The cult of memory: when history does more harm than good
GuardianJUL 2017
Spain Proposes Overhaul of Franco-Era Secrets Law
Above: A bust depicting Francisco Franco is displayed on Nov. 22, 2020, in Madrid, Spain. Image copyright: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
Spain has long been haunted by the shadow of a brutal dictatorship, and it's time for the country to start slowly peeling back the facade erected by the Franco regime and their enablers. This is only the beginning of true reconciliation, which must also involve finally giving justice to Franco's victims. The upsurge in nostalgic support for Francoism could be stopped if its ugly truth could be revealed.
Right narrative
While many of Franco's actions can and should be condemned, the socialist regimes that preceded and succeeded him, including the current Sanchez government, have been either just as bad or rewritten history to make the right look worse. Late 20th-century historians have worked in tandem with liberal European governments to portray every right-wing government as evil and left-wing governments as saintly. History should be written by truth seekers, not politicians.
Metaculus Prediction
Editor's Note
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