How to begin? Things in the “democratic Spain" are not easy at all for the stateless nations that still exist in spite of the Spanish steel curtain that intends to conceal them from the eyes of the world. We, Basques, Catalans and Galicians, survive inside this nationally Castilian Spain, with its Castilian language, its Castilian culture and its Castilian laws. It would not be a problem if it was only this. It would not be a problem if Spain were just Castiliancentred. But we face an actively castilianicizing Spain.
At all levels, Castilian expansionism achieved unsuspected limits in the abuse, imposition, extermination and substitution of other nations and ethnic groups. Historically, it has been this way outside the Iberian Peninsula (it is not necessary to remember the devastating castilianization, then called evangelization, of South and Central America) as well as inside (where the extermination of what smells like Catalan has been a constant for 300 years). We might say that the times of Franco's dictatorship and its cruelty have already passed. We might say that the cruel cultural genocide of the Catalans at the first third of the 18th century is very remote. We might say that nowadays democracy guarantees us the Catalans the rights that the Castilians took from us by the force of the arms, those rights that where buried under the boot of the oppression (yes, we learn Catalan at schools again and our language is as official in Catalonia as Castilian, but this is just appearance). But we would be far from reality if we thought that. Although it is true that we have a degree of autonomy, it is not less true that this "autonomy" is narrowly watched and caged by the Spanish “democratic” legal machinery that restricts any minimum advance in Catalan sovereignty or any effort to strengthen our identity as a people.
I ask you a question. How many of the citizens of the world know the existence of the Catalan nation? How many know its contradictions, history, habits, culture, suffering and survival? If the Spanish democracy guaranteed our identity and rights we, the Catalans, would have own voice in the world. But that does not happen. Why?. The only voice from Spain to the world is the Castilian one. Before the eyes of the world we, the Catalans, are invisible under the huge and dark umbrella of Spain (a word that hides the authentic name of this country: Castile). It is simple. The name of Spain hides and justifies the castilianization of the "imperio", which ultimate possessions are not outside but inside: Catalonia, Euskadi and Galiza. Without them, Spain would be reduced to its origins, that is Castile. If that were going to happen castilianization would not have a reason because all Iberian nations would have the same degree of sovereignity and independence. Castilianization would mean conquest to the world, and that is not very polite, huh?. The term “Spain” is the guarantee that Castile rules. It is very clear. If we all, Castilians, Galicians, Basques and Catalans, are Spaniards, we are all "joined" by the magical word of Spain where there is no place for other nations. However, as I have said before, the Spanish nation speaks Castilian, lives a Castilian life, legislates with Castilian laws and exports, of course, the Castilian voice. In fact the Spain of “all” becomes the Spain of the majority, which is not the same. And to have its own identity, just to survive, this artificial Spain of the majority needs to deny a contrary, a kind of enemy to gather all good Spaniards in the self-defence of Spain (yes, even in democracy). And they deny with disdain the existence of the thousand-year-old Catalan nation. Is it a crime to destroy what does not exist?. All those that do not speak Castilian, neither live in Castilian, nor think like Castilian are simply legally silenced and reduced to the corners of the cage called Spain. The world will never see us, nor hear us, nor understand what we are. The world will never see us disappear under the Spanish pressure. The castilianization will be much easier if the world is blind.
Luckily the castilianization is not imposed by the force of the arms nowadays. But if the manners have changed the will of it is as insistent as it once was. We live in a cold war where democracy means the rights of some over the rights of others. Laws, mass media, the large enterprises, the economic power, the Supreme Court of the State... all Castiliancentred or Castilinized. In a “democratic” way, of course. But be careful. The castilianization that the fascism embraced during the Civil War appears with force again. Some Spanish media and political parties are leading a shameless neocastilinization revival, where all those that are not ethnically, culturally, and mentally Castilian are dangerous, despicable and dispensable. In an intense and constant process of dehumanization, which grows every day, we, the not castilianized Catalans, are described as a cancer to be removed by the ferocius representatives of the Spanish essences. The excuse? We, the Catalans, put the stability of Spain in danger permanently. We break Spain, we are anti-Spanish and those good Spanish patriots must do something against those that are close to terrorists if not completely anti-Spaniards terrorists (that is how some of them call us). It is the preventive war. This is the growing background of Spain. They attack us because they think one day we will "attack" them claiming our independece. This is what "democrat" Spain hides. The fiscal plunder of Catalonia is still concealed by the Spanish institutions. The conscious infrastructural deficit of Catalonia is suffocating. Our language is rejected in the rest of the State, our sportsmen are forced by law to compete in the Spanish selections (those who refuse are seriously sanctioned), the Catalans are badly seen in Spain... among other things. But in spite of this, in spite of not being strong, not even having big media, nor own laws, neither favorable courts, nor our own money to invest in Catalonia, the Catalans are insulted every day by many Spanish factions and media groups. We are the target of the Castilian-Spanish cavemen, the one that misses the times and rules of the pro-Franco nation.
Of course not all Spaniards are so fierce but the message against Catalans is even penetrating in those moderate and traditionally open-minded Spaniards. We have no allies. The democracy is a mirage. Our autonomy is just a cage from which we can not scape. I know that the Spanish propaganda will deny all my words, even will insult me, reduce me to a worm. They will ridicule me as if I were a human-shaped ape. They will dehumanize me (they will call me terrorist, fool, stupid, ignorant, nazi) and if I am not a man, my words are the words of an animal. And animals do not speak and must be ignored at least.
I invite you to leave behind all the things you know about Spain. We are not all “toreros” and “funny unconcerned people”. In Spain there are things you do not know. Things that Spanish will never tell you. Even the reporters of your own countries will never write about us (they all live in Madrid and read Spanish newspapers to be informed so they just have one interested point of view). I want to show you the life of those citizens of Spain that do not feel Spanish and want their nation free (isn't the independence a democratic value? Why is it illegal in Spain? Must we be Spanish by force to the end of times? Why do we have that human right denied?). And I want to show you which are the efforts and pressure of Spain to keep us quiet and motionless, and the things we have to hear every day on TV, radios and newspapers. The real Spain is not what you know. But I warn you, I am just one. They have the power to intoxicate minds and hide what does exist. So they will lie and distort the facts, news, and history. I do not want you to believe in me blindly. I just want you to get informed and reach for what is real. Do not believe anything at first. Contrast your information, and try to see all points of view. You will get reality for sure and Spain will not be the same to you any more.
Forgive my English. Sure I make lots of mistakes. I try to do my best.
You are all welcome.
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