Terrific Column on Spanish Elections

[Guest MikeSC]

MAR. 15, 2004: A WIN FOR TERROR

Terrorism has won a mighty victory in Spain. The culprits who detonated those bombs of murder on 3/11 intended to use murder to alter the course of Spanish democracy – and they have succeeded.

 

In the months since the attacks on the World Trade Center, we have all heard – and ourselves often repeated – much brave talk about how terror cannot prevail, how justice must inevitably win through, etc. etc. etc.

 

The news from Spain suggests how very wrong those hopes were.

 

People are not always strong. Sometimes they indulge false hopes that by lying low, truckling, appeasing, they can avoid danger and strife. Sometimes they convince themselves that if only they give the Cyclops what he wants, they will be eaten last. And this is what seems to have happened in Spain.

 

Unlike the 9/11 attacks in the United States – which were intended as acts of propaganda to influence the Arab and Muslim world – the 3/11 attacks against Spain were acts of propaganda aimed at the local market. And again unlike 9/11, this time the terrorists succeeded brilliantly. They helped to defeat a government committed to joining the war against them – and helped elect a government whose leading members not so quietly dream of a separate accommodation.

 

From a human point of view, the carnage of 3/11 is a tragedy without purpose or meaning. But from a political point of view, 3/11 was aimed at a result – and it achieved it. The new socialist government of Spain will be a far less willing ally of the United States. Indeed, this attack against Spain may well succeed in pre-emptively knocking Spain out of the war in the way that Pearl Harbor was intended – but failed – to knock out the United States in 1941.

 

Lesson: terrorism can work. Prediction: therefore expect more of it. Expect more terrorism aimed at the United Kingdom, against Australia, against Poland, and – ultimately – against the United States. For the terrorists must now wonder: If murder can influence elections in Spain – why not in the United States?

 

In the United States, the terrorists have to make a very fine calculation: Which would hurt President Bush, their supereme enemy, more – to attack or not to attack?

 

Those who know American politics well would probably answer: choice number two. The more time goes by without a terrorist attack, the less President Bush benefits from his prestige as a war leader – and the more the national conversation turns to new subjects on which President Bush holds less of an advantage. On the other hand, the terrorists may be less sophisticated. They may hope to defeat their enemy George W. Bush in the same way that they defeated their enemy Jose Aznar. In which case – brace yourselves.

www.nationalreview.com

-=Mike

[Zorin Industries 0]

"Lesson: terrorism can work. Prediction: therefore expect more of it. Expect more terrorism aimed at the United Kingdom, against Australia, against Poland, and – ultimately – against the United States. For the terrorists must now wonder: If murder can influence elections in Spain – why not in the United States?"

 

This is very true, I think al-Quaeda has scored its greatest political victory here by knocking out one of the U.S's main military allies. This can only serve to make them even more brazen

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

Lesson: terrorism can work

 

I must have missed the news of the new government declaring they wouldn't go after Al-Qaida for what happened.

 

For the terrorists must now wonder: If murder can influence elections in Spain – why not in the United States?

 

Nothing like a summer of "A vote for Kerry is a vote for bin Laden"

 

Oh Joy.

 

Based on the stuff I heard pre-election and the results, there was a small shift, in the swing voters, that gave the election to the PSOE.

 

The swing was probably influenced by the PP officials blaming the Basques, when the world figured it was al-Qaeda. It was either a rush to judgement, or manipulation.

 

The fact that the PP lost an election after that doesn't speak much for them.

 

Then again, the US will still give aid to Spain, and help them. But, if you listen to the tone of some, the Muslims are flying a crescent moon over Madrid.

 

Anybody care to dig up some of the domestic stuff that the PSOE advocates?

[Vyce 0]

Nothing like a summer of "A vote for Kerry is a vote for bin Laden"

 

Oh Joy.

I know a liberal on another board who's making the exact opposite argument: that militant Islamics want Bush reelected because his hard stance on terrorism helps them recruit from the Arab street. Therefore, a vote for Bush = the terrorists win.

 

Don't act as if this shit doesn't go both ways.

 

But, if you listen to the tone of some, the Muslims are flying a crescent moon over Madrid.

 

It's happened before, who's to say it won't happen again? Leave me out of it, though; if they want the Moors to run all over them this time around, I'm going to opt out of any future Crusades.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

Don't act as if this shit doesn't go both ways.

 

I'm sure the "Terrorists love Kerry" crowd outnumbers the "Bush helps recruitment of terrorists" people. By a large number.

 

It's happened before, who's to say it won't happen again?

 

And I set a pizza box on fire on an oven. But, you don't see me acting like that's gonna happen anytime soon.

[Guest Cerebus]

And I set a pizza box on fire on an oven. But, you don't see me acting like that's gonna happen anytime soon.

What possessed you to put a pizza box in an oven?

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

And I set a pizza box on fire on an oven. But, you don't see me acting like that's gonna happen anytime soon.

What possessed you to put a pizza box in an oven?

actually.. it was on a stove, and there were knobs involved.

 

I was like 4!