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Montero, Rosa
3 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
The Spanish need to sleep more
A recent American university study on the negative effects of sleep deficiency amuses the Spanish columnist Roas Montero. "At last I understand what is going on in this country: grumpiness, clearly primitive ferocity, the stifling magma of irrationality, the insults, the moaning and permanent anger. It is not because of a nefarious sociological and cultural heritage, it is simply because we don't get enough sleep. Everyone knows how the Spanish are proud of being insomniacs, of dining late and going out all night long. Pleased with ourselves we laugh at the 'tourists' who wonder how we manage to sleep. Well now we have an answer for them: we don't manage. And that is why we are a furiously excessive population."
» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » Health Policy, » Spain
Rosa Montero dreams of a world without patriotic fervour
The Spanish journalist and writer Rosa Montero is amused by the blunder recently committed by the Belgian political leader Yves Leterme who, invited to sing the Belgian national anthem came out with the French one. "I was astounded when I read about this. ... I then said to myself, that man is my hero. Imagine a country free of all cheap patriotism, of all that nationalist fervour that has caused so much bloodshed along the centuries. A world where the fact that you are born in such and such a corner of the world is not presented as a personal achievement ... . If only our politicians could mix up national anthems. The Castilians could start singing 'Eusko Gudariak' [the Basque national anthem], the Basques would hum the Spanish national anthem [which has no lyrics], les Andalusians would hammer out 'Els Segadors' [the official Catalan song] and the Catalans 'Asturias, patria querida' [hymn of the principality of Asturias]. I am sure everyone would be a lot better off."
» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Spain, » Belgium
Orhan Pamuk on the East's need for freedom
The Turkish writer, Orhan Pamuk, examines the rift between western and eastern societies in an interview with the journalist and writer Rosa Montero. "My idea of the West is freedom, democracy, women's rights, three things that the East does not have. We have other things. Fraternity, for example! We are absolutely formidable in terms of fraternity! This pillar of the French Revolution suits us perfectly. As far as equality is concerned, that too is passable and there are notably some Islamic philosophers who speak of equality. But what we do not have is freedom, democracy and women's rights. I don't care about the rest. You can dress in eastern or western clothes, live in traditional houses or not. ... What really counts is that people may do what they want".
» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » Middle East
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