I am a lefty and not at all about “good old days”, or “nationalism”. I’m entirely opposed to all that nonsense.

As you are defending the banks, it’s YOU who obviously “hate people” — stop projecting. Everybody being involved in making money with money on professional level is not to trust.

I want media to control E.U. politicians and NOT media being controlled by whoever.

Clarissa Smith :
We need much more media reports and control, so people like Barroso cannot feel too comfortably.

You’re messing everything up. Maybe you’re an American Republican? The comment part did make sense so-so, until you came along. And suddenly smells like teabags…

Take it with a grain of salt. In large part the evictions have been on 2nd and even 3rd homes. Controlling for non-primary residences, the number is closer to 1000 than to the eye-watering numbers “campaigners” like to use.

Think about what motive a bank would have to evict: none. There is no-one to sell these houses to even if they did get people out. The smart thing is to cut a deal with the residents whereby they either restructure in some way, or stay in the place and pay rent. After all, it’s only “your house” when the mortgage is paid off.

As to wanting “pan-european political radio”, my guess is that you what you want to say is that you want some sort of sanctioned and controlled programming. After all, anyone can put up a station and uplink to a satelite, transmit on the internet, all with the hope that someone will broadcast OTA…

A public not interest in the goings on in Brussels and Strasbourg can certainly not be forced to do so by adding another state broadcaster to their world.
They would need to be viewed as doing somethign relevant – not phony stunts to demonstrate their relevance, but rather something consequencial, like indicating the limitations of their powers, and a committment to protecting local, provincial, and nation-state powers to earn public trust.

But then again, that’s not what I suspect that you really want. I think you miss the “good old days” with nationalistic-cun-pan-nationalistic form of public operant conditioning. Why do you hate people so much?

Frankly, my view on Spain isn’t that of a progressive country at all. Once a radio reporter told, his refusing plastic shopping bags wasn’t tolerated by Spanish cashiers. They shook their heads — and this within the 21st century! Being green/eco that way obviously was considered kinda screwy.

Repeating history: The Spanish reports on evictions as protests and efforts to prevent evictions also were to hear in the U.S. as still happen there. In Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States” you find this kind of stories within the 1930s Great Depression — suicides included.

Of course Obama’s reelection was the only choice to prevent total GOP insanity. So I downright had to cut out being a lefty. I really had to fake the at least moderate liberal, which was tough! Now I feel like going to the left — asking myself: Can I really trust European socialists? For if they consider themselves Keynesians, they might be sort of blue-dogs (right-wing Democrats, or should I say disguised Republicans?). And what is a Socialist? Should he have a beard like Karl Marx? Or should he be one of those who once were protesting students, but today wear the fanciest Italian suits and go to the parties of the corporate one-percenters?

I read Barroso’s bio on Wikipedia. What’s the matter with this fellow? First “communist”, then “social democrat”….. now part of the conservative caucus of the European Parliament? So, who in the European Parliament is truly committed to the distressed in Spain? How about those masses of complaining voters, not ready to get involved? Or the chaotic mess of European major mass media — even if you squeeze them like a squashed lemon you hardly get out a drop on E.U. issues.

Even if it sucks, again: We neeeeed pan-European political radio. We all got to watch the political scene in Brussels closer. We need much more media reports and control, so people like Barroso cannot feel too comfortably. Reports from Spain, pan-European discussion, call-ins by European fellow citizens of all nations. So I called a few public radio stations which were like, “Why this would be terrrrrible!” Because I am taking on state’s rights, and I mean the states within European nations. Well, as I feel, they should yield a few hours every week, still having enough time for their local blah-blah. Funnily, I discovered Radio Netherlands and Deutsche Welle on Canadian Public Radio, where they report on E.U. politics and it was great! But they don’t feel like airing this in Europe. Nooo, they rather advertise their countries throughout the world. Call it pan-European phlegm. Complaining about Brussels, but not doing their job as European media representatives. Maybe euobserver will start some more projects? You guys seem to have the right spirit and guts. Right now you’re all my hope.

Unfortunately some of our politicians keep listening to the lobbyists for the rich who talk them into supporting bankrupt banks out of fear for “loss of confidence” and who raise the specter of the rich entrepreneurs and CEOs leaving when taxes are too high. In fact very few leave and those who do are so money-oriented that they are prone to fraud too.

Even before the bubble burst, Spanish young people had a hard time finding jobs and affording housing. This was not a secret.

How societies can tolerate having both high rates of vacant properties and homelessness is immoral.

A two year moratorium just shows how short sighted politicians are. Does the government really think in 2 years things will be back to normal?

Has housing affordability in Spain improved or were have the bank bailouts had the effect of keeping the prices artificially inflated (as has been the case elsewhere)?