ON THE EDGE
I wonder when the nations of this world were ever in the situation such as that in which we now seem to find ourselves?
Spain; following the costly loss of life and property and the railway terminal bombings they have experienced this past week, and many people insist this shows every indication of taking the very path anicipated by the "enemy" whomever they may be.
Commiunications of some sort have, we assume, been inexistence long enough so that the offending parties may be quoted as saying it was all caused by the fact that Spain put some fifteen hundred troops into the field "to aid and abet the Bush attack on Iraq.". It is now being said, here in the United Sates, at least, that the "people" of Spain have been adamantly opposed to the war in Iraq in great numbers and that they have marched in great, overwhelming multitudes to show their contempt for all who would take part in a warf against the Iraqi people "
That is the picture we are being fed here; that Spain was warned to stay out the war and not having heeded that warning the Spanish must now suffer ham. They sent troops "to help Bush's invasion of Iraq" and, now they must cringe and be submissive to the wishes of the evil power whoever and whatever it might prove to be.
The danger to America?
Some will argue they do not recall and great Spanish opposition protests against the war.Other will go so far as to say we were prevented from hearing about it.
Some will prefer to see the whole attack as an attempt to influence the outcome of the Spanish election held tthis past week week. It did so, it seems. The Socialists had been lagging quite a bit behind, but they beat the Populists as being the party in power when Spain entered the war. The people, it has been said, "are punishing the Populist Party.". These divisions will be noted and they will become part of our own political campign illustating how our war-time "friends" are slipping away one-by-one and cringing obediently and fearfully before the terrorist agressors. We have enough confusing problems of our own to consider without adding any foreign ones
It may all be well and good for us to show sympathy and understanding but to sit around second-guessing the experts on whatand why it all happened is foolishness of the worst kind. And, any of it, being incorrect, could very well prove to be dangerous.
The pain in Spain is very real. Respect it as our own. We fight a common enemy.
A.L.M. March 14, 2004 [c455wds]
