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Villarejo: The rise and fall of the Spanish state’s secret fixer

bbc.com

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81–90 of 95 posts

Re: Villarejo: The rise and fall of the Spanish state’s secret fixer

#81

Post by gallegojaime »

teataster wrote: post #62
marvel_boy wrote: post #4

This is Spain, corruption at all levels. A failed state.

Let me just mark that I know no spaniard outside government doing paid overtime. Literally. Everyone is doing overtime and it is not paid. That is huge corruption wise, it prevents jobs from being created, money is being stolen from workers and taxes are not paid. Yes we have crooked politicians and public officials, but everyone is crooked and corrupt in the best case. At worst we are crooked and corrupt throwing ou…

This sort of negativity is misleading. Someone who has been to actual failed states will see how Spain turned out pretty successful, and only thinks of itself as inferior because of psychological reasons.

Corruption is of the same nature as in any other developed country, inside trusted circles of crooks. Try bribing any policeman in Spain and see how that goes. We regularly convict criminals for embezzlement and related crimes, including a relative of the last Spanish king (Iñaki Urdangarín).

Structural problems will need to be resolved (employment and entrepreneurship we can never foster enough). But we can't keep kicking ourselves down, that seems to be the national pastime.

Re: Villarejo: The rise and fall of the Spanish state’s secret fixer

#82

Post by lyt »

kostarelo wrote: post #43
rinze wrote: post #17

If you understand Spanish, this podcast tells several stories about this guy and it's very good: https://www.podiumpodcast.com/v-las-cloacas-del-estado/

I'm currently learning Spanish and while I'm sure I will understand 50% of what they say, I will give it a try :P

Offtopic, but hello, how are you learning Spanish? Any hacks or cool techniques so far?

I’m learning it too and I’d like to think I’m 30% there, and I’m learning for my family .

Re: Villarejo: The rise and fall of the Spanish state’s secret fixer

#83

Post by oh_sigh »

hpkuarg wrote: post #74
nabla9 wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Her family has provided more than enough. It's insane that modern society prefers to have living inherited hood ornaments. Constitutional monarchy can be a peaceful way to democracy, but there is no reason to make it permanent. If Iran becomes true democracy, maybe they keep Ayatollah as tourist attraction? North Korea could keep Kim-family as well. 200-yers form now Kim-family wold be insignificant royals sitting ne…

I've always liked how many countries separate head of state from head of government, because I see the two as separate roles: one whose job is to be the most excellent person of that nationality, and the other to be the political leader, who may from time to time need to engage in dirty political shenanigans. It seems an argument can be made for having the former be inherited, so as to avoid the inevitable politiciza…

Elizabeth II seems more about ruling her family with an iron fist. I guess that's peak Britishness?

Re: Villarejo: The rise and fall of the Spanish state’s secret fixer

#84

Post by _jal »

nudpiedo wrote: post #73
_jal wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have information that the BBC will sell stories, tell us about it. If you don't, why are you pushing bullshit?

I am not an specialist from the BBC but all media does, the easier to spot are the health benefit articles regarding some products, interviews to promote books and locations, etc. And then there are the subtle ones. All journalism is nowadays as closed to a mafia as it can be.

Again, if you or the OP can demonstrate that the BBC (or other institutions who claim they don't), then that's interesting.

Baseless bullshit illustrating nothing but your own cynicism, however, is not, and doesn't belong here.

Re: Villarejo: The rise and fall of the Spanish state’s secret fixer

#85

Post by teataster »

gallegojaime wrote: post #81
teataster wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let me just mark that I know no spaniard outside government doing paid overtime. Literally. Everyone is doing overtime and it is not paid. That is huge corruption wise, it prevents jobs from being created, money is being stolen from workers and taxes are not paid. Yes we have crooked politicians and public officials, but everyone is crooked and corrupt in the best case. At worst we are crooked and corrupt throwing ou…

This sort of negativity is misleading. Someone who has been to actual failed states will see how Spain turned out pretty successful, and only thinks of itself as inferior because of psychological reasons. Corruption is of the same nature as in any other developed country, inside trusted circles of crooks. Try bribing any policeman in Spain and see how that goes. We regularly convict criminals for embezzlement and rel…

Exactly what I am saying. But I am saying, stop blaming others, start changing yourself.

Re: Villarejo: The rise and fall of the Spanish state’s secret fixer

#87

Post by gallegojaime »

teataster wrote: post #85
gallegojaime wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sort of negativity is misleading. Someone who has been to actual failed states will see how Spain turned out pretty successful, and only thinks of itself as inferior because of psychological reasons. Corruption is of the same nature as in any other developed country, inside trusted circles of crooks. Try bribing any policeman in Spain and see how that goes. We regularly convict criminals for embezzlement and rel…

Exactly what I am saying. But I am saying, stop blaming others, start changing yourself.

I don't agree with the language you used on your original post; however I can wholeheartedly concur on that idea of personal responsibility.

Re: Villarejo: The rise and fall of the Spanish state’s secret fixer

#88

Post by joncrane »

Erlich_Bachman wrote: post #10
pqs wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spain is a country with huge problems. But it is not a failed state. You should try Venezuela if you want to get the flavour of failure. In any case, Spain is very corrupt, including Catalonia (where I live), but many other EU countries are corrupt too. I think about France and all the corruption cases about weapons procurement contracts (Taiwan frigates, etc.). We can also think about the US ...

> Spain is a country with huge problems Any sources or further reading?

Start with the links at the bottom of OP's article and go from there!

Re: Villarejo: The rise and fall of the Spanish state’s secret fixer

#89

Post by helloguillecl »

pqs wrote: post #31
alvatar wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So true. As a spaniard I do it all the time. Love/hate my country.

We are quite hard on us. This is a nasty cultural trait of Spain, because this hinders our work. I work in science and I think we would do much better if we didn't have this inferiority complex.

As a latin-american, I never understood why spain could not capitalize on their relationship and cultural ties with Latin America, like England did with the commonwealth. We speak the exact language across a really vast territory across two continents, some potential there must have been!

It is really austonding that there only a loose integration between spanish-speaking countries, despite sharing very similar (good and not so good) cultural values.

Re: Villarejo: The rise and fall of the Spanish state’s secret fixer

#90

Post by herunan »

marvel_boy wrote: post #4

This is Spain, corruption at all levels. A failed state.

After reading this whole thread, it has become clear that everyone has their own definition of a failed state. As for me, I don’t believe that Spain qualifies as a failed state. History that precedes it may have done so at some points, but every country comes with its own ‘baggage’.
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