One of the two or three valuable contributions in Libertad Digital -the journal- these days is that of Amando de Miguel, 76. The writer, intellectual and sociologist keeps writing full time, non-stop in the way journalists of true vocation do: pian-piano, either in rain or in sunshine. Apart several other occupations, Amando has been continuing his series of articles on the Spanish language for years now, interacting with the readers, amidst traditionally-considered more substantial matter. His work, his fruitful and fertile columns every two or three days, deserves praise. He is an amazingly prolific writer in secret, enough prove of a genuinely dedicated man.
I read Amando's last column this morning, which begins (I translate): "A general belief links summer to calmness. However, it turns out that all sorts of conflict, violence and disaster swirl around summer. In spite of it, all mails I received are cheerful and kind. It must be, perhaps, the law of compensation".
Precisely, I have been pondering about that the last two days. Although it is said that summer news are a sort of stuffing material -practical training for a sprawl of assistants during the holiday months-, nasty things happen in summer. The world keeps a-rolling. The invasion of Kuwait, for example, took place on a 3rd-4th of August and 2013 is certainly not an exception to the general rule of no truce: the perturbed developments in Egypt, the bombings in Tripoli and the mass killings in Damascus using chemical weapons, all happened this month. How lovely. Syria threatens, Iran threatens -oh, the green, green grafting of the Arab spring- and Obama and Cameron talks on the phone, the latter already in dry, comfortable swimming trunks.
**
It seems that the umpteenth disagreements in Gibraltar could be a product of such summery indolence, but maybe not. The rock is no more than a nest of illicit activity, that's for sure, but there is also little doubt in my mind that peoples of all nationalities put on weight in there, Spanish and the sons of the British Empire, of course, included. Little doubt: everybody knows.
Photo: Sterling pounds coined in Gibraltar seem not to be acceptable in the Island. The 10-p coin above (Gibraltar, 2005) was rejected in a UCL stationary store this summer. The texture and weight of this coin compared to a usual coin from the Bank of England is slight but noticeably different. The coin in the photograph is rare in London, as 5-pound paper money issued by the Bank of Scotland are. Although the latter is quite different from a common note, it is acceptable in the Island.
**
In Spain, there have been new symptoms this summer of tremendous moral degradation in the country. Last week, the Governmental Delegate in Madrid, Cristina Cifuentes, suffered a motorcycle accident in central Madrid. The diagnosis was (is) serious and was translated to La Paz (public) hospital. Cifuentes is well-known for coping with the exorbitant number of demonstrations in Madrid during this year -2933 as far as the 31st of July, 67 % more than the previous year! Her huge accomplishment has been in enforcing that such demonstrations were celebrated in accordance to the -sparse- existing regulations. As a matter of fact, the number of celebrated demonstrations has been about 11 % less than those initially communicated in 2013, while last year the trend was inverse: more than 300 were celebrated without authorization. During her tenure, Cifuentes has had to deal with all kinds of ultra-left, anti-system disturbances, plus a series of large out-lawful strikes in the Metro.
In my view, Cifuentes has done an excellent job of public management and is a good example of successful leadership. But, most of all, she has just been doing her duty -the job she swore to do when she step in.
Last Thursday, about one hundred workers (sanitary personnel) concentrated outside the hospital at noon shouting detestable messages: "Cifuentes! Go to a private hospital", "we don't want to pay your debt". And showing their hands -a betrayed symbol for the victims of terrorism: "These are the hands that look after you". Oh, boy!!
Such appalling demonstration of hatred joins the chorus of monsters that in twitter and face-book pretty much left little regard for Cifuentes' life. The bitter and disheartening episode was recently denounced by Jimenez Losantos under the claim "Hippocrates or Marx, pick up your choice". However, despite the fact that Cifuentes belongs to PP -the party will privatize the management of a few hospitals in Madrid, La Paz among them-, the bottom line here is not left or right, Liberalism or Socialism. Milton Friedman considered the "Hippocratic Oath" as one of the earliest manifest of corporatism and I believe that the motion and emotion of individuals in herds, ebbing and flowing in massive tides is part of the problem. This is a very sad case. It is about lack of morality, about the loss of basic empathy towards our fellow people. It is the perversion of our natural ability to discern right from wrong. Today we confirm the failure of civilization -mighty conquest of fellowship- against the tyranny of savage, selfish, blind animal instinct. Disgusting.
The abyss is profounder than Economy. Dark as pitch.
(PLEASE, LEAVE YOUR COMMENT).
I read Amando's last column this morning, which begins (I translate): "A general belief links summer to calmness. However, it turns out that all sorts of conflict, violence and disaster swirl around summer. In spite of it, all mails I received are cheerful and kind. It must be, perhaps, the law of compensation".
Precisely, I have been pondering about that the last two days. Although it is said that summer news are a sort of stuffing material -practical training for a sprawl of assistants during the holiday months-, nasty things happen in summer. The world keeps a-rolling. The invasion of Kuwait, for example, took place on a 3rd-4th of August and 2013 is certainly not an exception to the general rule of no truce: the perturbed developments in Egypt, the bombings in Tripoli and the mass killings in Damascus using chemical weapons, all happened this month. How lovely. Syria threatens, Iran threatens -oh, the green, green grafting of the Arab spring- and Obama and Cameron talks on the phone, the latter already in dry, comfortable swimming trunks.
**
It seems that the umpteenth disagreements in Gibraltar could be a product of such summery indolence, but maybe not. The rock is no more than a nest of illicit activity, that's for sure, but there is also little doubt in my mind that peoples of all nationalities put on weight in there, Spanish and the sons of the British Empire, of course, included. Little doubt: everybody knows.
Photo: Sterling pounds coined in Gibraltar seem not to be acceptable in the Island. The 10-p coin above (Gibraltar, 2005) was rejected in a UCL stationary store this summer. The texture and weight of this coin compared to a usual coin from the Bank of England is slight but noticeably different. The coin in the photograph is rare in London, as 5-pound paper money issued by the Bank of Scotland are. Although the latter is quite different from a common note, it is acceptable in the Island.
**
In Spain, there have been new symptoms this summer of tremendous moral degradation in the country. Last week, the Governmental Delegate in Madrid, Cristina Cifuentes, suffered a motorcycle accident in central Madrid. The diagnosis was (is) serious and was translated to La Paz (public) hospital. Cifuentes is well-known for coping with the exorbitant number of demonstrations in Madrid during this year -2933 as far as the 31st of July, 67 % more than the previous year! Her huge accomplishment has been in enforcing that such demonstrations were celebrated in accordance to the -sparse- existing regulations. As a matter of fact, the number of celebrated demonstrations has been about 11 % less than those initially communicated in 2013, while last year the trend was inverse: more than 300 were celebrated without authorization. During her tenure, Cifuentes has had to deal with all kinds of ultra-left, anti-system disturbances, plus a series of large out-lawful strikes in the Metro.
In my view, Cifuentes has done an excellent job of public management and is a good example of successful leadership. But, most of all, she has just been doing her duty -the job she swore to do when she step in.
Last Thursday, about one hundred workers (sanitary personnel) concentrated outside the hospital at noon shouting detestable messages: "Cifuentes! Go to a private hospital", "we don't want to pay your debt". And showing their hands -a betrayed symbol for the victims of terrorism: "These are the hands that look after you". Oh, boy!!
Such appalling demonstration of hatred joins the chorus of monsters that in twitter and face-book pretty much left little regard for Cifuentes' life. The bitter and disheartening episode was recently denounced by Jimenez Losantos under the claim "Hippocrates or Marx, pick up your choice". However, despite the fact that Cifuentes belongs to PP -the party will privatize the management of a few hospitals in Madrid, La Paz among them-, the bottom line here is not left or right, Liberalism or Socialism. Milton Friedman considered the "Hippocratic Oath" as one of the earliest manifest of corporatism and I believe that the motion and emotion of individuals in herds, ebbing and flowing in massive tides is part of the problem. This is a very sad case. It is about lack of morality, about the loss of basic empathy towards our fellow people. It is the perversion of our natural ability to discern right from wrong. Today we confirm the failure of civilization -mighty conquest of fellowship- against the tyranny of savage, selfish, blind animal instinct. Disgusting.
The abyss is profounder than Economy. Dark as pitch.
(PLEASE, LEAVE YOUR COMMENT).
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