The shit in Spain falls mainly in the fan

[Razgovory]

Are the people of Catolonia second class citizens?  Do they face a great deal of persecution?  I'm not trying to make some sort of point here, I'm genuinely asking.  I know they had it rough under Franco, do those sort of policies still exist? 

Personally I don't care for dividing up countries, though it can be necessary in some cases.

[The Larch]

Are the people of Catolonia second class citizens?  Do they face a great deal of persecution?  I'm not trying to make some sort of point here, I'm genuinely asking.  I know they had it rough under Franco, do those sort of policies still exist? 

Of course not. Catalan nationalism is a mixture of cultural (with a pinch of ethnic thrown in in recent times) and economic nationalism (of the "We're rich and the rest of the country not so much, so we'd rather keep the money rather than share" variety).

[Valmy]

Well there are two sides to this issue in Catalonia. How do the Unionists feel about how the Spanish Government is handling this? Are they encouraged and empowered by their actions? Would they be demoralized if the secessionists got off lightly? There might be some calculation I don't know.

[The Larch]

Well there are two sides to this issue in Catalonia. How do the Unionists feel about how the Spanish Government is handling this? Are they encouraged and empowered by their actions? Would they be demoralized if the secessionists got off lightly? There might be some calculation I don't know.

As cel said, this is an extremely divisive issue in Spanish politics at the moment. Ciudadanos, the staunchly unionistic most voted party in Catalonia in the latest regional elections and until recently a rising force at the national level in the center-right side of the spectrum took a turn towards demanding a much heavier handed treatment of the situation, including an indefinite suspension of Catalonia's self government (which is completely agains the constitution and the rulings of the courts) and much harsher sentences, as well as completely ruling out any kind of pardon. Vox, our home grown far righters, were present in the trial as civil accusation, were also requesting extremely harsh sentences (and were happily ignored by the judges).

[Valmy]

Ok so there is a key issue there. You don't want to piss off the other team by appeasing the secessionists too much.

Damn why does every issue in the world seem to be like this these days?

[The Larch]

Ok so there is a key issue there. You don't want to piss off the other team by appeasing the secessionists too much.

Damn why does every issue in the world seem to be like this these days?

And we have general elections in a few weeks as well. If the government goes easy on the independentists that'd make the opposition go balistic. Mind you, the current ruling already pisses off the left wing parties as well, who consider it excessive, on top of the right wing ones, who consider it lenient.

[Iormlund]

Ok so there is a key issue there. You don't want to piss off the other team by appeasing the secessionists too much.

Damn why does every issue in the world seem to be like this these days?

Appeasement has been state policy for the last 40 years and the problem has only grown worse. It still is the chosen policy, and the mildness of sentencing shows it does translate somehow to the judiciary.
It is clear that separatists have been using control of public media and education to radicalize the population for decades, but neither the socdems nor the conservatives have had the balls to do anything about it. Thus the rise of alternative parties proposing harsh measures (Cs and the far right).

There is no long term plan for unionists. Even within Catalonia they are divided. Some want to keep things as they once were and keep using separatism as a way of getting more power (PSC), others want to suspend autonomy indefinitely (Cs).

[celedhring]

Tonight protestors are turning against the Catalan government, having finally noticed the dissonance between following their indications to protest, only to then get beaten by the Catalan police. So instead of clashes and fires in front of Spanish state buildings, tonight we have clashes and fires in front of Catalan gov. buildings.

Revolutions, children, etc...

[Iormlund]

Both protesters and police really need to turn it up a notch. Too boring. Although, Cpt. Bicycle did add a nice touch.

[celedhring]

Both protesters and police really need to turn it up a notch. Too boring. Although, Cpt. Bicycle did add a nice touch.

Rather they didn't...

[celedhring]

The revolution will be instagramed.

[chipwich]

Sports team mentality through and through, actual statehood and it's consequences are an afterthought. Same with Brexit.

[celedhring]

I find all these pictures of rioters taking pics/selfies by fires utterly fascinating. Surely a symbol of this age.

[Admiral Yi]

The Great Narcissist Revolt

[Syt]

Someone needs to photoshop that into Delacroix's painting.