02 June 2014

Good-bye, King Juan Carlos. Be well.


The news were expected, since the man suffers from several ailments and it's time to get some rest.

What was unexpected is the drop in popularity of the King, coupled with some derision from the people he dedicated his life to. I am looking at the so called "reasons" for the drop and shaking my head.
But the King's popularity took a hit in 2012 over a controversial elephant hunting trip to Africa while the nation was mired in a deep economic crisis.
And:
Princess Cristina, the King's youngest daughter, is caught up in a tax fraud and money laundering investigation.
These are good enough reasons to throw dirt at the man who headed the difficult transition from the days of Franco to democracy? The man who prevented a coup that endangered the country's future?

The short memory of the people and the lack of gratefulness and grace are not exactly news, but every single case, especially like this one, grates. Well, now tell me more about the wisdom of the people, please...

Be well, King Juan Carlos, you are the men's Man.

P.S. And, not to forget, this is the same man who told the late and unlamented Caudillo Hugo Chavez "¿Por qué no te callas?" ("Why don't you shut up?"). Another good deed in the list.

15 comments:

Lynne T said...

I also seem to recall Juan Carlos, on the occassion of the 400th anniversary of the Inquisition offering apologies to the Spanish Moroccan Jews who fled and refused to offer the same to Muslims claiming to have had ancestors who were also expelled, pointing out that the Jews came in peace where the Muslims came as conquerors.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Yep. A good man all around.

David Sigeti said...

Well put.

Dick Stanley said...

More likely the short memory of editors after a cheap headline or three.

Dick Stanley said...

Thousands, at least, are questioning something about the monarchy:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-02/bring-your-own-guillotine-anti-monarchy-protests-break-out-across-spain

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Thanks David.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

I don't doubt that was a factor, too. But people, all in all, tend to be forgetful, esp. if it is about help someone provided in the hour of need.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Oh, I should have made that clear in the post and forgot: I am in no way a supporter of monarchy as way of life. It is simply the injustice being done to a man who doesn't deserve it at all.

Besides, all that anti-monarchy crapola: the King's role in Spain was largely ceremonial lately, so blaming their woes on the monarchy is a nice try, but doesn't really work for me.

Sennacherib said...

This just in:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=butZyxI-PRs

Sennacherib said...

There's a good read on Juan Carlos over at http://thediplomad.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-king-of-spain-departs.html

SnoopyTheGoon said...

That was a great respite from my bad mood on account of Juan Carlos, thanks!

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Yep, much as I remember him, thanks.

Brian Goldfarb said...

It is important to remind everyone that while the Spanish monarchy is a constitutional one (that is, it doesn't interfere in the democratic political system), that wasn't clear when Juan Carlos first came to the throne. He was, after all, chosen by the Francoists (fascists) to succeed Franco.


Boy, did they choose wrong! His father (the Pretender to the throne) had educated the boy to be a democrat and constitutionalist. Further, Juan Carlos faced down the fascist soldiers when they attempted a coup, shortly after the first genuinely free elections in 40+ years.


One story from that time is of Carillo, the Euro-Communist, sitting in the Chamber (when all the other deputies bar one were hiding under the seats), calmly smoking a cigarette and defying them to do their worst.His contempt for them worked: it rattled them!

Brian Goldfarb said...

Having just read that, I can heartily endorse Sennacherib's link. It says everything I would have said.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

All true, and thanks, I didn't know the story about Carillo.