Antonio Maira
Rebellion
Catalonia: the revolution, step by step
A few days ago I read a quote from Lenin addressing the Bolsheviks who more or less said, "when processes are vertiginous can not try to lead them , but we can not afford to leave us behind."
As I understand it means, more or less, than in emergency response is a strategic issue, not tactical. Or, in any case, both at once. Know where to go but do not get carried away. And less by the enemy. A step forward, two steps back. I remember that phrase was uttered between the February Revolution and the October Revolution of 1917. If my memory is faithful among those months in which Lenin wrote one of his main Marxism contributions, the theory of imperialism: "Imperialism, top of capitalism "phase. Maximum present, by the way.
That same -Set a strategic objective and adapt the tactics of the enemy movements, are doing the Catalans. That is, the democratically elected parliament, the president and his advisers. Also the parties that had included among its electoral objectives to promote the independence of Catalonia. For example, the CUT. They have scrupulously complied popular for those who have been elected mandates. They have also followed obviously a "roadmap" with the presence and support of social organizations, ANC and -enormemente Omnium and decisive begin with- , the most militant students, independent trade unions and a majority interest the Catalan population. Which they have said the polls.
However, and the working youth, characterized by absolute job security, the growing unemployment and largely by a professional qualification no place in the labor market, they have adapted to family support and subsidized insecurity, and have not been built, decisively, to the class struggle. The same has happened with young people students, largely working class unemployed in the immediate future, disarmed by the political discourse can that has always escaped, "as soul fleeing the devil", all references to class struggle .
In the environment Article 155: The prefascismo Rajoy and urgent fascism Albert Rivera
The Spanish Government has also stuck to its "roadmap" in the belief that it had the necessary elements to bring to Catalonia or any movement of rebellion: at present, throughout the period of the process and, above all, the future.
That future is marked by the 21 December and also medium / short term, the establishment of a People 's Republic and the fall of the authoritarian monarchy and heavily armed. Rajoy and his prefascist Government, master propagandist and psychological operations, launched a political, repressive and economic challenge and a double loop to win the first part of the great game that was taking place in Catalonia and the rest of Spain .
The immediate scenario Rajoy was Catalan but the strategic scenario was , and remains, without doubt, the defense of the Spanish state and its Bourbon monarchy in Catalonia in the state and abroad. Its advertising and legal reference was, on all three fronts, defending the much publicized "rule of law" or what is the same, the tight defense of the Constitution. This was, on all fronts, their salvation and that of all the other parties of the "constitutional front."
I had no other. But the table, given the null capacity and interest of the PSOE to defend the people and their intolerance of any constitutional change; and position irrelevant and we strongly electioneering of playing simultaneously against the Catalan people and against his history (DUI); and in favor of "rule of law" and against its enormous repressive machinery, it was as strong as it remains -for the moment- the Constitutional Transition Pact.
This gives still for much game as electioneering or simulated part. The PSOE, encouraged by the PP with the bait of an immediate constitutional change has already received its first formal drubbing. We are suffering a huge internal division and Ada Colau had to break his pact with the PSC in the city of Barcelona. His interpretation of the facts is that Barcelona allows anything and that "both mounted, mounted both".
The international front
Rajoy thought to act first to disarm Catalonia in the outer two scenarios: state and international.
On the international front, Rajoy, despite savage repression images October 1, and the legislative and judicial remedy under Article 155 considered that the two fronts we were very favorable. First made his first visit to Donald Trump, president of the US, no doubt to explain the scope of the "Catalan algarada" its contagiousness and European destabilization would bring. Trump, without giving any importance to his host, and no sign of interest in knowing the situation in Catalonia, he said, with obvious reluctance, Washington's support to the measures taken or to be taken. Trump is obvious that truncheon blows and even shots deterrence bring him carelessly.
The second answer to the request for assistance by the Prime Minister to launch the inherited political scene of Franco-and presented by the parties of the "constitutional arch" and "rule of law" - was the express complicity of the Bourbon king, Philip VI, in his speech delivering the Princess of Asturias awards. The Constitution had to be the star; the "rule of law" by Franco origin, its only manifestation.
The Princess of Asturias Awards
The presence of Rajoy in that act, often very formal, served to "constitutionalize" King's speech, and the latter to "legitimate" intervention and dictatorial interpretation of the President.
Legitimacies in that soup and shared speeches the three highest authorities of the European Union, the President of the European Parliament, the President of the Council and the President of the Commission put. The three of them took that amazing period! the integral speech Felipe VI-Rajoy who had lost all trace of moderation and impartiality of the sacred "Crown of all" and his equally inviolable carrier. There was driving, seat almost without cameras, the president of the Asturian community, willing to shut their pipers beautiful event with her Asturias Patria Querida. The best that can be said about what happened in the great scene of the Campoamor Theater is that everyone went to their businesses:
-Felipe VI to preserve the crown before a fateful and premonitory Catalan Republic; -Rajoy to improve their ranking and legitimate electoral Article 155 before the highest representatives of the European Union. These last próceres to suggest that the only option in Europe is "savage liberalism or fascism" and deny the viability of any revolt of the people who spoil their big business. -The smaller players also had their "role" fascist Albert Rivera the first entertainer of repression in Catalonia and President of Asturias Javier Fernández. Both represented the support of CIU and the two branches of the PSOE to the application of enforcement measures under Article 155.
A challenge and a double loop
Rajoy knew that in the scenario state but not so in Catalonia show strength and extreme measures of authority allowed for the moment to unite in their environment to a considerable part of a depoliticized people who, for the moment it seems to have taken the culture of political indifference, distrust and revolutionary changes proposed to the crisis; Salvador and clientelism that incorporates citizens circuits of power and, ultimately, to the corruption. Rajoy's challenge to the Catalan Republic had four main branches: political, repressive, economic and media- and a double loop to win the first part of the great game that was taking place in Catalonia and the rest of Spain .
For the double loop had caught, with one of them the PSOE and the PC in its obligatorily constitutionalist position; which it was a complete success in the first case and the second part. With the second loop Rajoy's government hunted Citizens ascribing a dual role in which he moves like a fish in water: appear as the young and unprejudiced -Catalan fascism and estatal- in your desired handsome and urgent role of instigator of the state exception in Catalonia. CIU in that role with Comparsa the PP itself organized the heavier weapons and more suitable institutional organization. Thus the PP, also disarmed citizens in their electoral promise to control the excesses of corruption People 's Party falling like hail large caliber, everywhere.
The challenge was addressed to the parties "constitutionalists" left. At this time the PP has already announced that the constitutional reform will be reduced to formal questions. Thus, simulations and hypocrisies aside, has strengthened the monarchy, the regime of 78 and his bipartisan pact with the PSOE. In this case the simulation corresponds to state PSOE and the apparent outrage at the PSC. We can and its various confluences in Catalonia with Ada Colau head -nationalist bridge, but not independence -in its fundamental role as mayor of Barcelona-, has been particularly ambiguous. with his pact with the PSOE and its strategy halfway between the DUI and the implementation of the "repression a la carte" (Magna Carta, we should say) of Article 155.
His latest moves to exit the territory nobody will carry (a Colau) probably the discomfiture of their voters, the more open rupture can in Catalonia, the difficulty of governing Barcelona and his loss of political power at the Catalan level and state .
The "roadmap", the Catalan Republic and Article 155
The Government has followed a very clever way, though not without difficulties (adapting its actions to the legal and repressive government of Rajoy resolutions, including police and military occupation -the latter in degree of readiness and threatened), the initiation of court proceedings, imprisonment of vice president and several directors, the leaders of Omnium Cultural and the ANC, exile and arrest warrant against President Puigdemont and other directors exiled to Belgium seat of the institutions of the European Union. The Government has succeeded in placing Catalan agenda for Europe and turn the European close that the king had decreed, Rajoy and the PSOE.
The Government reserves Rajoy great advantages, one of which is the processing -for the Supreme Court or the Court Nacional- of all those people they can show their support for the declaration of independence of Catalonia especially teachers responsible for placing the polls on October 1, members of the Police autonomic who failed to protect the head of the judicial device and several hundreds or thousands of people, including mayors who supported, rod in hand, the President Puigdemont and its Directors. The basic issue is, in my opinion , and right now, the implementation of a state of exception - more camouflaged, desenmascarado- in Catalonia, easily extensible to the rest of the country. To start trembling or jump into the mountain.
In this case the application of open repressive measures as provided for in Article 155 would no limitations or simulations, and the general applause of all parties in the constitutional field and those who stay halfway. There is no political space between an absolute, expandable and projectable repression in time, Article 155 blaring, as just announced the government "if they win the parliamentary majority independence and perform any act that promotes" in the words of Spanish Justice Minister of State and Minister of Justice for the Government of Catalonia, Rafael Catalá Polo. There is no barricade against repression, which will use the military if necessary, as stated, the Minister of Defense, María Dolores de Cospedal,
The Government of Catalonia, the parties that promoted the Catalan Republic, and approached our own , have lost their first battle, but acknowledged that not foresee the enormous hardness of Rajoy and acted naively.
They have torn down their barricades, they have corrected their bewilderment and have started again.
"A step forward, two steps back".
Antonio Maira is a political analyst and Commander, retired Navy Rebellion has posted this article with the author 's permission through a Creative Commons license, respecting their freedom to publish it elsewhere.
