jenna m

NAVY

Whats behind the boycott of Cava from Catalonia?
and whats the general view on this one?

countryboy

Hello Jenna m,
This is a political thing, the Cataloinia people want self rule, but the majority of Spain dont want this to happen, so they are boycotting Cava, its a bit like Welsh rule sort of thing.

I drink the stuff sometimes but not really into drinking lots of Cava..

David SR

jgross42

Tiny bit more complex than that. It's the Spanish right wing that's promoting the boycott, and not even the conservative-verging-on-fascist PP actually admits to supporting it. The word has gone round via SMS, the net, all those gossipy forms of communication the right wing loves (look inside most fascists and you'll find a really spiteful old woman). In fact, it's a continuation of a tourism boycott that has been going on unreported for months, if not years - Spanish fascists refuse to visit Catalonia, on the grounds that "if they don't want to be Spanish, I'm not going to spend my money there." Petty, isn't it? And the result is that they have spent the Christmas festivities toasting with sparkling wine from Toledo. Serves 'em right.

ironporer

Actually it's a bit more complicated than that. In fact disdain or dislike for the Catalan idea of seperation is hardly a right wing, or facist idea. Most Spaniards are hasta los huevos with the Catalufo's constant drive to become Independant...whheter they are in Aragon, Castile Andalucia or where ever. Franco and sucessive governments have dumped trillions into Catalan infrastructure and industry, and helped make it what it is today- the economic engine of Spain. Catalonia is a wonderful place, and it's people are great, but most Spaniards are hesitant to see their country divided up, much like the USSR was. If Catalonia becomes independant, it would be followed by Euskadi, Galicia Valencia, Andalucia... which most Spanish people do not want to see, and I doubt would work out very well for most of the new 'states'.

jgross42

In theory, but I've never met anyone opposed to Catalan or any other regional nationalism who wasn't a fascist.

Ah, un nostálgico. And you would like us to think you are not right wing?

Just because you pay for dinner, doesn't mean the girl has to sleep with you.

The USSR wasn't divided up, it fell apart, like the Balkans, proving yet again that you can't force people to have a national identity they are not comfortable with. I expect you think Gibraltar should be Spanish as well, don't you?

This is a common right-wing point of view, of course, but there is no evidence for it apart from a kind of jesuitical extrapolation. In other words, it's nonsense.

ironporer

Then 85% of all non-catalan Spanish must still be facist according to you.

Me suda la polla what you care to think... my political views, whether right or left or in the middle have no part in this.





Actually I am quite happy it is British, seeing as that is where I got married and it was all rather quaint and quite easy. I suppose that it will become Spanish again in due time, as soon as Blair and the other British politicos figure out a way to give it up and not appear to be destroying the last bastian of the (lol) "Empire'.


It is a common view of most on the street Spaniards... including those from the regions named.

jgross42

Whatever your political position, that is exactly the level of debate we have come to expect from the right wing.

Then why do you insist on inflicting them on us? This thread is supposed to be about the cava boycott.

Nonsense. Where's your evidence?

ironporer

It was... until you wrongly blamed the whole thing on facist right wingers.

Oh and BTW... my Alicantina wife and I had a bottle of Freixenet Cava on NYE... along with turron de alicante, white asparagus from Navarra, Jamon Serrano from Jabugo, and Chorizo from Pamplona. Too bad we couldn't get any navajas or berberechos from Galicia.
And though I did not vote, her's went to Zapatero...

jgross42

Good to know you're not one of the boycotting right-wingers, then.

ironporer

It's tough enough to get good Spanish products in Alabama as to worry about where they come from.

And as I said before, disliking catalufos is hardly a vast right wing conspiracy.

jgross42

It wasn't a conspiracy, it was a happening, and maybe you had to be here to notice it. The word went round, as I said, over the Net, by SMS, old-fashioned word-of-mouth. There weren't really leaders, though there must have been some sort of hard-core that got the ball rolling at the beginning. It's quite well documented - El Mundo (hardly a left-wing publication) carried an article on it the other day - and I'm not sure why you doubt that it occurred.

ironporer

I don't doubt it at all..nor did I ever say that.

countryboy

Well I'am glad thats in the open now, Like I said in my first post its a political thing......

David SR

NicCol

What is it that they say about never discussing religion or politics????

coralsoft

At least it was an activity done by the people, rather than put in place by the authorities, attempting to paint the situation in their favoured light. The History of Spain TV series was taken off-air last year, allegedly because it highlighted the fact that regional identies weren't as solid as current politically-correct views would have it. The last statue of Franco was taken down at 2am one night in another attempt to rewrite history. Left-wing commanders from the civil war period are feted by the left-leaning establishment, despite being involved in behaviours as bad as those of the right. An official history of Spain (or is it the Civil War) is being mooted, so that it can be laid down in an objective light (my-arse-Royle-family-smilie ) Etc, etc.

I don't pick up on much because I don't follow things, but I hear about some stuff through friends. I'm interested in the odd snippet mainly because it highlights how the state (of any flavour) tends to manipulate the media and revise the past for their own benefit. The left tends to be better at this than the right (taken to a higher level by New Labour in the UK)

And we had bottles of cava several times over Christmas and NYE and there's a magnum in the fridge waiting for when I get my next contract.