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Troy Nahumko is an award-winning author based in Caceres, Spain. His recent work focuses on travels around the Mediterranean, from Tangier to Istanbul. As a writer and photographer he has contributed to newspapers and media such as Lonely Planet, The Globe and Mail, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Toronto Star, Couterpunch,The Irish World, The Straits Times, The Calgary Herald, Khaleej Times, DW-World, Rabble and El Pais. He also writes a bi-weekly op-ed column 'Camino a Ítaca' for the Spanish newspaper HOY. His book, Stories Left in Stone, Trails and Traces in Cáceres, Spain is published by the University of Alberta Press. As an ESL materials writer he has worked with publishers such as Macmillan and CUP.

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Placebo


This week's Camino a Ítaca falls on Election Silence day, the blackout period when parties can no longer campaign before tomorrow's elections here in Spain. Autonomous communities and towns are up for grabs on Sunday and a particular sign on the street caused me to think. Click over to read the original version published in el HOY in Spanish or read the English version below. (PDF en castellano abajo)

The sign on the street said it with more barefaced, outright clarity than I had yet seen. There was no forced smiling face, no innovative ideas and not even the slightest attempt was made to masquerade behind any semblance of thought or individuality. It was as blatant as could be.

Vote for party X.

There on a street corner, the blighted, corrupt nature of Spanish politics was on full display, replete in a blue bus stop sign.

There wasn’t an idea in sight, nor any indication that there ever would be. It was the visual equivalent of a sugar pill placebo, with no active properties, being administered to the infirm. Take this and don’t question what ‘this’ is. It doesn’t matter. Just believe in our brand, take it and everything will somehow be alright.

There on that billboard was a question of faith rather than of democratic inquiry. It was the power and dominion of political parties in this country on full display and a shining example of the sheer brutality of their hegemony obviating independence of thought.

The streets have been colorful for the past two weeks with the primary colors of the national political parties flashing from lampposts. The political equivalents of Nike, Netflix or Apple flapping in the breeze, pleading to their faithful users to continue confiding in their collective, extraterritorial ineptitude.

Because when you cast a vote for the closed lists of these national giants, you automatically delegate decisions to Madrid. The parties’ regional representatives can claim to be independent regionalists and can even go so far as to purport to be progressive. Like the blue candidate who has stated in the press that she supposedly draws the line at the gains made by women and LGBTQ2+ collectives and supports their cause.

But the reality remains that the national party she represents reeks overwhelmingly like a burning bush. One that consistently takes any measure that contravenes atavistic laws dictated by a vengeful skygod that were written on stone tablets by bronze-aged Israelite stenographers to the Supreme Court. Even if she doesn’t base her values on pre-germ theory criteria, any contradiction of these primeval norms will always be overturned at the national level.

Then there is the prepollent party that has been in power in Extremadura for more than three decades. A party that, in more than a generation, has been unable to convincingly convey to Madrid the utter and complete exasperation felt by the inhabitants who live in what is in effect a second-class region. A region unable to aspire to services that other communities take for granted.

While trains combust and funds that should be destined here get derived to other parts of the country that support the coalition, rather than protest daily in front of the Moncloa, not even a strongly worded email is sent in dissent to the party leaders.

Today is a day to reflect, to think about the past, to ponder the future and examine where we foresee our cities and region developing. That paper tomorrow is a choice. One that can mean the ongoing outsourcing of decision making and the tired same old same old. Or it can mean a chance at something new.


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