[rael-science] [with Rael's comment] Huge turnout for Catalan independence rally‏

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The Raelian Movement
for those who are not afraid of the future : http://www.rael.org   
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RAEL'S COMMENT: It is part of the new world revolution to see more and more small, human-size areas becoming independent and federated in a new world government. All big empires will explode, following Russia, the USA, China, and India, but so will smaller countries like Spain, Italy and France that are patchworks of smaller cultures maintained artificially together because they were forced by violence to do so. 

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Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19564640

Huge turnout for Catalan independence rally

Some 1.5 million Catalans took to the streets of Barcelona to march for independence

Some 1.5 million people have been taking part in Catalonia's annual independence rally in Barcelona, according to police.

Tens of thousands of people poured into the city waving the region's independence flag and brandishing the colours red and yellow.

This year's march aimed to be the biggest ever - and a protest against the Spanish government's tax laws.

Catalonia wants Madrid to review its tax agreement and provide a bailout.

The size of the turnout for the rally, which is held annually on 11 September to mark the Siege of Barcelona 300 years ago, forced organisers to change its route.

Alfred Bosch, an MP from the Republican left of Catalonia, told the BBC: "All the flags I can see are the pro-independence flags of Catalonia with the lonely star right in the middle of the triangle.

"And everybody is wearing these flags. I have never seen so many pro-independence flags in my all life."

Protester Teresa Cabanes told Reuters: "This is a blow for the government. People like me came from everywhere. I don't think they were expecting something as big."

The huge volume of people overwhelmed the mobile phone network, which shut down for hours as a result, reports say.

Fiscal autonomy

Spain's economic crisis, which has left one out of four people unemployed, has sharpened Catalonia's demand for fiscal independence from Spain, as well as political autonomy.

 Last month Catalonia demanded a bailout from Madrid of 5bn euros

Catalonia, which is Spain's wealthiest region and represents a fifth of the Spanish economy, wants to be able to raise its own taxes and spend them.

Last month, Catalonia demanded a bailout from Madrid of 5bn euros (£4bn), on the basis that it believes the central government owes the region that much in overpaid taxes.

But, as with the rest of Spain, the region faces big economic challenges.

Catalonia has to take out 13bn euros (£10bn) in loans this year to refinance maturing debt, on top of funding its deficit for the current year.

The BBC's Madrid correspondent, Tom Burridge, also says economists have warned that the Catalan government has barely enough money to pay its public sector workers.

Regional bailouts

Pro-autonomy leaders claim Catalonia pays a disproportionate level of taxes to Madrid in relation to the funding it receives.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has said fiscal independence for Catalonia would achieve nothing in the country's overall battle against economic collapse.

Mr Rajoy and Catalonia's regional leader, Artur Mas, are due to meet on 20 September.

Spain's struggling economy has declined for three consecutive quarters as it continues to suffer from the effects of its property bust caused by the financial crisis.

Other regions have appealed to the government for bailouts. The latest, Andalusia, asked for an immediate injection of 1bn euros (£800m) last week.

Valencia and Murcia have also requested bailouts in recent weeks.

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WARNING FROM RAEL: For those who don't use their intelligence at its full capacity, the label "selected by RAEL" on some articles does not mean that I agree with their content or support it. "Selected by RAEL" means that I believe it is important for the people of this planet to know about what people think or do, even when what they think or do is completely stupid and against our philosophy. When I selected articles in the past about stupid Christian fundamentalists in America praying for rain, I am sure no Rael-Science reader was stupid enough to believe that I was supporting praying to change the weather. So, when I select articles which are in favor of drugs, anti-semitic, anti-Jewish, racist, revisionist, or inciting hatred against any group or religion, or any other stupid article, it does not mean that I support them. It just means that it is important for all human beings to know about them. Common sense, which is usually very good among our readers, is good enough to understand that. When, like in the recent articles on drug decriminalization, it is necessary to make it clearer, I add a comment, which in this case was very clear: I support decriminalizing all drugs, as it is stupid to throw depressed and sad people (as only depressed and sad people use drugs) in prison and ruin their life with a criminal record. That does not mean that there is any change to the Message which says clearly that we must not use any drug except for medical purposes. The same applies to the freedom of expression which must be absolute. That does not mean again of course that I agree with anti-Jews, antisemites, racists of any kind or anti-Raelians. But by knowing your enemies or the enemies of your values, you are better equipped to fight them. With love and respect of course, and with the wonderful sentence of the French philosopher Voltaire in mind: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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"Ethics" is simply a last-gasp attempt by deist conservatives and
orthodox dogmatics to keep humanity in ignorance and obscurantism,
through the well tried fermentation of fear, the fear of science and
new technologies.
 
There is nothing glorious about what our ancestors call history, 
it is simply a succession of mistakes, intolerances and violations.
 
On the contrary, let us embrace Science and the new technologies
unfettered, for it is these which will liberate mankind from the
myth of god, and free us from our age old fears, from disease,
death and the sweat of labour.
 
Rael
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