"Tom Sixkiller" wrote in message
...

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:Jcj8c.83648$_w.1132827@attbi_s53...
I stopped "Being a Spaniard" the moment the Spanish electorate handed
the
terrorists their biggest victory. They have endangered us all in a way
that
cannot be measured.

I still feel compassion for the innocent victims, but it is plainly
evident
that the Spanish people have rightly earned their world status as a
third-tier nation. It's hard to believe that these same people once
ruled
the seas, and much of the world.

And barely 200 years ago Spain was one of the three (Spain, England,
France), if not THE dominant power(s) and most prosperous nations in the
world. Today they're like a bunch of burned out old hags. They were never
really invaded, but the destroyed themselves from within. And so it
goes...

You also have to remember that Spain is just one generation
removed from a fascist dictatorship. As such, its political
institutions are somewhat fragile and its political class is
immature. The socialists never really expected to win, and
are in a way caught up in their own rhetoric.

That said, the new governments position is certainly irresponsible.
No matter what one might think of Bush/Blair and how we got
there, the question that should be asked is "What would happen
if *all* troops pulled out?". Clearly, the result would be a civil war,
further instability, the possible restoration of the Ba'athist régime,
and the resumption of mass killings. As the new Spanish government
would prefer to analyze the situation by describing the occupation
as "a joke" (so ok, how would you make it better?) and by calling
Blair "a dick head", it is clear that they aren't ready for a place at
the top table.