Joseph P Farrell – I’ll admit, when people started sending me stories about what is going on in Catalonia, and more particularly, the beautiful city of Barcelona, I felt that intuition that “something’s not right here.” I have something of a soft spot for the city because it is, of course, the home to the architecture of Antoni Gaudi, and his masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia basilica, a strange mix of the Gothic, nature, and the surreal. If you’ve never seen his strange architectural visions, then have a look at that one, his strangest and yet perhaps, most enthralling.
In any case, what accounted for my intuition – at least in part – was this article indicating that Madrid’s response to the referendum for Catalonian secession was rather heavy-handed (thanks to all who shared this article):
To Prevent Rebellion, Spain Docks Cruise Ship Housing 16,000 Riot Police In Barcelona Port
Now, whether or not cruise ships can safely house sixteen thousand riot police or not (and I wouldn’t know, since I don’t go on cruises, though the figure seems a little steep). Fortunately we needn’t fear about the cruise ship, for the article clarifies that Madrid has hired ships – plural – and not just one heavily-over-subscribed cruise ship.
Then came more articles about the arrest of Catalonian finance minister Jove:
‘State of siege’: Catalan officials, incl. junior economy minister, arrested over referendum docs
Whatever the reasons for so many in Catalonia wanting secession from the rest of Spain, and whatever the reasons for Madrid’s apparently heavy-handed response, I cannot help but note the hypocrisy of certain segments of the west.