See larger image The Disinherited: The Exiles Who Created Spanish Culture (Paperback) By (author) Henry Kamen List Price: £17.99 GBP New From: £6.00 In Stock Used from: £0.01 In Stock

In the wake of Baltasar Garzón´s annihilation by the Spanish Supreme Court, I ask myself what he might eventually do, now that he can no longer earn a living in his native land.

Will he go abroad?

If he does, he´ll be in good company, as Henry Kamen´s thorough and well-written book shows.  If you ever ask yourself “what is wrong with Spain?” this is the book to give you the answer.

And the answer is …  mediocrity.

Why?

Because the excellent, the visionaries, the creators, the talented, the thinkers, the innovators have historically  been forced to leave – or be burned alive, murdered or paid less than the  minimum wage.

Kamen states:

“Spain is the only European country to have attempted to consolidate itself over the centuries not through offering shelter but through a policy of exclusion”.

That exclusion has included brilliant Muslim and Jewish intellectuals, scientists such as Miguel Servet, liberals, socialists, artists like Picasso, writers and musicians.  Lorca paid the ultimate price for his difference – homosexual, brilliant, and committed to bringing theatre to popular audiences.

In Spain the norm is still “no significarse.”  Don´t stand out, because if you do, the troglodites who have always run the country (we´re in a five minute democratic period in centuries of unrepresentative authoritarianism) will get you.

So, what´s happening to Garzón is nothing new.

It´s the norm, and if you don´t know that, you don´t know as much about  about Spain as you thought you did.

¡Viva Garzón!

Even if he´ll end up living somewhere else.