Politics

Obama: ‘Catalonia Must Be Free’

Nov 28, 2012

U.S. president Barack Obama endorsed independence for Catalonia today, saying the time had come for the long-suffering Spanish region to jettison the 'authoritarian' yoke of Madrid.

In a surprise speech to the UN General Assembly the recently reelected Obama called for an immediate referendum on Catalonia's fate, with hopes of ending the 900-year 'Castilian occupation' of the prosperous northern region: 

"For too long Spain has forced Catalonia to accept state-of-the-art high speed rail lines, world-class public services, and incomes twice as high as the global average."

"Madrid cruelly inflicted the Olympic games on Catalonia in 1992. And in 2009 it heartlessly built a brand new international airport terminal on their territory."

"The United States can no longer sit idly by as this velvet oppression continues. We stand with the Catalan people against their Spanish oppressors."

Homage to Egomania

Obama explained to the assembled dignitaries that the situation in Catalonia should be the world's top priority at this moment:

"We cannot afford to be distracted by events in Syria, Congo, Somalia or Afghanistan. The world's attention must be squarely focused on the anguish in the streets of Barcelona."

"Let's not think about the child soldiers in Africa, the starving mothers in India, or the millions of political prisoners in North Korea."

"Let us think of the poor Catalan millionaire, being forced to spend .004% of his income so that a Galician child can eat."

Obama then ended his speech with a rousing call to action spoken in flawless Catalan:

"Catalunya ha d'estar lliure"

 

The Daily Currant
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004304437633 Antonio Navarro Sanchez

    CONGRATULAZIONE DEL PADRINO

    GIORGIO PUJOLONE TRINCONETTI (e famiglia)
    Onorevole Capi di Capi di tutti li Capi di la “MAMANDURRIA”
    e il suo Egregio Commendatore
    ARTURO MASSOLINI (al 4%)
    di la molta pela no devaluata,
    auguri un BUON NATALE a tutti li componenti
    di la COSA NOSTRA (al 4%)

  • Vallejo

    Calla, reprimit! calvo! envejós, que has robat més que el Lute! i si no hagués estat per Catalunya encara et menjaries els mocs allà baix…

  • karlfet

    m’agradaria saber a mi perquè parles en Italia, tenint un nom Castellà, que passa que no arribes ni a això? Quin fastic de Feixistes post-franquistes. Mafiosos vosaltres els PPeros que heu destruit València, tall de lladres, damunt el vostre pressident no sap ni parlar en angles. Mamandurria es la teua ben volguda filla de puta Esperanza Aguirre, en lloc de desitjar el bon nadal podries anar-te’n a fer la ma a una illa.

  • Terry

    That’s awful. “For too long Spain has forced Catalonia to accept state-of-the-art high speed rail lines, world-class public services, and incomes twice as high as the global average.” 😛

  • catalan freeman

    who firms that joke, don’t known anything about catalonian people. And this part : “Let us think of the poor Catalan millionaire, being forced to spend .004% of his income so that a Galician child can eat.”
    it’s a peace of shit, because, the 90% to catalonian population aren’t millionaire, and no one to Galician child is dying at this moment for catalan’s acts of freedom and democracy. Congratulations for this fake. A stupid joke.

  • http://twitter.com/Amsterlife Amsterlife

    This is unbelievable, and it must be a joke for you, but it’s not. I am Catalan and we are far from being millionaires. My family doesn’t even have a property, unable to find a job, and without a salary over 850 euros a month. Yes, this is the reality of Catalonia. Rich? Rich is resources, rich in what? It’s pathetic to make fun of people not only in Catalonia but in many countries who do not have jobs, a home, something to eat. So bugger off and inform yourselves a bit. It’s fun to write satiric texts but in order to be funny and witty you need to inform yourselves better and be more cultured. You talk bullshit.

  • Tània

    Who wrote this should really start learning something, have you tried reading or travelling into Catalonia? I don’t care it’s a joke, because jokes usually are sustained in something real and I’m sure there are a lot of readers who don’t know the truth about Catalonia and can be misled with this shit.

  • Nicolau

    bad joke…

  • SSSSSSSSSSS

    Ask to european parliament about de “central corridor” or the “mediterranean corridor” and the mad position about it of the spanish authotities. The joke is stupid. In Catalonia there are deep economics problems.

  • Español opresor

    You catalans don’t have any sense of humour. Better go to see childish “Polònia”. Or anything that confirms your provincial world view.

  • Jimmy

    As you can see, friends from The Daily Currant, Catalan nationalists have a great sense of humor. Just imagine what it’s like to go through this this every single day!

  • Mario

    Keep reading Spanish newspapers, that’s humour.

  • Albert R.

    Hey guys, we the catalans are known for laughing at ourselves. Don’t be stupid critizicing this joke due of its foreign origin when we could do the same…
    If you read the rest of the website, they follow a philosophy, they are not attacking us. Instead, if Catalonia appears in this website it means that we are already in the world thoughts..
    Freedom for Catalonia!!

  • Vero

    oita un retrasat!

  • Akor

    30% of catalan people are on the edge of poverty. There’s not much to smile about these things.

  • anna mas

    I am catalan. I have no job. I have no propertys of my own. I rent an appartment that I can’t afford. I don’t know if I will have a home for christmas. So, if you see one of those millionaires you talk about, please ask the some money for catalan people too. Beacause we arw suffering. And you don’t know nothing about us. Travel and read a little before to write stupide things.

  • Gary

    The following:

    “Madrid cruelly inflicted the Olympic games on Catalonia in 1992. And in 2009 it heartlessly built a brand new international airport terminal on their territory.”

    is not a joke, it’s offensive. It makes us look as stupid people. Olympic Games brought money to ALL the country, and after the games the only people that suffered of losing their job was catalan people. About the airport, I supose that the person that wrote this doen’t know that madrid (government) prohibits international HUB flight from Barcelona and says that all have to be from Madrid Barajas Airport.

    I understand that the intent of all this it was just for joking, but sometimes theese mistakes can damage the reputation of the “victims” of the joke.

  • Soki_Vuit

    This is shameful! Why Mr. Obama has to worry about other countries he does not have any relation? Surely if now, we, the Spanish in Texas help them become independent, not like that huh? Gifts to worry once for their country and those who believe the U.S. stop the kings of the world! I have not made this comment the wrong way to criticize the north Americans, but the fact that you do not want to separate Catalonia!
    ¡España es una y no cinqcuenta-y-una!

  • Joan

    stupid fascist jokes ! as a “millionaire ” catalan I should feel insulted, we the catalans can make jokes without insulting, lying or playing with people’s feelings, shame on you !.

  • Joan

    tu si que tens sentit del humor també es foten amb vosaltres els africans.

  • Satiric Marta

    Yes, we the catalan are so selfish!

    Who cares that 40% of the tax we pay goes to Galicia’s high-speed train (unused as the rest of Castilla’s are) or the central train line that EU says is useless?

    Let’s speak of something that really cares… Maybe the Kyoto’s protocol that USA uses as wc paper? Or the chinese factories slaving children to provide 100% american products?

    Please, teach us the right way of live!

  • joan de barcelona

    Hi People, We was thinking, Mr Obama was really Ok, now this opinions and supourt, say as Obama is really the best. If anybody don´t belive it, come to spain, and see how all is runing.
    Dictator times and Dictator time desitions are again in every table, all again like it was before 1975.Dear Mr Obama, Thanks a lot.
    Joan

  • Caganer

    Get bent, you bastard!

  • xarnego_nui

    Sí, som africans, tens algú problema amb això, noi?

  • Mora

    “Joer”…
    cuanto fascista de Mas y “Company” (erc….) hay por estos lares…. los catalibanes abundan: provocan el chiste y luego se cabrean porque nos reimos… Pero si los catalibanes solo provocan eso…. eso y repudio porque su odio está provocando división en Cataluña… y los catalanes no tenemos la culpa: en otros lares está el KKK, en otros los “heil Hitler”, en otros (en Cataluña) los catalibanes… ¿quién da “Mas”?.

  • Max_S

    Hallo everybody, I’m not catalan, I’m from Milan, Lombardy.
    i get this is a joke and i don’t want to be the one that takes everything too seriously, but the message that this article is passing is that we should stand all the abuses because in the world there are people that lives worse than we do.
    Little abuses calls bigger abuses, bigger abuses calls tyranny. We should not allow any abuse of any kind, any avoidance of the democracy and of the freedom, don’t care how little it is. Just in this way the world will be a better place.
    Catalunia’s future should be decides by catalans, this is democracy, this is the beginning of a better world , which we all are seeking.

    Catalunya lliure and freedom for all the people of the world, Basque, Flanders, Scotland, Lombardy, Venice, Sicily, Bretagne, Wales, Tibet, and so on, for all the peoples.

  • http://twitter.com/malditoroedortv zmaro

    You need a bit of sense of humor catalan freeman … And which moniker, so solemn. What a pity.

  • http://twitter.com/malditoroedortv zmaro

    You need a bit of sense of humor, amsterlife … You have always had a reputation for dull. Another missed opportunity …

  • http://twitter.com/malditoroedortv zmaro

    You racist, shame of you, Joan, Mario, Vero… the only you know is to insult.

  • http://twitter.com/malditoroedortv zmaro

    Ppero you father, racist moron.

  • http://twitter.com/malditoroedortv zmaro

    Spain exist, racist moron, catalonian fascist, and the soveraignty of entire Spain belongs to all spanish citizens. This is democracy. You stupid talking about Lombardy, Venice, Bretagne, Tibet (¿!), that’s why this article is mocking of the catalonian nationalist… because you are stupid boors.

  • Angry Catalan

    You’ve lost a (Catalan) reader

  • Angrycatalan

    Yes, everybody knows, everybody knows… It is almost proverbial.

  • Rorschach

    Magnífico artículo. Si todos hiciéramos igual y nos tomáramos con humor los delirios separatistas, habría muchísima menos crispación en España. A juzgar por los comentarios, me imagino que los lectores de The Daily Currant se habrán dado cuenta, si es que no lo sabían ya, de que la falta de sentido de humor es algo común a todos los fanatismos.

  • Maria

    Gracias por este artículo. Como todos los nacionalismos, el nacionalismo catalán ha avanzado utilizando la manipulación y la mentira para conseguir sus fines, pero el fin no justifica los medios y la ideología no debería nunca ser más importante que el respeto a los derechos humanos. Trabajo en un centro escolar y soy testigo del adoctrinamiento sutil y sistemático al que son sometidos los alumnos en nuestras escuelas y las familias. Lo lamento, porque en el mundo ya hay muchas injusticias, no hya nada que justifique lo que se está haciendo. Human rights are the only futur for Humanity.

  • t.c. parker

    Why don’t we just let Catalunya free? And I mean no more requests for help from the central federal government, all services taken away; complete separation. Let’s see how it goes.

  • Max_S

    Hi, just for information:
    this is not italian, it seems something translated by google translator.
    I speak italian and I can’t understand what it means.
    Bye.

  • Kimet

    Come on! I’m catalan too, this is taking the piss of the nationalists not of Catalonia or all their people. Unless you’re a nationalist, can’t understand your comments. And please, Catalonia has one of the less rate of unemployment in Spain, it’s high but not more than 15% while in other places in Spain reaches the 30% (theorically, because we all know how to cheat in our country for getting the unemployment help incomes).

  • Kimet

    This is not true my friend…

  • A free catalan

    Take it easy! Nationalism is manipulating everything, don’t believe their lies. I would say: freedom for non nationalists catalans!

  • A free catalan

    Bullshit, you’re lying first of all… Your post seems one of these Christmas Carrol story, and this isn’t the scenario of Catalonia… I’m sure you’re one of these young people that still living with you parents because it’s easy. You’re the one that should travel more, nationalist girl, to see your stupidity with another prespective before posting.

  • A free catalan

    Isn’t “spanish authorities”, it’s the PP position and not all of their politicians wants these project to be done like that. It’s true that their position is stupid, but don’t make the difference between spanish and catalan, all we’re spanish, you want it or not, their are our authorities. But doesn’t matter, the project will be done through the mediterranean, so no problem.

  • A free catalan

    Nationalism is something you should learn about to avoid doing the same big mistakes as the formers nationalisms in Europe. Please take my words in consideration.

  • gunderedo

    Ha, ha, ha… it’s so funny. Now, don’t forget to buy your antispam catalonian filter. Congrats from Castile.

  • pepito

    Good

  • Bruce

    In fact, catalan authorities wrote the book about cheating with figures and statistics… Unemployment in “CATATONIA” is 19% nowadays (and increasing) , not 15%.

  • Joe Bcn

    Freedom for Catalonia \*//
    Referendum right now!

  • Jordi

    hahaha it’s really fun… and actually true!

  • Putronio

    Los CATALONIANOS deben irse y dejar vivir al resto de habitantes de España.

  • Juan Antonio Postigo Martín

    Obama then ended his speech with a rousing call to action spoken in flawless Catalan:

    “Catalunya ha d’estar lliure”

    This is FLAWED Catalan. Correct would be “Catalunya ha d’ÉSSER lliure” o “Catalunya ha de SER lliure”.

  • Guillem

    Hi, I’m catalan, I found this funny, I know it’s a joke, and I still want freedom for Catalonia. Obviously it’s not a 1st priority issue in international politycs, but for our people, it’s kinda important, and I understand people with not used to the internet might get offended by reading this. My advice: chill, guys, showing we’ve got sense of humor is x1000 better than raging.

    Resum en català: Millor el seny que la rauxa a l’hora de llegir i comentar aquest article.

  • trejuvell

    So you, in the Daily Currant, you think that catalans are in this world to pay for the castilians and andalusians that are resting all day long, and making fiesta by night.

    And you think that it is also normal that our language has to disapear because castilians are refractary to ANY diference.

    They have been trying to do so during the last 300 years, and may be you think that we have to wait 300 more years to react

    Their intolerance took them to expel muslims, jews, moriscos, conversos, and even of jesuits out from Spain, and to establish a hidden Project of Great Castile fully comparable to the Great Serbia or the Grossdeutschland.

    May be you need that someone exlains you all this in english.

    Look at that please:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vxdlD5KuCA

  • joe_l

    That is simply not true. The Barcelona airport was a hub for Spanair, and Quatar airlines is more recently considering making it a hub for their airline. If no airline picks it as a hub is for economical and operational issues alone. To say otherwise is to blatantly lie, and the proof is in the pudding. BTW, Spanair went broke a couple of years ago; may be in part because of that choice.

  • joe_l

    Frankly, to hear that anybody advocates a return in Europe to the mini-fiefdoms of the Middle Ages is striking. Especially at an age when internationalism, globalism, united frontiers, the EU, the UN etc. is the wave. Plus, to hear nationalist sentiments articulated in Europe after the horrors and devastation that nationalisms have created in that continent in the very recent past and history should make anyone cringe.

  • Francis Roland

    Poor men´s of Cataluña, Lombardy, Venice, Wales and Bretagne, they aren´t frees, they are slaves like palestinian people.
    !Cry for them¡ they dont have money for buy Armani jeans¡

  • http://alasfilipinas.blogspot.com/ Pepe Alas

    ¡Jajaja! Como decimos aquí en Filipinas, “BOOM PANES!” 😀

  • Max_S

    I’m globalist, internationalist and europeist. But this doesn’t mean that i want a giant centralist state like China… In my opinion every big or less big state, with the time passing, become more and more centralist and more tyrannical with parts of its territory, like a violent husband. The ONLY method to avoid this without violence is to allow divorce, that is.. to allow separation, independence, secession, or call it as you want.
    Till when secession is “forbidden” , we will be sure that the government and states will be always more and more tyrannical with specific part of its territory.

    And 2 cents more: Little states are more open to commerce, freedom and internationalization. They simply cannot do all-alone. Only big states with tenth of millions of people are prone to such things as autarchism and racism, avoid of the immigration and free exchange and so on, while little states are economically obliged to allow free commerce, free people movement, having an open culture and so on.

  • Max_S

    If someone takes the 70% of your wage, letting you keep let’s say $200 or $300 / month, i suppose you would say it is right, and you would shut up and let it do it without complain… because of course you can live with that money, and the great part of humanity lives with less than that sum… may be you won’t buy armani jeans or the computer you’re posting here with…
    it’s the same thing.

  • joe_l

    I don´t know if you are American. But remember what happened in the USA when a few Southern confederate states wanted to split. There was a civil war. And the South lost, by the way. Unions are good and the future; mini-states are medieval, old and the past.