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Alejandro B
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It is a very complex theme, because Spanish history is very complex.
First of all, part of the "Basque Country" is in France.
Basically, they were a part of the Kingdom of Castilla and Kingdom of France, and later from Spain/France, but with their own identity, culture and a completely different language form Spanish and French.
The "Spanish" part from the Basque Country has always had their own tax system and different parts of legislation.
Since the 19th century some people there have been demanding independence. But this issue is much more complex because all Basque people feel Basques themselves, but a lot of them feel they are part of Spain and are against independence. These last group of people usually can't express their ideas with freedom because they are under terrorist threatem.
What is more, Basque population is noawadays a mix, because, as it is a very industrialize region, there are a lot people with no-Basque origin living in the Basque Country, and some of them are against Basque independece, some other not.
The Basque Autonomous Goverment is always begging for more power and more own taxes to the Spanish Goverment, and they obtein that little by little.
On the other hand, the independentist terrorist group ETA kill both Basques and Spanish people, in a non-sense way of violence, and it makes very difficult the dialogue about Basque independence every time that the Spanish Goverment have tried it, and it provoques Spanish Goverment to illegalize some independentist partys because they finance ETA with the money that they obtein from the elections, and this all makes avrything more difficult. |
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maria
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I am from the Basque Country and very proud of it and I don´t want the independence from Spain. Also, not everyone in the Basque Country wants the independence and we are not all terrorists.
It is a shame that people feel that. I would love if you went there and decided what you think about the region and the people. There are idiots everywhere you go, but also really lovely people that pretty much want to make you feel at home.
I love the Basque Country and we get bad press because of all the terrorism (fair enough I guess) but I would encourage anyone to go there and enjoy it! It is beautiful! And we are friendly too and we speak in Spanish if you don´t understand euskera!! |
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MC
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The Basque people largely consider themselves to have a separate identity from the rest of Spain - they have their own language, culture, history, territory, industry, and ancestry. From their perspective, they aren't really "Spanish" and want this recognized. Spain, like many other countries, is a political entity created by pulling together some relatively dissimilar pieces (many in Catalonia would like to be a separate country as well). It's dominated by central Spain (Castile, as in the Castilian language that most of the world calls "Spanish").
Historically, the Basque region has been allied or subject to central Spain/Castile for hundreds of years, but usually with a different tax system and more autonomy for local government. In the 1800s this began to change, and many Basques would like to go back to the old system. Some Basques hope that by agitating, they will convince the central government to give them more independence or an outright release. There are extremists, of course, who make this process difficult to take seriously due to their violence (like the terrorist group ETA). But many Basques just want a country to call their own.
The Spanish government resists this because they value the Basque region -- its culture, industry, etc. are valuable to the country as a whole. Additionally, if they let one region go, others (such as Catalonia) might be next. So, for instance, they declare some Basque political parties illegal, which is understandably upsetting to the members of those parties.
For comparison, look at the former USSR/Soviet Union. When the political strength of the central government failed, several of the member "states" left the union. These states (e.g., Georgia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, etc.) had been compelled by the central republics such as Russia to be part of the USSR against their will. When Russia could no longer compel them to remain in the Union, they asserted their own national identities. As soon as a couple of states realized they could break away, others quickly followed.
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Clipper
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How ironic that the Basque person responding to this question does so in Spanish, with spelling mistakes, and simply resorts to calling the other people, who have taken time to explain the issue to the best of their ability, thick.
That pretty much says it all if you ask me. |
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SOC JO! A capite ad calcem
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Because,as also us Catalans,they have got their own language,their own culture and way of doing things that differ from the Spanish quite a lot.It´s just like being in another country if you look at it. |
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Carousel
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It's not just Spain, it's part of France as well. They want their own homeland. They are a very nationalistic community and even have their own language. I live in Spain and I recently visited the Basque country. The feeling you get is like being in a foreign country.
Spain could be a divided country because if the Basques got independence, then the Catalans would want it.
Spain is upsetting them because they won't give them independence. There has been talk of dialogue, but everytime it gets close there is terrorist action and the dialogue gets further away. |
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truthfully777
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I think it is so retarted lets just separate Argentina from the Italian blooded and the German blooded and the Spanish blooded and the French blooded and the English blooded hell and the native blooded
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Salva
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It begins from cultural differences, but what the Basques doesn't know is that Spain is an union of different regions with its own genuine culture (in addition to the Spanish culture that EVERY regions share). Spain is not homogeneus. But every region has its own particularities and it's a pity that just Basques and Catalans feel that only they have particularities because ANY Spanish region is like other Spanish region at all. Of course, they're Spain anyway, but everyone has something special, and that's why they conforms "a region".
For example, I am from Murcia, I live in Aragon, both have their cultural particularities, but they're Spain anyway, so, I don't feel I'm a foreigner when in Aragon, you know? We're Spaniards anyway.
Differences are more obvious in the Basque Country, Catalonia... because of the language true. But that's not just a reason to get the independence. The Valencian community also has catalan (they call it "valencian") as a co-official language, but they don't renounce their Spanish nationality.
Some regions think they're self-sufficient, but that's not true. Both Basque Country and Catalonia are economically stronger than other Spanish communities, and they contribute with the State with more money than the rest, and even some other regions need money from them. But at the same time, well, they have a lot of resources, but a lot of people from other regions have migrated to them and have collaborated to rise the Basque and the Catalan economies. So, they contribute more to the State, but they also have help of other regions, for example work force.
Besides, you can claim for independece because of legitimate reasons like that, but that's not a reason to offend the Spanish culture, and some of them constantly attack and insult the Spanish culture. Well, I'm proud of being Spaniard but I don't have the right to insult the French for example. So, if they don't consider themselves as Spaniards they don't have the right to offend people like do.
Nevertheless I have to say that these "attacks" are not exactly widespread, so that doesn't mean that Basques and Catalans can't get on well with the rest, because it's not true.
It's just that the independentist activities are notable.
In fact, that are also a Spanish fascist movement that claims for an unique culture without respecting these particularities.
So, its a war in which it's fault of the two bands.
And... sorry about my English!! |
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Jane S
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Hmmmm. You could ask why they want independence from France, as well.
Because they want their own country, of course.
The true answer, though, is much more complicated than that, but that's the simple answer. |
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F@N D€ BoN€$
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dios aqui hay gente que responde y nisiquueira es español..que banda de paletos...soy vasca,y no saveis nada del tema...
im basque...y vosotros sunormales perdidos... |
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HeterĂłnimo
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"Spain" doesn't exist.
It is an artificial country created only in 1492, composed of several old kingdoms each with its own language and culture.
What you know by "spanish culture" actually refers to Andaluzia and Castilla-La Mancha.
All the other kingdoms, Galicia, Basque Country, Catalunya, Navarra, Leon, Valencia. Asturias keep their own identity.
The thing is that for many centuries, this identity was oppressed, outlawed and people who stand up for it were persecuted, tortured and killed. And this as recently as the 1970's. That's why many of these Autonomous Regions want further independence from "Spain".
The Basque Country is the Region withe the most fierce will for further autonomy and also one of the most persecuted during the Dictatorship of Franco. The basque language was even forbidden until 1975.
Although the terrorist organization ETA goes to extremes that cannot be tolerated, like planting bombs, the truth is that the basque people has the right to further autonomy. |
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esa_yO
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I am spanish, the basques want independence because they want create a country, and they can´t do it, and so they practise violence |
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Dke
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http://robertlindsay.blogspot.com/2005/06/basque-independence-movement.html |
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SnoddersB
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Probably the same reason that the Scots want to be independent from the UK, and the english want to be independent from the criminals in Brussels. |
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wild-man of Borneo
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Look in the real world.
Decode this lyrics " We are the world"
"We are family"
Luke 22.3-6
John 8.44
Luke 3.7-9
Exodus 1.5
Genesis 11.1,6
Luke 16.13
Matt 23.27
Exodus 23.24,32
Luke 6.39-40,41-45,46-49
Luke 8.5-8,10-17
Luke 9.25,55-56,60
Exodus 20.1-7
Leviticus 26.1, 13
Leviticus 4.13,22
Matt 22. 17-21,32
Luke 9.27
Luke 21.30-36
Luke 21.8-10
Revelation 16.14
Matt 7.15-27
Matt 27.29.37
Luke 24.44-45,47
What do you think? |
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