It just staggers me how badly skewed some peoples’ sense of moral outrage is, judging from the comments I get on this webpage.
Seriously, if people dedicated a tenth of their fury and anger reserved for anyone who even hints at their local language not being the last word in, ahem, words, towards corrupt politicians then this country would be the best run country in the world.
Let’s see.
Within hours of an off the cuff comment about Catalan nationalist politicians paying for a Catalan / Castellano translator (for a meeting with a Dominican Republic trade representative, who speak Castellano) simply to score a political point, I start getting mad comments from nationalists angered at my use of the word “fringe”. (Used to describe the fact that Catalan is a fringe language, in as much as it has few speakers compared to Castellano). [Catalan parliament used Castellano-Catalan interpreter in official negotiations]
Nobody seems to be angered, annoyed, irritated or even slightly concerned about the waste of taxpayers money.
Or casually criticise the political involvement of Galician nationalists on the Galician tourism board and get hundreds of complaints, threats, random postings and general nonsense (my apologies to the three or four people who posted something truely interesting and got shouted down). A discussion that was used in a El Economista posting about how you can’t rationally discuss language issues in Spain, giving me my five minutes of fame, and incidentally sending my Google adword taking through the roof.
But mention that the mayor of El Ejido has been arrested for stealing 150 million euros of our money, and nobody blinks an eyelid.
Can’t we get angry about the really important things in life? Corrupt politicians? Child labour in [xxx country] being used to make cheap disposable goods for our decadent western lifestyle? Sexual slavery in brothels across Spain?
Frankly, I’m depressed. Not so much about receiving the comments – I quite enjoy them- but about the misplaced sense of outrage these spotty teenagers have.
I’m off to give a nasty review to a restaurant, that usually cheers me up. Trouble is, most of the really bad ones have closed down.
I added your blog to bookmarks. And i’ll read your articles more often!
David,
Any ref. for the Economista article?
Ta.
Didn’t you enjoy your sushi on Friday LOL You should have stayed here in Almerimar and got drunk with me!
Sorry Colin I lost it. It was posted in a discussion on the economista forums about nationalists shouting down any discussion online about the future of their regions, and how it’s impossible to discuss such things without children crying in their corner – everybody nodded gravely and said “terrible”.
It was better than that chicken in Ankara!