A critical look at the Catalans’ relationship with defeat
Agustí Calvet, known as Gaziel, was not only a prominent journalistic chronicler, but also a student of the Catalans’ relationship with the concept of defeat. In his work ‘Quina mena de gent som’, published by Editorial Diéresis, Calvet addresses the profound inability of the Catalans to draw positive lessons from their historical defeats. This critical approach, reinforced by the 1939 catastrophe, raises questions about the causes that have led Catalonia to be perceived as one of the worst card players in Western Europe.
Responsibility and fatality: a different vision of the history of Catalonia
Gaziel challenges the notion that Catalonia’s defeats are simply the result of bad luck or the hostility of its enemies. In ‘El desconhort’, the author argues that, while no nation can escape fate, Catalonia’s failures are also due to human errors, such as the assumption of subordinate roles within the royal Aragonese Crown and poor decisions at key moments in Catalan history.
A pessimistic vision of the political future of Catalonia
The book, with a prologue written by Màrius Carol, presents a pessimistic vision of the political future of Catalonia. Gaziel not only rules out the possibility of a Catalan State, but also considers any peaceful coexistence with Castile unfeasible. This pessimistic stance raises questions about the role of current autonomous culture and its implications for Catalan nationalism.
A glimmer of hope amidst pessimism
Despite its pessimistic tone, Gaziel’s work offers a glimmer of hope by proposing the survival of Catalonia within an international structure, similar to a future United States of Europe. This message, although challenging, invites us to reflect on the role of Catalonia in an evolving global context.