FIGHT OR FLIGHT?
Comment: Mike Walsh

Complacency is endemic in local government and those of us it serves; neither helps our expatriate community. Come to think of it, inertia has an equally devastating effect on our Spanish neighbours too.
Clearly life in Spain isn?t quite as attractive as it once was. This state of affairs is due to a range of issues aired on forums, the local media, and increasingly the European media, including Britain?s.
If as a consequence the haemorrhage of non-Spaniards is made more acute by a drop in taxes, investment, and new blood coming to Spain, the consequences for both communities will be calamitous. The infrastructure of the Costa Blanca will deteriorate to an unsustainable level, which will further accelerate the decline.
GHOST TOWNS
Picture boarded up commercial centres, swathes of deserted urbanisations. Imagine a lack of private services and dysfunctional public services, a skeletal social structure; a near bankrupt economy with survivors unable to meet the costs of a viable community.
A depleted health service, restaurants and other providers disappearing; the airports echoing to the sound of silence: Abandoned animals and rubbish-strewn wastelands. Add to these failings a creaking unsustainable utilities network. This is not alarmist. It is already happening.
If you are Spanish have you and your family an exit strategy if hundreds of thousands of fellow Europeans remove themselves and they are not replaced? What will your home be worth then? Can your careers and your family?s educational resources continue when the empty coffers are slammed shut?
We know what life was like on the Costa Blanca before the influx. Could you and your families live in that faraway land now? In a much smaller world there are nations in direct competition for the incoming wealth of northern Europeans. It would seem you are killing the geese that lay the golden eggs?
FIGHT OR FLIGHT?
Directly or indirectly most Spaniards to some degree are dependent upon non-European residents. It is time for a radical re-think and a truly across the communities united strategy which, rather being them and us is all of us.
This may seem a formidable challenge; it is not however as challenging as having to endure the Spanish equivalent of the infamous American dustbowl of the 1930?s. It couldn?t happen here? It is: Look around you.

mike_walsh - 26 August 2009 12:29 PM

This state of affairs is due to a range of issues aired on forums, the local media, and increasingly the European media, including Britain?s.
.

Not really.

Spanish greed has a far greater roll to play in all of this.

I wouldn`t blame the media, everybody should be aware that media is financially driven, all sectors are included and anybody unaware of this really is low in the IQ range.

People who based there move on programmes are frankly idiots, it was these programmes job to promote Spain without showing any negatives, they were paid to do so.

Estate agents, holiday promoters all get paid, there more they attract, the more they get paid.

From my experience of speaking to hundreds of Expats, most were unaware of Spain before they moved and the reason there are British ghettos is down to the fact Spaniards view Brits in the same way Brits in the 1990`s would view a load of West Indians/Asians moving into the community.

The difference though is Spain doesn`t promote equal opportunities to other races as the UK does, they barely tolerate South Americans.

Anybody can test this out, go to your local Guardia Office and ask to denounce a Spaniard for racial abuse.

I don`t believe you can blame the media.

People need to research the country they want to live in better, by getting into the country and once arriving intergrate as much as possible.

But a Brit will always be seen as an outsider and you`ll never be treated the same as back in your home country, thats true of all Expats around the world.

Living into a different culture means its an adventure, to be enjoyed and appreciate the experience, never believe you can become fully integrated into that culture by simply living in it.

Maybe the media should promote how to become culturally aware within a community, most Spaniards I `ve spoken too and who visit the UK view Brits as cold, not unfriendly, just cold.