Spain will reparations to victims of the Spanish Civil War

[Riley1965]

MADRID, Spain - The government Friday approved a divisive bill allowing reparations for victims of the Spanish civil war and the ensuing dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco, some of the darkest chapters of Spain's modern history.

Here's the news link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060728/ap_on_...spain_civil_war

Doc

[Richard Gordon]

Interesting subject and one that will raise stirring debate.

I read with interest, the conservative view. As the conservatives of Spain are mostly pro-Franco,no wonder when the bill speaks of

The bill also bans symbols and references to the 1939-75 Franco regime in public buildings and asks local and regional governments to rename streets or plazas that are named after the former dictator or refer to his regime.

they come up with crap like

"Spain has to look at the future and resolve the problems that people are really interested in. The vast majority of Spaniards don't want to talk about the civil war or Franco."

Umm, what they are really saying is they want all connections to Franco left in place.

You can still see such connections in Spain today. In Conservative areas, such as Salamanca, you can still see the Falange symbol on buildings and references to Franco in street-names. They also have a relief of his head in the Plaza Mayor which is continuously being vandalised and subsequently repaired.

It would be interesting for our Spanish members to give their view point.

Rich

Edited July 29, 2006 by Richard Gordon

[Christophe]

Interesting enough, I was in Chile in March 2006, on the occasion of an international manifestation.

There were flags of the participating countries including Spain...

The organisers displayed this one for Spain...

Ch.

[Christophe]

Close-up :

Ch.

[Christophe]

Details :

Ch.

[Christophe]

Interesting to notice this is the flag and coat-of-arms adopted 11th October 1945 and abolished 21st January 1977... The Franco toie one!!!

What a mistake... no one noticed...

Ch.

[Richard Gordon]

Now, that's a bit naughty!!! I would assume Pinochet and Franco were great buddies.

Edited July 29, 2006 by Richard Gordon

[Christophe]

And the flag was brand new... there must be a stocl somewhere...

Ch.

[Riley1965]

Someone did put up the wrong flag. Here is the Spanish Flag And the Royal Standard.

Doc

Edited July 29, 2006 by Riley1965

[Richard Gordon]

Some how I don't think it was a mistake...

[Riley1965]

I'm confused myself. The Crown would indicate Royalty while the Eagle a Republic.

Doc

[Christophe]

Some how I don't think it was a mistake...

But no one noticed it...

Ch.

[Christophe]

This is the "normal" one, adopted 19 December 1981.

Ch.

[Riley1965]

Thanks Christophe!!! I thought I was missing a brain cell or two!!

Doc

[Christophe]

No, but those in Chile who displayed the flag...

Ch.

[Panzerpionier]

When the Spanish team won a championship in Australia some years ago (perhaps a tennis championship, I can not recall correctly right now), the 1931-1936 Republican anthem was played... surprising both Spanish authorities and staff. Do you think Australian government is left-winged and pro-Republican Spain?

What is more, when the Spanish soldiers of the Blue Division sworn loyalty to the swastika-fitted German flag to fight Russian communism, the German military band played the 1931-1936 Republican anthem. I don't know the political agenda of the Australian government, but I am sure the Nazi Germany government was not left-winged and pro-Republican Spain.

Those are unnintentional mistakes. It is very difficult to keep updated the information about political changes in other countries. Don't complicate matters for subtleties. Or, as we say in our country, "no busqueis los 5 pies al gato"

[Panzerpionier]

I'm confused myself. The Crown would indicate Royalty while the Eagle a Republic.

Doc

The Saint John's eagle is not related to a Republic whatsoever... It was adopted by the Catholic Kings of Spain in the XVth century and re-adopted by General Franco for the Nationalist Spain crest in 1938.

[Riley1965]

Juan,

Thanks!! I should have said "In general, the eagle with a crown indicates ties to a monarchy in European countries and an eeagle without a crown indicates a Republic." My Error.

Doc