🚀 go-pugleaf

After two weeks of hard work, back to the "touchy bit..."

>I just read your mail on the Kurlansky article & I'm still digesting your
>comments... There are many bits and pieces there I'd like to talk about,
>but I'll rather stick to a couple of points than write a long doggerel.

>Prosperous?  Hmm...
>Not long ago, an article published in one of Iparralde's local newspapers
>reported that by the end of last year, the total number of unemployed people
>in Iparralde had gone up to 12.5% (44,817 people), a percentage rather high
>by both state and regional standards. ..... & so on

>I agree with all you say about Iparralde, but still all the present strains
>don't make it one of the poorest regions of France, as Kurlansky suggests,
>and the current recession there is a lot milder than in the northern
>industrial regions where unemployment is a lot higher (e.g. Lille 18%).
(...)

I was not rebutting your argument but questioning *prosperity* in Iparralde
in terms of economic success and progress.

>True, under pressure of ETA's revolutionary taxation many industrialists
>have left the Basque Country. However, by 1978, only two years after the
>dictator died, the Basque economy was already showing signs of impending
>collapse.  The iron, steel and ship-building sectors, the very
>foundation of Basque industry, were facing bankruptcy and many smaller
>family-owned industries were closing.  The collapse of the Basque heavy
>industry can not be blamed on ETA but to the lack of advanced technologies
>and productive efficiencies in a country whose industry relied on selective
>protectionist barriers as well as cheap and compliant labor. Moreover,
>under the regime's 'Plans' of the sixties, all new industries were
>created outside the Basque Country and levels of public investment in the
>Basque Country were relatively low.

>Well I do not blame on ETA the collapse of the Basque heavy industry
>and related sectors; the crisis of the seventies was not a sign of weakness
>of the Basque economy but a recession that affected most western countries.
>The Basque heavy industry collapsed in Bilbao just as it collapsed in
>Liverpool and other cities in the north of England and elsewhere,
>due to the sudden changes in manufacturing introduced in the
>sixties (plastic replacing metallic and wooden manufacturing components) and
>the energy crisis, etc.

Very good.  Then we both seem to agree that in order to get a wider picture of
the economic situation in the Basque Country, there are other factors besides
political violence that should be taken into consideration.

>In those days however, unlike today, there was wide popular support for ETA,
>not only
>within the Basque Country but also abroad, especially after the killing
>of General C. Blanco, who was the only clever person left in the country
>who was nicely kept aside to sucede Franco and lead medieval Spain into
>the next century. (I'm joking a bit here, but it's a fact that during
>class). ETA was in no shortage of recruits and money as it is today. It set no
>finger on real Basques (benetako Euskaldunak -- i.e. nationalists) &
>the victims of its extortion were horizontally-challenged industrialists
>with a fascist twist.

Yes, I also think that ETA is in shortage of money and although there are
rumors about a "Uruguayan connection" and a "Mexican connection," they have
not been confirmed yet.

In regard to kidnapping by ETA for monetary benefit, both non-nationalists and
nationalists have been targets of the organization.  True, while attacking the
interests of the pro-Spanish wealthy aristocracy does not seem to present for
ETA any legitimation problem, a very different situation results when the PNV
becomes ETA's target.  ETA's kidnapping and killing of a PNV middle-class
afiliate in the seventies, provoked deep tension within the nationalist
community and that was the case with the Basque industrialist Berazadi who
was supportive of the PNV.  I believe Arrasate, Belaunde, Aguirre who were
kidnapped by ETA in the seventies, were also afiliated with the PNV.

In don't think ETA is in shortage of recruits.  However, the steady
arrest as well as preventive imprisonment of suspects of belonging or
collaborating with the organization is difficulting the replacement of
activists.  But even with arrests intensifying in France and Spain, ETA's
operations are still going on and just a few days ago, the police confirmed
that the organization was able to transfer explosive material from France
into Spain and warned the FSE of possible attacks by ETA within the
next few days.  One just took place in Barcelona.

>only that but moreover, in the late days of the dictatorship and
>well into the transition to the very peculiar idea of democracy in Spain,
>Spanish police did not have an anti-terrorist branch to fight ETA...

So GAL did it. GAL, Grupo Anti-ETA de Liberacion (Anti-ETA Liberation
Group), an organization of mercenaries dedicated to killing Basque activists
and exiles in southern France.  And both the Spanish government and police are
suspected of being involved in the murder of more than 20 Basque activists
in France in 1983-87.

>Now all that is much otherwise. ETA has no money, its infrastructure is
>regularly dismantled...

After Bidart, ETA's infrastructure was badly hit but not totally dismantled.
Even the Ministry of Interior admitted that although some top ETA leaders
were arrested, they have been replaced by others.  Moreover, the special
report on ETA "Murders or Martyrs? There is no peace in the Basque Country"
(some of ETA's leaders were interviewed) broadcasted by a German television
channel a few days ago may have confirmed it.  Yes, ETA's commandos are
regularly dismantled but the organization still retains its power of
reproduction.

>a very effective police intelligence, French anti-terrorist
>collaboration...

Well, I think is the other way around: an effective French police
intelligence with some tips provided by the Spanish police.  It was the
the French police that arrested 'Artapalo,' 'Pakito,' Aguirre Erostarbe,
Alvarez Santacristina, all key ETA leaders.  No operation similar in
importance to Bidart has been conducted by the Spanish police.  I think
Joel Cathala has been more succesful against ETA than Vera and Corcuera
together although, the dissapearance of Arrieta Zubimendi in Paris about
two months ago has disoriented the French police and Cathala in particular.

>The strength of ETA's enemies has not discouraged its members. But ETA
>has lost support in nationalist ranks and only a very radical extreme-left
>peculiar bunch has a sympathetic word for them. Whereas the intensity of
>repression can only increase anger and an urge forrevenge (...)

>The tension this has created, together with the fragmentation of the
>nationalists has persuaded many industrialists and entrepreneurial people
>that there are too many clashing interests and social & political tension
>to do business freely thinking only of business as one ought to.

True. However, I think that this tension created by ETA has benefitted
the PNV.  I'll explain.

The PNV has in ETA a very strong instrument at hand which enables it
to extract further concessions from Madrid.  The PNV has consistently
impressed upon Madrid that if nationalist demands as peacefully pursued
by the PNV are not met, then the nationalist community will give its
support to ETA's violent methods of obtaining these demands. When Arzallus
said: "No creemos que sea bueno que ETA sea derrotada. No lo creemos
y no seria bueno para Euskal Herria," he really meant it.  On the other
hand, Madrid knows very well that the existence of an ETA military works
against consensus between the PNV and the abertzale left.

I think you're right when you say that the strength of ETA's enemies have not
discouraged its members.  I remember something the Basque anthropologist
Zulaika says in his brilliant account of political violence in the Basque
Country.  He says that in the fight against ETA, the Spanish government has
become a satellite of ETA.  I think he is right.  I think the Spanish state
perpetuates ETA through its repressive means.  Repression fuels ETA which
in turn responds with more violence as a ritual of self-affirmation and
group solidarity.
                        Marta

>Mikel