In results being counted in the 14 March elections, the people of Spain have just voiced their clear and unmistakable denunciation of George W. Bush, and of the man who joined with Bush in the criminal invasion and occupation of Iraq, Prime Minister Jose Marie Aznar of the Popular Party.

These elections come three days after the 11 March atrocity in which commuter train cars were bombed in Madrid, leaving 200 people dead and 1500 people maimed and wounded.

These attacks were all but certainly carried out by terrorists connected with the al Qaeda terror group. The style of the attacks plus the attempts by terrorist accomplices to have al Qaeda take responsibility are the evidence that this Muslim extremist group was involved. Al Qaeda is the same group that attacked the territory of the United States at the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C., on 11 September 2001. Al Qaeda is thought to be led by Osama bin Laden, although some people believe this monster was killed by United States troops in their invasion and clean-up of Afghanistan.

In March 2003 Aznar pledged Spain's support and a token amount of troops to Bush for his invasion and occupation of Iraq. The Spanish people were enraged at Aznar's pledge, knowing that it had nothing to do with a fight against terror. The Madrid bombing was said by the terrorists who did it or planned it to be a reprisal for Spain's participation in Bush's illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, and for Aznar's sycophancy to this action.

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Although Aznar was not seeking re-election himself and was withdrawing from politics, his hand-picked successor to the head of the party, Mariano Rajoy, and the candidates standing for election were soundly defeated by the Socialist Party led by Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Some of the Spanish people were reported to have shouted “Liar” and “Get our troops out of Iraq” to Rajoy on the day of the election.

Although the people of Spain had been upset with Aznar ever since he announced he would go into Iraq with Bush, this was their first chance to show their displeasure with their votes.

Aznar's mistake was not in pledging to be part of the world community in the fight against a special type of crime called “terror,” but rather his clear confusion that the invasion of Iraq was part of that war against terror.

The people of Spain were never fooled. They understood quite readily that Bush's pursuit of Iraq was personal, perhaps about business (meaning oil), or perhaps just because Bush was a megalomaniacal kook with delusions of grandeur. What particularly angered the Spaniards was that they had chosen a leader of their country who could be so easily duped by the man in the White House.

The victorious Socialists, of course, have pledged to fight terror, and they know that the invasion and occupation of Iraq was never part of that fight. Thus they have also promised to withdraw the token Spanish presence in Iraq as well, unless Bush turns the administration of Iraq and its transition to democracy over to the United Nations. As Bush should have done long ago. As he did with Afghanistan, because they had no oil, and its invasion really was a fight against terror.

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But what is really disturbing now is that the right wing pundits and supporters of Bush in the United States are characterizing the results of the election in Spain as a “victory for terrorists” when, in fact, it was nothing of the kind.

These sorts of insidious tactics are to be expected of these extreme right wingers.

In effect, the Bush political right has insulted the people of Spain by saying, “if you do not vote the way we like, we will call you friends and supporters of terrorists and terrorism.” It will not be long before the members of the Bush government and campaign begin making these scurrilous characterizations as well. They are already issuing statements that a vote for John Kerry and the Democratic Party in the November elections is a vote for terrorism.

This is pure political opportunism being exploited by the Bush right wing. They present the argument that Bush is fighting terrorism, so that a rejection of Bush's policies is a rejection of the policy to fight terrorism. The Bush right wing jumps quickly upon the temporary confusion created by this fallacious argument (this confusion is not difficult to create in an audience with just enough brains to be dangerous). Before any one thinks long enough to discover the absurdity, the right wing then attempts to hammer home the salient points that the political opposition is actually in bed with terrorists.

Of course many Bush zealots actually do believe that the political opposition—any political opposition—is not merely untrustworthy and unrespectable, but even criminal! There is no “agreement to disagree” for them. There is no “honorable” political opponent. This is pure fanaticism. Pathological liars are pathological because their lies become the truth for them instantly, and the large and growing ignoble faction of the right wing that now runs and owns its political organizations means that the lunatics have indeed taken over the asylum.

So while we should not be surprised at these reckless public statements being made by the Bush right wing, we should not allow ourselves to be caught off guard by the logical fallacies and sophistry used to persuade people that up is down, that war is peace, and that a rejection of Bush is an embrace of terrorists.

Why should anyone believe the absurd logic that the condemnation of one criminal (Bush) means the praise of another set of criminals (the terrorists)??

Let no one mistake the vote of the people of Spain today.

The result of this vote was a repudiation of Bush for his illegal and reckless acts, and for his imperialism.

And the result of this vote was a condemnation of Aznar for his sycophancy and giving the criminals and terrorists a platform to attempt to engage the sympathies of those outraged by Bush's own criminal ways.

This vote was not an expression of sympathy or support for those terrorists. And any remarks describing or characterizing the Spanish vote in this way are irresponsible and outrageous.

Mavi Gözler
American Patriot

14 March 2004