I've not read that much into this but I thought this whole independence thing isn't likely to happen?

comment by Zlatan The King Ibrahimovic (U10026)
posted 5 minutes ago
I've not read that much into this but I thought this whole independence thing isn't likely to happen?
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i dont think it will happen tbh Daz

need the PP out of power for a while to calm things down though i think

It's crazy man. The world is so facked at the moment.

comment by Zlatan The King Ibrahimovic (U10026)
posted 22 minutes ago
It's crazy man. The world is so facked at the moment.
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it's the end of days

Kim Jong Un

Lots or noise that Heynckes will takeover as Bayern boss until the end of the season.

comment by Zlatan The King Ibrahimovic (U10026)
posted 1 hour, 35 minutes ago
Kim Jong Un
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Benny Dreadful

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

comment by #4zA (U19575)
posted 8 hours, 46 minutes ago
my neighbors from Avellino
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can you hear them podging through the walls forza

comment by #4zA (U19575)
posted 10 hours, 25 minutes ago
my neighbors Avellino
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You want a lino too? I didn't picture you as a keep up with the Joneses type, Forza.

"How easy to lack respect for someone and then ask it for yourself. Whoever sows winds, reaps storms,”

Arbeloa's tweet about Pique

No doubt Piqué has got himself into this mess by not clarifying his stance a long, long time ago, but tbh I find Arbeloa pretty hideous though.

One of the problems with this whole Catalan debate as seen from outside Catalonia is that the Spanish nationalists have successfully sold the idea that being in favour of self-determination is synonymous with being independentist.

It bloody well isn't. I'm not Catalan, and I still think they should be recognised the right to choose their own future.

And to anyone listening carefully, this is what Piqué -along with a huge number of Catalans- has been saying all along.

His problem is that he's an immature wind-up merchant who likes being the centre of attention, so until this week he's revelled in the misinterpretation that made him either a hero or a villain to millions, rather than being a bit more grown up and clarifying his stance.

How Pique has been treated is disgraceful, a footballer respectfully airing a not-particularly "out-there" viewpoint has caused such poor treatement.

I don't really know the ins-and-outs but it seems to be handled a lot worse than Brexit.

One of the problems with this whole Catalan debate as seen from outside Catalonia is that the Spanish nationalists have successfully sold the idea that being in favour of self-determination is synonymous with being independentist.

It bloody well isn't. I'm not Catalan, and I still think they should be recognised the right to choose their own future.
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Hi ioag
What is the difference between self determination and being independentist? I am currently totally ignorant about the whole issue.

Re: Valencia
Quite happy with our start so far! We have two very very fixtures after the Intl break though. If we get anything over 3 points in those two games, I'll be ecstatic!

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't the Spanish government in breach of EU legislation?

Harming protesting civilians. Banning MPs from debating.

I've seen the revised stadium plans and I can't be more disappointed that they have abandoned the bullring design of the old one. That would have been such an iconic stadium but it seems it will unfortunately have a terribly generic design now. Waiting for more details on the project but so far they have said that they have begun looking for the necessary permits from the council. Honestly that is just a load of crap without any timelines and details where the funding will come from. You're not allowed to be optimistic about Valencia issues

comment by wump (U5046)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago

Hi ioag
What is the difference between self determination and being independentist? I am currently totally ignorant about the whole issue.
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Hi wump

Self-determination = the right to decide your own future. It does not mean breaking off, simply that you get to decide whether you want to or not.

Independence = what would have happened if Scotland, when they exercised their right to self-determination, hadn't chosen to stay in the UK

comment by Edinspur (U1109)
posted about an hour ago
Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't the Spanish government in breach of EU legislation?

Harming protesting civilians. Banning MPs from debating.
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I don't know. What part of EU legislation?

The right to protest is enshrined in Spanish law too, of course. If you want to stage a protest, as in a march for example, there are legal channels to seek authorisation.

The issue is that this wasn't a protest, it was an attempt to hold a referendum that even Catalonia's own high court had declared illegal.

The decision to send in police from outside Catalonia to confiscate the voting booths and close polling stations (which, in many cases, had been illegally occupied) was crass and altogether unnecessary, imo, but that doesn't mean it was against the law.

It is, in fact, the Catalonian authorities who've broken all kinds of laws along the way.

The protesters seen on all that video footage were standing in the way of the police doing the job they'd been sent in to do. Either way though, every agent that could be deemed to have used excessive force -like the ape who was filmed jumping off a flight of stairs boot-first into a protester's back- ought to have the book thrown at him.

I personally strongly disapprove of the actions taken by the gov't, but disagreeing with them doesn't necessarily make them illegal.

So really the Spanish government could have just ignored the whole affair and declared the referendum illegal, and therefore void, without even lifting a finger?

Wump, good start for Valencia. How's Pereira been playing? Wouldn't be surprised to see him stay with you if he does ok. Mourinho was piiiiiissed he decided to leave on loan so doesn't look to have much future with us.

Marcelino is a genius. He's got Zaza scoring.

comment by #4zA (U19575)
posted 16 hours, 57 minutes ago
my neighbors from Avellino
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Lucky for you he didn't invite all his relatives to live with him.

comment by Zlatan The King Ibrahimovic (U10026)
posted 56 minutes ago
So really the Spanish government could have just ignored the whole affair and declared the referendum illegal, and therefore void, without even lifting a finger?

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In a word, yes.

In all honesty though, I think this is exactly the response the Catalan gov't was hoping for. Spain's ruling PP party has acted imo not with the national interest in mind, but their own, as their heavy-handedness with the Catalonians may well be a vote winner for them on a country level.

For some background, Catalan separatist movements had been carrying out unofficial polls on the streets for years.

It's only since recently though -some 5 years or so- that the actual Catalan gov't also got involved with the drive for independence.

This was the second time they'd tried to call an actual referendum. The first time though, they renamed it a 'popular consultation' after the referendum was declared illegal.

This time they've gone a step further. Some overseas news sources have sold the story that the Catalan gov't was now talking about a unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) as a response to the police brutality last weekend.

Far from it, the UDI was a pledge they'd made well in advance of the referendum if the result was a majority separatist vote - which itself was a foregone conclusion, as this and all previous votes on the issue have routinely been considered farcical and hence boycotted by most non-independentist Catalonians.

A shame Henrik seems to have forgotten all about us, as he had his finger on the pulse in Barcelona.

Disgusting that it would be a vote winner for these actions. Thanks for the info, ioag. Not clued up what has been going on.

Yeah shame about Henrik. Good lad, hope he's doing ok.