In Spain, a Monumental Silence

Interesting article indeed.

Living in Spain knowing the names and standpoints of those talking and acquainted to the issue, it is clear to me that this is a highly biased article which quotes exclusively from the extreme right "Falangistas" to the very conservative aisle. Nor the middle & moderate voices let alone the Republican/Liberal side are even given a voice in it.

It comes at no surprise because a moderate liberal NYC is, by European definition a right wing publication.

Just a couple of points:

The article has completly missed the point on why left-leaning Spaniards were at unease with Aznar; the ambassador/Cuba thing the article notes is entirely irrelevant: Aznar was notorious in shaping his speeches to the form known from Franco, ended his speaches with "Viva España, Viva el Rey" just like Franco and was himself in his youth in the Falange, denouncing political oppponents who subsequently were thrown into prison and were in part tortured to the point of being maimed for life. But not even this is the whole story: Aznar is a leading member of the "Legionarios de Christo", his wife, Ana Botella, is a devout member of "Opus Dei". Especially Legionarios is a Catholic Right Wing social grouping, comparable to the US White Christian Nation, but with a firmly catholic heritage fighting for a Spanish Theocracy.

Which immediatly brings me to the next point: The article suggests that with the end of the civil war, everything was normal. Not so. Spain was a police state with extreme limitations to speech and persecution of political opponents. Nothing to forget about for those enduring the wrath of the Falange, just - and here shows the article its bias - with the Francistas imposing a complete silence on the issue in the hope to make it be forgotten. Until the end of the Franco rule, former communists were in hiding, protected by their families and kin, from Franco's henchmen. And it took much less than beibng a communist for ending in jail. And this is the one that angers me most: While it is self-understood that former NAZI's today still are hunted down and brought to court if they are still alive, the article suggests that for Falangistas there is no need to do such. Yes, they received legal amnesty but ask the widows and orphans of those killed in the past if this makes the deeds undone.

So, where does this blatant double standard come from? From the fact that Aznar is now a lecturer at the Columbia University or for the fact that he supported the US on Iraq? In any way it proves to what extend US mainstream has moved to the extremes, trying to minimize the deeds of "our bastard" while bringing misery to another nation for the misdeeds of "another bastard". In reality, note well, there wasn't much difference between Francisco Franco and Saddam Hussein.

No, it is not forgotten and only the Spanish right wants to paint over it. And the Spanish right is, contrary the article's selection of voices not representing the majority of Spaniards here. Spaniards in general feel that not enough has been done to bring the culprits to justice. While the amnesty was necessary to allow a transition to democracy, it tore the hearts of many people in Spain apart. And while there is no legal means to do anything, Spaniards are nt ready to forgive their neighbours who lead their fathers and grandfathers to execution squads.

Even the Catalan and Basque issues in Spain can only be understood when getting those basics right.