Spain is a real mess today. They had an economic crash a couple of years ago that was even more severe than ours. Unemployment is over 20% and the country is effectively broke. The people are feeling the pain while those who profited tremendously from the corruption still sit atop their spoils and are enjoying the good life. (Sound familiar?)
They are having nationwide elections today, and there have been huge protest rallies all across the land. They carry signs that say, among others, "Let those responsible pay for the crisis". Visiting a protest site in Madrid the BBC reported this:
"This is an historic moment. Thousands of people have been camping in Sol since last Sunday with no flags or affiliation to any party."
They go on to quote one of the protesters, Milena Almagro Garcia: "Young people, old people, families, it does not matter. We are not just asking for jobs. We are asking for a change in the political system."
"We have no option but to vote for the two biggest parties in Spain, who are more or less the same. They are unable to solve any problem. It is just a nest of corruption. We are tired. In short, we want a working democracy. We want a change."
We need to get more people here fired up like Milena. I'm pulling for the Spanish to start something big, something that will inspire us here.
This might be a bit of a heavy read for a Sunday morning, but this story from across the pond really grabbed me. I'll be watching with interest.
S
No comments:
Post a Comment