Una entrada curta per actualitzar el tema del referendum pels no-catalans ... un referendum que es farà? Suposo que lo logic és que el govern espanyol dirà que no, i ho portaran als tribunals. Sortirem la gent al carrer en massa i Artur Mas haurà de tornar a convocar eleccions. Amb els resultats que esperem, el nou Parlament declararà l'independencia, demanarà l'intervenció inmediata de les entitats internacionals i convocarà un referendum per confirmar la declaració ... no trobeu?
...
Just before Christmas, another Big Step was taken in Catalonia's march to freedom - well, march to a referendum. Four political parties (including the present governing one) which form 2/3 of the Parliament, came together to call the Independence Referendum for 9th November 2014. They also agreed on the question(s):
Do you think Catalonia should become a State? If so, do you think it should be an Independent State.
Presumably the first option is for those who believe some kind of federation with Spain is still possible. For those who want the full independence option, the campaign is known as the "yes yes" campaign as you'd need a double "yes" to win.
As predicted in my previous posts, Spain has already said that this referendum will NOT be allowed as it's anti-constitutional - so it's the old "ancient Laws" against "the will of the people" conflict again. As many people say, if we only followed laws without ever changing or adapting them, black people still wouldn't be allowed on buses in the USA and women wouldn't be voting.
Watch this space ...!
Firstly ~ I love a bit id Bowie, so great choice of song. Referenda in Australia have a very low rate of success historically. The only successful ones include the recognition of indigenous people as citizens of Australia and ashamedly that was the late 1960s. The one that keeps failing is whether Australia should be a republic. I have heard before that it is the wording of the questions that cause the referendum to be successful or not ~ a double yes sounds like the right strategy.
ResponEliminaThank you for reminding me of that song...Meanwhile, when they print the ballot papers why not include questions such as "Do you think that Catalonia should bomb Madrid? Do you think that Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale should be transferred to Barcelona for free? And do you think that Brian Cutts should be forced to renounce his Yorkshire citizenship?"
ResponEliminaThanks Carol and YP for the comments and suggestions. You're right, Carol, it's all in the wording and though, presumably, the millions who rallied for independence would have just gone for "Independence, yes or no?", the Catalan Parliament is made up of 7 or 8 parties - some of which are in fact coalitions of smaller parties - all of which have their own political agenda independently (excuse the pun) of the people's wishes.
ResponEliminaApparently this question pleases all the parties who actually want a referendum. A "no", means the status quo. A "Yes, No" is for those who think a new relationship can be reached between Catalonia and Spain (people talk about federal arrangements like Germany, which I know nothing about), and the "Yes, Yes" means independence.
YP, good ideas, but 2 questions are company, three or more are a crowd. We'll bear those ideas in mind for when we are independent.
Song-wise, I'm running out of ideas for songs about referendums - funnily enough not a popular topic with most pop-song writers - but then I remembered the women's vote question is one usually brought up here to show how laws can change .... though I don't think Bowie was thinking "women's rights" when he wrote the lyrics. It does take me back to my university days - apart from the most famous hits, I hadn't really heard much Bowie until a fellow student lent me his 70s albums while we were studying together.
I reckon you should trawl through some Billy Bragg or PJ Harvey for some protest music. Good Luck!!
EliminaThanks. Billy Bragg's been on here a few times and will be re-appearing soon (though protesting about a more mundane issue ...), but I have to admit I've never listened to any PJ Harvey. I'll check her music out!
Elimina