While always assuming the importance of education in achieving cultural hegemony, the right is distracted by the economy
Nature makes us equal at birth, but education makes us different. Educational efficacy requires dedication, a budget and continuity. In 1978, inherited education, not without defects, was considerably better than it is today. At least then students made the effort and teachers were respected. Concentrating on political transition, prioritising European integration, concern about the economy, exhaustive dedication to ETA’s terrorism all meant that UCD and PP paid no attention to education.
PSOE never ceded control of education whether it was in government or not, but via votes or mobilisation, and with the support of trade unions UGT and CCOO. PP renounced the public claim; street manifestations have always been leftwing. Aznar and Rajoy’s PP governments gave away the hegemony of leftwing mass media, which favoured the formation of the Podemos party. By copying Mitterrand, which allowed Le Pen’s FN to grow, and obtaining rightwing votes, Rajoy favoured Podemos’ growth while he governed. Pablo Iglesias (Podemos) was seen daily on all TV channels, even on private liberal minority channels, disguised as a lamb to make PSOE less strong. Free mass electoral propaganda.
Aznar sent Vidal-Quadras to Brussels when the Catalan leader at that time, Jordi Pujol, asked him, and let him do whatever he wished in Catalonia. The notion that public protest is something leftwing is so well-accepted that even Pablo Echenique (Podemos) still says that a tiny manifestation against the regional government in Madrid is a thing of the wealthy and posh, as if only they had the right to do so. Immobilising its bases, except to fill bullrings for its rallies, has led to submission. Not caring for education and the complex faced with leftwing propaganda have allowed leftwing separatist indoctrination throughout public education. After 40 years, the consequence is arrogant Catalan and Basque separatism, whose voters are anaesthetised by not claiming out of habit.
In the meantime, ever since Zapatero came on the scene, the leftwing has followed the Sao Paulo Forum communist agenda: reaching power through cultural hegemony. It has concentrated on social division by inventing (wealthy, pro-Franco, male chauvinists, banks, virus) enemies, spreading fear and propaganda, including the control of education and culture with subsidies for the cinema, artists, feminist organisations and the majority of mass media.
Education is abandoned by regional whims, with indoctrination without impunity. Pre-university teacher evaluations do not exist to keep trade unions content. Youths are educated in achievements granted for free, victimisation, and seeking a degree is the easiest way. Students, even at university, ignore discipline and effort for never having formed such habits. They are fragile, insecure people because security and self-esteem are only enjoyed by those who have made the effort. They are easily manipulated by any propaganda. Today’s government with its daily TV slot mixes up transparency with repeating lies on TV where journalists cannot answer back.
Constitutional rights are usurped in a state of emergency by disguising alarm; the economy is destroyed; purchase healthcare contracts worth millions include plenty of irregularities; more needy persons queue at Cáritas (Catholic Relief); confinement measures for visitors here that ruin tourism; no sales in commerce are allowed to deteriorate it; sectarian deals in Spanish Autonomous Governments’ transit phases depending on whether they support the government or not; world record per population in deaths and infected health workers by COVID-19. If the government wishes the economy to recover, it would not have appointed as the President of an economic reconstruction committee someone who has never worked outside the party.
Separatism has flourished for the same reasons why this government has arrived: PP renouncing education and having very little courage to defend freedom. We believed that this could not happen to us; however, it occurs because those rights that are not exercised are lost. Having a more attentive and more long-term rightwing is a pressing matter, one which realises that education is as important as the economy.
Post published in Las Provincias