diumenge, 15 de setembre del 2013

Spanish Railways Fail to Sabotage Catalan Way . By Help Catalonia















They tried hard, but they failed.
They did not operate a single additional train, but they failed.
The trains were late, but they failed.
The trains were crowded, but they failed.
The trains were dirty, but they failed
At the stations, no information on train connections was available, but they failed.
No table linking sections of the Catalan Way to train stations was published, but they failed.
We had to sit on the floor, but they failed.
They failed, and we reached our destinations. With our yellow T-shirts, our Catalan flags, our smiles, and our civic spirit intact.
Why Did They Fail?
They failed because the will of a people, united in their determination to secure freedom, was stronger than any obstacles that an artificial state may throw in our way.
They failed because we were ready for them, getting to our destinations with ample time in advance.
They failed because even if we had not got there by train, some way or another, even by foot if necessary, we would have reached our posts.
They failed because history is on our side.
They failed because economic efficiency is in our side, whereas they are a dinosaur.
They failed because they are wrong, and we are right.
A Battle Won
We have won a battle. Not the last one. Many more lie ahead.
Victory, however, is closer. We can feel it, almost touch it. It is there, within our reach.
And, once this war is over, our freedom regained, we shall rebuild our infrastructures.
No More Third-World Trains
No more delayed trains.
No more crowded trains.
No more secret trains traveling to Paris in the middle of the night, with no markings, as if doing something wrong.
No more trains “to the Airport”, as if Catalonia only had one.
No more train stations near a tube station, yet without a physical connection.
No more airport terminals without a train station.
No more need to change trains at the border to travel to France.
No more containers laying in our ports, unable to travel by fast train to the heart of Europe.
No more.
A New Catalonia
We are fighting for a Catalonia connected to the world.
For a Catalonia connected to the European heartland.
We are fighting for a Catalonia with an integrated transport network.
For a Catalonia bringing together railways, roads, subways, ports, and airports.
We are fighting for a Catalonia where taking a train to Paris is so common as not being even worthy of mention.
Where one moves seamlessly from any airport, not “the airport”, to his chosen destination.
We are fighting for a Catalonia able to serve as a first-rate logistics platform for companies.
For a Catalonia able to logistically support NATO operations.
We Shall Prevail
And for these reasons, and many others, the Catalan Way took place today.
And for these reasons, and many others, we shall keep fighting.
And for these reasons, and many others, we shall not desist until we are once again free.
Catalonia is back.
Àlex Calvo
Alex Calvo is a Professor of International Relations and International Law, Head of the IR Department, and Postgraduate Research Director, European University (Barcelona Campus). An expert on Asian security and defence issues, he got his LLB from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, University of London) and is currently doing an MA in Second World War Studies at the University of Birmingham.







http://www.helpcatalonia.cat/2013/09/spanish-railways-fail-to-sabotage.html