It was democracy, not terrorism, at work

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, March 21, 2004

I have grown quite weary of the gnashing of teeth lately over the election in Spain. Contrary to what the media is telling us, the citizens of that country, in changing their leadership, have not given in to terrorism. That is merely the official U.S. media newspeak.

The truth is that 90 percent of the people of Spain rejected any involvement with our government’s invasion of Iraq, and took to the streets en masse to implore their leaders to avoid entanglement in it. Their prime minister ignored his own people and caved in to pressure from the Bush administration to add Spain to the coalition of the bribed. Last weekend, that nation realized the cost of the prime minister’s folly. It is right that they should select a leader who more closely represents their wishes.

Their new prime minister vows to pull Spanish troops out of the oil war in Iraq and deploy them, instead, to the war on terrorism. We should take notes. And any American who celebrates democracy should be rejoicing at seeing it in action in Spain. I still remember what democracy looks like, and hope that we can reinstate it in this country in November.

Snohomish