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The Popular Front at NR

Yet more proof that National Review has redefined itself as a fashionable font of social democracy recently came from Canadian interloper David Frum, who used successive posts at his diary to claim that, "Among the European dictators, [Francisco Franco] ranks behind only Hitler and Stalin in monstrousness," and to denounce Jesse Helms for his "racialism." Of course, National Review used to be an unabashed admirer of both Franco—who saved Spain from Communism and the Catholic Church in Spain from destruction, and who was our ally in the Cold War—and Helms, who was the most principled conservative in the Senate during his era. But that was when NR was recognizably conservative and regularly featured writers worth reading, and not a playground for neocon hacks who thought Bush was the "right man, have promised to show us the way to "end evil," and who think the greatest threat we now face is "fascism."


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79 Responses »

  1. NR has become an effective liberal propaganda machine to silence all voices to the Right. It's little wonder that the liberal networks give these Trotskyites so much air time.

  2. That's just absurd. Frum has obviously never heard of, oh I don't know, Rakosi.

  3. frum is fascist. neocons like frum, frum elsewhere genetically, culturally, geographically not even of this land mass for a century or two - (canada in frum-cake's case) - are fascists one and all with the totalitarian cape or sweep. they now 'favor' "democracy" only because they took over after figuring out how to make even democracy Fascistic in 'effect.' the two-party one reality system. etc. McBama. McWilson. McLieberman. they all have dual-citizenships which of course only means non-patriotic dueling-citizenships... which frum no doubt won't even speak about in his private-Public diary. what a girl too, which is a compliment if of the female gender. although allegedly frum the male variety.

    frum-cake, no... a republic of y'ore yes.

  4. But Tom--fascism *is* the greatest threat we face. It's been proven.

  5. Simply ask Mr. Frum what are the limits to ethnocentrism. Or query what are the limits to identity politics.

  6. Frum opens his review thusly:

    "Somewhere in The Battle for Spain, Anthony Beevor remarks that the Spanish Civil War may be the only conflict in history to have had its history written by the losers."

    That's hardly a surprise. The losers were communists. Many of the authors and the media writing and publishing the history sympathized with them.

    Had Stalin himself been crushed, the losers would have written that one, too.

  7. R.Cort Kirkwood

    Ah, yes. But what losers. Losers that became winners! Think for example of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Studs Turkey (nee Terkel) lionizes them. We see all sorts of articles, books, etc. extolling these "early enemies of the fascists." These guys won the battle of the books, the media, the institutions. As Tom's article indicates, they won the battle of NR, though, some folk think NR was always some kind of charade, that WFB was really a big goverment man, even a quasi totalitarian who thought we needed to become like our enemies to win the cold war. (As I think about it, I guess he was right, we became like our enemies.

  8. David (of post #5), take note of a French vernacular proverb, "Chacun prend a l'adversaire, qu'il le veuille ou non (Everyone takes after his enemy, whether he wishes or not)." Also consult the aphorisms in Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil for the one which says that whoever fights monsters should see that he does not himself become a monster -- "When you look into the abyss, the abyss looks into you."

  9. Of course the Canadian Frum is disliked even by alot of the typical 'movement' conservatives like Ann Coulter.

    Really though - he is a classic neocon. He's like a walking stereotype. He has a reoccuring theme of 'smashing the old order' - which he uses in that review to excuse Republican atrocities.

  10. The disgracefully ignorant or deceitful Frum has forgotten or never knew of monsters[1] Lenin,[2] Khruschev one of the chief butchers of the Ukraine, whose lives don't count morally when you're one of the omelette makers or their apologist, [3]Robespierre the subhuman author of the reign of terror, [4]Hoxha the vicious jailer of Albania [5] Brezhnev of the despotism of 'diagnosis'[6] Tito the slaughterer of innocents & many others in the orbit of WWII Germany and the USSR, all of them much worse than Franco. Franco killed soldiers who fought against him in battles much like wars of a conventional kind. The others killed civilians women and children, despotically killing off any independent cultural movements, while Spain in the Franco years was home to some of the important cultural figures of that period.

  11. (piling on)And David Frum abhors the gold standard, opting instead for the basket of goods. And he would have conservatives jettison their core beliefs in order to achieve some sort of new-topia.

  12. Even the Bush White House got sick of Frum and fired him.How he survives at NR is open to any theory but talent.Contemporary Spain is on the road to extinction through catastrophically low birth rates and virtually uncontrolled Third World immigration.Franco was a Spanish patriot;Spain's current and hopefully temporary rulers will soon go into exile to Canada with Frum if God blesses us with some new civil wars(apologies to Canada).

  13. Let's not get carried away with Franco. Franco was a nationalist who sought to suppress the distinctiveness of the Basque region, Catalonia, etc. in his attempt to unify Spain.

  14. Neocons:

    Often clever, manipulative, deceptive, contemptuous, idolatrous, power-hungry, and self-serving.

    Never wise.

  15. A unified Spain expelled the Moors and conquered the New World for Europe and Christendom.A unified Spain won the Battle of Lepanto and cleared the Mediterranean of the Ottomans.And your problem,Mr. Phillips,with a unified Spain frankly escapes us all.Prayers for Franco-without apologies.

  16. Frums co-religionists made up the bulk of the communist government in Russia that overthrough and killed the czar and slaughtered millions of Russians as well as its newly formed sattellitte states after WW2. So its funny how he proclaims to be a moral guardian.
    History fails to point out the fact that communist revolution in Russia was financied by some of the wealthiest bankers in the world led by 300 New York Jews including Lenin(half jewish), Trotsky, etc. The same banking firms propt up the Stalinist regime with high interest loans from the Federal Reserve in the US.

    In fact Frum and his Neo-con crew only had a problem with the USSR when it broke of relations with Israel after the 67 war when the USSR promised Arabs states assistance but never delivered.

  17. As a Catalan, I have to say that Franco was a brutal dictator who strongly sympathized with the Axis powers -he wanted to enter WWII on their side- and despised the Anglo-Saxon world and its values. He attempted to destroy our traditional way of life and sent thousands of Castillian immigrants to Catalonia in order to supress our culture -which is something that every conservative would find abominable. Besides, his economic policy was, until the sixties, purely fascist, i.e., statist.
    It is true that most Catholics supported him due to the brutal prosecution that they suffered in the Republican area -my own great-grandfather was killed by the anarchists because he hid priests in his office-, but that does not make Franco a great man. Actually, Pope Pius XI did not like General Franco and he only supported him -very reluctantly- when it was obvious that the Nationalists would win the Civil War.
    I am convinced that, if American conservatives knew Franco better, they would despise him.

  18. Leo, the problem with a unified Spain is obvious. Spain is not a naturally unified country. (Same problem there was with a unified Yugoslavia.) It is a nation of nations as someone called it. Therefore, it can only be "unified" by force and suppression. Franco at one point made it illegal to name any child born in Spain anything but a Castilian name. Surely you can not support such nonsense.

    I am quite certain that the problem with a unified Spain does not, in fact, escape "us all."

  19. Brock @ #11:

    A very fitting description. The NeoCons are little more than stealth liberals and socialists who have crept in to seduce the public who are leery of the Democratic Party's open embrace of socialism into walking down a parallel path toward the destruction of liberty and the relegation of our Constitution to irrelevance as a restraint against governmental tyranny.

    NeoCons for the most part are very much like fascists, but altogether lacking in the style and outlandish pomp of their forebears from the 1920s-1930s.

  20. David Frum isn't fit to wipe Jesse Helms's shoes. Jesse Helms had a profound effect on his nation's history and will be remembered for his role in history. After his death, David Frum will be about as remembered as Joseph Kraft, Max Lerner or Murray Kempton.

  21. Red Phillips, the fact is that a non unified Spain will be detrimental only to Spain and will be good only for the historical enemies of Spain. Neither the gallegos, nor the asturians, nor the andalucians, nor the valencians, nor the majoritiy of catalans, nor the majority of basques want secession. Only a tiny number of fanatics somewhere in the Basque country who are not representative of the rest of the people there. Same in Catalunya. Besides there never was such a thing as a Basque Country indepedent of Spain.
    Adding to Leo's precise points: A unified Spain defeated the Reds and aborted the creation of an Iberian Soviet Republic.
    Unless you have an agenda, like the neocons, or no very little of Iberian history common sense should tell you why is good for most people for Spain to remain unified.

  22. The worst things about the Neo-Cons (liberals) is that back in the day, when they were out-of-the-rhetorical-closet liberals, they had some pretty good rock'n' roll and some pretty women wearing short skirts whereas now they have no pop music and all of the Neo-Con women are about as sexy as David Frum in a wig.

    And please don't tell me Ann Coulter is attractive. She is "Green Acres" handyman, "Eb" after a sex change operation.

  23. Last paragraph should say:
    Unless you have an agenda, like the neocons, or very little knowledge of Iberian history, common sense should tell you why is good for most people for Spain to remain unified.

  24. Dr. Phillips,

    I agree that we should not get carried away with Franco, but on the whole he seems an admirable figure who defended Spain against not only home-grown communists, but the onslaught of international brigades who brought death and destruction to most all of the peoples in his country.

    The discussion of what constitutes a nation is an interesting one. Most every modern mega-state is an aglomeration of nations. I agree with you that the suppression of Basques (if "suppression" is the appropriate word), for instance, is not something to be applauded. But I find it interesting why some nations "get along" in a bigger state and some collections of them simply do not - even when it is in there self-interest to cooperate.

    The Croats today are not better off economically then they were when they were Yugoslavs. Perhaps they can argue some other benefits of "independence", but many observers (Croats themselves) claim that they have traded a more favorable and influential seat at the Yugoslav table for a spot on the floor under the EU table. (I will leave aside whether they brought misery, death, and destruction to the Balkans by precipitating an unreasonably fast and messy breakup of what had been a relatively functionable state.)

    Let's take Germany as another example. That is hardly a nation. It too is a federated state of many peoples who choose to identify as Germans more than conistuents of that state. There are some Schwabians, perhaps, who have more "local" idenifications, but on the whole Germany functions as a stable state that often looks upon itself as a "nation", or, at the least, a "people". This is quite remarkable given dialectual, religious, and other differences that have distinguished the peoples that comprise that entity. And the creation of that state was done not too long ago in historic terms.

    On the spectrum of states between unstable federated peoples (Yugoslavia) and stable federated peoples (Germany) we have the middle ground occupied by countries like Italy. Italy's peoples are also quite diverse and in recent times we have seen attempts there also of splitting the state, though the rancor with which this has been pursued is not too vicious and not too far reaching.

    Spain probably occupies that same middle ground with Italy when we consider the relations among the various peoples within the state.

    Here is a question: would all "Spaniards" (Castillians, Catalans, Basques, etc) have been better off had there not been a Franco? I rather doubt that.

    I think it is an interesting discussion for paleocons - the subject of nations and states. I would have liked to have lived in a perfect world in which the small principalties of a by-gone European era served as our states. But, as things are, we have mega-states.

  25. Franco was not perfect, but overall he was probably the best ruler of the 20th Century. Had he wished to join the Axis in WWII, he certainly could have. He required the Germans to remove their military forces from Spain within 90 days of nationalist victory in the civil war and refused to grant the Germans free passage through Spain to attack Gibraltar. Hitler stated that he would rather have all his teeth pulled than try to negotiate with Franco again.

    Franco also had his diplomats issue thousands of Spanish passports for endangered Jews. It is true that he was a centralizer; this was his main fault. But I had a Catalan teacher in college who found his suppression of the Catalan language entirely understandable in view of the Communist sympathies of many of her fellow Catalans.

    His biggest mistake was probably allying himself with the US and NATO in the Cold War, thus helping to open Spain to the corrupting influences of late 20th Century liberalism.

  26. "Hitler stated that he would rather have all his teeth pulled than try to negotiate with Franco again."

    Mr. Higdon, I wholly agree with your comments regarding Franco. Your thoughts on Hitler made me think about the great debate raging around Buchanan's book and his central theses about WWII. I wonder how do all those that refute Buchanan's theory about Germany's behavior (that they might have been more rational in their pursuits than the "Hitler was a pure fanatic" crowd gives them credit for) explain why Hitler negotiated with Franco and never invaded Spain. Could it be that Germany was indeed pursuing an anti-communist strategy and not on a road to simply conquering every square inch on the globe? Or did the Germans simply not get to Spain yet on their to-conqer list? Or were Spaniards regarded as more Aryan than other Europeans (say, Slavs) that got in the way? Certainly Germany would have had strategic interests in unimpeded access or transit through Spanish territory?

    Not claiming I have a particularly special insight into the whole broader debate, but Spain seems an interesting case in the raging debate and one that has been ignored.

  27. Is it just me or do neocons and conservatives see themselves as the new vital center, or see themselves as the new "centrists"? Certainly if they feel as Frum that biggest enemy on the horizon nowadays is some sort of nebulous "fascism" that apparently encompasses AL QAEDA, the Chinese Communist Party, the Serbian Radical Party and Russian Revanchism? Of course by seeing the enemy as "fascist" it makes it easier to smear their critics on the right. "They're fascists!" as they would say even though that would be an insult to fascism. I just wish they would admit it and quit calling themselves cosnervatives when they so obviously are not.

    As Franco, we can admire the fact he saved Spain and Catholic Church from socialist domination (both of the Communist and Fasicst variety) but we must admit his regime was an authoritarian and brutal centralism. Maybe he felt it had to be this way to keep the nation in tact to preserve it. We've had this discussion before whether it's better for peoples within diverse nation-state like Catlans or Croats to be independent or work together within the nation-state with other such peoples to ultimately preserve themselves. It's a case by case basis as of right now because for every Vlaams Belang or Lega Nord there's the Scottish Nats or terrorist Basques. It largely depends on whether the nation-state wishes to surrender itself to the EU globalist maw or whether it views itself as a protector of its ture diversity. An ideal nation-state allows for local diversity and autonomy under an umbrella of its defense. Yugoslavia could have been that ideal, yet it was squandered. The UK may very well be a lost cause. Italy has potential. The jury is still out on Spain.

  28. "Besides there never was such a thing as a Basque Country independent of Spain."

    Give me a break O.S. The Basques don't even speak an Indo-European Language. They clearly are not Spaniards. If there was never a Basque “Country,” there has always been a Basque region and a Basque people. If only a minority now seek independence it is because they have been brainwashed under years of the machine. Only a minority of Southerners currently want independence. (Hopefully that will change.) But I’m not about to start singing the praises of Lincoln and the success of Reconstruction.

    Good grief! Is it just me, or have paleo sites of late been invaded by a lot of naked nationalist? Next thing you know, we will have more than the occasional contrarian on here praising Lincoln for “saving the Union.”

  29. Red Phillips,
    That the Basque are a distinct people in Europe is a well known fact. However that does not mean they ever where a country. Much less that if they ever become one it will be for the wellbeing of Basques themselves and the rest of Spain, especially if the people who take over are of the socialist variety like Batasuna.
    Anyway, name the period in history where there was an independent Basque State?
    I have a side here, I have Gallego and Basque blood in me, and hope these people stay in the Españas. They are part of Spain because they MADE Spain too: Juan de Garay, Juan Sebastián Elcano, Ignacio de Loyola, Francisco Xavier, etc, these people considered themselves part of Spain since the very beginning of the Spanish unit after Fernando and Isabel expelled the Muslim invaders from the peninsula.
    Talking about brainwashing, it is this minority of modern Basque fanatics who have been brainwashed to think they are NOT part of Spain. We could say a lot about it, but that should be another tread. Suffice is to say that independent Basque sentiment is a relative new phenomenon.
    Under the same token, just because gallegos have Celtic origins should they pursue an independent state? What for?
    You may be right to long for an independent South, but don't apply that on universal basis. Also, that I consider the Basque people should remain in Spain does not mean I am against secession in other places or circumstances. As Sean Scallon said it’s a case by case basis.

  30. That's right O.S., we must save the Spanish Union. We can't have any of those pesky folks thinking that their interests are different than the interests of the whole and would be best served by independence. It is the nationalist cry that runs the risk of being universalized as dogma. It already has been. It is decentralization, self-determination, divided sovereignty, secession, etc. that are the true enemies of the modern nation state. The modern nation state knows that. That is why they get so hysterical about these issues.

  31. Well, Red Phillips, certainly nobody is asking YOU to save the Spanish Union, nor any union whatsoever. I don't support the the modern nation state if by that you mean a Soviet Union like place. Fortunately for those of us who are against dismembering old good Spain, las Españas is an natural country, developed organically since many centuries ago Few countries are farther away from a propositional nation than España. That the Soviet Union was supporting the anti-christian forces in 1936, and that the American leftists who joined the civil war in the peninsula against Franco chose to call themselves the Abraham Lincoln Brigade should tell you something.
    And by the way, you still did not answer my question...

  32. ** Good grief! Is it just me, or have paleo sites of late been invaded by a lot of naked neo-confederalists? Next thing you know, we will have more than the occasional contrarian on here praising every single secession-minded movement in the world no matter the the illogical conclusions it leads to and the destruction it causes (including to its own people). **

    Dr. Phillips - I generally agree with many of your viewpoints, but if you are implying that any of us who disagree with your take on Franco here are "nationalists" or "centralists", you are way off the mark. Just as the above altered remark would be ill-placed here...

    The ill-considered fracturing of states along all ethnic and cultural lines in European civilization MAY just be tantamount to suicide in a world increasingly dominated by (non-European) mega-states. No, this is not some sort of cold-war-type Buckleyian praise for becoming something like the enemy/adversary, but it is a sober look at reality. Decentralized polities with rich cultures can and have existed in federalized states comprised of distinct peoples. I don't see this in any way as an unreasonable, and certainly not unconservative, issue/question to wrestle with.

    If you have an issue with some of the sabre-rattling Iran bashers over at another web site, which I shall not mention, take your fight to them. I don't see much of anyone here singing the praises of either Lincoln or Cheney.

    If on the other hand you want genuine dialogue around states and Franco, then I think my question was a reasonable one: would all - or even ANY - “Spaniards” (Castillians, Catalans, Basques, etc included) have been better off had there not been a Franco and the communists succeeded?

  33. I wouldn't suggest that the neo cons are anything other than war mongering busybodies....or that they have the ability to handle the GWOT without destroying more sovereign nations under the guise of democracy; however, does the writer seriously believe that the reference to fascism (referenced in the link to Goldberg's book Liberal fascism) is not a threat to be taken seriously? How is this argument that Goldberg makes so different than the one that F.A. Hayek formulated 50 years ago?: That socialism and fascism are more than kissing cousins...they are one in the same. I still take Hayek's thesis as axiomatic. It is still relevant to me today.

  34. Here are 443 reasons why Franco was right and Frum is wrong. In the Spanish Civil War, unlike the American Civil war, there was only one choice --Communism or defense of the Spanish Patria. The rest was the cruelty and absurdities of civil war which men like Frum create, but never quite understand.

    Abilio Sáiz López, O.P.
    Adelfa Soro Bo, O.P.
    Adolfo Jaime (Antonio Serra Hortal), F.S.C.
    Adolfo Mariano (Mariano Anel Andreu), F.S.C.
    Agapio (José Luis Carrera Comas), F.S.C.
    Agapito León (Remigio Olalla Aldea), F.S.C.
    Agrícola Rodríguez G. de los Huertos Sac. Dioc.
    Agustín Renedo Martino, O.S.A.
    Alberto (Nestor Vivar Valdivielso), F.M.S.
    Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de María, O.C.D.
    Alfredo Fanjul Acebal, O.P.
    Alonso Sánchez Hernández-Raner, O.F.M.
    Álvaro Santos Cejudo, Laico
    Amado Cubeñas Diego-Madrazo, O.P.
    Anastasio Díez García, O.S.A.
    Anastasio Garzón González, S.D.B.
    Anastasio González Rodríguez, O.F.M.
    Anastasio María Dorca Coromina, O.Carm.
    Andrés Corsino M. Solé Rovira, O.Carm.
    Andrés Gómez Sáez, S.D.B.
    Andrés Jiménez Galera, S.D.B.
    Andrés Majadas Málaga, O.F.M.
    Ángel Andrés (Lucio Izquierdo López), F.M.S.
    Ángel Hernández-Ranera de Diego, O.F.M.
    Ángel María Prat Hostench, O.Carm.
    Ángel María Presta Batlle, O.Carm.
    Ángel Pérez Santos, O.S.A.
    Ángeles (Mercedes Tuní Ustech), A.A.S.C.
    Anselmo (Aniceto Falgueras Casellas), F.M.S.
    Antero Mateo García, Laico
    Antolín (Antonio Roig Alibau), F.M.S.
    Antolín Astorga Díaz, O.S.A.
    Antonio Cid Rodríguez, S.D.B.
    Antonio Enrique Canut Isús, S.D.B.
    Antonio Fernández Camacho, S.D.B.
    Antonio María Arriaga Anduiza, O.S.A.
    Antonio María de Jesús, O.C.D.
    Antonio Mohedano Larriva, S.D.B.
    Antonio Pancorbo López, S.D.B.
    Antonio Rodrigo Anton, O.F.M.
    Antonio Rodríguez Blanco, Sac. Dioc.
    Antonio Sáez de Ibarra López, O.F.M.
    Antonio Torrero Luque, S.D.B.
    Antonio Varona Ortega, O.P.
    Apolonia Lizarraga del Santísimo Sacramento, C.C.V.
    Arnoldo Julián (Jesús Juan Otero), F.S.C.
    Arturo García de la Fuente, O.S.A.
    Avelino Rodríguez Alonso, O.S.A.

    Balbino Villarroel Villarroel, O.S.A.
    Bartolomé Blanco Márquez, Laico
    Bartolomé Rodríguez Soria, Sac. Dioc.
    Baudillo (Pedro Ciordia Hernández), F.M.S.
    Belarmina de Jesús (Belarmina Pérez Martínez), A.A.S.C.
    Benedicto José (José Bardalet Compte), F.S.C.
    Benigno Prieto del Pozo, O.F.M.
    Benito Alcalde González, O.S.A.
    Benito Clemente (Félix España Ortiz), F.S.C.
    Benito Garnelo Álvarez, O.S.A.
    Benito Rodríguez González, O.S.A.
    Benito Velasco Velasco, O.S.A.
    Bernabé (Casimiro Riba Pi), F.M.S.
    Bernardino Álvarez Melcón, O.S.A.
    Bernardino Calle Franco, O.S.A.
    Bernardino Irurzun Otermín, O.P.
    Bernardo (Plácido Fábrega Juliá), F.M.S.
    Blasa de María (Juana Pérez de Labeaga García), A.A.S.C.
    Borja de Jesús (Mª Zenona Aranzábal Barrutia), A.A.S.C.
    Buenaventura García Paredes, O.P.

    Cándido Alberto (José Ruiz de la Torre), F.S.C.
    Carlos Jorge (Dalmacio Bellota Pérez), F.S.C.
    Carlos Rafael (Carlos Brengaret, Pujol), F.M.S.
    Carmelo Juan Pérez Rodríguez, S.D.B.
    Casta de Jesús (Teresa Vives y Missé), A.A.S.C.
    Catalina Caldés Socias, O.F.M.
    Cayetano José (Ramón Palos Gascón), F.S.C.
    Cecilia (Concepción Iglesias del Campo), A.A.S.C.
    Celestino Antonio (Ismael Barrio Marquilla), F.S.C.
    Celestino José Alonso Villar, O.P.
    Cipriano Alguacil Torredenaida, O.P.
    Cipriano Polo García, O.S.A.
    Cirilo Pedro (Cecilio Manrique Arnáiz), F.S.C.
    Claudio Julián García San Roma, O.S.A.
    Clemente de los Sagrados Corazones (Clemente López Yagüe), O.C.D.
    Conrado Rodríguez Gutiérrez, O.S.A.
    Constancio de S. José (José Mata Luis), O.C.D.
    Constantino Malumbres Francés, O.S.A.
    Crisóstomo (José Llorach Bretó), F.S.C.
    Cristóbal Iturriaga-Echevarría, O.P.
    Cruz Laplana y Laguna, Obispo

    Dámaso Arconada Merino, O.S.A.
    Dámaso Luis (Antolín Martínez Martínez), F.S.C.
    Daniel de la Sagrada Pasión (Daniel Mora Nine), O.C.D.
    Daniela de San Bernabé, C.M.
    Diego Hompanera París, O.S.A.
    Dionisio Luis (Mateo Molinos Coloma), F.S.C.
    Dionisio Martín (José Cesari Mercadal), F.M.S.
    Dionisio Terceño Vicente, O.S.A.
    Dionisio Ullívarri Barajuán, S.D.B.
    Domingo Alonso de Frutos, O.F.M.
    Domingo Sánchez Lázaro, Sac. Dioc.

    Edmundo Ángel (Pedro Masó Llagostera), F.S.C.
    Eduardo del Niño Jesús, O.C.D.
    Eduardo González Santo Domingo, O.P.
    Eduardo María Serrano Buj, O.Carm.
    Eleuterio Marne Mansilla, O.P.
    Elías María Garre Egea, O.Carm.
    Eliseo de Jesús Crucificado (Esteban Cuevas Casquero), O.C.D.
    Eliseo M. Fontdecava Quiroga, O.Carm.
    Eliseo María Maneus Besalduch, O.Carm.
    Eliseo Miguel Largo, O.P.
    Eliseo Vicente (Vicente Alberich Lluch), F.S.C.
    Emerío José (José Plana Rebugent), F.S.C.
    Emilio Arce Díez, S.D.B.
    Emilio Camino Noval, O.S.A.
    Enrique Canal Gómez, O.P.
    Enrique Izquierdo Palacios, O.P.
    Enrique Sáiz Aparicio, S.D.B.
    Enrique Serra Chorro, O.S.A.
    Enrique Vidaurreta Palma, Sac. Dioc.
    Epifanio Gómez Álvaro, O.S.A.
    Epifanio, (Fernando Suñer Estrach) F.M.S.
    Esiquio José (Baldomero Margenat Puigmitjá), F.S.C.
    Esperanza de la Cruz, C.M.
    Estanislao García Obeso, O.P.
    Estanislao Víctor (Augusto Cordero Fernández), F.S.C.
    Esteban Cobo Sanz, S.D.B.
    Esteban García García, S.D.B.
    Esteban García Suárez, O.S.A.
    Esteban Vázquez Alonso, S.D.B.
    Eufrasio del Niño Jesús (Barredo Fernández), O.C.D.
    Eufrosino María Raga Nadal, O.Carm.
    Eugenio Andrés Amo, O.P.
    Eugenio Cernuda Febrero, O.S.A.
    Eusebio Andrés (Eusebio Roldán Vielba), F.S.C.
    Eusebio del Niño Jesús (Ovidio Fernández Arenillas), O.C.D.
    Eustaquio (Luis Villanueva Montoya), F.S.C.

    Federico Cobo Sanz, S.D.B.
    Federico Herrera Bermejo, O.F.M.
    Felipa (Felipa Gutiérrez Garay), A.A.S.C.
    Felipe Barba Chamorro, O.S.A.
    Felipe José (Fermín Latienda Azpilicueta) , F.M.S.
    Felipe José (Pedro Juan Álvarez Pérez), F.S.C.
    Félix Alonso Muñiz, O.P.
    Félix de la Virgen del Carmen (Luis Gómez de Pablo), O.C.D.
    Félix Echevarría Gorostiaga, O.F.M.
    Félix Gómez-Pinto Piñero, O.F.M.
    Félix González Bustos, Sac. Dioc.
    Félix González Tejedor, S.D.B.
    Félix José (José Trilla Lastra), F.S.C.
    Félix León (Felíx Ayúcar Eraso), F.M.S.
    Félix Maroto Moreno, O.F.M.
    Félix Paco Escartín, S.D.B.
    Fernando Español, Sac. Dioc.
    Fernando M. Llovera Puigsech, O.Carm.
    Florencio Alonso Ruiz, O.S.A.
    Florencio Arnaiz Cejudo, S.M.
    Florencio Miguel (Ruperto García Arce), F.S.C.
    Florencio Rodríguez Guemes, S.D.B.
    Fortunato Andrés (Fortunto Ruíz Peña), F.M.S.
    Fortunato Arias Sánchez, Sac. Dioc.
    Fortunato Merino Vegas, O.S.A.
    Francésc Mayol Oliver, M.SS.CC.
    Francisca de la Encarnación (María Francisca Espejo y Martos), O.SS.T.
    Francisco Alfredo (Francisco Mallo Sánchez), F.S.C.
    Francisco Carlés González, O.F.M.
    Francisco Edreira Mosquera, S.D.B.
    Francisco Fernández Escosura, O.P.
    Francisco Fuente Puebla, O.S.A.
    Francisco José Martín López de Arroyave, S.D.B.
    Francisco López-Gasco Fernández- Largo, Sac. Dioc.
    Francisco Magín (Antonio Tost Llavería), F.S.C.
    Francisco Maqueda López, Subdiácono
    Francisco Marcos del Río, O.S.A.
    Francisco Míguez Fernández, S.D.B.
    Froilán Lanero Villadangos, O.S.A.
    Frumencio (Julio García Galarza), F.M.S.

    Gabino Olaso Zabala, O.S.A.
    Gabriel de la Anunciación, O.C.D.
    Gabriel Eduardo (Segismundo Hidalgo Martínez), F.M.S.
    Gabriela de San Juan de la Cruz, C.M.
    Gaudencio (Juan Tubau Perello), F.M.S.
    Gerardo Gil Leal, O.S.A.
    Gerardo Pascual Mata, O.S.A.
    Germán Caballero Atienza, O.P.
    Germán Martín Martín, S.D.B.
    Gil Felipe (Felipe Ruíz Peña), F.M.S.
    Gregorio Díez Pérez, O.P.

    Heliodoro Merino Merino, O.S.A.
    Heliodoro Ramos García, S.D.B.
    Herlinda (Aúrea González Fernández), A.A.S.C.
    Hermenegildo Lorenzo (Modesto Sáez Manzanares), F.S.C.
    Hermilo de San Eliseo (Pedro Ramón Rodríguez Calle), O.C.D.
    Hermógenes (Antonio Badía Andalé), F.M.S.
    Higinio de Mata Díez, S.D.B.
    Higinio Roldán Iriberri, O.P.
    Hilarión Eugenio (Eugenio Cuesta Padierna), F.S.C.
    Honesto María (Francisco Pujol Espinalt), F.S.C.
    Honorato Alfredo (Agustín Pedro Calvo), F.S.C.
    Honorio Hernández Martín, S.D.B.
    Hugo Julián (Julián Delgado Díez), F.S.C.

    Ildefonso Luis (José Llorach Bretó), F.S.C.
    Indalecio María (Marcos Morón Casas), F.S.C.
    Inocencio García Díez, O.P.
    Isabelino Carmona Fernández, O.P.
    Isaías María (Victoriano Martínez Martín), F.M.S.
    Isidro Mediavilla Campo, O.S.A.
    Isidro Ordoñez Díez, O.P.
    Ismael (Nicolás Ran Goñi), F.M.S.

    Jacinto García Riesco, O.P.
    Jacinto Martínez Ayuela, O.S.A.
    Jacob Samuel (José Enrique Chamayou Oulés), F.S.C.
    Jaime Bertino (Antonio Jaume Secases), F.S.C.
    Jaime de Santa Teresa, O.C.D.
    Jaime Ramón (Jaime Morella Bruguera), F.M.S.
    Jesús Largo Manrique, O.S.A.
    Jesús Villaverde Andrés, O.P.
    Joaquín de la Madrid Arespacochaga, Sac. Dioc.
    Joaquín de San José, O.C.D.
    Joaquín García Ferrero, O.S.A.
    Joaquín Ochoa Salazar, S.M.
    Jorge de San José, O.C.D.
    Josafat Roque (Urbano Corral González), F.S.C.
    José Agustín del Santísimo Sacramento (Tomás Mateos Sánchez), O.C.D.
    José Agustín Fariña Castro, O.S.A.
    José Álvarez Rodríguez, O.F.M.
    José Antonio Pérez García, O.S.A.
    José Aurelio Calleja del Hierro, O.S.A.
    José Benito (José Mas Pujobrás), F.S.C.
    José Blanco Delgado, S.D.B.
    José Carmelo (Gregorio Faci Molins), F.M.S.
    José Casas Ros, Seminarista
    José Dalmau Regas, O.S.A.
    José de Jesús María (José Vicente Hormaechea y Apoitia), O.SS.T.
    José de Vega Pedraza, O.F.M.
    José Delgado Pérez, O.P.
    José Federico (Nicolás Pereda Revuelta), F.M.S.
    José Gafo Muñiz, O.P.
    José Gando Uña, O.S.A.
    José Gutiérrez Arranz, O.S.A.
    José Joaquín Esnaola Urteaga, O.S.A.
    José Limón Limón, S.D.B.
    José López Piteira, O.S.A.
    José López Tascón, O.P.
    José Luis Palacio Muñiz, O.P.
    José María Azurmendi Mugarza, O.F.M.
    José María Cánovas Martínez, Sac. Dioc.
    José María Celaya Badiola, S.D.B.
    José María de la Dolorosa (Vicente Álamo Jiménez), O.C.D.
    José María Escoto Ruiz, O.Carm.
    José María García Tabar, O.P.
    José María Laguía Puerto, O.P.
    José María López Carrillo, O.P.
    José María Palacio Montes, O.P.
    José Mariano de los Ángeles, O.C.D.
    José Menéndez García, O.P.
    José Noriega González, O.S.A.
    José Peque Iglesias, O.S.A.
    José Polo Benito, Sac. Dioc.
    José Prieto Fuentes, O.P.
    José Santonja Pinsach, O.P.
    José Villanova Tormo, S.D.B.
    Josefa de Jesús (Josefa Boix Riera), A.A.S.C.
    Josefina Sauleda Paulis, O.P.
    Juan Baldajos Pérez, O.S.A.
    Juan Codera Marqués, S.D.B.
    Juan Crespo Calleja, O.P.
    Juan Crisóstomo (Juan Pelfort Planell), F.M.S.
    Juan de Jesús María (Juan Otazua y Madariaga), O.SS.T.
    Juan de la Virgen del Castellar (Juan Francisco Joya y Corralero), O.SS.T.
    Juan de Mata (Jesús, Mechon Franco), F.M.S.
    Juan de Mata Díez, Laico
    Juan Duarte Martín, Diacono
    Juan Herrero Arroyo, O.P.
    Juan José de Jesús Crucificado, O.C.D.
    Juan Larragueta Garay, S.D.B.
    Juan Luis Hernández Medina, S.D.B.
    Juan María Puigmitjá Rubió, O.Carm.
    Juan Mendibelzúa Ocerin, O.P.
    Juan Monedero Fernández, O.S.A.
    Juan Pérez Rodríguez, O.S.A.
    Juan Sánchez Sánchez, O.S.A.
    Julián Navío Colado, O.F.M.
    Julián Zarco Cuevas, O.S.A.
    Julio Alfonso (Valeriano Ruíz Peral), F.S.C.
    Julio Marcos Rodríguez, O.S.A.
    Julio María Fincias, O.S.A.
    Julio Melgar Salgado, Sac. Dioc.
    Justino Alarcón Vera, Sac. Dioc.
    Justo Arévalo y Mora, Sac. Dioc.
    Justo Juanes Santos, S.D.B.

    Ladislao Luis (Isidro Muñoz Antolín), F.S.C.
    Lamberto Carlos (Jaime Mases Boncompte), F.S.C.
    Laureano Carlos (Pedro Sitjes Puig), F.M.S.
    Laurentino (Mariano Alonso Fuente), F.M.S.
    León Justino (Francisco del Valle Villar), F.S.C.
    Leonardo José (José María Aragonés Mateu), F.S.C.
    Leoncio Arce Urrutia, O.P.
    Leoncio Lope García, O.S.A.
    Leónides (Jerónimo Messegue Ribera), F.M.S.
    Leónides Francisco (Colóm González), F.S.C.
    Leopoldo José (Florentino Redondo Insausti), F.M.S.
    Liberio González Nombela, Sac. Dioc.
    Licarión (Ángel Roba Osorno), F.M.S.
    Lino Fernando (Victor Gutierrez Gómez), F.M.S.
    Lorenzo Arribas Palacio, O.S.A.
    Lorenzo Gabriel (José Figuera Rey), F.S.C.
    Lorenzo Santiago (Emilio Martínez de la Pera y Álava), F.S.C.
    Lucas de San José, O.C.D.
    Luciano Pablo (Germán García García), F.S.C.
    Luciano Ramos Villafruela, O.S.A.
    Lucila María de Jesús (Lucía González García), A.A.S.C.
    Lucinio Ruiz Valtierra, O.S.A.
    Ludovico María Ayet Canós, O.Carm.
    Luis Abia Melendro, O.S.A.
    Luis Blanco Álvarez, O.S.A.
    Luis de Jesús (Joseph-Louis Marcou Pecalvel) , F.S.C.
    Luis de San Miguel de los Santos (Luis de Erdoiza y Zamalloa), O.SS.T.
    Luis Echevarría Gorostiaga, O.F.M.
    Luis Furones Furones (Arenas), O.P.
    Luis Gutiérrez Calvo, O.S.A.
    Luis María de la Merced, O.C.D.
    Luis Martínez Alvarellos, S.D.B.
    Luis Suárez Valdés, O.S.A.
    Luisa de la Eucaristía (Luisa Pérez Andriá), A.A.S.C.

    Mª Dolores de Jesús Crucificdo (Mª Dolores Monzón Rosales), A.A.S.C.
    Mª Dolores de la Santísima Trinidad (Mª Dolores Hernández Santorcuato), A.A.S.C.
    Macario Sánchez López, O.S.A.
    Magdalena (Magdalena Pérez), A.A.S.C.
    Magdalena Fradera Ferragutcasas, C.M.F.
    Mamerto Carchano Carchano, Sac. Dioc.
    Manuel Álvarez Álvarez, O.P.
    Manuel Álvarez Rego de Seves, O.S.A.
    Manuel Borrajo Míguez, S.D.B.
    Manuel Fernández Ferro, S.D.B.
    Manuel Formigo Giráldez, O.S.A.
    Manuel Gómez Contioso, S.D.B.
    Manuel Gutiérrez Ceballos, O.P.
    Manuel Martín Pérez, S.D.B.
    Manuel Moreno Martínez, O.P.
    Manuel Santiago Santiago, O.P.
    Manuela del Sagrado Corazón (Manuela Arriola Uranga), A.A.S.C.
    Marcelino Ovejero Gómez, O.F.M.
    Marcelo de Santa Ana, O.C.D.
    Marcos Guerrero Prieto, O.S.A.
    Marcos Pérez Andrés, O.S.A.
    María de la Presentación (María García Ferreiro), A.A.S.C.
    María del Camen Zaragoza Zaragoza, O.P.
    María del Carmen Fradera Ferragutcasas, C.M.F.
    María Patrocinio de San José, O.Carm.
    María Refugio de San Ángelo, C.M.
    María Rosa Adrover Martí, O.P.
    María Rosa Fradera Ferragutcasas, C.M.F.
    Mariano de San José (Santiago Altolaguirre Altolaguirre), O.SS.T.
    Mariano León (Santos López Martínez), F.S.C.
    Mariano Revilla Rico, O.S.A.
    Martín Lozano Tello, O.F.M.
    Martiniano (Isidro Serrano Fabón), F.M.S.
    Mateo Garolera Masferrer, S.D.B.
    Matías Espeso Cuevas, O.S.A.
    Máxima de San José (Emilia Echeverría Fernández), A.A.S.C.
    Maximino Fernández Marínas, O.P.
    Máximo Valle García, O.S.A.
    Melchor del Espíritu Santo (Melchor Rodríguez Villastrigo), O.SS.T.
    Melchor del Niño Jesús (Melchor Martín Monge) O.C.D.
    Melchor Martínez Antuña, O.S.A.
    Miguel Beato Sánchez, Sac. Dioc.
    Miguel Cerezal Calvo, O.S.A.
    Miguel de Jesús (Jaime Puigferrer Mora), F.S.C.
    Miguel Díaz Sánchez, Sac. Dioc.
    Miguel Ireneo (Leocadio Rodríguez Nieto) , F.M.S.
    Miguel Iturraran Laucirica, O.S.A.
    Miguel Lasaga Carazo, S.D.B.
    Miguel Léibar Garay, S.M.
    Miguel María Solér Sala, O.Carm.
    Miguel Menéndez García, O.P.
    Miguel Molina de la Torre, S.D.B.
    Miguel Peiró Victori, Laico
    Miguel Rodríguez González, O.P.
    Miguel Sanrromán Fernández, O.S.A.
    Miguel Zarragúa Iturriaga, O.F.M.
    Miquel Pons Ramis, M.SS.CC.
    Miquela Rullan Ribot, O.F.M.

    Narciso Estenaga Echevarría, Obispo
    Nazario del Sagrado Corazón (Nazario del Valle González), O.C.D.
    Nemesio Díez Fernández, O.S.A.
    Nemesio García Rubio, O.S.A.
    Nicasio Romo Rubio, O.P.
    Nicolás de la Torre Merino, S.D.B.
    Nicolás de Mier Francisco, O.S.A.

    Olegario Ángel (Eudaldo Rodas Mas), F.S.C.
    Onofre (Salvio Tolosa Alsina), F.S.C.
    Otilia Alonso González, O.P.
    Ovidio Beltrán (Esteban Anuncibay Letona), F.S.C.

    Pablo Caballero López, S.D.B.
    Pablo García Sánchez, S.D.B.
    Pascual de Castro Herrera, S.D.B.
    Pau Noguera Trias, M.SS.CC.
    Pedro Alonso Fernández, O.S.A.
    Pedro Artolozaga Mellique, S.D.B.
    Pedro Buitrago Morales, Sac. Dioc.
    Pedro Carbajal Pereda, O.S.A.
    Pedro de la Varga Delgado, O.S.A.
    Pedro Ferrer Marín, O.Carm.
    Pedro Ibañez Alonso, O.P.
    Pedro José de los Sagrados Corazones (Pedro Jiménez Vallejo), O.C.D.
    Pedro Luis Luis, O.P.
    Pedro Martínez Ramos, O.S.A.
    Pedro Simón Ferrero, O.S.A.
    Pedro Tomás de la Virgen del Pilar, O.C.D.
    Pedro Tomás María Prat Coldecarrera, O.Carm.
    Pedro Vega Ponce, O.P.
    Perfecto Carrascosa Santos, O.F.M.
    Perfecto de la Virgen del Carmen (Perfecto Domínguez Monge) O.C.D.
    Pío Conde Conde, S.D.B.
    Plácido del Niño Jesús (José Luis Collado Oliver), O.C.D.
    Porfirio (Leoncio Pérez Gómez), F.M.S.
    Prima de Jesús ( Mª Prima Ipiña Malzárraga), A.A.S.C.
    Primitivo Sandín Miñambres, O.S.A.
    Prisciliano (José Mir Pons), F.M.S.
    Prudencia Canyelles Ginesta, Laica
    Prudencio de la Cruz (Prudencio Gueréquiz y Guezuraga), O.SS.T.
    Purificación de María (Purificación Martínez Vera), A.A.S.C.

    Rafale Rodríguez Mesa, S.D.B.
    Raimundo Eloy (Narciso Serra Rovira), F.S.C.
    Ramiro Alonso López, O.S.A.
    Ramón Alberto (Feliciano Ayúcar Eraso), F.M.S.
    Ramón de la Virgen del Carmen (José Grijalvo Medel), O.C.D.
    Ramón Eirín Mayo, S.D.B.
    Ramón Tejado Librado, O.F.M.
    Ramona Fossas Románs, O.P.
    Ramona Perramón Vila, O.P.
    Reginalda Reginalda Picas Planas, O.P.
    Reginaldo Hernández Ramírez, O.P.
    Ribogerto A. de Anta y de Barrio, Sac. Dioc.
    Ricardo Marcos Reguero, O.S.A.
    Ricardo Pla Espí, Sac. Dioc.
    Román Martín Mata, O.S.A.
    Romualdo de Santa Catalina, O.C.D.
    Rosa Jutglar Gallart, O.P.
    Rosaura de María (Rosa López Brochier), A.A.S.C.
    Ruperta (Concepción Vázquez Áreas), A.A.S.C.

    Sabino Ayastuy Errasti, S.M.
    Sabino Hernández Laso, S.D.B.
    Sabino Rodrigo Fierro, O.S.A.
    Salvador Fernández Pérez, S.D.B.
    Samuel Pajares García, O.S.A.
    Santiago (Serafín Zugaldía Lacruz), F.M.S.
    Santiago de Jesús (Santiago Arriaga y Arrien), O.SS.T.
    Santiago Franco Mayo, O.P.
    Santiago María (Santiago Sáiz Martínez), F.M.S.
    Santiago Mate Calzada, O.F.M.
    Santos (Santos Escudero Miguel), F.M.S.
    Saturnino Ortega Montealegre, Sac. Dioc.
    Saturnino Río Rojo, O.F.M.
    Segundo de Santa Teresa (Segundo García y Cabezas), O.SS.T.
    Senén García González, O.S.A.
    Severino Montes Fernández, O.S.A.
    Silvio (Victoriano Gómez Gutierrez), F.M.S.
    Simò Reynes Solivellas, M.SS.CC.
    Simón Miguel Rodríguez, O.F.M.
    Sinforosa de la Sagrada Familia (Sinforosa Díaz Fernández), A.A.S.C.
    Sulpicia del Buen Pastor (Dionisia Rodríguez de Anta), A.A.S.C.

    Teodosio Rafael (Diodoro López Hernando), F.S.C.
    Teódulo (Lucio Zudarie Aramendia), F.M.S.
    Teódulo González Fernández, S.D.B.
    Teófilo Montes Calvo, O.P.
    Teresa Cejudo Redondo, Laica
    Teresa Prats Martí, O.P.
    Tirso de Jesús María (Gregorio Sánchez Sancho), O.C.D.
    Tomás Alonso Sanjuán, S.D.B.
    Tomás Gil de la Cal, S.D.B.
    Tomás Sánchez López, O.S.A.

    Ubaldo Revilla Rodríguez, O.S.A.

    Valentín Díez Serna, O.F.M.
    Valentín Gil Arribas, S.D.B.
    Valeriano Luis (Nicolás Alberich Lluch), F.S.C.
    Vicente Álvarez Cienfuegos, O.P.
    Vicente Justino (Vicente Fernández Castrillo), F.S.C.
    Vicente Majadas Málaga, O.F.M.
    Vicente Peña Ruiz, O.P.
    Vicente Rodríguez Fernández, O.P.
    Vicente Toledano Valenciano, Sac. Dioc.
    Víctor Chumillas Fernández, O.F.M.
    Víctor Conrado (José Ambrós Dejuán), F.M.S.
    Víctor Cuesta Villalba, O.S.A.
    Víctor Gaitero González, O.S.A.
    Víctor García Ceballos, O.P.
    Victoriano Fernández Reinoso, S.D.B.
    Victoriano Ibáñez Alonso, O.P.
    Victorino José (José Blanch Roca), F.M.S.
    Victorio (Martín Anglés Oliveras), F.S.C.
    Vidal Luis Gómara, O.P.
    Vidal Ruiz Vallejo, O.S.A.
    Virgilio Edreira Mosquera, S.D.B.
    Virgilio, (Trifón Lacunza Unzu) , F.M.S.
    Vito José (José Miguel Elola Arruti), F.M.S.
    Vivencio (Juan Núñez Casado), F.M.S.
    Vulfrano (Ramón Mill Arán), F.M.S.

    SIGLAS ORDEN RELIGIOSA
    A.A.S.C Adoratrices Esclavas del Santísimo Sacramento y Caridad
    C.C.V. Carmelitas de la Caridad - Vedruna
    C.M. Carmelitas Misioneras
    C.M.F. Misioneras del Corazón de María
    F.H.M. Franciscanas Hijas de la Misericordia
    F.M.S. Hermanos Maristas de la Enseñanza
    F.S.C. Hermanos de las Escuelas Cristianas - La Salle
    M.SS.CC. Misioneros de los Sagrados Corazones
    O.C.D. Carmelitas Descalzos
    O.Carm. Carmelitas. Orden del Carmen
    O.F.M. Orden Franciscana - Franciscanos
    O.P. Orden de Predicadores - Dominicos
    O.S.A. Orden de San Agustín - Agustinos
    O.SS.T. Orden de la Santísima Trinidad - Trinitarios
    S.D.B. Sociedad Salesianos de Don Bosco - Salesianos
    S.M. Compañía de María - Marianistas

  35. Franco took extreme measures, to be sure, but someone had to avenge Roland and Oliver, whose deaths have too often been ascribed to Islam rather than the true, Basque perpetrators!

  36. What's a good book on the Spanish Civil War?

  37. Remember, many of the original neo-conservatives were on the wrong side in the Spanish Civil War. Irving Kristol. Norman Podhoretz. And the modern neo-conservatives likfe Kristol the younger and Podhoretz the younger truly believe in democracy, even for Islamic backwaters like Iraq. On the other hand, Pat Buchanan's father supported the pro-Catholic Franco. Which side of the Spanish Civil War one supports generally tells whether one is on the left or the right. True in the 1930s and true today.

  38. #35: The Cyprus Love God

  39. Red,

    You are basically correct. Franco was a military centralizer. No one disputes that. Yes he did suppress the Basque Nationalists.

    Why do so many still like Franco despite these facts? Probably because he was slightly better than a 'lesser of two evils'. Spain was on the road to becoming the Soviet Union's second puppet state, after Mongolia - the communists had already begun to liquidate their opponents. The anarchists and communists were brutal against Catholics, as everyone knows (not so much the social democrats). Franco, a legitimate Catholic, stopped all of this. Many Catholics (myself included) will remember Franco in a positive light for good because of these facts. That is not to say he is someone we should strive to emulate.

    I find the comparison to the War Between the States to be wrongheaded. Lincoln wasnt ending genocide against slaves (there was none) - he was suppressing sovereign states.

  40. I am not making a case for the communists in the Spanish Civil War. My issue is with the unqualified praise of Franco. Is it too much too ask for nuance? Must people be all good or all bad? That is how children and Frum think. (Pardon the redundancy.) It is good that Franco defeated the communists. My criticisms of Franco would certainly not be the same as Frum's. But his nationalism should be a problem for decentralist minded paleos. Period.

    I have noticed a common theme among nationalists. The plea for nationalism is often made on the grounds of necessity and not on the grounds of what is right. We must have united nation states or else the other guys are going to over run us. Well that is highly debatable. Perhaps if we didn't have large modern nation states we wouldn't have so many of the other guys over here because of stupid immigration policies. Europe is suffering under an excess of the modern nation state, not a deficiency of it.

  41. Mr. Kruse,

    I actually found Hugh Thomas' history of the war quite informative. A more polemical book from the Nationalist perspective is Warren Carroll's "The Last Crusade."

  42. I am not comparing the Spanish Civil War to the War for Southern Independence, and I'm not really comparing Franco to Lincoln. If anything, I am compairing the arguments in favor of a united Spain to the arguments for "saving the union."

  43. For all those interested in the Spanish Civil War, I highly recommend this series of articles from the Catholic website Rorate Caeli: blogsearch.google.com/?as_q=passion+of+spain&ie=UTF-8&ui=blg&bl_url=+rorate-caeli.blogspot.com&x=0&y=0&ui=blg

  44. Tom,
    You are so right in exposing the FrummieComm, consistently and with care and prudence. In this case, about Franco, Frummie is way, way out of his league. If one really wants to understand Spanish politics in the period from about the 1920s through the early Cold War, just Google "Stanley Payne" and read his several books for a judicious and detailed scholarly account. I did a doctoral dissertation on US relations with Spain during WWII many years ago--I was the first to see the opening State Department and other government documents that show how FDR liberals and their communist advisers tried to manipulate a reopening of the Spanish revolution. Thanks in large part to the American Ambassador, the great Catholic historian Carlton J.H. Hayes, it never happened, and the Catholic Spanish patriot Franco managed to keep his country out of the war and on the side of the anticommunists. It's a complicated story, of course, and I've oversimplified it here, but the FrummieComms, as usual, get it all wrong. Thanks for keeping their feet to the fire, Tom.

  45. Dr. Willson,

    Thanks for your kind words. Are there any books of Payne's that you would recommend in particular?

  46. Ah, for Spain: "Espana, cuno de san ignacio, luz de trento, martillo de los erejes, evanglizadores al mitad del mundo, esta ha nuestra gloria, no tenemos otro." (Spain, birthplace of St. Ignatius, light of Trent, hammer of the heretic, evangelizer to half the world. This has been our glory, we have no other.) Pray for the repose of the soul of Franciso Franco.

  47. I agree with Dr. Phillips that we must take care in praising brutal centralists. The tragedy of Europe was that so many people were forced to choose between fascism and communism because they had no other option. Americans should always favour decentralist movements. Most of the current academic "experts" on secession maintain that secession is a right if it is morally defensible. This is just another way of saying it is never justified---if my people's right of self-government is dependent on your opinion of whether it is justifiable or not, then my right is effectively denied. A people is the only judge of its right to self-government.

  48. Tom @46, Yes, his The Spanish Civil War, The Soviet Union, and Communism (Yale, 2004) and Franco and Hitler (Yale, 2008) are definitive. They are not light reading, nor are they especially "conservative," but they tell the real story. I also generally agree with Clyde Wilson @48, but Spain was a particularly tragic case by 1936, faced with two forms of nationalism, the Catholic version of which was far superior. Willard Beaulac, who was the American political counsellor in Spain during WWII, once said to me that Franco's brutality was far overrated, that he was much more like a "Chairman of the Board" dictator than an ideologue. And we must remember that the FrummieComms are themselves ideologues, and certainly have no interest in decentralizing movements anywhere. By the way, should we favor decentralization in, let's say, Iraq, Sudan, and Zimbabwe? I tend to think so; but what happened to Spain in the 1930s was better than the alternative.

  49. "A people is the only judge of its right to self-government."

    Prof. Wilson, I would respectfully submit that this is an oversimplification. A case by case assessment of secessionist movements would reasonably lead to a conclusion that there are typically many factors in play and many important ones besides the wishes of any one constituent people. The debate over what consitututes a "people" is often part of the debate in is in and of itself a complicated issue. Often times "people" have been driven by propoganda and emotion and their wishes have led to their own suffering in ill-advised secession movements.

    Just because the American South had a just cause in its secession in the 19th century does not mean that all secession movements are just. Some are and some are not.

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