2nd ETA hungerstriker.

by iosaf Mon Feb 26, 2007 03:03

I have been reminded of long term commitments and so this might be last my comment on Spanish / Basque relations. I'm going to spend the time I get in the future reading and digesting other news and other issues over the next while. I'm sure both Castilians and Euskadiiis will do quite well without me and wrap up the all the problems of "the Foreign people of the Pyrenees who Europe forgot".

But before I leave it - commenting and reporting on a series of linked political and cultural issues in Euskadi over the last years which was concurrent to important developments in Ireland. Both the basques and many irish who vote are thinking about the elections coming up. I don't vote nor do most I associate with - so I get vary phased out by electioneering - besides it gets harder to have a decent walkabout protest.

For the want of a nail the shoe was lost....... For the want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For the want of a horse the war was lost.

The old woman in the photo below is the first illustration for what might be my last comment on the subject material. The photo was taken yesterday in Madrid at the AVT/PP march which gathered several tens of thousands of people to demand basque prisoner Inaki DeJCh complete his sentence and remind everyone they're not doing a peace process. So you can stop sending them letters from Eire. This little old lady has the sticker of the Catholic propaganda station COPE on her forehead. Radio cope is on the right even for Christian public broadcasting standards worldwide.
The most visible slogan reads "Memory - Dignity -Justice" it is the common one at AVT marches along with "In my name - no!" or "not in my name" ((will anyone go talking to the enemy)).

This is how they understand their dignity, and share their worst memories. It is a peculiar ritual which shows more defiance than dignity and more selective forgetfulness than honest remembrance. And then comes the 3rd word they hijack - "Justice blind and true" - with all the cruelty of Solomon ready to slice that baby in half - the final little poster you must look at with the semiotic zip filed "M11" on a Spanish flag background held by the woman in the white military souvenir baseball hat reads :- "ETA, Zapatero, PSOE - who is behind M11?" ........... .......
....This is "the Consipiracy theory". It sustains a large section of the Spanish people and is being led by ex-minister Acebes, the AVT and radio Cope. Well I suppose it balances out - give me or the people i know radio space and we bang out loads of other conspiracy theories. But those theories so loved by the young and ignorant who neglect their homework - don't have a capital "C". Just like radio Cope.
We can not console any victim if we pretend there are classes of victim-hood. It is not a stigmata which transfigures only the virtuous life to then see it near beatification. Quite simply neither heaven or hell work that way. You will notice the use of the Spanish flag by the AVT/PP and Cope (We also include Opus Dei by the way who are an essential support network for all three groups. You may (if you went ot the link from the Madrid El Pais newspaper today in last comment) have noticed a lack of Basque or Navarran flags. It was a very simple call to walk with a very simple non-party politicised ( in all the linguistic senses of the construct) message.
Where as In Madrid sombre men walked holding "wanted for questioning" posters from decades ago which were still in exceptionally good condition suggesting seasoned collectors.They looked sternly at the intrusive press who tell lies all the time except for their trusted paper which yesterday told them the enemy had stopped his hunger-strike. (which he has officially not done). These men had chosen to wear either their army comrade or police association t-shirts, with suglasses as they patiently and dutifully carried a wreath to remind themselves they're still alive - and the wreath is duty whilst they be alive. (You may like to sound mentally at this point, the terribly powerful words of ancient magical practice "over my dead body". They could therefore not carry flag poles and so wrapped their Spanish flags around them.
They have done this many time before and are well practised at it- in time it may even become a folkloric tradition instead of what is seen as now by the majority of people in Madrid or most of Spain. But I must get you to look briefly at that little old woman with her radio Cope advert sticking like the mark of the beast on her forehead - affording her license to trade with all men and giving her a useful first glance peer review profile which help reduce friction between the various hues of the right who gather behind the victims' banner, oh so often. (For example a "doer" type might whilst letting off steam expressiong how much they love Spain and the Basques hate it - let slip the curse hostia! . The little old lady is doing her bit for community relations. She's letting everyone know "no cursing - no working mothers - no gay marriages - no girl on girl action - no tongue piercings - no catalans because they are secular and godless and no basques because they are the evil of which we do not speak. And when we talk even only briefly of the evil ones of whom we do not speak - they hear us in our silence and we have to put on th scary costumes again to justify why we do not let their colours be worn in our village and why the offspring don't go into the forest anymore. You heard me young ebiadneezer back to painting the boundaries. ............it might help to have seen the movie ·the Village" 2004 to understand a good part of that last sentence - but not all. I can assuredly tell you my sentences multi-task - If you have got some communicative value or even a tiny bit of non-vocalised pronunciation practice as you mouthed the silent read words - & I'm happy for you. Dont send emails to the list - your problem is sorted now - Stay with me a bit longer -

Though her easily shocked manner which we have just theorised can be misleading - She might be a fierce militant of the movment - like many others of her generaton and the fully grown children who never left home yet because of the property prices - but the home that lstens to Cope radio is not for breaking asunder. Those kids make up in true parental love and guidance what jollies they have missed over the "virginity question". She could very likely be one of those urban guerilla militants of God "& his work" who leaves those stickers on the metro, buses, supermarkets and over the last year it seems "everywhere".
"Everywhere" has never meant "any of all places nor all of any places". This is the second time I help you out with common mis-thought words under a Basque article. I hope the best amongst you recall how I explained when most people think "respect" they actually meant "contempt" as well illustrated by the phrase "you must earn respect" which honestly rendered would be "you are going to be despised, held in contempt and a sufferance till we get used to your name, face and include you in our prejudice rather than exclude you by it. Earning respect is mostly not worth the effort. I recommend cheating it. Just pretend - control that smirk - look a bit "cowed".
As I just attempted to write but anticipating reader questions went off on a tangent - Everywhere is not "all places". Our militant granny or mammy or widow or whatever in the photo has basically the same mind as any one of us. She goes into the usual sub-program contemplating omnisience that attribute of God which allows God to be both everywere and all places. These "mind pop it is so baffling i can not compute" moments serve a useful function in the development of most human beings. They stop us by often with a real physical sensation - trying to be brainy. We don't need brainy people who can contemplate any od all places nor all of any place". Which is why set our dogs on them.
"How does this pseudo-philosophical mishma translate into real life Rabbi ipsiphi·? - asked the imaginary reader. "Simple, o seeker of truth" came my eager answer. One of the few really pure classical greek words which still work in english in exactly the same sound and structure is the word Xenophobia . Isn't it quite astounding, baffling almost -how the syndrome of not liking those in the other valley or even "those of whom we do not speak" usefully bundled together as all foreign or strange peoples and/or their customs, languages, cigarette legislation or appearance - has travelled through thousands of years quite completely unchanged by - strange peoples, their languages, thier cigarette legislation etc,. & now to finally fuse the mind - The word "xenofobia" was such an exceptionally good traveller because everyone "in all places" knows what it meant and adopted it as a better expression of the condition than their languages had proposed before or arguably since. Xenos gave us the combination after lager louting the Olympiads in ancient Greece - by putting is name on "the f-e-a-r".

I get the nobel prize latter on for this semantic attention to detail of the universal Western mind's operating system for racism, prejudice, and ultimately quite logically the nation state.

Our elderly victim of basque terror in the Cope sticker who is my parable case today - knows how to find those in mortal sin or those who are neglecting the sacrements without going into their bars or even talking to them. Her roll of advertising stickers keep her safe from perverts, introverts, extroverts, social welfare recipients, young women using contraception and young boys who suck cock.
.:. help the blind mother's son! - - - we have seen "by the people for the people" expressed in some way or other recently I'n sure of it. Let me leave the parable of the Cope widow with one last observation I make several times a week - the billboard advert for Radio Cope in my local metro station - It simply says "Cope with their logo the big "C" of "Conspiracy" and the slogan in spanish only - "somos libres" (we are free). It doesn't give the FM frequency, it doesn't publish a "nihil obstat +" or even tell you what type of music or DJ to expect in between the dawn to midnight mass hate-chat everyday...... Each to their own as some say. Suits everyone unless you're in "the village" of the movie..... it is like a quest for secret knowledge - the Holy Spirit assisted by dead but graceful falangists wil guide your hand on the dial. Of course if you find radio conrabanda anarcho stuff on 91.4 FM that was Satan & his ancient CNT acolytes. Don't touch your wireless ever again, your soul will be in danger of superstitious practises up there with Voodoo. Fiddling through the rave channels today - Ouija board and basque neighbours by Xmas.

I'll be blunt my time is running out - These people have nowhere to go now. These "free people" who complain of betrayal by those who would seek peace. Unlike the Basques they can't find themselves over and over again in the same place getting beaten by cops which concentrates the mind so clearly and justifies the conflict which ensures the status quo. ( a latin word as spoken by Romans who invented status quo, the British and the bay street city riders (a sinful band of heathen hedonists).. And that's why they are so easy to manipulate even when terrified by how open to manipulation they are. In this they share the basic mind form I touched on earlier with both Basques and "work your freedom" "stay with me" - anyone who "loves Ulster or Croker" but still suffers this physical baffling sensation of ....

They finished their day by singing the anthem of Spain - no-one has shown interest in reviving its copyright and indeed it is technically illegal to sing the lyrics of the Francoist era now. This is their residual problem it is not the "evil" of those of whom they do not speak which still terrifies them so. There can be no doubting the damage done to the families who lost members to terror. But there ought be no underestimating of the recovery made either. Or the need to be part of a community with its mutually understandable code is to bereavement. So many of their loved one died in uniform, which is why the culture of the militarists and sentimentality for Franco-ism Peace was not understood in the same way back then - and they understood for the most part the loss of their loved ones in police or military uniform as an act of war. War is a simple construct, it numbs the senses by firing the instincts of the body which is much easier than contemplating omniescence or for that matter any "theological" or "philosophical" mystery. But the dignity they speak of is not the same dignity those whose march was so violently ended yesterday in the Basque want. I believe because I consider I have learnt - there is generally a direct proportion between the protests of some for their dignity often including vows that such and such a thing is "beneath their dignity" - and the exact depth of the shallow pond of poisonous iniquity in which they live.

The AVT/PP and their alliance of Cope, Opus Dei, ex-soldier and ex-police associations have no extra right to the anthem of Spain, her flag or to save "her dignity" from "those of whom we do not speak". The "Conspiracy theory" is still with us because those people never got through the mutual hatred which characterises so many of both peoples. They do not oppose a peace process for any sound argued reason - just as they need no evidence for the ·conspiracy, quite the same as they don't need to look at the foreign people in the armoured glass boxes in the M11 trial - not too far removed from not needing to think about their religion or their army. It is simply a duty to follow orders. God and War write such blank cheques that Peace dividends are really a load of bollox ift you're planning a process and want everyone talking to each other - forget it. They have invisible stickers on their foreheads like "fnords" to protect their untrained or unformed minds from the "fear". In fact the only reason "peace" occurs is that people can onlger pursue war or as likely happens get bored of it. I told you so in the last sunday papers. War in the regimental European model ended when the lads had to go home and dig a cess pit so the village wouldn't get typhus.

But if I tell you nothing or next to nothing - neither the people in the comment above or the photo below are going far away and out of sight. It is as I wrote before the "residual problem" I call it - the 20th century. I have as I wrote last night "class based" thoughts on which group will go further with its solution to the residual problem (the20th century) But my comments aren't going to play a part in it from now on. Since I live in Catalonia I have learned that both Spaniards and Basques are too foreign for my liking. If the only way they can have mutual peace is a process then I hope thy can do it. but they'd really set the world an example by sorting out their police forces.

you may have seen the movie so of course you don't think it's an original idea-
Ok I'll leave you with a jewel of wisdom to protect you from conspiracy. Do not play the Blame game.

read that poster. not your flag? you're not our victim. the AVT want war not peace. = They demand new victims.

by inchy winchy spider Sat Feb 24, 2007 23:55

So go here http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/Detenido/dirigent...5/Tes
and click on the usual short video thing which is half way down the page on the left hand side. The unhappy man speaking into the microphones said "a people only have so much patience - it is years now - we can't march - we can't organise - we can't vote we can't ....................................
Joseba last year put the needs of that man who we may attribute all good in the absence of any proof of wrong-doing - "there is a need for democratisation and normalisation" Of the thousands of people who went to walk today there were as many id not more victims than as walked in Madrid with the PP/AVT. I really don't know which are more subversive - I just go by class and because I have made a class based judgement.... It's a good meter that will someday make a good ruler. There are upwards of 17 hospitalisations and Joseba is still in the cop shop. You know his name - look at the video and now learn his face. Naturally he didn't look too tough in that video clip. But it takes a lot of strength to sit on the ground in front of paramilitaries in masks. There are lights on tonight in Bilbao. & it has nothing to do with ETA. That was the Madrid march - and they are now safe asleep in their beds. per la dignitat de tothom

by joseba joseba joseba - good name. the title the prophet - earned despite those bad sons of Jacob. Sat Feb 24, 2007 21:51

Usually he isn't arrested. Neither in the most literal sense - nor in the usual sense. He walked with a large number of people down the street today to call for an amnesty for prisoners. I believe only those prisoners related to the Basque conflict and on one side. I feel isolated and marginalised expressing a political view further to the radical than the "foreign people of the Pyrennes".
During the march which ended with police charges when he was arrested Permach had criticised the tripartite (three party coalition of the basque) for not fighting their corner against the illegalisation of the march order. He argued and does so consistently - that political participation and expression and the normalisation of same must happen somewhere. If not in parliament , if not in meetings with politicians (who get criminally charged for the trouble) then the last resort is on the street.http://actualidad.terra.es/nacional/articulo/ertzaintza...0.htm

It is about time your background info loops got bigger. Last autumn several assemblies and concentrations and street mobilisations were illegalised in Barcelona and Girona in Catalonia. The groups who saw their marches receive from a "left wing" regime both at national and Spanish state level - included SoS racisme, migrant support groups, housing activists.
Ostensibly the reason given by the court 600km away was the presence of 200 "trouble experts"in the region who would take advantage of social protest to influence the good citizens' vote in the elections of early November. Anyone with experience of "the troubles" knows what an "illegalised" march feels like. It is an oddly subtle difference but quite tangible. Sometimes you are riot charged by police when everything is legal and sometimes you're in illegal assembly and they don't touch you. Either way - it is your right to assembly.

Today saw the AVT march to protest the reduction of a 12 plus year sentence to 3 years on the 12th of February for basque hunger striker Inaki de Juana. They were joined by the PP. That constitutes a public contempt of the Supreme court. the AVT are a right wing association of victims of terror and the march was led by their president and the ex-minister of the PPAngel Acebes. In fairness if one may write "eta/hb" or "sf/ira" or "pup/uvf" as a compacted reference to political tendencies - I see no reason why you cant write PP/AVT -
Acebes is the single most vociferous proponent of the general M11 conspiracy theory. (I might as well tell you Acebes' theory has meant no other was ever entertained - that is how "they" work). I must admit my very deep contempt for the individual, who combines a catholic manicured primness with the most poisonous of provocations. He comes to Catalonia to the heartlands of republican towns every time the temperature is high just so the kids can throw eggs at him and he be escorted by his permanent team of bodyguards to safety. The kids shout "fascist" and his supporters gleefully chant "liberty" back. I suppose that is what the transition to democracy did - put words which were never learnt in the mouths of those who could just as well chant "two legs bad four legs good". There were no arrests at the AVT/PP march. It has been a while since charges were pressed on the PP for street misdemeanors, but they are excelling themselves at corruption.
Which is a slow corrective when applied properly. And they will only start damage limitation rather than pretending it's not a problem when it is too late.

Though it is not the appropriate thread - I think I should tell you about quite an extra-ordinary disinformation curve which started last night and lasted till mid-afternoon.

The right wing Madrid newspaper "El Mundo" as prelude to both the AVT march and the abertzale attempt at normal politics in calling for an amnesty for their prisoners - reported that Inaki de Juana Chaos had ended his hungerstrike at the 110th day. The report bounced around smaller newspapers, some latin american titles and most damagingly radio stations through the day. His lawyer Arantza Zuleta told Basque radio that no such end had occurred after talking to the man on the phone. whilst De la Vega the vice-president of the Spanish state appealed yet again to the PP/AVT to end their subversion of the institutions of state for they are insustainable and irresponsible. http://www.europapress.es/noticia.aspx?ch=94&cod=200702...54501

And they are. aren't they? Which is why the El Mundo trick was such a good one on so many levels. The PP/AVT would be better understood if they used molotov cocktails. But there aren't many more tricks like that in the bag. Extremist politics always speaks to the converted unless there is genuine wider crises. Extremist demagogues thus always play on the threat of crises. But that may not be sustained for long. Which leads them to provoking crises which they can do until they're snared. it's a cry wolfie thing. - you know how it goes.

Suffice to say all day various ministers have had to verify whether or not the hunger striker refused his tube fed nutrients today or not. They all report he didn't. & here is a neutral time safe link on our archive. http://www.swissinfo.org/spa/internacional/agencias/det...05000
The right wing thought this would spin on the maverick reputation of the hunger striker - yet another proof of his cynicism as the family members of his victims assembled. Quite a few would have hoped he would die - so the PSOE carry the brunt of rage. Isn't it interesting how retribution and vengance delude groups into imagining such narrow futures? That is why making politics out of those emotions is very very dangerous it is "irresponsible". On the left of centre print media information on "ETA's approach to hunger strikes". Newspapers love explaining in two minutes wirth colour graphics how stuff works. I don't read those types of pages. so I can't tell you.
Otherwise I'd know how planes and hovercraft are made, how US tanks fire shells, what nanotech looks like - I can think without that shite & so can you.... Hunger strikes are very very private things and may not be properly planned by third parties just as large political organisations based in the middle and upper classes have to be very careful the outrage they voice does not become contempt. It is at end so sad that all of them could probably do their thing splendidly and better with some honest normality.

this is joseba let's call him "the joseba" : here he is doing street politics.