Bush Lies about Spain.

[chaska]

I've been wondering lately if I'm losing my mind. The Whitehouse spin about Spain sure doesn't jibe with my memory.

So I googled.

There are lots of articles - we all saw them - from before the war. Contrary to Bush lies, Spain is not caving in to terror. Spain is leaving Iraq because the Spanish people never wanted to be there in the first place.

I found articles dated over a year ago that state that 92% of Spainards were against the war. Their idiot leaders dragged them into the conflict unwillingly - not unlike another country I know. Millions protested Spanish involvment in many demonstrations across the country.

So lets all remember, and let no one repeat Bush's lies unchallenged.

[LynzM]

1. It's so frustrating

The media seem to be ignoring that important little fact. Yes, perhaps the bombings did have an impact on the election, but the feeling and the motivation was there to start with. You don't change 85%+ of the population's mind overnight, usually. The people were already frustrated with their gov't and the handling of the info. about the bombing just solidified that anger and distrust. But do you hear that? 'Course not. I've been 'clarifying' this for as many people as I can in the last few days... :)

[chaska]

4. You go girl, and welcome to DU! n/m

[Zomby Woof]

2. I flame-mailed my freeper bro-in-law

He actually spews that bullshit about "the terrorists won" in Spain, and I fired off a venomous retort. I disown the fuckfaced twat.

[metisnation]

3. Its Called Democracy

something rich spoiled little oil baron brat Georgie has no concept of. I can't wait to toss him out on his ass in November.

:kick:

this donkey is kicking that Bum out!

[polmaven]

7. Yeah, but

those Spainers akshully think they got the right to choose their leaders all by themselfs! We godda do sumthin to show them they godda ask us who they are supposed ta vote fer! Durned independent feriners!


edit...I even misspelled the misspellings!

[peacetalksforall]

5. You know that when the country made itself known as did Spain - every

right wing network and cable showed the people marching in protest - so when the leader goes against the people, you know that there had to be something in it for him and his friends.

[eaprez]

6. How Else Would You Expect Them to Spin It

.....of course they aren't going to say its a rejection of policies which supported the Bush Administration....so they say "the terrorists' won. I doubt that will be the spin here should Kerry win! Then again....

[goodhue]

8. Indeed

Unfortunately the media seems to be buying the spin, suggesting the terrorists won on Sunday. The truth is far different. The vote Sunday was a vote against terorrism. The Spanish realize what most US citizens, the corporate media and even many DU'ers apparently don't, that continued occupation of Iraq equals more terrorism.

[eaprez]

9. They also seem to understand

that Iraq was not the hotbed of terrorist activities that the Bush Administration tries to spin it into. Iraq was not about terrorisim...The citizens of spain get that...for the most part, american's do not!

[Imajika]

10. The Spanish conservatives..

...lost because they either were, or appeared to be, lying about who was behind the bombing.

The conservative Popular Party knew full well that the Spanish people opposed the war in Iraq and did not support sending troops there. It is one thing for a Prime Minister or President to take an unpopular decision and be a leader, quite another to go against the wishes of nearly every single solitary person in his or her country. This is what Aznar did.

When the bombing went off, the Spanish people did not immediately call for a withdrawl from Iraq, but Aznar and his conservatives worried that it could hurt the Popular Party in the elections which were just days away - so they insisted the terrorist attacks were carried out by ETA even when indicatations were it was militant Islamists.

Had the conservative government just been honest, they might would have still won since the majority in Spain have basically approved of the Popular Party's economic platform.

So this was not about the Spanish people caving in, it was about the ruling party lying to the people. It really isn't any more complicated than that (at least in my opinion).

Does this appear to many, and likely even to Al-Queda, as a victory for Islamic terrorists. Yes, it does. The fact that the bombing had the effect, regardless of how, of flipping an election has very dangerous implications.

The fault, however, lies squarely on the shoulders of Aznar and his conservative party. Had they not taken a decision which had nearly zero support amongst their public, no one would have had to worry about an angry population turning against the ruling party. Knowing that some would accuse the government of having encouraged such a horrific attack by their unpopular support of, and contribution to, the war in Iraq caused them to lie to the people. It was the lies that cost the conservatives more than anything else - but those lies were a result of taking a position that never had any popular support.

Imajika

[htuttle]

11. And another thing!

I remember the day of the bombing, which happened in the morning, there was a large demonstration/gathering in Madrid, that was pretty much in support of 'getting those ETA bastards'. I remember seeing an article (perhaps in LBN) that predicted a big right-wing win in the elections, since the attack drove people to the right. The government didn't complain about this demonstration.

Then the next day after it started to become apparent that the Aznar government had lied about ETA being behind the attacks, and that it was al Queda instead, another demonstration happened in Madrid. This time it was against the government since they had lied. This was accompanied by the sentiment that the attack had occured due to the war in Iraq, which as others have pointed out, Spaniards were highly against. The government declared this second demonstration 'illegal'.

I've been under the impression that Aznar's party lost because they tried to use a terrorist attack for political purposes by lying about who was behind the attack. Also, when it became clear that al Queda was behind it, the existing anger they felt about being dragged into a war in Iraq threw Aznar's Not-So-Popular Party right out of office.

At least that's how I remember it.

[eaprez]

12. I read and heard on the news

that the demonstrations were not against the terrorists but came about as a result of the government trying to cover up the information that they had about who was responsible.

[NV1962]

14. I was duped initially too

Until the news of the five arrests - which then turned to outrage when I saw Joaquín Almunia's press release statement, where he openly laid out that PSOE was informed of the current investigations, hence knew that Aznar was bullshitting, and simply couldn't allow the farce to go on in the eve of elections.

I am so immensely proud of that swift, instantaneous massive response in the ballot boxes: in a few hours, Aznar got thrown out.

[T Bone]

13. The local rightwing rag here had a headline that said

something like:

Spanish Voters Oust US Friendly Government

on a couple copies I found lying around in public places, I crossed out US and edited so it read:

Spanish Voters Oust Bush Friendly Government

Quite a difference but this is how headline reading Americans are subtly duped by the mainstream press here, that only echoes the white house line on stuff.

[sandnsea]

15. Their government lied

They lied about WMD and the war. They lied about the terrorist attack and ETA. So like NORMAL people, they voted their lying asses out of office. It's amazing how such a simple idea, the government ought to tell the truth, is totally lost on god-fearing Americans.