Simon Harris's Blog, page 18
January 19, 2017
January 18, 2017
January 17, 2017
A Non-PC Look At The Five Pillars Of Islam
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January 16, 2017
Meryl Streep Lies At Golden Globes Hollywood Is Establishment La La Land
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December 22, 2016
Santi Vidal’s Granollers Message Goes Viral – Catalonia Is 90% Ready For Independence
Former judge and now Senator in Madrid for Esquerra Republicana, Santi Vidal, gave a talk for the Catalan National Assembly and Omnium Cultural at the end of November and a message summing up what he said (shown below first in English and then in Catalan) went viral on social media.
In this video, I discuss some of the points Vidal raises and give my view on them. Broadly speaking, I think the speech was a deliberate piece of pro-independence propaganda, and I suspect the fact that the message went viral was too, but much of what it contains is interesting and worth commenting on.
I’ll be fascinated to see how all this pans out over the next few months.
My Video Analysis of Santi Vidal’s Viral Message
A Translation of the Message in English
“To charge the batteries of those of us who believe in independence.
This is unstoppable and in Madrid they know it. We need to be unshakeable. Everything is almost ready (85-90% done): 31 commissions working in 19 different areas under the supervision of Pi i Sunyer (ex-vice president of the Constitutional Court, let’s not forget. After February (with the passing of the budget) everything will accelerate and we’ll start to get more information than we’ve had for a while.
A piece of information for the undecided: from the day after the declaration of independence everybody’s minimum wage (unemployed, pensioners, widows etc.) will be €1000. The economic studies have been done by the Wilson Collective (Catalan university professors and prestigious business people from here and around the world) and have been validated by at least three major international institutions, which can’t be suspected of being friendly, such as Deutsche Bank. The numbers add up, and they add up well. At the moment, Spain is 14th out of the 28 European states as far as per capita income and the other economic indicators are concerned.
If it gains independence Catalonia will be in 8th position and Spain will fall to 21st position. Knowing these figures is important and bear them in mind regarding energy poverty and thousands of old people in our country because they will help to solve the problem. Let’s make sure we do not tie up dogs with sausages but we will have more money available, which won’t be going to Spain, and in tax terms we want to take a stronger line against fraud.
What’s more there’s a country that isn’t European and isn’t especially pro-Spanish that is willing to finance us if the Spanish government cuts off the money without being prepared to negotiate. It’s business, they’ll lend the money to us and we’ll pay interest. And they’ve got a lot of money. Furthermore, in the referendum we have to have, because that’s what the countries we’re in contact with are demanding, and who will recognise us when the time comes, the minimum participation has to be 60%, which is achievable. So it will be enough if the votes in favour of Yes are the half plus 1.
There are 31 UN countries that will recognise us tomorrow if we win the referendum (which will be held under the supervision of 500 international observers, all specific people who are ready to participate from now on). What’s more Parliament already has the electoral census available and within a year maximum residents abroad will be able to vote electronically.
Furthermore, we don’t need to worry about whether we pay taxes to Spain or to Catalonia. We’ll be free of this dilemma and the possible penal repercussions. Everybody will pay the bank, and this already resolved based on new Catalan laws, and the banks will settle the taxes in Catalonia. They won’t be against this because they just want to do business.
So, family, and I’m talking so that those of us who want independence have to ensure that we win the election by convincing the maximum number of undecided voters. Don’t bother with those who are against, they’ll sort themselves out. We can do this, and do it well. There is no reason to stay tied to Spain. Emotionally, we always will be, but as far as the rest is concerned, much better that we do it ourselves on our own.”
The Original Message in Catalan
“Per carregar bateries els que creiem en l’independència. Això és imparable i a Madrid ho saben. Seguim ferms. Tot està quasi llest (85-90% fet): 31 comissions, treballant en 19 àmbits diferents sota supervisió d’en Pi Sunyer (ex vicepresident del Tribunal Constitucional, no ho oblidem). A partir del febrer (de l’aprovació dels pressupostos) tot s’accelerarà i començarem a tenir més informació del que s’ha fet durant tot aquest temps. Una dada, pels indecisos: a partir de l’endemà de la proclamació d’independència l’ingrés mínim per a tothom (aturats, pensionistes, pirmi, viuetats, etc…) serà de 1.000 €. Els estudis econòmics estan fets pel Col.lectiu Wilson (catedràtics catalans d’aquí i d’arreu del món i empresaris de prestigi) i estan avalats per, com a mínim, tres institucions internacionals serioses, poc sospitoses de ser amigues, com el Deutsche Bank. Els números surten, i surten bé. Actualment, Espanya està en el 14è lloc dels 28 estats d’Europa quant a renda per càpita i resta d’indicadors econòmics.
Catalunya estarà en el lloc 8è si obté l’independència, i Espanya baixarà fins el 21è lloc. Que se sapiguen aquests números, ja que tenen a veure, perquè ajudaran a resoldre-la, amb la pobresa energètica i de milers d’avis del nostre país. No lligarem els gossos amb llonganisses, que consti, però disposarem de més diners, els que no aniran a Espanya, i fiscalment també volen ser més contundents en la lluita contra el frau. Més, hi ha un país, no Europa, no es vol dir, no especialment pro-Espanya, que està disposat a financar-nos per si el govern d’Espanya talla l’aixeta del finançament sense voler negociar. Són negocis, ens prestaran i els pagarem interessos. I en tenen molts, de diners. Més, en el referèndum que hi ha d’haver, perquè així ho exigeixen els països amb els quals s’ha contactat, i que ens reconeixeran quan sigui el moment, la participació mínima hauria de ser del 60%, assolible. Els vots a favor del sí, aleshores, n’hi ha prou amb la meitat + 1.
Hi ha 31 països dels 194 de l’ONU, que ens reconeixeran l’endemà, si es guanya el referèndum (que se celebrarà sota supervisió de 500 observadors internacionals, tots persones concretes que estan llestos ja des d’ara per participar-hi). Més, disposa ja, el parlament, del cens electoral i en un any màxim els residents a l’estranger podran votar electrònicament. Més, pel pagament d’impostos no caldrà que patim per si els paguem a Espanya o a Catalunya. Ens deslliuraran d’aquest dilema i de les possibles repercussions penals. Tothom pagarà al banc, i ja està resolt que en virtut de la nova legalitat catalana, aquestes entitats liquidaran els impostos a Catalunya. No s’hi oposaran, perquè ells només volen fer negocis. Bé, família, i parlo pels que voleu la independència, hem d’assegurar que guanyarem el referèndum convencent el màxim d’indecisos. Els contraris no cal, ja s’ho faran. Podem fer-ho, i fer-ho bé. No hi ha cap motiu per seguir vinculats a Espanya. Emocionalment sempre ho estarem, però quant a la resta, millor que ens ho fem nosaltres tot sols.”
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