sábado, 7 de noviembre de 2009

¿Corrupción en el oasis catalán?

La corrupción en este nuestro país está ocupando las principales portadas, día tras día, de todos los periódicos. Al principio parecía una cortina de humo pero, para alivio del Partido Popular, se demuestra que “en todas partes cuecen habas”. Así que de cortina de humo nada. La impresión que se tiene es que todos los políticos con poder están corrompidos. Eso no puede ser cierto. Seguro que es cierto que muchos políticos son corruptos, que nuestros impuestos pagan obras y servicios a precios abusivos para cubrir los sobornos y favores a los políticos que han aprobado dichas obras y servicios, y que más de un regalo oficial ha terminado en el despacho de alguien, sean lanzas, cuadros o simples pisapapeles.
Hace poco se ha detenido nada más y nada menos que a ex-altísimos cargos del gobierno de la Generalidad de Cataluña. No me caían simpáticos entonces y ahora me caen peor, por ladrones. Presuntos, claro. Aunque el hijo de uno de ellos intenta convencernos de que todo es un montaje (¿dijo de la "derecha españolista"?) y que su padre es inocente. A él no, pero a mí se me escapó la risa.
Sin embargo, lo de pagar varias veces más facturas ya de por sí desorbitadas no es nada comparado con lo que el gobierno tripartito de la Generalidad de Cataluña ha venido y viene haciendo desde hace tiempo, demasiado ya. Denunciado en un primer momento por Daniel Sirera (PPC), parece que nadie le hizo mucho caso (posiblemente por pertenecer a un partido que en Cataluña es tratado como apestado, lo cual honra mucho más a sus integrantes). Ahora es CiU quien intenta tirar de la manta de los informes. Veremos en qué termina todo, si en un “como te chives, me chivo” o, Dios lo quiera, donde tiene que ser: en los tribunales. Porque no es sólo que se hinchen los precios, qué va. Eso está asumido y casi aceptado. Tampoco –que también- que los redactores de dichos informes tengan relaciones más o menos directas con miembros del Gobierno catalán, y que los importes por los informes estén, vergonzosa y burlonamente, justito justito por debajo del precio que impide designarlos “a dedo”. La cosa es más sangrante, ya que los títulos de los informes no dejan lugar a dudas: están hechos para mejorar la vida de los catalanes (objetivo que debería ser –y no es- el principal de cualquier gobierno). Desgraciadamente, no de los catalanes en general, sino de unos cuantos en particular, a saber: el redactor del informe y el que se lo encarga.

Por cierto, me alegra lo Alavedra y Prenafeta. Por si no había quedado claro. Pero todavía queda(n) alguno(s) sueltos...

lunes, 19 de octubre de 2009

New Law perpetrated by Spanish Government

As a deference to visitors who do not understand Spanish, I will eventually be writing in English and, when time allows, I will post translations into Spanish.
Como deferencia a los visitantes que no entienden Español, postearé en Inglés y, cuando el tiempo me lo permita, postearé también sus traducciones al Español.
Last Saturday, October 17th, one day after my birthday but with no relation whatsoever, there was a big demonstration in Madrid to protest against the new law of abortion that the Government wants to pass. I will not discuss about the figures of demonstrators (that vary from a “specialized” agency of a mere 55.316 attendants to the organizers’ figure of more than a million people). Looking at the pictures, nobody can deny that there was A LOT of people. And more people, like myself, that couldn’t attend. But just for the records: more than 400 buses from all over Spain, several chartered planes and many trains full, not to mention people (like my sister, who drove more than 600 kms to be there) that used private means of transport. That alone surpasses the figure given by this specialized agency (specialized in lying, if you allow me). And, on top of that, I guess, somebody from Madrid itself may have joined the demonstration...

Aerial view of the demonstration.


Also, I don’t want to argue whether a baby is a baby from the moment of conception, the moment of birth or any moment in between. For me it is clear: the transformation from whatever into a human being happens with conception, not after in a random moment. Therefore, to abort is to kill a human being (not only a “living being” like Ms. Aido, Minister of Equality (sic) and promoter of this law, has said). If it is a living being, and there seems to be no dispute about that, it has to be human, of course. There are many aspects in this law that are very wrong, like the fact that girls of 16 years can freely abort without not only the consent but also the knowledge of their parents. In adition, currently abortion in Spain is a crime, only that there is a law that allows in certain cases for a woman to abort. With the new law, abortion will no longer be a crime but a right. Nice move!
My complaints now are two: one is that it leaves the woman and the woman only to decide: there is no room for the baby’s father to say anything. But even more, the only decision the woman can take is to abort. This law does not help women, babies or families with problems with anything other than killing the baby. Imagine a family with no resources to raise a child, or a child who will be born with some defect: this law helps to get rid of “the problem”, not to find alternative solutions, assistance to families or a fast and easy way to adopt babies from families that for whatever the reason will not be able or willing to raise them.
The second complaint is that this is not a battle for ideologies right/left, or for feminists or for progressists. It is a fact that every time there is a voluntary abortion a child is killed into the until recently safest place on Earth for him/her (its mother’s womb). Abortion defendants call them simply “tissue”, like if you have a tumor and the doctors help you get rid of it. But the truth, the sad truth, is that many women are not too sure of what they face when they abort, and when they do it is too late and they have to live with the guilt for the rest of their lives, many falling into long and deep depressions. All because they lack information. Why are defendants so scared to fully inform and tell the truth about this? Why there were complaints when a school showed their teenage students pictures of what abortion is, with fetuses cut into pieces or burnt? Is it too cruel? To commit abortions is not cruel and to show the results is? How normal is this?
Just to finish today’s thoughts, a message for those who believe that I, being a man, can not understand and should not intervene in this debate. Well, if that was the case, can’t I demonstrate for any other genocide or foreign war? Can’t I complain for the killing of baby seals by Canadians or whales by Japanese? Because for the same reasons, since I am not a Canadian nor Japanese, I can not understand the problems and should refrain from even expressing my opinions. And I should also stop giving my help to Caritas and to Médecins Sans Frontières, and when I go to church, I should stop praying for those who suffer. But I won’t, because, for the time being, there is still room for me to do and to say what I believe correct.

El pasado sábado, 17, un día después de mi cumpleaños pero sin ninguna relación con el mismo, hubo una gran manifestación en Madrid para protestar contra la nueva ley del aborto que el Gobierno quiere aprobar. No quiero discutir sobre las cifras de manifestantes (que van desde los de una agencia “especializada” de unos meros 55.316 asitentes a la cifra de los organizadores de más de un millón de personas). Mirando las fotos, nadie puede negar que había UN MONTÓN de gente. Y mucha más gente, como yo mismo, que no pudo asisti But just for the records: more than 400 buses from all over Spain, several chartered planes and many trains full, not to mention people (like my sister, who drove more than 600 kms to be there) that used private means of transport. That alone surpasses the figure given by this specialized agency (specialized in lying, if you allow me). And, on top of that, I guess, somebody from Madrid itself may have joined the demonstration...
Also, I don’t want to argue whether a baby is a baby from the moment of conception, the moment of birth or any moment in between. For me it is clear: the transformation from whatever into a human being happens with conception, not after. Therefore, to abort is to kill a human being (not only a “living being” like Ms. Aido, Minister of Equality (sic) and promoter of this law, has said. If it is a living being, and there seems to be no dispute about that, it has to be human, of course. There are many aspects in this law that are very wrong, like the fact that girls of 16 years can freely abort without not only the consent but also the knowledge of their parents. In adition, currently abortion in Spain is a crime, only that there is a law that allows in certain cases for a woman to abort. With the new law, abortion will no longer be a crime but a right. Nice move!
My complaints now are two: one is that it leaves the woman and the woman only to decide: there is no room for the baby’s father to say anything. But even more, the only decision the woman can take is to abort. This law does not help women, babies or families with problems with anything other than killing the baby. Imagine a family with no resources to raise a child, or a child who will be born with some defect: this law helps to get rid of “the problem”, not to find alternative solutions, assistance to families or a fast and easy way to adopt babies from families that for whatever the reason will not be able or willing to raise them.
The second complaint is that this is not a battle for ideologies right/left, or for feminists or for progressists. It is a fact that every time there is a voluntary abortion a child is killed into the until recently safest place on Earth for him/her (its mother’s womb). Abortion defendants call them simply “tissue”, like if you have a tumor and the doctors help you get rid of it. But the truth, the sad truth, is that many women are not too sure of what they face when they abort, and when they do it is too late and they have to live with the guilt for the rest of their lives, many falling into long and deep depressions. All because they lack information. Why are defendants so scared to fully inform and tell the truth about this? Why there were complaints when a school showed their teenage students pictures of what abortion is, with fetuses cut into pieces or burnt? Is it too cruel? To commit abortions is not cruel and to show the results is? How normal is this?

Just to finish, this is the exact reproduction of a foetus 12 weeks old looks like. Does it look just like tissue or more like a tiny little baby to you? 




miércoles, 14 de octubre de 2009

Bueno, hoy ya no es martes 13, así que será mentira lo de la mala suerte, lo de que ni te cases ni te embarques, etc... Supercherías, vamos.
El nombre de este mi blog "from all over the world" (de todas partes del mundo) invita a que sea leído por gentes de todas las partes, de todas condiciones y creencias, tan sólo siendo respetuosos con mis opiniones o las de otros, si las hay. Además, por este motivo, también escribiré en algún otro idioma, inglés principalmente, ya que es (por suerte o por desgracia) el llamado "idioma universal". Por suerte porque yo lo hablo, más o menos. Y por desgracia porque ese idioma podría ser el nuestro, el español, que se habla en bastantes más países que el inglés, aunque es conocido por menos.
Poco a poco iré también investigando cómo colgar fotos y cómo hacer más atractivo este blog, a ver si alguna vez quedo contento con el resultado...

martes, 13 de octubre de 2009

Nuevo por aquí

Bueno, por fin me he lanzado a escribir mi propio blog.

La verdad es que no tengo muy clara la orientación. Quiero hablar de política, de religión, de la actualidad, de navegación y mi sueño de tener mi propio velero (tengo pensado hasta el nombre, de lo que algún día hablaré), de mi familia, de mi vida, de la vida en general... y todo eso sin aburrir.
Sé que es difícil, sobretodo lo de "sin aburrir", pero espero cumplir al menos con mis propias expectativas, lo cual es fácil pues son mínimas.
Y si alguien espera algo más, espero no defraudarle.