Para Mis Amigos en España

My heart aches with my Spanish friends on this day marking that horrible day.

May God forgive those who called you appeasers or cowards from the comfort of their keyboards because you could not bear having your grief and suffering be used for political purposes.

Comments

[norbizness]

Well said. I found I was much angrier in real-time when the phenomenon you describe took effect...

"It always feels weird when you start travelling down some 2-hour research-driven internet Moebius strip, trying to figure out how blogospheric opinion can go from "today, we are all Spainards" to "Spain is a bunch of cowardly, craven, terrorist-loving assholes" in 72 hours...

Wild speculation about Spain becoming an Islamic state. Instant experts on Spanish politics and instant al-Qaeda mind-readers. Truly depressing, worthless, condescending, arrogant bullshit. The revolting undercurrent is that Spainards can only be trusted with their vote if they vote the way pro-Iraq War people wanted them to."

[Tom DC/VA]

Maybe it means I'm a bad person, but I don't want God to forgive the Fighting 101 keyboarders. I think he has better uses for his mercy.

My condolences to the people of Spain.

[xavier]

Randy:
I was outraged at the time by the jingopundits. This putzes had clue zero about Spain. They hadn't paid any attention to the fact 90% of the population had opposed Spain's involvement (I didn't but I still remain deeply conflicted about my qualified support) and no one really saw how supporting the invaison advanced Spain's interests in the region.

I think I'm the only North American blogger who had some authourity to speak about the elections. I voted a few days before and it was for neither party. The attack never changed it but only reinforced its soundness.

I'm really unimpressed by the socialists and the national conversatives are still the same
xavier

[Andrew]

Regarding Spain, I'm afraid the "jingopundits" are closer to the mark than many of the self-styled "reality-based" pundits. Whatever the sentiment for or against Spain's military involvement in Iraq, Aznar's Popular Party DID enjoy a lead in the polls until the Madrid attack. What changed that? Fear (and appeasement) remains a compelling, if not conclusive, explanation for the last-minute shift in voter preference. I try to keep an open mind about matters about which my knowledge is limited, but whenever I come across vehement certitudes regarding controversial issues, I am pushed in the opposite direction.

[Randy Paul]

Andrew,

The lead was within the margin of error.

I would also urge you to look at this post on the subject as well as this one and this one.

Aznar set fire to his bridges and in the commission hearings investigating the bombings, the PP (Aznar's party) has come off very badly.

Charges of appeasement and fear are a convenient explanation. If one digs a little deeper, you'll see there's more to it than that.

[Atrios]

Yeah, with the help of my spanish speaking wife I followed the whole thing from bombing through election, tracking the unfolding scandal with PP lying about ETA involvement. It was quite fascinating how the rest of the Spanish media almost universally went ballistic when the Cadena Ser radio network started reporting on PP's con job, and then slowly came along as the truth dribbled out.