Hi Sig',
Yes, an interesting observation as I don't doubt that many of those protesters view themselves as Europeans and a fair chunk of them will be strongly in favour of the EU. However, first and foremost they think of themselves as Spaniards, evidenced by the sea of red and yellow flags. I'm still surprised when I'm challenged on this issue of national identity as, to me, it's pretty obvious, basic stuff. I think it's strong in England and possibly stronger still in Wales and Scotland. But the fervour any of us (may) feel for our country is nothing to that felt in France, Spain and Italy. Coupled with this is a simple hierarchical structure of allegiance, commitment and support which, in broad terms, goes something like this:
1. Family
2. Friends
2. Local community
3. Region
4. Country
5. EU
The Catalan/Spanish issue is essentially about points 3 and 4 above. Brexit is about points 4 and 5 and the EU's desire to switch the two so that bureaucratic control and key decision making rests centrally with them in Brussels and not with individual countries. Madness, sheer madness!
Tim.
PS. Cue Madness video . . .
A good assessment. Speaking from a laymans simplified perspective, when it comes to Westernised European territorial conflicts, there are at least 1000 years of historical, religious, cultural, language differences involving huge amounts of human suffering and death affecting every single global nation, it is human nature.
Now, try and impose some kind of modern sense of righteous liberalism, imposed by unelected elites comprising bankers, politicians, rich individuals, entitled people, monarchies, who don't follow their own doctrines but expect the rest of us to. Add in a dose of a new wave of social interaction (the internet) where we can share thoughts and ideas, expose the modern historical context, the wrongdoings of the elites and we see history in the making.
The USA knows this context and has managed to keep reasonable a lid on it (ironically by electing Trump), not so clever in Europe where governments have lost control of the narrative and the people with it, we are at the beginning of the end of the post-WW2 period, slowly changing the geo-political and social structures over the coming years.
Exciting times of change ahead, I foresee a long drawn out engagement before we might be able to say we've arrived, maybe in another 1000 years we will have made some 'progress' (without the progressiveness).
Watch the same repeated in the States if the Dems get near power agn (which they will eventually), so far they have had pussy hats and SJW's, no real state imposed violence to speak of (they haven't needed to), unlike Europe, France in particular can be held up as the exemplar of State violence against it's citizens (there is a reason why the BBC is not reporting this stuff, that and the fact that Macron must be on his exit ticket), Spain also.
Let's hope the violent contagion doesn't spread EU wide, although if history is anything to go by, it's almost a given that violent struggle against those who cling to power is what will happen.
