Probably
Catalonia, as
a nation, began its list of defeats from 1714 like the
Segadors’ War in 1640, October 6 of 1934, and April of 1939 among others.
Since 1714, when the
territorial political management system was changed from the federalism to the centralism in the Kingdom of
Spain, there have also been no defeats,
for example the Catalans in Spanish America like Gaspar de Portolà, the War of Independence like the battle of El Bruc,
the Ensanche of Ildefons Cerdà, the 19th century Cuba like Miquel Biada and the Barcelona
Olympic Barcelona of 92 with 22
medals. Collective
defeats have also been with a strong
Catalan accent. Much more could have been done with the Monturiol’s submarine or have been sold
Cuba, the Philippines and Puerto Rico instead of going through to the shameful
naval battle of Santiago de Cuba or “Los últimos de Filipinas”. On the other hand, we could
have saved so many secular prohibitions of full Catalan cultural expression.
Thus, it could be said that the
Catalan nation has never won the Spanish state militarily or politically. That is the reason why a secular
feeling of ancestral roots followed in generation after generation of longing of a final victory which is calling today Independence.
But there is a shadow attached to it that is Madrid's power persistent will not to allow that goal to
the Catalan feeling.
Because of all this, the Catalan
people, between the “rauixa” of
revenge and the “seny” of coexistence
have always negotiated
in everything he could with
the purpose to be what it is felt, a nation. I
think it is necessary to recall that the largest and most definitive
deployment of the Mossos d’Esquadra in the territory was when Aznar had to
speak Catalan in privacy, situation that today is hardly imaginable if he were
in the central government. “La Puta I la
Ramoneta”
have always given good results.
Consequently, another onslaught
against the Spanish state, I doubt that it can already bring something good to
the Catalans. Really, he has never really brought it. It may be another defeat
that has become victory in a part of the media in Catalonia helped by the
supine ignorance of the politicians of the capital about how far the desire for
a final victory can go.
