Catalonia and I

It's really quite amazing how the things that featured in my past come back and one that has come back is Catalonia, which is something I knew of because of family connections, learning about the Spanish Civil War and reading many of the novels of George Orwell.
In North America as in Great Britain his two towering texts, Animal Farm a fable of a revolution gone wrong in the form of allegory of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and 1984 which is about totalitarian dictatorship, blind obedience to "The Party" and the attempt by defining out to prevent critical independent thought and betrayal
One book that had an influence on me was Homage To Catalonia which is his account as seen by him of being an independent fighter for the Spanish Republic against Franco that tells not just of the action but the bitter blood thirsty internal squabbles among the left-wing republican forces not least the sacrifice of non-communists by communist support and Russian Government  and the blind refusal of many on the English political left to tell it as it is.   

I hate to say it but there times where a disrespect for Truth and Humanity are ignored when it doesn't seem to fit a narrow political objective or imperative not just by suppression of criticism but the telling of deliberate untruths.
Part of that Civil War was about individual freedoms and the centralization of the State most telling after Franco's victory.
This is where today's concern for the people of Catalonia and of wider Spain come in because while previous regimes have tried to allow more local budget setting and decision making in the manner of the UK's evolving devolution and Quebec's unique status within Canada as a separate society, the current crisis happened on a backdrop of reduced autonomy.
It seems the current Government in Madrid feels a strong Spain in difficult economic and political times requires more control from the centre and this fed into a situation where the Catalan regional elections produced support for more independence minded parties.
This lead to the recent 'illegal' referendum where pro united Spain parties  abstained and by default the only parties taking part supported independence.
It is only fair to point out under the Spanish Constitution only the State has the power to call, hold and act on such referendums and declare independence. 
The referendum being called, the Government called in the National Police to disrupt the illegal action, seizing ballot boxes  beating up voters and protesters.
To pull a old woman by the hair, to beat causing cuts and bruises those who protest and deny the right to express though voting an opinion for a good number of us brings back the images of the 1930's and indeed of fascism.
While the election was illegal, the state held the Trump Card  in that it was well within its rights to not act upon the results and so having not prevented it, seeing polling itself had started tolerated it as a safety valve. No damage was being done.
Having done that then looking at how to square more support for greater local say on matters within being in Spain would of been a more sensible approach as would engaging in the debate during that campaign.
Instead, it only appears to have inflamed tensions more and the failure to adequately censure the Spanish Government for police conduct by the European Union and many of its leaders appalls me.