Two and two
Mar 17, 2004
I find it difficult to convey the utter disgust with which I react to people making assumptions about the Spanish people, the Socialist Party, Spaniards supposedly submitting to terrorism, the party being "soft" on terrorism, etc and so forth.
People and media outlets, both traditional media and bloggers, not to mention common people in general, are conveniently putting "two and two together" and picture a cowardice people giving in to terrorism.
- No, don't hurt us anymore, please, we'll vote on the softies!
Most of those who has an opinion, or theory, of why the Spanish people voted the way they did, neither has the full story, nor any notion of how familiar the Spanish people are with terrorism. I'm not saying I'm a professor in Spanish history, but I'm not the one serving assumptions about the entire population, history and politics of Spain, either.
As far as I'm concerned, putting two and two together is the ultimate manifestation of ignorance. To put two and two together and to then offer one's opinion based on this faux arithmetic is to shamelessly put one's ignorance on display in a disgusting carneval of stupidity.
What makes this specific subject so severe, as opposed to all the other things all of us are atleast a little bit ignorant about, is the sheer scope. Those who're calling the Spaniards soft on terrorism, or worse, cowards, due to the results of the election, are making gross assumptions about the entire population of Spain.
And that's all I have to say about that.
What other people has said:
- Spain In Perspective - Someone who actually has a clue offers his perspective.
- The Spanish Election - Lots of assumptions, but the comments make it worth reading.
- The Aftereffects of The Spanish Bombings - Jacob Levy has some insightful comments about the widespread ignorance concerning this issue, and, unlike me, bothers with explaining why.
Comments
I thought it almost laughable when some NY bloggers responded to 3/11 with posts to the effectively advising the Spanish people on how to deal with the shock and sorrow -- as if 9/11 was the first terrorist action ever perpetrated. Sheer ignorance.
Comment by Ryan at 22:46, 17 Mar, 2004 #
I totally agree with you.
Comment by MMM at 22:47, 17 Mar, 2004 #
I think it is possible not to be ignorant about terrorism both in the US and Spain and still think the following:
Al Qaeda intended with this bombing to turn the election. The timing is unlikely to have been a coincidence.
To Al Qaeda, it certainly seems like they got their way.
Lots of other people certainly think Al Qaeda thinks they got their way, and that the group will be emboldened to do more of this in Europe as a result.
In general, it is easier to alter state action via terrorism if there is little public support to begin with for a govt. policy. Raise the price civilians have to pay for something they disagree with and they will bail. This is why it was easy for Al Qaeda to drive a wedge between Aznar's Iraq policy and anti-war public sentiment, and why it is impossible for ETA to budge govt. policy re the Basques.
A small percentage of Spanish voters responded to the bombing by deciding that the cost of the support for the war in Iraq was now too high, and this swing was enough to turn the election. To their credit, most Spaniards had decided before the bombing whether participation in Iraq by Aznar required electoral punishment or not, and they were right in not changing their vote after terrorists raised the price of such a policy. But a small percentage voted emotively, (very understandable), and that was enough. Aznar's refusal to acknowledge Al Qaeda as suspects suggests he feared precisely such a reaction.
Comment by Stefan at 23:35, 17 Mar, 2004 #
Stefan: From what I've read from people who are actually Spanish, what made most of them turn on the People's Party so quickly was the vast amount of disgusting lies from their government that followed the bombings. Which, of course, is the direct opposite of American behaviour when subjected to lies from their government.
Even if most Spaniards changed their mind about how to vote subsequent to the bombings, which according to polls many did, that doesn't mean it was because of Al-Qaeda, to assume that is to add two and two together.
Read this, for instance. It seems to me the Spanish people were rather apalled by the lies they were being fed by their government.
Comment by Tomas at 01:03, 18 Mar, 2004 #
I hope I don't actually have to be Spanish but that having lived there for a while will suffice:-) Imagine if only actual Americans were adept at commentary on 9/11.
I think both effects contributed to the election result. But this doesn't alter the fact that the perpetrators of 3/11 will see it as having produced the desired results, and they will plot accordingly.
Comment by Stefan at 01:38, 18 Mar, 2004 #
Stefan: It's a longshot, but perhaps the attackers understood the political situation (i.e. the People's Party was on the way out), and were opportunistic enough to undertake the attack so as to clandestinely steal credit for the political change. In so doing they may have sought to be perceived as being that strong.
Comment by Ryan at 06:55, 18 Mar, 2004 #
Stefan: So, what's your point? Should the people of Spain have voted for the People's Party since Al-Qaeda supposedly (by adding two and two together) wanted them to vote for the Social Party? That's a bit inane isn't it? Then they'd really be in control.
Al-Qaeda probably want the American people to vote for Kerry too (rather than the guy who's prioritizing the War On Terror over his own country's well-being on a million levels), but that shouldn't suggest that those who vote for Kerry are "giving in" to terrorism, or that they are "cowards". That's just stupid.
Btw, the difference between Americans pretending to understand or to know anything about Spain, and vice versa, is the fact that American culture and news is fed to every living room of the world every day. I wasn't suggesting you don't know jack about Spain because you're not Spanish, but rather that most people having an opinion or theory on this presume many things about Spain which they haven't got the first clue about. They just add two and two together. I wasn't talking about you when I referred to Americans either.
Comment by Tomas at 08:02, 18 Mar, 2004 #
Tomas Jogin has a post regarding the various lies and assumptions being made by the American public in regard to the Spanish elections over at Jogin.com. Since I've posted on the elections earlier, I thought I'd follow-up. America-...
Trackback from Wide-eyed & Laughing at 18:12, 18 Mar, 2004 #
Do you live, or have you ever lived, in Spain or the US Tomas? If not, then please do me, a Spanish emigree to the US, a favor, and don't talk about what you obviously have very little knowledge of. Please.
Comment by Alvaro at 17:03, 19 Mar, 2004 #
Alvaro: Perhaps your English is shaky, or perhaps you didn't bother to read anything of what I wrote? Because, if you did, you'd have noticed that I haven't made any assumptions about the Spanish people what-so-ever.
Comment by Tomas at 18:35, 19 Mar, 2004 #
The overturn of the elections in Spain was driven by several factors. Leftists accused the PP (Popular Party) of lying and one have to assume that socialists voters believed it. Aznar got Spain into a war that was considered by...
Trackback from collantes.US at 15:01, 20 Mar, 2004 #
Yes :-) It has been a post about nothing! :-)
Comment by David Collantes at 15:03, 20 Mar, 2004 #
The discussion has been closed on this entry. Thanks to everybody who participated.