I am doing my thesis on the ETA's influence on the past election in Spain.

These basque seperationalists do not get a lot of press in the U.S., and when they do, it is always a watered down version.

I would learn a lot and it would help me greatly if I could get some opinions from those living in Spain about the ETA, 3/11, and the recent explosion.

http://www.madridman.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=22;t=000032

This thread and others are helpful, but I was really looking for honest opinions centered around the combined events and how you feel they relate to the past election and the next one coming up.
Thank you in advance, and I am glad no one was killed this time.

Imajica1975, you're really "stirring the pot" or "opening a can of worms" or other colorful sayings on a topic which enrages MANY people. You'll mainly find opinions substantiated by facts provided by one party or another which are nearly always in contradiction. ETA has always been a source of great pain & shame for me here on the message board.

Saludos, MadridMan

Indeed, it is (or was) a sensitive topic.

I can give just my opinion, and will try to give it briefly:

ETA was not behind (at leat directly) of the bombings of 3/11 as you seem to suggest, so its activity didn't have a significant incidence in 2004 elections. The bombings, as far as we know, were organized and executed by a complex terrorist network with lots of branches. The majority of the terrorists were moroccians. The rest were north africans and arabs. And they had connections with Al-Qaeda terrorist network.

I believe the bombings had a direct influence in the elections, priving the ruling party (PP, conservatives) of a million votes, and giving the winning party (PSOE, socialists about two or three million votes. The political intention of the bombings was exactly changing a beligerant government with a less beligerant one. They attacked the most vulnerable member of an alliance (USA, UK and Spain) with the hope of destroying the whole of it.

As for ETA, it is a complex topic (because it has a complex history behind). They define themselves as an armed organization which seeks liberating the basque territories (they include the southwest basque territories of France and the spanish communities of the Basque Country and Navarre) from spanish and french oppression and therefore, they want to form an independent country by violent means.

We may discuss long and deep about their political goals, their legitimation, the arguing for and against or about history, and surely you will find in this board a variety of opinions (as you may read if you search a bit).

But what can't be discussed is that the means to achieve those political objectives make ETA what it is: a bloody terrorist organization, responsible of 800 murderings (including dozens of kids), extorsion, kidnapping, torture, menaces, praising of crimes and lots of other crimes.

Every member of the basque parlament who is against independence has to have a bodyguard permanently. Every councilmen of those parties, from the biggest city to the smallest village, has to live with a bodyguard. Other menaced collectives are judges, state's advocates, policemen, members of the Army, journalists, prison workers and ideologists who are against ETA (philosophers, university professors, writers,...).

Fernando

Fernando,

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Please, Please, Please, Please, Please!

Not this topic. :o

They are all a bunch of two bit cowards. There is no justification for a coward. I don't know how you are going to write a thesis on that issue, but good luck. I would like to read it when your finished.

MM you should never be embarassed by the politcal rantings of loosers like the ETA. Hang in there and keep up the good work.

ETA did this bombing simple to show that they are still their and still need to be smashed thats the problem with having many different languages and cultures in one small peninsula it might be fascinating for tourist but it is very difucult to run as a country and unity is hard to achieve.
The reason why the 3/11 bombing had more coverage is because it had alot more to do with AMERICAN foreign policy that it does with Spain.Spain is having trouble running as it is with the different languages cultures etc. in all the regions but yet they are inviting immigrants to add to this mix and division its redicolous at this point I have grown tired of terrriost and their ways the Islamic ones and ETA I no longer really care why they bomb any more or causes them to do it or how we are going to stop it cause its going to continue. The terriost bombings dont really shock me any more I only when hear the number dead I think of all the people dead for no reason that I see as important.

I think the problem is when there are criminal people in your country, not the cultures or languages . It is a pleasure to have many different cultures and languages in a small peninsula.

I don't know why you are worried about. It was worst ten years ago. Now we are seeing the last days of ETA.

Anyone else get the feeling that Fernando is a old soul and wise man for one still not that old?

Did I phrase that okay?

Seriously, a wise and measured response to a less than congenial topic ... understatement of the year ...

Uhhh, you are going to really color my cheeks Puna

I'm still very young (26) but thanks for your comments!

I'm with sdavidr: Cultural diversity in Spain is a plus. It is what makes Spain one of the culturally richest countries The problem is not diversity, but how it is used by certain people.

Fernando