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Villarejo: The rise and fall of the Spanish state’s secret fixer
- eznzt 6y agoVillarejo is nowadays nothing more than a bluffer. Chances are he paid for this piece.
- loriverkutya 6y agoThis is not how the BBC works.
- radycov 6y agoThat's not how the old BBC works. PG's submarine applies to the BBC as well, no doubt, as well as foreign lobby groups.
- _jal 6y agoIf you have information that the BBC will sell stories, tell us about it. If you don't, why are you pushing bullshit?
- nudpiedo 6y agoI am not an specialist from the BBC but all media does, the easier to spot are the health benefit articles regarding some products, interviews to promote books and locations, etc. And then there are the subtle ones. All journalism is nowadays as closed to a mafia as it can be.
- _jal 6y agoAgain, if you or the OP can demonstrate that the BBC (or other institutions who claim they don't), then that's interesting. Baseless bullshit illustrating nothing but your own cynicism, however, is not, and doesn't belong here.
- JeremyBanks 6y agoIs "PG's Submarine" what we're now calling the fascist subtexts of his writings?
- bzb6 6y agoThe what?
- Erlich_Bachman 6y agoThey probably refer to http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html
- pvaldes 6y agoNobody wouldn't be so stupid as to advertise their own crimes when involved in several trials. If this is publicity (and could perfectly be a paid history), certainly is not from him.
- hummel 6y agoNever expected to read the name "Villarejo" on HackerNews
- pantulis 6y agoSame here.
- harperlee 6y agoMe too, but come to think of it, it is such a big story that it makes sense that it makes some international noise. And HN has had already its share of spies and similar exposes discussed.
- arcturus17 6y agoIn part thanks to BBC talking about it, I suppose. Dude could've been taken straight out of a movie. Sometimes reality does surpass fiction.
- kuu 6y agoHe trademarked his image so they don't use it without permission: (in Spanish) https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2021-01-08/villarejo-registra-imagen-evitar-fines-comerciales_2897516/ https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2021-01-08/villarejo-r...
- iagovar 6y agoIt really surprised me too. But here we are.
- nhnhhnl 6y agoWhy? Could you elaborate please. Genuinely curious.
- hummel 6y agoBecause it is a case of corruption that is quite irrelevant at the Spanish level, much less at the European level and totally irrelevant at the global level. Villarejo is an ex-policeman who is blackmailing public figures to avoid a long prison sentence for corruption and bribe. He is a very basic blackmailer and the article at BBC is some PR to give some air to his judicial defence. It is certainly not a relevant/interesting/cultural article for HN.
- marvel_boy 6y agoThis is Spain, corruption at all levels. A failed state.
- amval 6y agoThat's such a ridiculous claim that I have to assume you are spaniard. Spain is actually a pretty average EU country by most metrics. (Not to say that it doesn't have structural problems, but that's hardly exclusive to Spain)
- AniseAbyss 6y agoYeah real failed states don't get millions of tourists.
- tgv 6y agoPerhaps it isn't failed, but it is pretty corrupt, and it is not in good condition. I wouldn't call it "such a ridiculous claim", just good, old exaggeration.
- amval 6y agoPretty corrupt compaired to what? Are Japan or France failed states? Both slightly lower in this aggregated ranking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index#2012%E2%80%932019 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index#2... I am spaniard and am painfully aware of Spain's problems. And maybe spaniards being so critical of Spain could be something positive (instead of complacency or nationalism). But honestly? The negativity is pointless and exhausting. Pointless because these are rarely informed opinions putting data into context. Exhausting, because uplifting news need to have an angle that to make them negative. PS: And yes, I am not denying that there is a lot of corruption enabled by politicians in Spain. And it's a problem. But that doesn't make Spain a failed state. Or how is all of this true: - Loss of control of its territory, or of the monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force therein - Erosion of legitimate authority to make collective decisions - Inability to provide public services - Inability to interact with other states as a full member of the international community
- docdeek 6y agoInteresting to imagine an ex-king in disgrace qnd exile from a European country. Having been born under Elizabeth II and having her hang on so long, I can't imagine a similar circumstance for the Commonwealth.
- Someone 6y agoDid you forget about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VIII https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VIII? That’s not that long ago (he was an uncle of Elizabeth II, wasn’t he?)
- AlgorithmicTime 6y agoHe's been dead for almost 50 years
- The_rationalist 6y agoThanks for sharing, that was a good read
- docdeek 6y agoNo, though he was well before my time. ;)
- pjc50 6y agoIt was convenient that he could be forced to abdicate over the fact that Wallis Simpson was a divorcee, which prevented the need to ask far more awkward questions about how both of them were Fascist sympathisers. (It was a common view among the English upper class until it became unacceptable once the war started) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marburg_Files https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marburg_Files
- Mediterraneo10 6y agoEdward’s fascist sympathies were a problem only after he abdicated and determined how he was treated as ex-king. Wallis Simpson was so abhorred by high-class British society that she served as a more than sufficient reason to make him abdicate, the Nazi thing didn’t really play into it in 1935–36.
- rinze 6y agoIf you understand Spanish, this podcast tells several stories about this guy and it's very good: https://www.podiumpodcast.com/v-las-cloacas-del-estado/ https://www.podiumpodcast.com/v-las-cloacas-del-estado/
- kostarelo 6y agoI'm currently learning Spanish and while I'm sure I will understand 50% of what they say, I will give it a try :P
- lyt 6y agoOfftopic, but hello, how are you learning Spanish? Any hacks or cool techniques so far? I’m learning it too and I’d like to think I’m 30% there, and I’m learning for my family .
- kostarelo 6y agoAbsolutely! I personally started using Busuu about two years ago. I'm now at 85% level and almost ready to take the B2 exams. In the meantime, I joined a Spanish/English exchange Meetup group. We did weekly sessions talking in Spanish. I started listening to Spanish podcasts made for beginners. I like the Hoy Hablamos. Started listening to Spanish music, tried to read the lyrics of my favourite songs. At this point, I'm watching Spanish films in Netflix with Spanish subtitles. I think I'm getting 70% of it, quite a lot I need to pause and translate something or rewind a few times. I'm definitely nowhere close to being fluid but I'm feeling the progress I made over those two years and I just keep going. I'm not in rush in any way so I'm not pushing my self too hard. My ultimate goal is to be able to go to Spain and talk fluid Spanish with locals. :)
- ladyanita22 6y agoI'm spaniard and I didn't know about this piece of jewelry!
- bitcharmer 6y agoI am willing to bet serious money that none of the members of the elites (royal family, prominent politicians) involved in the scandals will spend a single day in prison.
- pachico 6y agoWell, the son in law of the former king did spend time in jail and is now in some kind of probation.
- antaviana 6y agoHe went to a women prison, and he was the only male in that prison, in a separate area. According to the press, EUR 2M were spent before his arrival in the "male area" to properly prepare the accommodations. His wife's share in the inheritance of the former King, in the range of tens to hundreds of millions, bumped up considerably by a 50% when the current King said he would not accept any inheritance from his father, so probably if he cannot find a job due to his ex-convict status, he'll be well off. I'm sure it's been a pretty bad experience for him compared to living in Switzerland, but not in the same league of the rest of people convicted in Spain.
- marvel_boy 6y agoYes, absolutetly. Today in court Villarejo said: "CNI(spy agency) was warned of the risk of an attack in Barcelona". In other country this will trigger a serious investigation.