Sanchez and Cuixart in jail!

Oh gosh, now they have imprisoned the two midgets. Things are getting crazier by the minute. It is kind of a tradition in Spain that short men operate in pairs. We had the two union leaders who would always be seen together in public, at press conferences where they had to tell their input in worktime and wage talks had once again be zero, and at the front of demonstrations, speaking one after the other with similar nil impact. With Podemos rising the unions seem to have lost most of their already questionable clout, so who they are these days few people know. Yet behold, in Catalunya a new duo has jumped to the fore. There is Jordi Sanchez of ANC, a main organiser of the yearly multitude marches, and Jordi Cuixart of Òmnium Cultural, a society promoting Catalan language and quick to jump on the indepe bandwagon when it came rolling past. Both Jordi's were strong supporters of the illegal referendum, considered an act of undemocratic uproar worthy of nazis, in the words of Madrid's spokespersons. The reasoning goes like this: because it is unconstitutional to hold a referendum, holding a referendum is endangering the constitution and should thereof be seen as in lockstep with Hitler's policies, or as they say in Netherland: nazipraktijken. Both Jordi's were not too impressed by such bollocks and after 1-O occurred, they sent their people to the local headquarters of la Guardia Civil to protest the treatment received. This minor act of defiance, which is punishable by the infamous Ley Mordaza, the law which criminalizes scaring other people, always the other and police deciding what scaring means, was considered an act of sedition (the desire to rupture a country) by the national prosecutor, sufficiently grave to have the two bearded gentlemen ordered to Madrid to receive their due diligence in front of the state's grand inquisitors. The poor Jordi's have without ado been sent to prison, a scandalous judgement which may turn out an ordeal, as their convictions are not exactly popular among madrileños, whether imprisoned or not.

For us in Catalunya this is a clear case of playing with our balls. We are supposed to give them an excuse for intervention. So, let's imprison these well-meaning but fairly powerless two short men. Interestingly, they didn't dare touch Major Trapero, head of the Mossos d’Esquadra, who also appeared before the tribunal today. They took in his passport for disobeying orders to beat up voters, but they let him go for the moment. All this may seem quite odd and outrageous to the foreign reader, but we are pretty used to such behaviour. It has only got worse over the last weeks is all. Nevertheless, from a Catalan standpoint no justification can be manufactured so the streets will be full once again tomorrow, but for the average Spaniard it must all be quite logical what is going on at the moment. Let me explain.

It is well-known among followers of the Spanish national media, both state and private radio and tv channels and a host of newspapers published in the capital, that the Catalans are a strange lot. They are not to be trusted. They brainwash their children into believing the Spanish state at times has been less than a beacon of democracy, they speak a funny language which no normal person is able to learn and it is their deepest desire to destroy national unity, which as everybody knows is the highest law of the land. Translation: whether one identifies as Andalusian, Gallego, Bask or Catalan or any other variety, it is everybody’s holy plight to enjoy being ruled by Madrid as Madrid sees fit. Under such conditions, it makes perfect sense to denounce Catalans' misdeeds on a daily basis and accept they cannot be treated as Spaniards. Though Catalans undeniably belong to Spain, they are a different lot whose eternal destiny it must be to live as second-rate citizens, just in case they might get strange ideas about wanting to break away. This view is considered normal and is continuously hammered in by anyone who finds himself in front of a microphone. It’s the ceterum censeo Cartaginem delendam esse of the power structure and is unfortunately shared by many Spaniards living in Catalunya, people who do their utmost not to mingle with their Catalan neighbours nor to be exposed to the Catalan language. Because, clearly, Catalan is the split tongue of lies, always sowing the seeds of hatred and division.

In similar fashion, it is considered normal to deny Catalans any representation in national government. There have been a few ministers who had their address in Catalunya, but those tended to be so virulently anti-Catalan that is was impossible not to trust them.

So here we are and those ignoble dwarfs are threatening the brave Guardia Civil, todo por la patria, with bells and yells and hollow words. So yes, of course they are guilty of whatever the judge accuses them of. Or whoever it is that accuses. Does anybody care how the law works? Down with those bastards who work by far the hardest in the country. Burn the lot at the stake.

Tomorrow: from the other side