Is the Catalonian Referendum Really About Independence?

Farmers’ tractors and news cameras will be rolling in Catalonia Sunday morning as Catalans head to polling stations to vote once again on whether to secede from Spain.

Spain’s constitutional court ruled such a vote would be illegal, and Spanish authorities in Madrid have been taking draconian measures to deny Catalans their right to self-determination. They took down Catalan government websites with information about the vote, blocked social media messages of support, arrested organizers and seized ballots.

Still, the Catalan government says the vote will take place. If the majority votes in favor of independence, Catalan officials say the region will secede from Spain within 48 hours. Madrid will undoubtedly ignore an outcome in favor of secession. The Catalan government has already announced plans to hold a strike on Oct. 3 that could last up to a week.

According to a new poll conducted by the Spanish firm GAPS, 63 percent of Catalans plan to vote in the referendum — over 600,000 more people than had planned to vote just two weeks ago. Eighty-three percent of respondents said they intend to vote for independence.

Madrid ordered Catalan police to lock down all polling centers by 9 a.m. Sunday morning  and to wage a steep fine on pollsters. To ensure police comply and enforce the will of the Spanish government, national security forces have been deployed and embedded in local police departments. This will make a credible referendum challenging.

The optics on voting day look very bad for Madrid. Here is footage of early voting attempts.

La policia espanyola desallotja per la força els concentrats davant de l’escola Jaume Balmes de Barcelona #refND https://t.co/6m8VyXxnVu pic.twitter.com/zXATQMn5ay

— NacióPolítica (@naciopolitica) October 1, 2017

The New Nationalist (TNN) in general supports the right to self-determination along national lines. Though some in the movement speak of Catalan national pride, cultural heritage and the preservation of the Catalan language, it appears this battle with Spain is more about economic sovereignty than anything else. Do they realize they’re on the menu for a bankster pension loot? Do they think they will get a pass on their portion of Spain’s punishing debt and liabilities?  It is also very suspicious that the usual-suspect international lugenpresse is pushing in favor of the referendum.

Catalonia is the wealthiest and most prosperous region of Spain and pays some of the highest taxes Europe. Despite this, Catalans say Madrid has cut off funds and allowed schools and infrastructure to fall into disrepair. The funds, the Spanish government says, goes toward support of poorer regions of the country.

On the other hand, the Catalan government doesn’t appear to embrace pro-nationalist policies in two fundamental areas: migration and the E.U.

Historically, the region was the communistic resistance against Franco in the Spanish Civil War and thus brings cultural Marxist baggage into the fray. It has one of the highest migrant populations and promises citizenship to everyone. Thus, it could serve as the next open gate in the sub-Saharan-African-conquest invasion of Europe. [See “A Dystopic Threat to Europe Civilization: Sub-Saharan Africa Demographics.”]

Catalonia’s president has also vowed to join the E.U., naïvely believing that the organization will fill any gaps in military and trade created by a divorce from Spain.

TNN Takeaway: Catalonia should have the right to self-determination. But if they practice globalist political policies — such as uncontrolled migration and dependence on the E.U. — they will merely be going from the frying pan into the fire and pulling in the rest of Europe along with it. There is also high risk for a pent-up and volcanic European debt crisis. Splitting up and re-allocating Spain’s liabilities will be insurmountable to reconcile without a civil war. We smell more than a few bad actors in the Catalan separatist movement, all leading to a bad outcomes.