After writing my last post about the article published in The New York Times. I would like to know if all of you agree with these arguments.
CORRUPTION is something that we have to suffer in all democratic countries. It is a pity but it is a reality. We, the citizens, can't fight against our politicians. The only way to solve this situation or change the people who is managing our countries it would be changing them for another ones. But I wonder, is Democracy the best politic system. Or we should think in changin for another new system, where the people had more impotance to take decissions.
We can't fight against our politicians, because if they weren't there, presumably there would be another ones and surley they would do the samethings.
In Spain, we are suffering a lot of economic problems, as all of you know. There is more unemployed people, companies that have to close because they don't find market where can sell their products or services. Most of people are in red. They can't afford their mortgages, they are overdrawns, and in a lot of cases the evitions are a real threat.
I agree with the article about the CORRUPTION, but do you think all spaniards are corrupts.
How do you see us?
Thanks for letting me to express my opinion, but i would like to read your opionions about us. The Spanish's imagen has been damaged. But in my opinion in this newspaper, they are writting all that it is happening in my country.
Javier, I assume you're looking for comment on the content rather than the English, so I'll give it a try...
ReplyDeletePolitical corruption... wow, a tough subject. I suppose it is a universal disease, but its effects vary a lot in magnitude. Certainly I have heard of many developing countries where corruption is completely debilitating. They seem to make no economic progress over long periods of time. There is no tradition of the rule of law and accountability. Even aid money given to such countries disappears into the pockets of the powerful.
In the United States, we have plenty of cases of politicians disgraced by corrupt actions, and the cases get a lot of attention in the press. But I don't have the impression that corruption per se is one of the biggest problems with our government. Americans are pretty good about following rules and our press is quite aggressive in sniffing out political misdeeds.
I don't know where Spain is on this spectrum. I would have expected that countries of Europe are more like the US than like Afghanistan, for example, but your views and those I've heard from other Spaniards make me wonder. You do paint a very negative picture of the situation, and I wonder if the pessimism is a bit self-defeating. In a democracy, the voters do have the final say (assuming votes are counted correctly). And simply voting is really not enough (I'm lecturing to myself here). If we're not happy with our government, we must get engaged, lobby for changes, influence others, and vote! If we're not doing that, I guess we're really not that unhappy after all.
How was my English? Did I give you any new words or phrases?
Thanks a lot Matt, I appreciate your comments, but my intention were to create a debate. I know how the situation in Spain is. But due to the articles that I had the chance of reading in the New York Times, I would like to know how do you see spaniards. Do you think that we are like they have described. Corruption is in all the word. I agree with you that US Society try to follow the rules, and in most of european countries is the same story. But I think in Spain, our politicians are working in their own benefit, and spaniads we can rely on them. But we are in Europe in a develop society and I think like you, things should change.
ReplyDeleteI only wanted to create a debate and know how do you see us.
Thx
Of course Matt, you can express your opinion in spanish. Its a duty for you! ;)
DeleteI liked your writing a lot, Matt. It seems to me simple and direct, which I think is a very difficult way of writing. You express the things with a practical sense and speaking plainly. Except for "tough" (I did not know that meaning), I could understand everything. I think we usually make life difficult for ourself and we want going beyond our capacity.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Javier's writing, I understand him perfectly. This kind of articles worried me years ago. Nowadays it is different. Here, in Spain, the Opposition picks on the Government, in my opinion, in a exaggerated way, with any case of corruption because they are completely incapable of putting other plausible alternatives.
This, at the same time, is having an disproportionate echo abroad. (( We all know about what we echo)). I hope that in the near future the world can have a more interesting and attractive view of Spain.