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Jewish World Review March 22, 2004 / 29 Adar, 5764
James Lileks
Bloodied Spain Rejoins Old EuropeBloodied by an atrocity, many Spaniards sought comfort in the arms of socialist multilateralism, and they changed the balance of power in Europe. The new Spanish government will soon meet with Germany and France to craft a "European" approach to terrorism. Topic No. 1: How big should the white flag be? Oak or cedar for the pole? It wasn't as if 99 percent of the voters went socialist. Observers have noted that the government's handling of the post-March 11 situation cost it legitimacy. The government blamed Basques even after it clearly appeared to be the work of Muslim terrorists, making one wonder if they were afraid of religious and ethnic profiling. (The Islamists aren't the only ones who commit terror, you know. Timothy McVeigh's ghost could have joined the IRA to help Hindu radicals bomb Spain for no particular reason.) Even so, it's difficult to understand how a voter infuriated by the government's refusal to blame the obvious source would hand power over to the party least likely to do anything about it, and send the signal that nations can be bombed to nudge the voters the proper way. One placard at the anti-terrorism rally said, "The bombs dropped on Iraq fell on Madrid," and many in the anti-American camp would agree. But let's unpack the logic: The United States unilaterally invades Iraq under the false assumption that al-Qaida has ties to the Saddam Hussein regime; in retaliation, al-Qaida attacks a U.S. ally. You can believe the first part or the second, but not both unless you believe somehow that the tender sensibilities of the terrorists were so inflamed by that unprovoked attack on the Hero of Tikrit that they shelved their plans for world domination to redress the grievances of the Iraqi people. And by "Iraqi People" we mean about 2,000 guys who got all the good cigars. Getting bombed by al-Qaida because you helped topple a fascist regime is a stark reminder that you did the right thing. You have the right enemies. A country should worry when al-Qaida doesn't regard it as a target, because that would mean it appeared to be a house of rotten wood, easily collapsed when the time is right. The question now is how the rest of Europe will respond when its time comes. And it will come. Al-Qaida knows now it can influence elections better than a last-minute ad barrage or a leaked DUI arrest. France? Well, France would be outraged; an attack against other nations is regrettable, but an attack against France is an attack against humanity, don't you know. The world won't see the gendarmes wading into the projects with batons. The world will see a nice trial, with a 22-year-old glowering man sentenced to life. The world will not see an American city extending citizenship to that fellow, as Paris gave citizenship to convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal. Germany probably won't be hit for a while. Germany is thick and tired and confused. Germany is a canned ham in the quicksand pit of Europe. England well, Tony Blair is a brave, good man, but his party is a different beast. History may well remember him as a leader in the mold of Churchill except Churchill wasn't thrown out before the war was won. Italy might respond much like Spain, unless the attack levels Vatican City. Expect some reporter to note that the pope was Polish, and Poland was a solid ally in the liberation of Iraq. What an insult to the Islamist fascists. Italy's practically begging for it.
03/12/04: Why All Those Foreign Leaders Want Kerry to Whup Bush
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