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Archive for August, 2007

Fake “road accidents”

By: psr, 2007-08-24

Spanish media pays special attention constantly to so called road “accidents”. Talk shows and debates on radio and TV discuss the causes for the high number of fatalities on Spanish roads, while Road Traffic Authorities (the Spanish DGT) puts out information campaigns aimed at reducing the number of such “accidents”.

It is frustrating to see how most people on debates and drivers associations blame authorities for the problem, arguing poor signalling, bad roads or other excuses.

The real problem is calling things by the wrong name: what they call “accidents” are no accidents. An accident is something that occurs by chance.
Car crashes rarely happen by chance: they are merely the responsibility of the people driving them. The overwhelming majority of drivers are responsible, but …

2007-08-24 | Spain - World | Trackback | No Comments »

PSOE’s “Spain” Marketing

By: psr, 2007-08-22

During the present Government (of the Socialist Party, PSOE), the opposition (the Popular Party, PP) has said repeatedly that the Government is “dismantling” the Spanish Nation while empowering multiple nations within the State. The Government denies such accusations, and in turn blames the opposition for “borrowing” the idea of Spain for themselves.

It is true that the PSOE has helped several small nationalisms rise within the State. Such practice, which the PSOE has encouraged and started in Catalonia, Galicia and Andalusia, is a sure source of confrontation and division among people.

When politicians encourage differentiating sentiments in a people with
respect to others, they are motivated by any of these reasons: