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Spanish cowardice gives license to terrorists
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Right? At least this applies to the Spanish people, who at the first show of opposition by terrorists, turn on their own government and elect a socialist leader. They went going all right—they went going in the opposite direction of anything that resembles eliminating further attacks. The election of socialist Jose Zapatero to the Spanish presidency March 14 marked a great example why the actions of the United States should not be dictated by the will of other nations—when the going gets tough, the tough are abandoned by those who use their country’s disaster to seize power. The new leadership of Spain used the recent train attacks to turn the sentiments of their citizens and oust the government that sent 1,300 troops to Iraq in support of the war. This only serves to send a message to the terrorists that the world is willing to run in the face of their threats. Three Moroccans and two Indians with al-Qaeda connections are being held in the bombing. Their connection to al-Qaeda has been used to say America’s war on terror has been ineffective in increasing global security. Why is it America’s responsibility to create such an atmosphere of global security that when a country fails in protecting its own borders, it is used to paint a pessimistic vision of the state of the world? What is different about the people of Spain and the Americans? We suffered a terrorist attack on far greater scales than the Spanish, yet when time came to react, we took proactive steps to eliminate threats. The Spanish seem to be doing the opposite. This mindset of inactivity has permeated Europe for a long time. The Europeans stood by and allowed Hitler to invade neighboring nations, many French fought for the Nazis in North Africa so Hitler wouldn’t totally occupy France, and the United Nations refused to do anything to oust Saddam after the United States appealed for their help. Now, in the face of an attack by the same group that prompted America to action in 2001, the Spanish have turned tail and capitulated to the will of the terrorists. Other nations cannot expect us to do everything for them—the United States cannot hold their hands and defend them from international bullies. The Spanish people need to own up to their responsibility to provide for their own defense. However, they have shot themselves in the foot. They abandoned their leaders who had the courage to stand up to the bullies, and have elected to go with the ones who would rather cower in the corner and hope they don’t offend the terrorists and prompt another attack. Now some in America say we need to pull out of Iraq because the terrorists are attacking our troops and murdering Iraqi civilians. Doing this, especially after Spain’s retreat, only tells the terrorists that they can bully the United States too. — This columnist can be reached at collegian@csufresno.edu |
