THE BORGIAS PALACE GANDIA
I have just been sent a wonderful YouTube film of a demonstration in Barcelona about the crisis in Spain. It is wonderful (breath-taking really) and shows the best side of Spain and the culture of Spain.
The demonstration is set within an office of la Caixa, one of the biggest banks in Spain, and revolves around a by-line stating that ‘it is not a crisis – it is capitalism’.
Do watch the film (it is very short) – and then ask yourself where else in the world could this happen? Wonderful…
Meanwhile, yesterday, in my own town of Gandia, a man assaulted three staff at the Santander bank in the high street of Gandia, saying that the bank had destroyed his life. Sadly, this horrible tragedy was devoid of humour and good nature and has resulted in severe injuries. In a dreadful way it shows the inevitable reality behind the present economic crisis in Spain and the individual pain that is being felt by many people.
Of course, few people in Spain have a good word to say about the banks in Spain. They are held largely responsible for the present economic crisis and with good reason. Scandalously badly run, they have been bailed out by the Bank of Spain (i.e. the people of Spain) at massive cost and yet are busy repossessing properties and then dumping them back onto a flooded market. Meanwhile, it would be easier to open a clam with a toothbrush than obtain lending from them.
Finally, several banks in Spain have enraged the population through giving their directors (just before their bailout by the Bank of Spain) enormous pay outs and pensions. To see more about this and to be driven into a paroxysm of rage, whether you are in Spain or not, see: banking scandal Spain.
Nick Snelling – Culture Spain
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