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.
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
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