March 15, 2004

Dancing to the terrorist’s tune
Posted by McQ

The answer to terrorism, according to Spain, is to give in.

Appease it.

“Throw in the towel.”

Quit.

Unfortunately, thanks to the Spanish electorate, “Terrorists Win” is now the legacy of its bombing victims. Their lives and limbs given for a complete capitulation to those who took them.

It is, of course, an outright victory for terrorism.

I don’t see how it can be spun any other way.

The timing was impeccable. The bombings were timed to influence an election and make a point. Overwhelming success in both goals. The electorate, which had been leaning toward retaining the existing ruling party, swung 12 points the other way in the three days following the bombing. Interestingly, Jose Maria Aznar had overseen a period of steady economic growth and reduced inflation which had created thousands of jobs and balanced the budget. He held firm against ETA and is credited with whipping his once-divided party into shape and with raising Spain's profile in the world.

But that wasn’t enough. Because he had the temerity to agree with other countries that terrorism is a serious and continuing global threat (proven right in Spain on 3/11) his party goes down to defeat to a party of appeasement ... those who feel it is more important to placate than eviscerate the threat.

My guess is they actually believe this will buy them “peace.” I can only imagine then, that on the whole, the Spanish electorate is as ignorant of the history of appeasers as are many in the US. In fact, giving in may, if anything, put them at the bottom of the list of targets for a while, but nothing more.

The Spanish may be assured of one thing though ... their capitulation doesn’t remove them from the list by any stretch. Should they again need a ‘nudge’ because of actions which may be deemed by 3/11's masterminds as a direct threat to them, Spaniards can expect terrorists to violently and overwhelmingly remind them who they REALLY belong too now ... that they now dance to only one tune ... the terrorist’s.

After all terror has enjoyed success by horrendous violence once ... why not again?

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Comments

Call this vote the Spanish Flee. It reminds of that Monty Python song from the Holy Grail, sung to the tune of Brave Sir Robin:

Brave Spaniards ran away,
Bravely ran away, away.
When danger reared its ugly head,
they bravely turned their tail and fled.

Yes, brave Spaniards turned about
And gallantly, they chickened out.
Bravely taking to their feet,
They beat a very brave retreat,
Bravest of the brave, the Spaniards.

Their is packing it in and packing it up
And sneaking away and buggering up
And chickening out and pissing off home,
Yes, bravely they are throwing in the sponge.

Posted by: Bird Dog at March 15, 2004 08:55 PM

I heard the Spanish vote rationalized today as anger over the government's withholding of information about the Madrid attacks(Huh?). I also read a pretty acrobatic argument at Talking Points that the Spanish recognized that al Qaeda's fight is with a secular/Christian nation that has defiled a brother Islamic nation(Double-huh?)... nothing that they need worry about if they step out of the line of fire.
What trash! Cancel my flamenco lessons.

Posted by: Fred Walter at March 15, 2004 09:03 PM

It's a shame this has happened. I don't blame the people of Spain, though. Had the attacks of 9/11/01 actually taken place on 11/1/04, Bush would have been defeated as well. The blame belongs to the new government of Spain, who are capitulating rather than doing the right thing.

Posted by: Steverino at March 15, 2004 09:22 PM

Just remember, no matter what al-Queda says about a link between the Madrid attack and Iraq, there is no link between al-Queda and Iraq. John F'n Kerry says so.

Posted by: JorgXMcKie at March 15, 2004 10:15 PM

Better yet is the response of the Head of the E.U. Commission, "It is now obvious that we cannot use force to deal with terrorism."

Thats right, just hold a bake sale and give out free candy to the kids and the terrorists will back right off. It worked with the IRA, Hamas, PLO, Hezbollah, Tamil Tigers, Red Brigade, the Weatherman, Symbionese Liberation Army etc etc.

Someday the al-queda (I refuse to capitalize the name) freaks will come back to Spain to ask for something the Spaniards cant give...like taking away womens rights, opening madrassas, allowing transit for homicide bombers. Then the crows will come home to roost.

Good luck Spain...youre gonna need it.

Posted by: Riggs at March 15, 2004 11:26 PM

'k, I know it's a bad idea, didn't work in the past, etc....but man, isolationism is looking better and better every damn day.

Sometimes it seems the whole damn world has it's collective head up its collective butt, and there's fewer and fewer people who can tally the real score.

Madrassa's, beatings of women, public beheadings, forced clitoral circumsisions, religious leaders approving sex with animals, little bitty babies strapped with high explosives, muslim populations soaring in european countries, anti-semitism flaring globally, ever-increasing terrorist attacks - even THREATS of attacks - and onandonandon ad nauseum. It's a sick, WAAAAY outdated culture. Bloodthirsty in the extreme. Totally bereft of technological advancement or ability, yet bent on world domination. Huh.

How long 'til the rest of the EU succumbs? I read 2050 as an end-date today. Alrighty then. Seal the borders. Arm the nukes. Let's hunker down 'til this either blows over or the winds are right.

Sure would solve this whole out-sourcing dilemma, eh?

Posted by: rick at March 16, 2004 04:23 PM