typicallyspanish.com

A strong opposition does not mean what we have seen from you and your current team over the past four years of argument and protest.
Ok......that is hillarious. The governement needs a strong opposition. An opposition that is basically....not an opposition. We want an oppositionless opposition. (You know, kinda like the one that Fidel has.)

Bob, your comments entertain us almost daily, and I thank you for them. If you lived in Spain you would understand the comment I was trying to make here. The opposition we have seen in Spain for the past four years was weak and ineffectual, concentrated on a few obsessive subjects and made without any real arguement. It was in no way constructive and certainly in no way presented any alternative.
Unlike in the United States, there is a very large difference in policy between the two main parties in most European countries, and this difference merits a greater debate and input from the opposition, not simply voting against every single proposal from the government.

hp, I guess you know enough about me to know where I live. In any case, Im glad your entertained. Your biasness violates the very foundation of journalism. Your response is filled with conjecture and opinion.
"The opposition we have seen in Spain for the past four years was weak and ineffectual, concentrated on a few obsessive subjects and made without any real arguement. It was in no way constructive and certainly in no way presented any alternative."
Based on your editorial, the opposition really gets under your skin. Unfortunately, though your left wing bias finds it distastfull, one will always find dissent in a democracy. Maybe if you opine enough, you can stop the dissent of the opposition with ridicule and childish, demeaning language. Keep trying. I rather enjoy your idealistic shortcomings.
Now, if your really understood the happenings of the political issues in the US you would find a left wing party (democrat) that does the exact thing that you claim the PP does. It rails against anything presented by the conservative party (republican) just for the sake of arguement. However, each political party will someday be held responsible for its viewpoint. (at the polls by the voters) And that viewpoint invariably comes down to either your, Leninist, big government, eco-obsessed, welfare state. Or my free-market (Friedman), small government, market supported state. You are never hesitant to blindly espouse the former.
Either way, the PP will never go away, and your efforts to put your heel on its neck after it lost the election wont sit well with voters in the next election. But, you can always hope I guess.

Bob - I only reply to you on this page as it is an Editorial - where the idea is that we give opinion.
I fully understand that you are more accustomed to the 'fair and balanced' opinions of the American media than those found in Europe. If you were to read most of the Spanish news media, El Mundo, La Razón, COPE radio, for example you would see a bias, which presumably would not upset you so much, as it is in line with your own.
I would actually like to see a strong opposition from the Partido Popular, as any Government needs to be brought into line, but I regard Rajoy as a weak leader and fear that the PP has been dragged to the right, with the consequent polarising effect we have seen here. It is a pity that Gallardón is not yet in a position to lead the PP, but I am sure he will lead the party, and to victory, some time in the future.
Lenin is nowhere here - here we are talking about welfare for those that can't. No doubt you have private health care, but I am, for one, very proud of a Europe where we can give health care for all. I think it is something most Americans aspire to.I advise you to read what is actually written, and not read what you expect to see, having already established an set idea about what political bias this website may or may not have on its editorial pages.
It's amazing that you lecture me on what sits well with the voters. Can I remind you who won the election here?
If you paid more attention to the detail you would also see my initals are h.b. and not h.p.
When all is said, I do thank you for contributing to the debate - keep at it.

You believe that the PP is polarizing to the right? But, gay marriage, abortion, and social welfare are not polarizing in a largely catholic country. Interesting.
I dont need to be reminded of who won the election. I find the results sad but understand them for the very reason that I explained to you.
I dont find the media here "fair and balanced". Here we have a socialist indoctrination from childhood programs, through public schools and secondary schools and continue with our "Hollywood Chavez's"
As for your excellent health care, I notice that anyone in the world needing critical care come to an American hospital. (An argument that history will prove quite easily.) Competition breeds excellence. Those that dont compete do so at their peril. Those in this country that fail to prepare themselves to provide for themselves with a decent life, also suffer. Its about personal accountablity. In your system, there is reduced incentive to achieve. (As in my experience, I once tried to get an air conditioner repaired in Almeria. What a joke.) You want to give a man a fish, whereas I want to teach him to fish.
I have family in Spain. A system that pays one more welfare money to bear children out of wedlock is a doom system that encourages children out of wedlock. Im sure you have forgotten these values.
As for leaders, look at what your Zapatero supports. Abortion, reduced moral infuence through the church by way of gay marriage, children out of wedlock and that Orwellian "memory law" (That is extremely creepy.) And a party that supports making its citizens dependent on its government. I find it sad. You like it because it makes you feel good.
In this country we have had the socialist experiment. We imposed it on the Native Americans. Sadly, they pay the price with their extinction. I'm sure your birth rate tells you the same.

At least we agree, I hope, to disagree, as agree we will never do.
I see you too are a victim of the right wing propoganda. Example: - Zapatero has made no changes to the abortion law in Spain but he is blamed for doing so.
Tell me FOX news is fair and balanced and I'll buy you a drink - and yes I do watch it, often in total amazement.
As for health care, you say everyone goes to the States?.... Are you talking about one or two film stars or millionaires? Use your arguement to the homeless in your country and go and speak to the millions people who need basic cover and can't get it becuase they can't afford it...(even FOX reports on some of those cases) Which is the more advanced and human society, I ask you?.
Money and your litigacious society is what counts in the States, are you really proud of your tele-evangalists?
Basing your criticism of Socialism on one air-conditioner fitter in Almería is - well, I ask you, pathetic.
Your old arguement of the government being willing to help people means they no longer want to help themselves is crap. It's a question of all of us helping those who need help to make it by themselves.
As for Gay marriage and parents, what is wrong with two poeple who love each other being treated just the same, in tax, and in society at large - no better or worse, than any other couple. Why do people find that so threatening? I understand that Downes syndrome and disabled kids are placed with many gay couples as other members of society simply don't want to know.
We both know that no single political system is perfect, but at least we both live in countries were we are allowed to say what we think. You fail to mention Zapatero's commitment to overseas aid, and so on. Oh and by the way, the birth rate is fine, thanks to the immigrants here, who do the jobs many others simply do not want to do.
I appreciate your input Bob, as it makes for interesting reading and content for the site, but I will not reply to you any more as, we can only agree on not agreeing, and I am really busy. Also I hope that other readers will respond to you - in favour or against. Good luck with your country - I do see changes there - Several months ago you mocked us here for calling the Iraq war illegal. We still stand by that, and see that now the majority of Americans (finally) agree with us. We certainly live in interesting times.

I guess thats how you can win an arguement. Take your ball and tell everyone the game is over....
I happen to agree with gay unions but, like most liberals, you try to take the high road and talk about how everyone else is mean and uncaring. (Unless you happen to be Catholic and marriage is a sacriment. Then you dont count I guess.) I'm not sure where tele-evangelist come into this conversation, but, ok. In Spain you kill bulls for sport, does that make you personally a bad person? (Nothing like painting with a brooooaaaadddd brush.) Maybe people who have religious beliefs dont agree with gay marriage. You appear to criticize someone for their religious beliefs. Is that somehow different from being gay and not allowed to marry? You sacrifice the desires of the gay community to offend the religious community because it fits your beliefs. As for immigrants boosting your birth rate...you make my arguement for me. You will be eating burritos before you know it. All the while, they fill your jails and bring in gangs (Latin Kings)and then you oogle about the wonders of socialism and multi-culturalism.
So you are allowed to say what you think? If I request and have granted a statue of Franco, would you order me through the memory law to remove it? That is a fine example of free speech.
As far as my example regarding the air conditioner repairman, I can give you a million more examples and you denying it would be a lie and you know it.
As for your arguement that Americans have grown tired of the Iraq war, and that you must have somehow been right from the beginning, is ridiculous. You argue for something that is an inevitablity and gloat when it happens. This war wont last forever. To argue that you were right because it ended is silly. I think your sharp enough to see the hypocricy in that.
And, by the way, thinking that Americans agree or even like you is a mistake you made in our last presidential election. Toma ya.

"there is a very large difference in policy between the two main parties in most European countries"
I guess Political Science is not your strong point,otherwise you certainly wouldn't have made the above statement. Most political observers agree, that in most European countries, the difference between the two main parties is largely cosmetic with most of them trying to occupy the middle ground. Evidently given your blatant political bias you won't agree but there again, it's a free world and you, like me, are entitled to your opinion.

Thanks Michael - I think your arguement was probably correct some years ago, but do you not see a widening between left and right of late - especially in Spain and France? Hardly cosmetic differences there, although in the U.K. you and your experts are correct. In fact I did express myself poorly - I was trying to make the comparison with the United States for Bob. Thanks for your opinion.

Again, (no surprise) I disagree. The difference between the US and Europe is that the electorate in the US doesnt understand the difference between left and right. They vote for the person that makes the most outrageous, impossible promises. Currently, the social welfare idea is looking very promising to this electorate after only 8 of the last 32 years in the bag for the welfare party. ("oral" Bill Clinton being the exception.) I think that the pendulum will swing rather quickly back when the Republicans actually find a reasonable candidate. In fact, I think that there is a polarization going on in the US unlike anything before seen in its history with the exception of the issue of slavery. And, true to the ideals of our founding fathers, we will fight it out in the streets. I hope to see you there. I do believe that the US will eventually resolve this through internal conflict. Once the people understand that they are being dragged into a socialist future that history and humanity has judged as a failed system.

One last thing, you commented on Fox News. I watch Fox News. I also watch the BBC, CNN, MSNBC, read ABC, El Pais, ect ect. I find it amusing that you mention Fox. I believe that Fox is slanted to the right. What is amusing is that every other media outlet that I read and watch are drastically slanted to the left. But, somehow you are upset because EVERY media outlet is not slanted to the left. I find that funny. I, somehow, dont know it when I see political propoganda, but you would never be fooled by such things. Right?
You must get very unbiased news from CNN. (the communist news network, also known as the clinton news network.) And how about the BBC? I think Ho Chi Minh has been reborn and came back as a BBC anchor.