During these days, we found out that there is a lot of interest in the Catalonia situation, of course, and we had the chance of speaking with Raúl yesterday, but we thought that it could be interesting to have a plenary session specifically on Catalonia. So we're very happy and thankful to have Marga here. Marga, she's in the board of the Executive Board in Izquierda Unida and she's the president of the Foundation of Izquierda Unida, which is called Foundation of the Citizens for Europe or something like that. And she will try to dig a little bit into the genesis of the current situation and give us a couple of hints and political insights from the discussion that is happening around this topic in Izquierda Unida, but also personal opinions of course. So yeah, we will have like a 20-minute input and then we will have a lot of time, plenty of time for Q&As, if that's good for you. Okay, good morning everybody. Thank you very much for coming. This morning there is a demonstration all around the country in front of every city hall. It's a call made for the citizen movements demanding dialogue in Spain between the two governments, but I consider it is more important to be here to talk to you and to share with you some ideas. Not only to inform you about my personal or the left perspective on the problem with Catalonia, but also for me it will be very interesting to know your opinion also and your point of view for a problem which is something, one side is an unexpected problem. This is one of the issues we have to deal with, it's quite unexpected. In this country two years ago it was unthinkable that we are going to rise to this situation. This is a specific characteristic of the Catalonian problem. And the second one is because the next week in two days we can have the different options. One could be the declaration of the independence from the government of Catalonia or the reaction of the state who could be the to take over the autonomy of course and even there is one possibility and terrible possibility of sending the army to Catalonia. So as if the possibility of a violent confrontation is a small possibility I think, but still exists and it is there. I think for us for the left it's something really serious to confront us and to be in front of that possibility which is let me say something not very realistic because I think nobody wants it in this country to have a violent confrontation but the possibility exists and is there and it could happen the next week. Anyway so let me introduce myself and of course I'm a life person, a member of the both of this Canada Unida but also the ideas I'm going to share with you this morning about the Catalonian question is not only my personal, it's my personal opinion but it's the same opinion of Unidos Podemos, I mean it's the same opinion of Ada Colau Podemos and Escadronida we have shared this idea about how to deal with this situation which is very difficult for the left because in any moments of history I think it's all around Europe when there's two nationalism confrontation the arguments are so low, the dialogue is not possible, it's a question of feelings, it's a question of sentiments, it's quite irrational. So for the left is something that we are outside the debate, clearly the left in this country is not an agent who is actively acting in the confrontation that existed today and it's not easy to do it but anyway we are going to try it now. Let me start with some history of Spanish history because I think one of the best, the most terrible things the neoliberalism has done is to create this idea that history does not exist, that there's only one event or one moment, no, not analyzing neither the causes nor the consequences. So I know all of you saw the pictures, the images and the videos on the repression of the people in Catalonia that wanted to vote which was criminal, absolutely terrible but this moment has a history behind and has some kind of consequences so I would like to show you at least our perspective of the recent history of Spain trying to understand why this thing is like this and also who are the political actors in this actual confrontation. So Spanish history, I mean one of the ghost we have in Spain is the ghost of a civil war because we had one, as you know, a terrible one which was a very ideological one in the 30s, no, but after that we have 40 years of dictatorship, 40 years, let me insist on that, which was almost the half of the 20th century we live in a dictatorship who was based in a national Catholicism and the unity of the country. One of the basis of the Franco dictatorship was to forbidden to speak in another language except Spanish, of course denied the possibilities of different nations inside Spain, we have four nations in Spain which is Spain, Galicia, Galicia is said in English, anyway Galicia which is a small country up Portugal, the Vasconian country and the Catalonian country and this is important in order to understand the reaction of the staffer right now here in Spain because it's connected with the Franco dictatorship also and the incapability of creating a new perspective for the whole country because we have original sin which is that our democracy came from a dictatorship with no break. I mean Franco died in his bed, there was no political or social revolution and that's created a continuity between the structures of the state who was under Franco dictatorship that still existed today, some of them and of course the reproduction of the elites of the country with some of them are the same families that were under the Franco dictatorship, even Catalonian families of course mean because later we talk about the rich, the rich guys of Catalonia who was absolutely part of the system even during Franco dictatorship so this continuity between Franco dictatorship and the actual Spain is one of the reasons to understand the situation now. When Franco dies in 1975, they start a period in Spain we call the transition and as the myth of the country today is that we fail living in an dictatorship for 40 years but we did it very well in that transition so it's a consensus of the country how well we did it during the transition. This transition was made was based on something that we call the big consensus who was a deal among all the political forces including the Communist Party and this consensus creates a constitution which is the constitution of the 1978 that's the reason we call it the regime of 78 because it's based on that constitution who was based in different consensus. One of the consensus is it was to accept the existence in the country of different autonomies in different territories. Spain is almost a federal state in terms of law I mean all the we have 17 autonomous communities and it's almost a federal state believe me I mean I think there is federal state who less autonomy than there are in some territories including Catalonia but I wanted to stress this because I'm trying to show you that even in the moment in 1978 when the constitution was written the territory problem was there and there is a way how to make a consensus how can we live together inside one state and it was the creation of this almost federal state almost and the second consensus was in the mythology of that moment said that the Communist Party demanded this federal state and they say okay federal state but you have to accept the monarchy and the flag. The question of the flag is important because if you go to the street today you will see that there is different Spanish flags on the balconies this is far right all of them because in Spain the flag is a Franco flag and the left defend the republican flag which is a different one because when Franco arrives he creates a new flag and took over the republican flag flag so there was it's a flag battle now we have which is that the reason because I put it to you because the flag is related with the king and it's related with the Franco dictatorship so if you see one flag it's not innocent mostly I mean there is a nationalist perspective behind anyway so this transition was based also in the idea that the king was the saviour I mean Salvador the saviour of the country now because we have a coup d'etat in 1981 and this we suppose that the king saved the democracies things like that so these things are the myths in which our democracy is based and this myth it worked for the elites perfectly well during almost 30 years I mean there was no confrontation to this narrative or to this state of things now we have a good constitution we have a good king and we have the things going quite well the problem for them arise in two things during all this period the territory problem in Spain was the basconian country not catalonian was the basconian country who was an army group who was eta who killed in this country more than 1000 people in 30 years so all of us we thought that the problem the territorial problem in Spain was focused on the basconian country and we never thought that that happened in Catalonia we could expect it that from the Basque country but not from Catalonia which is something also unexpected no but I must insist that in all these 40 years of transition until the end of this movement which is you know the break of this consensus in 2011 the Catalonian elite who has ruled Catalonia and the same political party a right-wing party for 36 years the same political party who is demanding now the independence is the party who has ruled Catalonia for 36 years and was a party who supported clearly this consensus for 40 years was part of the consensus actually this transition was based in a two-party system the political part the popular party I mean the right-wing party and the socialist democrat and there was you know one government on another government one and another and when the right-wing party needed some support they look for the Catalonian nationalists to support the right-wing in Spain for the government of the country which is a contradiction because they have been allies for years and now there's this confrontation but let me insist that even the independence movement in Catalonia is not a right-wing movement of course not but this lead is leading by a party who is a right-wing party which is another contradiction of this story that was part of this consensus of all these years you know anyway the vast country is not let's say not defeated it's not but anyway when ETA disappeared the nationalists in the vast country was quite calm and also the nationalists in the Vasconian country is led also by a right-wing party I mean the two nationalists in Catalonia and the Vasconian are led by right-wing parties let me insist on that I had a wonderful teacher in the university the best teacher I ever had which is a teacher in history of Spain and he used to say to me that don't forget never forget that the nationalism in Spain is an ally of the right-wing party because he's confronted from some part of the elites I will tell you later it's not the situation now but traditionally that is how this nationalism was based in the industrial bourgeoisie and in the Vasconian industrial bourgeoisie also but anyway so just only to say to you that something broke with the economic crisis not only was a huge economic crisis for the working class and the popular classes in Spain but also the political this political system break also when the indignados movements arose in the May 15 of May in 2011 there was the demonstration that this system this transition this perfect system was broken from inside that it didn't work anymore and there is a lot of analysis in Europe saying that in Spain we don't have a stream right party because of the indignados movement I'm not so sure about that but anyway what is true that the indignados movement the 15M movement was a way in which a lot of people who was felt themselves as it's not only the exploitation but they don't have expectation in life because of the economic crisis I mean there was a force in which you can you know channel of your energies it was the indignado movement demanding more democracy more justice and more equality which was really fantastic and also because Podemos arise from that new movement no and the appearance of Podemos and this is one of my thesis I said to Vera the rise of Podemos is something that was absolutely unexpected from the elite also and when Podemos arrived Podemos and Ciudadanos which is another political party new political party in Spain these Ciudadanos which means citizens is a Catalonian based country ultra nationalist Spanish nationalist so Catalonian people Spanish nationalist I mean so this political party was new so Ciudadanos and Podemos arose so the consensus was break that was not based in the same political basis that was created 40 years before and the most amazing thing and this is my thesis is that Podemos won the elections in Catalonia twice I mean the general elections not the regional election of Catalonia but one we have general elections and we have two general elections there in 2015 Podemos won the elections in Catalonia and my thesis is that is one of the the the spark from the independence movement is my thesis because if I were a rich Catalonian guy who has been ruling Catalonia for 40 years a corrupted system because it's a corrupted party of course like a popular party in Spain who has everything under control the bank system because in the Catalonia the most important bank of Catalonia is one of the most important european banks which is like Asia absolutely connected with the political corrupt system in a moment that is they rule Catalonia like they host because they were always the the owners of Catalonia and suddenly another political party Podemos won the elections I will fear about the future so why not I mean to change something because they could and we hope that they will lose power in Catalonia of course in the rest of the country too but anyway this is one of my thesis is not it's not the words anyway I think that one of the spark was the the raising of Encompo Podem Encompo Podem is a coalition meaning in common we can and it's a coalition of political parties and citizens and there the leadership of Ada Colau which is a very strong leader in Catalonia in the whole country but especially in Catalonia so if I were a rich guy in Catalonia I will fear about Ada Colau or about this new movement of citizens that was created in under different basis that always ruled it in Catalonia but anyway this is my personal analysis this is not on the debate yet no okay this is the history of the politics in Spain how the transition system was breaking and the this consensus is completely broken but there is also let me insist now that there is also a class analysis of what is happening as you know in 2008 where the economic crisis appears all the countries of Europe suffer the economic crisis but in Spain we suffer it double because the economic system was based on a bubble of building houses and a financial system so that this industrialization of the country was a reality during the 90s and the beginning of the 20s and there was a fiction I mean we have I don't know but it was like the country in Europe with more black money or more people who has you know that in Spain we have the half of the 500 the half of the European was in Spain because of the black of the black money existed related to the housing are related with a financial system and the banks so when the banks I mean that was a mess so when the financial crisis arise I wrote sorry that the mess was absolutely I mean the the bubble exploded there was an unemployment rate of only 30 percent the level of impoverty of the people was very quick I mean in five four years the people lose almost 25 30 half 55 percent of the level the standards they have so it was really very quick and very disastrous and that was also affected the the sensation that the people have about the future because people was very depressed especially the young people who was that reason because they did not those movements arise now because in Spain it's quite it was easy to access the university so we have a lot of wonderfully training young people but with a labor market who only offered them to be awaited in a in a bar literally because this country only have tourism so it was a contradiction that a lot of part especially with the young people felt that there wasn't future for them went to the street creating the acknowledged movement who was also a class reaction of the economic crisis but in Catalonia was different and that is one I think important point no this nationalism in Catalonia was started at the beginning of the 20th century very related with the with the bourgeoisie bourgeoisie is in English bourgeois with the bourgeois actually when I said bourgeois you say ah this is all fashion war no no they call themselves Catalonia and bourgeois but they call it very proudly because is their national project I mean if you go to Catalonia or leave there you know that the Catalonian national project is based in the bourgeois project and they did it very proudly because it's a it was an industrial a very rich territory of Spain when there is no more industry anymore I think that is one of the reasons to explain how quick and how big the independence movement is in Catalonia and how quick it grows we have to look at this question five years ago no two years ago the level of independent people who depend on independency in Catalonia was the 17 percent 20 percent the most amazing thing is the the party who is demanding now that the independence was not an independent party 10 years ago or seven years ago so my the question for me is why so many people joined the independent movement in Catalonia in a short period of time and so immensely because almost half of the population in Catalonia I mean more than two million and a half are supporting the independence of the country so I'm an old Marxist so I try to look these things in in a class perspective no and I think one of the the the answers one of them is precisely that that in Catalonia leave the under the idea that they are a rich part of the of Spain based on an industry strong industry and in a bourgeois cultural hegemony now there is no industries anymore the economic situation in Catalonia is not very much different that all the rich part of your countries which are the press and this middle class who thought that the future was as always related to be richer and to be a professional and to be a bourgeois way of life realize that there is no that future such a future anymore so it's in a way for me this reaction to join the independent movement is a reaction of the middle class who has realized that they are not middle class anymore and there is no future for them there is no project no future there is no project that is one of the failure of the left and we don't offer clearly as Juan Carlos said yesterday and agree on that a narrative of the future for some part of our population who are suffering a lot and one of the things that they suffer is that okay I'm a very well trained person but it's impossible to find a job in that sector and more than probably the best option for you is to be awaited in a pizza bar for the richer workers of the north who come to Spain for tourism so that could be one of the reasons why the people join so emotionally the independent movement because the most amazing for me I'm an ideological person I'm a Marxist and I declare myself completely incapable of understanding the nationalist narrative there is no it's it's irrational in both sides so let me tell you my doubts which is the independent movement in Catalonia is based in two ideas I'm looking better if she agrees or not one idea is Spain doesn't love us and the second is Spain is still us because they say that they pay more taxes that they receive from the state that's all there is no more there is no more the rest for me is like we want to be free which is everybody share that we want to vote which are I defend absolutely the right to vote of course and the self-determination of course that's not a problem I don't understand and on the opposite side we have this nationalist in Spain nationalist which is based in Franco dictatorship and the main idea is the unity of the country is sacred by God no honestly the main pillar of the Franco ideology was Spain is this is real and Spain is a unity in the destiny of the universe that was written in the stone it's crazy but it's true it's it's that is the level of the of the irrationality confronting that so when you talk about the I accept perfectly well the idea of a referendum of self-determination of the Catalan people of course but when I debate we see people in Spain no no no they don't have the right to vote so why because because we have to be united in a country why and the violence is the next answer yes the violence is the next answer that is the problem of I have with this it's not a rational debate and it's very emotional and I think that this is not a wrong analysis say to you is an incomplete but it's part of the analysis so what is the scenarios we are confronting now how can we help that is the idea and on the 1st of October we saw in the TV this terrible situation with the police attacking the people who wanted to vote which was criminal really was terrible but I must say that the repression stopped at 12 or 1 because the international impact of the images of the repression so it's not a small thing that you in your countries denounce the repression and support the idea of a dialogue solution of the catalonian country because the government is it was really very affected of the international impacts of the images of the repression this is one thing because the next week as you see the day after tomorrow push them on which is the president of the catalonian state and the leader of the right wing party defending the independence ask to go to the catalonian parliament and probably he will declare unilaterally the independence of catalonia I have doubts he's going to do that because it's completely crazy because the next day Spain of course never will accept that so it's going to apply something that we call the 155 article of the constitution of the Spanish state who said that if there is some problem in some autonomy territory the state has the right to take over the administration and the government of that autonomy territory we never applied this article before but it's on the table that the government wants to apply it and I'm sure it's going to happen because we have a king in Spain anyway this king who is this and now let me say it who is the grandson of a coward who leaves the country because of the second republic he is the son of a corrupted man who was the previous king he is the the brother of a corrupted woman who is almost in jail this family lovely family who is ruling the country as the monarchy appears on tv he never appeared on tv only christmas uh yeah no it's amazing but this is true only christmas we make jokes about it i mean it's really he appears on tv very seriously and he makes a discourse to the country uh who was on my perspective a stream right discourse menacing the catalonian people with a finger menacing the people you don't have the right to be outside the spanish law and everybody understood that the king on the tv saying that is because the government is going to apply the 155 article and take over the catalonian autonomy and putting the king on the tv is one way to assign it to the international community first because i don't know why the people think that the king is something serious and no honestly but it's something that really i mean he's an idiot and with the the board bonds and it's really i mean we have a we have a sentence in the space who said that all the monarchy steals but the board bonds are especially good doing that anyway there was a reaction to the king's speech which was really a far right speech so it was the first time the king was not the king of everyone was the king of the right part of the government which maybe something our people remember later but i don't know i don't know so more than probably the the autonomy will be takeover and of course i expected that reaction on the streets because if two million people wanted to vote two million of people are going to defend the right to to vote which insist we defend that right so there is a possibility that at the end of the week more police or the army will be there nobody wants this situation there is something i really think nobody wants this situation well somebody of course but so there's some possibilities of some kind of dialogue but and let me finish with this one of these two things what is the rational solution of the situation it's something that the Spanish government doesn't want to hear about which is a legal referendum is to deal to pack a legal referendum of self-determination in Catalonia this is the most rational solution but it's not accepted by the Spanish state not it's not only the right-wing party the social democratic party is not going to accept it neither i think only one of the most and of course the nationalist we are talking about this possibility which is the only rational way of making any solution but i don't think that is going to happen soon probably in the next future and the other question is that to defeat the Catalonian in another way and let me finish this part of history with this in all this period i was where the capitalist i mean the real owners of companies because they said nothing and on the independence movement in Catalonia and i mean we know that we're against the Catalonian independence but they said nothing but two days ago they started moving and they said that they are going to leave Catalonia if the independence is declared and we're talking about this La Caixa bank which is the bank of the elite in Catalonia which is amazing the other bank with this Saradel bank is a big bank but it's also the energy companies and i am thinking it's all these companies are related with the political power in a way or in another but anyway they say they are going to leave the country because one of the things that i think that they push them on is balancing now is that if it declared the independence they expected the recognition of the Catalonian country for some European country and that is not going to happen at least now so i mean it will be really a very difficult situation especially for the Catalonian people and for the rest of us which is really a very bad very very bad situation and let me finish only with what happened in the left because the left in Spain we have different visions of what is happening in Catalonia and we don't have any division on the solution i mean all of us in Catalonia and on our side Catalonia Unidos Podemos even the trade unions or the people in Catalonia we defend the self-determination rights as a solution this is my political party with a federal solution of course a federal state based on the autonomy of the self-determination each part i mean there is a traditional proposal of the left no and there are republic of course without king without king but anyway that's uh it's important because you will see if you go to see the republican flag it's a left person who is defending that so it's that question but there is different views and i'm afraid i'm not very optimistic in the situation there is all the people of the left who have a more optimistic perspective it's not mine no there is some group of the left who think that is a good news this problem of the Catalonia because and we must to support the independence of Catalonia because if Catalonia became independence the problem created to the state the Spanish state is going to give us an opportunity you know to go to this problem and to break just a little more the transition system of the 68 no to break as we said the regime of the 78 this is one perspective different number some part of the left which has arguments i'm not agree but half arguments i mean it's not idiot because the country is so worried about that is so worried what is happening everybody's so worried that it it's going to be half so cost for the government i mean to to this situation also anyway so but they say that the conclusion is that we must to support independence movement in order to create this disruption in the natural order of things in Spain no anyway this is that's one position that of course it's connected with the left independence movement which is the coup coup is a political party or radical left in Catalonia which is an excellent party except for me because they are independent this but anyway they're excellent really you know but but there is more and let me insist on that because it is true the independence movement in Catalonia is not led by the left it's left by the right and i think it's important in terms of political analysis no but anyway so there is another people of the left in Spain who don't say that but they're completely against the idea of the independence of Catalonia completely against and belongs to the cultural currency of the rest of the country who defend the idea of the unity and this is something who thinks a lot of part of the working class in Spain that is the problem i mean the poor people popular classes a working class support the idea of the unity of the state i mean the idea of supporting the self-determination a referendum in Catalonia is something that is not a working class proposal it's a proposal from the intellectuality the intelligence here it's not you know a shared proposal uh on the street which is a problem we have anyway and there is another proposal from the left who is now the proposal defended by Ada Colau, Pablo Iglesias and Alberto Garzon and me of course because they are my bosses which is this one is that Spain the regime of the 78 is breaking down not only in Catalonia but for the rest of the country we defend the idea of the self-determination in Catalonia but under a legal referendum and equal possibilities for all the options we would like to defend a referendum in Catalonia not only independence yes or not but independence federal state or being in Spain i mean with different options and we are going to fight for that and in the rest of the insisting all the time that our option in this independence referendum in Catalonia will be no to the independence but we defend the right to be to decide the independence but we the prefer the option of not being independence because we don't think it's a good idea for the working class in Catalonia anyway that is another question so and let me finish only with this warrior have we one year ago two years ago in 2015 we had two general elections in Spain and we were one year without government we were very close to break this regime of 78 very close to break it and breaking down we had they had to repeat the elections because they went possible to create the government and things like that and during that period the corruption of the ruling party in the in the country the popular party was so amazing that they have 800 members of the right wing party the popular party in in trials i mean under the justice because of their corrupted 800 so it was a system completely corrupted the sad thing is that today nobody talks about that and nobody talks about the 25% of unemployment nobody talks about the social proposals we made the only question is the national in Catalonia in question and it's something that we really need help because we don't know how to deal with that it's impossible to open another debate except Catalonia and we as elected we are not in a good position so i'm not very optimistic really i think that everybody's playing a chess mate and it's difficult for the left to to be we are quite rational emotional too but quite rational to go in a in a debate which is not very much rational so anyway we hope that they don't declare the independence or the declared independence they said that they are going to declare it in six months that is another possibility to give six months more of negotiations we are demanding facilitators from the international uh i don't think the government will never accept that but anyway facilitators or different examples and we would really know is international pressure on the Spanish government not to send the army to Catalonia and try to find a peaceful solution anyway thank you i learned i learned a lot from marga every time i listen to her so i don't know if you have any remarks questions hi thank you so much for sharing all of the history and your perspective on it can you tell us a little bit more about what the meaningful difference would be between the current uh autonomous status and the federal state proposal that that you're speaking about that is your you know favorite outcome yeah also very thank you very much and uh i think if something breaks you you don't see it in the middle at the first step but you see it at the fronches and it sounds like me that that it's not a specific specific problem of Catalonia but a problem of Spain in it in its middle and uh it seems to me as it has something to do that Rahoy and his clique and his and his gang uh wants to be to to show strength by to to reach something something else but not it it sounds when you when you talk that it's not Catalonia it must be something else but i can't identify if you like perhaps you can say some words about this hey um thank you for your input and i would like to ask because you mentioned the interests from the president of Catalonia and the conservatives in agreeing in some um or forcing some independent movement and and i see your points but as you mentioned a majority voted for Podemos just before so there or it seems to me that a big part of the movement still has a left movement and like yesterday Raoul told us that this has this is like a hegemonic process so the the right not just had their way in interest and planned to do that all the time but they were also pressured by the people in Catalonia also from left side um to agree in some kind of um things in that the movement not only want to um yeah to be independent but also to have a new constitution in itself and i think one of the reasons why Podemos gained so much popularity also was because they criticized the constitution in general and all the Franco system continuing in Spain and so i i am asking myself um to turn this um the image of national conflict in this um the only way for me is to say this is uh um in Catalonia this is not a conflict of Catalonia but it's the conflict for all of Spain it's a conflict for it's a fight for democracy in all of the state and i was interested in how um how the left in the rest of Spain because there were some demonstrations i think about um Catalonia um no esta sola or something like that and if you could talk about the um yeah the left movement from below who is trying to gain more um yeah impact in all this yeah thank you for um your input um my question goes exactly in the same direction i um also find most convincing the um federal's um resolution that you federal solution that you um proposed and that Iskia da Unida proposes but i um found it not very convincing your argument that the movement in Catalonia is led by the right i would like to hear more arguments on that because um that there is a regional government from the right is from a Marxist-Gramsian analysis in fact like not really an argument that a movement is led by this there is it it's about hegemony what the people want um what the um what the aims of the movement are and i think there is a lot of social um demands in it and it's also crucial for the left to address these social demands and my second question is also in the direction of what Ronda said um how do you think are the possibilities to mobilize in other parts of Spain um for a federal solution that is linked with social demands because i also think it's absolutely necessary to shift um the the conflict away from the only from the national question to like a social question let me start from from from the from the last two interventions no yeah the independence movement as i said is a transversal uh movement uh i mean there is people from different class social classes yes yeah and different interests also yeah yeah but let me insist i mean it's a democratic movement demanding the right to be independent full stop there is no political contents there is of course part of the movement who want more social things or but there is other parts of the movement who doesn't want it and i'm going to be really because it's important for me to say the movement is a massive movement in Catalonia and of course there is a lot of left movements who support the idea of democratic right to vote absolutely that is clear and of course it's always led by the left people the demanding of the democratic right to vote but at this very moment the two leading political parties who has the role of lead the independence movement in Catalonia are right wing parties and the speaker of the independent movement in Catalonia is not a left person and it's something that i know is quite contradictory it is real it is as it is so what our people our people the left two people in Catalonia said what we want to do they said in Catalonia left people said what we want to do is to break the hegemony of the right wings inside the independence movement and i say okay i mean that's fine but they want to break it because they don't have it i mean when the parliament of the Catalonia approves the this referendum except the coup which is a wonderful but small political party the rest of the left political forces vote against abstention sorry that was not in favor of this referendum because was led by the right wing party and the conditions that this they know that there was not democratic conditions so it's something that i think we must to talk more about with the in the left movements in Catalonia because my worry is that of course the left people is over the most solidarity people and is the first people going confronting the police and is the people who is more solidarity defending the the ballot boxes and if the most solidarity people defending the people who is attacking by the police it's not the rich people it's our people who is defending that so i think we need to also of course to help to bring and to win the hegemony inside the independence movement but it is not today that's my opinion i think it's a fact that which is not easy to deal i mean i would love that it will be a socialist movement in independent in Catalonia i will be independent too i mean if that's happened but it's not the case really it is not but anyway uh as you said it's a democratic movement they tend to move in it's a democratic movement demanding the independence of Catalonia there is no one word about the kind of Catalonia there is no one word about social rights there is no one word about labor rights it's amazing how irrational it is it's just only one to be independent full stop i think it's a reaction against the the situation or how is the situation dealing but the problem is if some movement is led by the one-wing party there is no arguments even there is argument for the independence but there is not on the table by the speaker of the movement it's just only that what they have is that is my personal my personal opinion and of course there is a solidarity movement inside the rest of the country with the people in Catalonia which was Catalonia Nostasola i mean Catalonia you are not alone we went there to the portal Sola was there where there was a lot of people there are two young people especially because precisely of the repression in Catalonia and i think we have to strengthen the solidarity movement that this is one of our tasks and i hope the demonstrations today i don't know if they will be big or not but i hope it's going to be well also demanding a peaceful solution a peaceful solution on on the situation and only two words more about the federalism it's not a scared on your proposal it is a scared on your proposal but federalism in Spain has a long tradition because this territory a problem we have it for centuries so the first time that the federalism was a solution was in the 19th century i think on the start this proposal actually the social democrats party party socialista obrero espanol is supposed to be also defending federalism as a solution for the territorial problem in Spain the the the only request of this federalism which is of course the 17 different federal states that have to be a referendum if they want to be part of not of the federal estate i mean that's had to be based on the voluntary basis of course and it's a it's a system that we propose in sometimes very similar to germany in terms of you know taxes the different parliaments things like that but anyway we have it now i mean these 17 territories in spain have their own parliaments they can make a lot of laws i mean there is a it's a decentralized country health justice education is ruled by the territory it's not but the national state and the taxes is one third for the autonomies and one third for the state but the problem i think is that there is another nature why we think that the federalism is the is the right answer but and unfortunately is a minority of the population who is thinking in that solution today i think it's i think yeah yeah it's very similar it's almost a federal estate spain with no much more autonomy for the for the region specifically in taxes and capacity of of dealing with the taxes because i mean what what keep spain not being a federal estate is that we have a unique box of the social security we call it like that no there's one ministry and the taxes are ruled only by the ministry not by the but the autonomies but in terms of politics is to have more autonomy of course and to really a new constitution of the country in terms of guarantee those rights and who was going to rule that right it's like another federal system but it has to be based on the voluntary basis that is the main difference with the autonomy now that is not an imposed system but a system that has to be created by the federal states who like daniel and steve and and then i think like if you want to raise a question or a comment do it now because we don't have that much more time so i'm going to connect collect a couple of your comments and questions and then give back to marga i totally see your point on the catalan bourgeoisie and their leadership in the in the independence question but i don't see why the people taking to the streets are irrational in their in their claims i think there has to be a reason why dog workers are blocking the police i think there's a reason why farmers are blocking the streets and and so on and so on and i think as far as i am informed the catalan assembly has also made a few good points against austerity pro-refugee things and stuff like that and i wouldn't totally denounce that i think that that also plays a vital role right now and i would be interested interested what you have to say about that you said the two main parties in catalonia are right wing but the erc is isn't it more like a social democratic party and if we see the laws they brought in it's not like a right wing government we have in spain so it's i guess it's too easy to say the leadership of the movement is right wing and the leadership of the government is right wing when we have a strong social democratic democratic to left wing bloc who is supporting the movement and could you answer why you say it's a right wing if there are so much parts in it who aren't right wing and the other question also if it has a right wing leadership when i saw the videos the from the protest there were left wing slogans on the streets and there were left wing answers to the police brutality so there's a left wing base and the declaration of a free state self-determination is a left wing case it's why shouldn't we support it if there can be a base to build a new more left wing state so at first thank you very much i think it's very important we talked the last days a lot about this question and we had no solution we only had question marks and very important to hear the spanish view because we've got in germany a very different narratives so i'm gonna show now three three points at first the basque question so the ita gave up the weapons because they said okay now we have a europe we don't want to be in spain but we want to be in europe so and now euro is coming so we don't have to fight for independence and so no one thought it could be an issue in katalunya the second is about the king the information in germany is not the king of spain accepted the democracy but he built the democracy because it's a tale that franko wanted back the king and the king waited until franko is dead and the king wanted the democracy that's the narrative in germany and the question of katalunya is for the leftists in germany very important because the narrative is the katalan identity is connected with the left wing identity if you look back to the thirties to the second republic that the narrative is katalunya always have been very very left anarchist or socialist so because of that is for us important and new to hear that it's a leaded or it's a strong right wing movement in the independent movement there's definitely seems to be a lot of questions about the nature of the the independence movement left versus right and maybe this is a asking that question from a different angle but the thing that i didn't hear from your presentation that i would be curious to know more about is what changed with this relationship that had sort of always existed between the pp and the right wing katalan nationalists that there was this level of collaboration and support and then suddenly it wasn't there what changed on the ground was it pressure from below that caused that they had to address this or was there some the deal somehow fell apart because somebody wasn't getting paid or was it just two very strong male egos fighting it out and it's all personality okay since i'm coming from former egos lavia this situation somehow resembles our situation as well that we had during the 90s and i have to remind you that nothing left wing happened after the wars and after the breakup of egos lavia that's what we have to have in mind what i have to say follows on from that in a way and it's really to question your your kind of acceptance of self-determination as if it was a kind of simple principle and i don't think it is a simple principle i actually think that you know there's always the problem of identification you know of what is the question and what is the boundary or you know who should vote and and actually i think it relates to the kind of concept of nation and i think someone said yesterday that a nation may be a human construct but it's also real and it's true that it's real but it's also contested and people have multiple identities and they're complex and and the idea of self-determination it seems to me was was invented by an american president and imposed by an american president who didn't understand the complexities of of national identity in in europe and you know former egos lavia is obviously a good example and and so i don't know how much that helps but i think because it you know i just think that that you know your acceptance of self-determinations a principle is is i think questionable and maybe that makes resolving the problem more difficult but also i think it it underlines that really this is a this is a problem to which there should be a negotiated solution and it may be difficult because of the emotions and lack of rationality involved but it should be negotiated okay let me come back again only with the question of the of the political character of the independence movement it's a massive movement in katalonia let me insist on that but the question is not that my question is why five years ago does not exist and now is so massive what is behind the necessity of people going to the streets demand a more democracy and my personal answer is that as we debate in this summer school is that the globalization has winners and losers and the working class of the south of europe we are the losers of the globalization there's no future for our people under the material conditions that actually neoliberalism is imposing in spain the people is needed to find an identity the precariousness i mean the way the working class is completely automatized take out the possibility of a class identity and it's very uh logical to understand that if you don't have anything nothing who protect you fear to the future there is no middle class dream as i told you that was the katalonia narrative there is nothing anymore why not to try to have an identity based on the nation really honestly i don't have a concrete answer but i think on that every day because it's amazing that's the reason because i deny the left political character of the movement as a whole of course there are left people inside of course and of course the left people is that first people going confronting the police that's reason because we saw them in the in the pictures i will go to defend the people even if i'm not agree with independence of course i will but that is not letting me insist on that and emancipation of the class of the poor of the working class inside the independence movement in katalonia today that is not and let me insist on that very clearly because it will be lovely to have a social revolution in katalonia and to be clear that they are my people and we have to support them because the social revolution is there but it is not the case maybe we can help that to happen to support in the left in katalonia of course that is our task too and there's left in all all the territories but i would like to insist on that because i'm afraid and you know what is my worry my worry is that this movement is negotiated led by the right-wing people but the people who is going to confront with the army if the spanish government send the army there is the left and most solidarity people but who negotiating in in our name is other guys that's my worry because i insist on that all the time and of course we have i insist talk with the independence talk with the coup in katalonia support adacolau movement i think adacolau has the best position in katalonia and she has the moral values to be defending the right to vote and against the independency and of course she's confronting the president of katalonia all the time there's a wonderful speech adacolau made but i love it when the president of katalonia which is a bourgeois guy asked to the to the disobedient the katalonia people has to be disobedient with the state adacolau took the floor and to say now we are coming here to tell me to be disobedient i was confronting the police putting my body to stop eviction and you send the police to pick me up when we ask the left ask for disobedient to defend social health education we put our bodies let me insist to the huge eviction movement to katalonia adacolau was there this guy was in front of us so she was like that very very enraged to say because this guy said that adacolau was a traitor she's great i mean she's a fan and a fanatic of adacolau really i like it very much but i think she knows exactly she has this position and and i think helping her and go move for them the cope also of course they left independence people so they're excellent i mean some of them are very good friends are excellent and they have this analysis which is uh we are not in the hegemony of the movement that we are going to have so let's start with katalonia and then we in spain which has arguments of course they have i mean as i told you before but my personal sensation is not so optimistic that that's only and of course the the shadow of Yugoslavia is is there is there anyway thank you very much for your contributions


Hi guys, it's Alex. Welcome back to my channel. Today's video is also going to be kind of a different video because it's gonna be obviously sit down and talking with you guys but it is about my fitness journey. I really want to start being more fit and I'm gonna be in two weddings so I need to you know look kind of good so I am doing Chloe Ting's workouts and I really want to maybe do weekly updates kind of like this one because I started on I'm looking at my phone here I started on January 17th and I will put my January 17th photos on the screen so you guys can see them and these were what I looked like I don't like the back fat I kind of had a fat roll and my legs just weren't toned and also like on my lower back kind of where like your stomach kind of can pull if you're bigger I kind of got stretch marks and I'm like I am way too young to be having that so basically I started January 17th and I did Chloe Ting's workout I did separate one so I didn't do a 30 minute or 15 minute one or 45 minute one I did abs legs arms and back that was the very first one I tackled and then they were separate videos so it wasn't just one video if you guys want to see the workouts I currently do I will leave a link to the playlist I use down below and I kind of just set this up for myself so I have workouts and everything ready to go and then I found there's a 15 minute one and a 30 minute and a 45 minute workout and it's like a full body burn fat workout and I started doing those instead of the individual ones just because I wanted to lose some weight and that's not weight I should say I just wanted to gain more muscle and get tone because muscle does weigh more than fat and I have a lot of muscle especially when I workout so I started doing the full body workouts whether it be the 15 45 or 30 minute ones and I did that all week except for two days I did the workouts Friday Saturday Sunday Monday and then not Tuesday I did it Wednesday and Thursday and Friday no not Thursday not Thursday and not Tuesday so when I had something to do like I had my friends engagement photos I just did the 15 minute one but it's still getting a workout in so I kind of include that in there as long as like I'm doing workouts also let me know down below if you would like to see me doing the workouts each day I could do little time lapses on my phone or just anything like that sometimes I find that workout videos when you do a time lapse or whatever it's kind of useless I like watching videos that people are actually doing it in real time that's why I love Chloe Ting's workout programs because I can work out with her and she's really motivating and everything so if you guys want me to put a few little clips in to show my progress then comment down below and let me know just because I don't want to bore you guys I don't know I don't want to put something in that's like a useless I think it'll build the story better and like you can see me workout but it also this first week super embarrassing because I just don't have good form and everything and I couldn't really like get through the workouts as well so maybe starting the second week I'll have more confidence that workouts are getting easier because I've been pretty consistent I will tell you I have not been eating the best I could eat healthier like cut out more carbs but I did have Doritos I had sour cream onion dip and chips and I do have pretzels and I have veggie sticks so those are like the really really bad foods that I've had I'm not also eating stellar like a stellar person I am kind of just working out and then kind of rewarding myself I do want to work on not eating those foods I was really good at moderation and everything but I kind of gave up because I started working out and then I'm like I want to reward so mentally I'm like okay I need to just start transitioning it's not the end of the world if I have a little something because I am working out now and these are some intense exercises so moving on this is after a week I will put my photos here so you can see them and honestly I can already feel a difference in my body it may not look like it in the pictures but definitely I feel it and I just feel a lot better and more strong and yeah you can see my little line I have this like fat roll that's like above my bigger fat roll so that is getting smaller and then my back fat roll is getting a lot smaller and that's only one week so like if I keep pushing and keep working out almost every day then I can guarantee there's probably gonna be a lot of results what inspired me to do this challenge per se is because I saw Chloe Ting's workouts being done and people showing their results and I was like wow that's amazing I can do that because I'm pretty strong I've always been physically active until I stopped dancing and then you know all of that stuff and I was like I could do this so that's why I'm gonna make a video and probably do my journey weekly as well I also got inspired to do this because Amanda 3 1409 one of my favorite youtubers I've been watching her since probably 2013 and she had a complete 180 lifestyle change and she said that she was doing Chloe Ting's workouts and I was like okay and I had done Chloe Ting's workouts a while ago I think it's probably been a couple years but I didn't really like complete the programs or anything I didn't really like take it seriously and I check out Chloe's channel now and man she has so much stuff and so many resources out there to help people get fit and everything so that's another reason why I started because I got inspired by someone I watch online there's a plane to go along with my weight loss journey I got a little package here I ordered myself a workout set off amazon this was like 30 bucks so I just decided to get this there's so many like expensive workout stuff I'm waiting to see how much Karen's sets are for her kick-ass thing brand but if they're like over 50 dollars then I probably won't get it because I think that's way too much to spend on just like workout clothes even though when I started to like feel more confident I might want to start wearing like workout clothes for you know running it out to errands and stuff like kind of how other people do it I don't really know what I'm saying I got the purple ones I will try this on in my next video because tomorrow I'm gonna work out and you'll just have to stay tuned and see but here are the leggings I got the medium this is what I don't like about ordering online like I don't know if it's gonna fit but I think this will fit it seems pretty stretchy and stuff and everything I think the holes in this are kind of weird but it's okay we shall see yeah it looks like it'll fit hopefully my button thighs aren't that big and hopefully they'll fit and then this is the top I got I think this is adorable I think this will fit me it might be a little tight but we shall see and I love how it's like padded here too because my other sports bra my black one that I normally wear is not padded oh and you can take out the pads as well there's a little hole right there you can take out the pads but I think I'll keep the pads in there I don't know if you guys want to join along this journey with me I would be really happy if you did it's really hard I was thinking about maybe going live on Instagram sometimes like while I do the workouts so let me know if you want that as well I don't know I want to kind of just document my journey have you guys come along with me so I think that is about it for week one update and why I'm doing it and everything like that if you guys enjoyed this video give it a thumbs up also if you've tried the workouts leave a comment down below telling me how they worked out for you because I would love to know and I guess I'll see you guys in my next video bye


All right, Kate York, year two has arrived and we welcome in the former LSU All-American current kicker for the Cleveland Browns, entering his second season in fact. Kate, you're coming to us from your truck. Yeah, we have construction going on inside so I thought it might be too loud, so I came out here.  What's back there like scraps from a Swenson's number two extra fries? Like what's going on? Now I eat healthier than that. I had like a bag that I had my meal prep in last week and I just need to clean it out. There's no food in there, but it's just had to move around. All right, Kate, we had a very different life as 22-year-olds because I did not have my food prep bag in the back of my 97 Nissan Ultimo with rust on it. Like you are at the facility in Cleveland. I'm really excited for you. I really am for this year. I think it's going to be incredible. You've got a year of NFL experience behind you now. So let's start at the beginning of the kicking journey though. You started on that 2019 LSU championship team that a lot of people do consider the best college football team ever assembled.  When did y'all realize that you had something super special?  I remember hearing people say, I was friends, I lived with one of the fourth string, I think the fourth string quarterback and he was telling me that Joe was going to win the Heisman this year. I was like, all right, dude, whatever.  I'm like, oh my gosh, this is kind of cool. And then it just like never lost. And then it kind of ruined, not ruined, but it spoiled my outlook on college football because in the next year we lost the first game. I was like, oh, that's what that feels like. So it was special. And now I know you have to go against Joe Burrow, so you can't say that much nice stuff about him. But maybe like, what was the moment you were like, man, he's like nobody else or he's really set apart. That fourth and like 15 or whatever against Texas where he threw like the over the guys helmet to Justin Jefferson for the touchdown. That was a cool play. Yeah, you answered that really quickly. I can't imagine what those practices are like to sit back and pop popcorn. It's unbelievable. Well, I mean, I do stuff during practice. Not like I just sit there the whole time, but once we were done with our stuff, it was cool to watch. Kate, that's really well said. That was dumb of me to say. I was thinking about what I would do at those practices. Just sit back and watch you do your stuff and then watch them do their stuff. Of course. So before you went to the NFL, was it nice to say that you could have had a career with Dude Perfect being their kicking expert? Let's get into that. Oh my gosh, I forgot about this. Talk me through this. Well, it had been, it was, I was on, so that is my Avery Atkins, who's the one holding the ball right there. He was my holder, my last two years at LSU as a punter kickoff guy. And he, so LSU Barstool, yeah, he catches it on the jet ski. LSU, we were on this trip when LSU Barstool tagged me and someone else doing like a different version of this. So it was like our mission at the lake that day to do this. So we woke up and went out and had some guy on the jet ski and it took us 15 tries. 15? Which, It's low. I would like to say it took me like three tries, but it took some calculations. So 15, I don't think that's that bad though. Yeah, I mean, it was the jet skis fall, right? For sure. I had every ball perfect. That's what we like to hear. You know, I was at the NFL draft a couple of weeks ago now. Gosh, that was in Kansas City and the Niners. They took a lot of heat for draft and Jake Moody in this third round. I don't see any edge rusher pulling off a trick like that that I decide. I don't see any detackle doing that. You were drafted in the fourth round last season. I would like you, Cade, to defend why kickers should be drafted in the first four rounds. I mean, I love it. I hope that someone next year gets drafted higher than Jake. We had, actually there was two guys drafted higher than me this last year. Jake and Chad, I'm actually good friends with. I hope it continues to just keep pushing forward and forward because no one scores more points than the specialist. And if you've got, you don't see any Super Bowl winning teams with a back kicker. So I think it's a positioning to be taken more seriously in the draft. And I hope that us that have been getting drafted early and earlier can keep putting a good name out there for those guys and keep pushing it further and further up. And maybe we can start getting guys in the second round again. I love that. So like last year, let's just dig into it a little bit. I don't want to talk that much about it because it was last year. This is this year. You're already focused on this. It was a bit up and down.  We'd love to see it. Everybody I talked to about you do says that you're so confident. You don't lack in that. You've got a new guy that's really excited to work with you there and Bubba. I'm going to ask you since there were some ups and downs as there should be your rookie year, especially kicking in Cleveland, what was your highest high of last year? Did we just see it? What was the best moment you had? I mean, yeah, that was definitely up there. But I think one of my other good moments was the Patriots game because I had come off of a missing a game winning kick and it was a pretty low moment for me. I had to really be intentional about pulling myself out of that and just going on next game and just having a good game the next week felt pretty good. And it's never really been like the big moments that I fall from like I struggle with because even that game winning that I missed, I've missed it by a foot and I hit it really well and I can't get too mad about it. It's more been like those small moments where I get too confident or too comfortable and I really just need to be better about hyper-focusing on those kind of stuff. And if you make all the game winners but miss everything else, you're not going to have a good year. So I just, it's a smaller like medium range takes. I just need to put a little more focus on. It's exactly what I did in my freshman year of college too. So just a lesson to learn and move on to the next year. So then how are you focusing on that? Like what do you specifically teach me a little something? Like what do you, how do you attack that this year? It's not necessarily kicking the ball better or anything like that. It's more just having the same routine for every kick and trying to recreate. I don't ever want to be comfortable because when I get comfortable, that's when like I think stuff starts to go wrong. So I just putting myself in situations where I'm never comfortable and trying to just recreate the same kick every time, especially with the mental game. I would tell myself, if I can make it to a jet ski on the 15th try, cause it would take me a million tries to do, I can do this in this whatever situation that is. Here's the deal. So I do like a live show every day, right? So things go wrong every show. And I don't have any time to think about it cause I get off set and I'm like, oh, should I have a show in 23 hours? Like I have, I move on right away. I would not like it if I had a week between shows because I would, I am a stew on it person. I, and the way that I live my life, like it doesn't affect me that way. Like I have to just be on my stuff and like roll out there. How do you go through a week or maybe like you didn't like a kick or like I'm not even talking about with the Brownsters in general in your mindset. Like how do you manage not thinking about what happened when you have a whole week between games? I don't think you can try and stop yourself from thinking about it. Cause if you, if you tell yourself to not think about an elephant, you're going to think about an elephant. Like it's like, you can't just like not like push it out of your mind. I think you have to think about it and accept it. And it's more about for me, for the first time in my career, I actually missed two kicks in a row this last season which was probably my least favorite moment about the whole year. I've been probably myself being good about whenever something goes wrong, I almost get even more motivated and be able to step up in the next moment. So whenever I have a bad game, I usually don't follow it with two bad games in a row. I usually, or at least the next kick I go out there, it's going to be a good kick. So I kind of try and channel it to almost pissing me off and like going to like be really good on the next one. I try not to let it leak into, oh, well, no, what if I do it again? So it's more just, you have to think about it, accept it and be able to kind of channel that in the right direction rather than letting it go in the wrong way. I love that. Kate, you're going to have a great second year. I'm so excited to watch it.  Nobody wants to end the season cleaning up their locker, feeling like they want more to give.  Have you spent time with him? What's that been like? Yeah, we spent plenty of time together and I've really enjoyed it. I love coach brief and I think the world of him and he's one of the reason I'm here and I have nothing but positive things to say about him but Bubba is a very like, they're kind of opposite to each other and it's kind of a cool new start. So it's been Bubba's much more give you a ton of space and it's been pretty cool to kind of go through with him and I'm enjoying getting to know him and it's cool that he played here and it's cool that actually I knew him from the draft process from before and I've only heard good things about him and I'm excited to see how it goes. Okay, so when you say that he gives you space, I like that because you were adamant, Kate, that given the opportunity, you could break the NFL record for longest field goal of 68 or 68 yards. Is Bubba the kind of guy that will give you that opportunity if it comes up this season? See, I've always, I don't think, I think pre for to let me do that last year if he would have had the chance. I don't think that's a special change coordinator. I think that's more of a situational thing but I'm sure any special change coordinator if their kickers confident they would be excited to watch them do that. I mean, I would like to see that. I would just, I need to get, I need a direct line to old Bubba and I'd like to see that happen. Okay, I would love to know before you go, any superstitions? Like what are your superstitions, your rituals look like? Oh, there's so many.  So I had to be careful with that but there are like tons of random things I do all the time. Like when I'm in pre game, if you watch me the way I kick in the net, I do the same after the last kick, I like pick the ball up, I spin it in my hands and then I like drop it and drop kick it with my heel backwards into the net. Like every time I do, I have the same thoughts in my head every time I go and kick or I try to again, something I'm gonna be better about next year. What are the thoughts? I'll keep that one to myself. Okay.  I have the same gummies. I have like a Rice Krispie treat at halftime. Like there's tons of stuff. You have a Rice Krispie treat at halftime? Like out of the wrapper or like somebody makes them for you? No, out of the wrapper. That's so cute. That's like, I think that's a popular thing because like I didn't even have to ask for it. Like LSU did it and now I came to Browns and they're all there. You need to get that, that Rice Krispie treat sponsorship, Katie Ork and we are hoping for it. We wish you luck. Let me tell me before you go, the vibe around that Cleveland. I mean, those fans, they want to win. They want to contend, of course. What is the vibe and the energy around the facility right now? The vibe around the facility is everything. Like we're doing a bunch of different stuff this year. Like I don't, I haven't heard one negative thing yet, which has been, it was something I was used to at LSU because the last two years was a bunch of like turmoil and struggle. And even last year, it was a little bit wishy-washy, but I've heard like zero negative stuff. It's like the most team camaraderie I've been around since my freshman year at LSU. It's been actually like very enjoyable to go to work every day. And I've actually, I'm excited to walk back in there after this and get back to work. So it's pretty cool. Sorry, they kicked you out to your car buddy, but we appreciate you making the time. Katie Ork, everybody, with the Cleveland Browns entering year two, the word is excitement. The word is 68 yard field goal. You won't tell me your thoughts, but we're giving you all the Rice Krispy Treat vibes going into 2023. Good luck and thank you. And just get a burger. Just like.


Hollywood, it's time now for... Johnny Dollar. Johnny, this is Fritz Meltzer here at Star Mutual. Fritz, I can't think of anybody I'd rather hear from. What? Every insurance case you've called me on has put a lot of dough in my pocket. Well, now, Johnny... And it just happens that right now I can use a few extra bucks. Quite a few. So what's the deal? Well, as a matter of fact, I hadn't thought in terms of any fee on this one. Oh... But of course, we'll pay whatever expenses you need. You, uh, trust me with my expense account, Fritz. Are you kidding? Of course not.  Okay then, now that we understand each other, what's the problem? All right, here, who's the problem? John Wakefield Edwards. Have you heard of him? No, I can't say that I have. Retired businessman, leather goods, I think it was. He lives just outside of Auburn in New York. So what's happened to him? Well, nothing that I know of. But he has a lot of insurance with it, including a strained life policy worth $155,000. How old is he, Fritz? In his late 60s. Marine? No. Then who's the beneficiary? His adopted daughter, Marilyn. And how old is she? In her late 20s. Then who cares about a fee? Fritz, I'll take the assignment. Easy, Johnny. You probably won't even see her other than Matt did, and I sent you over to see him immediately. Yeah, why? Action Pact Expense Account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly? Johnny Dollar. Gator Johnny Dollar. The the Star Mutual Insurance Company, Home Office, Hartford, Connecticut. Following his account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the hair-raising matter, when a beautiful girl and a fortune are involved, while instead of waiting until morning, I got out of my car and drove over to Albany. Item 170, 20 for mileage. I arrived shortly after midnight, checked in at the Sheraton Ten-Ike, and although I was pretty tired, I ran up item two a dime for a phone call. Yes, this is John Wickfield Edwards. Johnny Dollar, Mr. Edwards. Well, why do you waste your time and money calling me? I told Fritz Melcher to send you up here. I'm right here in Albany, sir. Oh, good. Do you want me to come out and see you right away? It's pretty late. No, first happened before then. Nothing will happen. I'll expect you to have breakfast with me. I thank you. What was that? I said to hear it at breakfast. 7.30 sharp. Oh, OK. But now, just what did you mean about nothing will happen? I'll tell you about it in the morning. Goodbye, Mr. Dollar. Well, now, wait a minute. Look what it was that he was expecting to happen. Or it obviously tied in with his wish to see me. But I guess that was tied after the long drive, he seemed to think the morning was time enough. So I hit the sack. Early in the morning, some coffee sent up to my room and then the hotel bill came to $9 even, that's item 3. And by 25 minutes after 7, I swung on to the long winding drive that led up to the front of the Edwards mansion. It was in a wealthy residential section, a couple of miles north of the city's proper, and sat in the middle of what must have been a full acre of beautiful trees and gardens. As I approached the house, I noticed a car parked out front. The door was open and the good-looking got out of it and it was just about to climb in. As I pulled up to a stop, she stood there looking at me, questioning me. Is that right? You want to see somebody? Why, yes. As a matter of fact, Mr. Edwards sent for me. Oh, really? Are you an old friend of yours? Old. I didn't know it should be. Oh, that isn't what I... I mean... My name is Johnny Dolly. Don. The insurance detective or investigator or whatever you call him. Yeah, something like that. Hi. I'm Marilyn Edwards. Well, hi.  Come on in. Why, uh... Why do you say that, Marilyn? Well, daddy seemed to be worried about something lately. You know what? No, at least I'm not sure. That's why I thought I'd stop by this morning before going to work. Oh, I thought you were just leaving. No, I just got here. Just before you arrived. What do you do for a living? Don't laugh. I'm a model. Oh.  After all, somebody has the force for those ads for discount ads. Oh, for sure. And so we go in and see daddy. That is if he's up. Oh, it better be. I have a breakfast date with him. It's 7.30. And it's now exactly 7.31. Then we'd better go in. He hasn't come down yet. Johnny, this is Girdkin. Daddy talks to me. Yeah, I ordered a breakfast pump. It's 7.30. And I ring the bell and he don't come down for it. I think I'd better go up and see. I'll go with you. It is a long clock. Go off three quarters of an hour. Go to the system. No, sir. No, I guess not. Without touching nobody, I found the Albany police homicide division. And within minutes, Sergeant Christie arrived with Dr. Warren Lincoln. And Dr.'s examination was brief and very thorough. Including several on-the-spot tests. I didn't, doctor. He was 68 or 9, I think. And he hasn't been sick? Not that I know of. Girdkin, the housekeeper, would know better than I do. He hasn't had a day of sickness since he caught that cold last. Yeah. If new folks want, I can order an autopsy. Oh, no. No. That would be terrible. First the natural causes. Approximately 7.15. Doctor. And I expect you can carry on from here, can't you miss? I'll take care of the man. If he can't, I will. But getting what's closer needs weather. Well, come on, Sergeant. Back to the morgue. Oh. The morgue. If you want some breakfast, ain't gonna do him any good now. Girdkin, how can you? I suppose we may as well, Johnny. Then do whatever we have to do here. There was something mighty wrong here. Yet I couldn't put my finger on it. Had I really caught the smell of cordyce before we entered that room. It's too late to tell now, even when the windows close. Those windows. It's a cold morning. Had he left them open while he dressed? Sure. Maryland. Heard of his big insurance policy. Had she really just arrived when I got there? If the housekeeper, Girdkin, had been in the kitchen making breakfast. It would have been easy for someone to sneak in and... But who? And why? And what about Girdkin? The police medic said death due to natural causes. No prison. No wounds of any kind. So that's that. The undertaker must have been hungry for business because he got there before noon and took the body away. Meantime, of course, I'd question both Girdkin and Maryland pretty early. Enemy? Oh, no, Johnny. Daddy doesn't have... Johnny, you keep talking as though you think he might have been murdered. Does anyone beside you benefit from his death, Maryland? That's a horrid thing to say. I do. Girdkin, what are you doing snooping around this way? Well, it's as much my affair as yours now that Mr. Edwards is gone. What do you mean by that, Girdkin? Johnny, he left me and his will. And the co-discipline, his will, it says Maryland's got to share the insurance with me if he collects it. Girdkin. What do you mean by that? Everybody knows her and her father served off their father. Ain't been getting along too good ever since she decided to get out and learn her own living or try to... I've been getting along all right. Sure, sure. And all the attention you've been giving your dear daddy these last couple of years. Why, today's the first time you've been in this house and... That doesn't mean that daddy and I haven't... Girdkin, you wish to be left alone. Sorry, Johnny. Maryland, I want to go up and look at your father some again. All right, if you like. And I'll go along with you to... No, thanks. I'd rather do it alone. Oh? I find nothing. I'm sure there were a couple of old bottles of hair tonic hidden away under some shirt. But after all, I mean at his age. And that funny little thing on his dressing table. It was a little... well, hat stand, I guess. You'd call it the kind you find in a woman's hat shop. You know, a little wooden stand about eight or ten inches high. Johnny, look! Huh? Who did you get that? After what you said downstairs, I guess I began the work. Very special. So I looked around outside, you know, for footprints or... I don't know what I was looking for. And you found this handgun. It was in the middle of a myrtle bush. It was daddy's gun. Oh? And see? One saddened been fired. Yeah. I also see you've carefully put your fingerprints all over it. Oh! Fine. Now my prints are all over it. So if it was used to... What am I talking about? If it'd been a shot, Durkin would have heard it. What's more, there would have been a bullet wound and there was no sign of anything in the... Wait a minute. Marilyn, maybe there was. It was truly Johnny Dollar. I'm by her raising matters. My hunch was right. I was sure of it now. I told Miss Durkin and Marilyn to stay there at the house and wait for me, then jumped into my car and drove into Albany to the other ticket. Prepare, Mr. Evertybody, yet. Good. We do. Rather rushed. Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure. Now where is he? Was he a relative of yours? No. What are you doing? Trying to make sure that a crazy hunch I had is true. Look here. How are you trying to pull his hair up? No. Off. What? I think... Now look here, young man. Look. Look. Do you see what... What I'm trying to do here? What? Yep. Heavens, I can't believe it. We would never have noticed it. I don't think anybody would have. But it's a hairpiece, all right.  It matches the rest of his hair so perfectly. Hey, you got some kind of a solvent? I don't want to have to rip it off. What is it? Yeah, I think we have. To be here, sir. Two of those old bottles of hair tonic. Probably hadn't used them in years. But that little wooden stand. Sure. It parked his wig on it. What did he say? And probably nobody knew who the ward except himself. And somebody's very close to him. Here, Mr. Dollar. Here, this will remove the toupee without damaging it. Yeah, all right. Right in the middle of his bald spot. Covered up by the hairpiece. And the bullet that made it was a 38 special. You can get here this morning until I did. Yes, Johnny. You're sure? Yes, Johnny. Run up to his room again. Where's Durkin? It's an idea. Johnny, you have a funny look. I mean... Yeah, come on. I'll tell you this much. Your father was murdered, all right? You... You sure as that. Yes, you bet I am. Now, look here, here. On his dressing table. You know what this is? Of course. It's a little hat stand I used when I was a kid. What's it doing here? I don't know, Johnny. I never really noticed it before. How long did Daddy wear a toupee, Marilyn? A what? A toupee, a hairpiece. Oh, never. I was very proud of the hair. You're sure about that? Of course I am. For a long time, he always used the smell of hair tonic when he came downstairs in the morning. Well, it just happens that you're wrong. What? A small, very well-made hairpiece covered the bald spot where he was shot this morning. With this 38, you say you've found out some. What an idea. All right, I believe you. In spite of the way you've covered up any fingerprints that may have been on it. You did, too, Johnny. Yeah, that's right. Now, listen. He's only one person who could have known about the hairpiece if killed him and then covered up the bullet wound with it. I knew I'd smell burnt gunpowder when we first came up here. Johnny, do you think that... Yeah, yeah, but I'll prove it. Well, I've got to try a bluff. Yeah, I'll see if I can bluff her. I can't believe it. Yet with him dead, she'd have money, more money to do. Hold it, Marilyn. Well, there again? Well, you're back. Where you been, anyway? Checking up on something. Something I should have suspected last night when I talked to Mr. Edwards on the phone. What do you mean, Johnny? Line clicks that meant somebody was listening in on the phone downstairs. Don't look at me. I didn't even know you called him last night. I wasn't there to sleep. Were you jerking? What I was just checking on at police headquarters... Police headquarters? Yeah, it was a set of fingerprints I found on a glass you'd been using in the kitchen. What? I wanted to compare them with some prints I found on this gun. Well, that's Mr. Edwards' gun. The one you used to kill him? That's a lie. Is this the fingerprints map? No, that's a lie. I wiped him off the gun. You threw it out the window? Yes. Then over the other windows to let the smell of powder out? Yes, I wiped him off. At least... We know part of the insurance or any other money for circuit. The court will take care of that. And probably with many. Mr. Marilyn, well, you know something? There's a gem I think I'd like to see again. And I don't mean because of her fortune. Expense account total, including all the mileage on my car. $47.50. Yours truly? $20. Here we'll return in just a moment. Well, here's our star to tell you about next week's story. Next week, a little jade statue is the key to one of the clever spots I've ever seen. Join us, won't you? Yours truly? $20. Johnny Duff. Rejected by Jack Johnstone. Heard in our cast were Virginia Craig, Shirley Mitchell, Jack Edwards, Ralph Moody, Junior Matthews, and Parley Bear. Be sure to join us next week. Same time and station for another exciting story of...