Opinió

Pere Cardús

23.05.2014

What do they want, violence?

Power, if it can impose its will through deceit, does so. If deceit is not possible, it tries to find arguments that look convincing to tamp down dissidence. If the arguments don't work, it tries intimidation and fear tactics. But fear tactics, when the revolt is in full swing, are also ineffective. Finally, when everything else fails, there is just one path open: criminalization and repression.


But how do you create an atmosphere that justifies criminalization and repression? How can you manage to legitimize the use of violence against the dissidents? First, you have to get the dissidents to express themselves with violence. That they resort to illegal and aggressive action. There is nothing more interesting to the power structure than dissidence expressed violently.


And that's is what Spanish power wants to use against the revolt of the Catalan people. Because, let no one be deceived, we are at this point. All of their previous strategies have failed and the only thing they have left is criminalization and repression. That's why they need us to be a little bit violent. With just a little, they'd have enough for their purposes. When [PSC President Pere] Navarro presents the case of the woman from Terrassa, don't you think it was more an expression of a wish, rather than reality? All of those interpretations that he made in the few days after the agression... One day he was able to describe the woman's psychology and ideology, and a few days later he couldn't even recognize her among a dozen photographs. Very strange things happen to Mr. Navarro. Don't you think it's just a few too many coincidences?


But it doesn't end there. Last week, they sawed off one of the trunks of the Three Branches Pine. And it's obvious that vandalizing the Pine won't stop the independence process. I mean, that wasn't the objective, the objective was to provoke a violent reaction from the pro-independence Catalans who were saddened by the agression toward this potent symbol. And yesterday, some ruffians banged on Minister Montoro's car in Vilanova i la Geltrú. The whole thing just smells funny, don't you think?


What is the objective of all this? To achieve the metamorphosis. That the independence movement goes from holding hands from end of the country to the other in an expression of brotherly love, unity, and joy to a distribution of blows and aggressive behavior. Keep in mind that the Catalan Way made them very angry: that incredible, so powerful, so strong image hit them in the deepest part of their gut. They can't stand that we are a happy, positive people. They want us bitter, humiliated, and sad.


So what should we do? Well, keep on as before. Not fall victim to provocations. Marginalize and sideline those individuals who demonstrate aggressive or violent behavior among those who identify as pro-independence. Smile. Don't stop smiling. Even when they attack with all their might. Respond with a smile. And go vote on Sunday. En masse. Together. The more, the better. And celebrate that we can vote. And smile. And encourage each other, convinced that we're going to do it big. With a smile, revolution.


"The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting"
Milan Kundera "The Book of Laughter and Forgetting"

Editorial