehinsive – meeeshaall doesn’t count as she’s on work experience . Al beeb might get all upety about have girls and non white people on its programmes but background is more important .
People should also declare their interest – for instance I am white and went to a religious school which was not a madrasa – what about you Maxi?
I just wonder what the English reaction would be if Scotland behaved as Catalonia has done. Nicola Sturgeon declaring independence unilaterally would the peoples reaction be supportive of her?
Somehow I doubt it.
Thoughtful
I think if that were to happen there would be a political shrug because no politician has the strength of any conviction – they just follow spads and polling data . Which leads to election failures .
The real issue for Catalonia is —— what happens to the footy? Is Barca out of la liga ? Is the match with Real Madrid now an international?
This is far more important than national identity- ( I jest a bit)
You’re asking the wrong question. The real question is how would have Catalonia behaved if Spain did like the UK did.