Brad Wardell's views about technology, politics, religion, world affairs, and all sorts of politically incorrect topics.
Is giving in to bullies a strategy?
Published on March 16, 2004 By Draginol In Current Events

David Warren: http://www.davidwarrenonline.com/Comment/Mar04/index205.shtml has an interesting article making the case that continental Europe really hasn't changed very much since World War II.

That weakness and appeasement that led to its near destruction in World War II runs as strong as ever. This article http://www.coldfury.com/Sasha/archives/004682.html#004682 is even more explicit on the matter.

Personally, I don't know what to think. During the early days of World War II (1940 specifically) many people referred to the war as "Churchill's war" as if somehow Britain had started it. Today you hear about "Bush's war" as if Bush had something to do with 9/11. Al Qaeda has been attacking countries, especially the US, since 1992 when Bill "unilateralist" Clinton was President.

Appeasement doesn't work. You'd think the deaths of 40 million people in World War II would have made that clear. Apparently not. The argument shouldn't be whether we use the current strategy or no strategy at all. The argument should be which of several potentially effective strategies will work. Closing ones eyes and putting hands over ones ears and saying "I see and hear no evil!" is not a strategy. It's capitulation.

I am, frankly, shocked by continental Europe's political reaction and in particular the electoral choices of the Spanish.

As one Spanish person who changed his vote at the last second put it, "Maybe the Socialists will get our troops out of Iraq, and Al Qaeda will forget about Spain, so we will be less frightened."

What more can be added to that?


Comments (Page 1)
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on Mar 16, 2004
Appeasement doesn't work.


Indeed. I believe that appeasement will only make the problem worse. It will make terrorist activity only get worse.
on Mar 16, 2004
This is really not germaine to this article, but as of late whenever I read about Middle Eastern concerns

I start hearing " Rock the Cassbah" playing in my head......

"...drop your bombs between the minerettes......"

I forget the bands name, but I swear I think they were British.........

on Mar 16, 2004
Oh,John Lennon was British too, I guess he cancels out " The Clash"

Icky feel good, peacenik, Peace had it's chance, and failed..........
on Mar 17, 2004
I was in Paris over the weekend when there was a lot of coverage on French TV, as you'd expect. The strong impression I got was that there was a big backlash against what many Spaniards saw as an attempt by the incumbents to exploit the bombing as an election ploy, given their stance against ETA etc. As I recall the Herald-Tribune I picked up said something similar.
"Rock the Casbah", the Clash from the Combat Rock album you philistine!!!

on Mar 17, 2004
Tanks, I mean thanks Rab
on Mar 18, 2004
Why do people assume that Spain distancing itself from war in Iraq is distancing itself from war on Al Qaeda?

Spain has strengthened it's commitment to the war on terror. Just not the war on Iraq.

They are separate issues, unless someone wants to argue that Saddam and Al Qaeda were the same thing?

This is not appeasement.

Paul.
on Mar 18, 2004

...right... "Spain has strengthed it's commitment to the war on terror..." In what way? Rhetoric? Abandoning the people of Iraq as they are being attacked by terrorists is not exactly what I call a brave bold step. Appeasement at best. Cowardice at worst.

on Mar 19, 2004
Brad,
Spain has pushed for and achieved an immediate upgrading of Eu wide terrorist co-operation. Within 1 week it has already strengthen the war on terror. It has strengthen the political resolve to fight terrorists. Today the UK police are able to share information with the Spanish police and lcoate a link between the UK and the Spanish bombings. This is the war that Spain wants to fight.

As for blaming Spain for abandoning the people of Iraq. Who created this situation? Spain has said that it's troops WILL stay if the US turns the peace keeping mission over to UN control. France and Russia have both pronised troops to a UN mission. So if the US wants extra troops in Iraq it just needs to give control to the UN. Ball is in your court. Decision is yours. You can increase security and protect Iraqi's further by making it a UN mission. Stop blaming Spain.

Paul.
on Mar 19, 2004
Well put.
Even if you ignore the appeasement-leaning record of socialists and similar statements from Spanish voters, it is still clear Spain handed al Qaeda its second consecutive victory by vowing to pull out of Iraq (its first victory, of course, was killing innocent civilians).

Spanish voters may not connect Iraqi rebuilding with the war on terror, but al Qaeda does and their statements say as much. Therefore terrorists see any pullout as a victory, which will undoubtedly embolden them more. They now think they can change election outcomes in the free world, and they have vowed to do so again.

It amazes me how many people simply refuse to admit this.
on Mar 20, 2004
So, they didn't take the troops out of Iraq in fear of another attack by Al Qaeda? Because if that was the reason, the fact that they're stil waging war against Al Qaeda seems rather odd. I don't see how they seek not to piss off Al Qaeda and be bombed again if they're still fighting Al Qaeda, unless they think Al Qaeda's only concern is if troops are in Iraq.
on Mar 20, 2004

The spinning by some is amazing isn't it?

Conservative candidate is ahead in polls. Terrorist attack occurs. Al Qaeda video spells out that they are getting punished for aiding the Americans. Spanish people switch to Socialist candidate (or at least enough do to hand him a victory).

Frankly, I don't really care what the Spanish think at this point. Collective cowardice on behalf of the electorate there.

on Mar 20, 2004
Al-Qaida changed the government in Spain. That is an inescapable fact. The Popular Party was ahead in all the polls up until the attack. The Socialist party pulled off an upset because of the attack. Spain has no idea what they have done to themselves and the rest of the world by so promptly giving Al-Qaida exactly what they wanted. The Basques now know the scale they have to operate on to get what they want, too.

Next time Al-Qaida strikes think of Spain since Spain has shown Al-Qaida that terrorism works on a large scale.
on Mar 22, 2004
Brilliant argument Brad.

I don't really care what the Spanish think


Maybe that is your entire problem. You just care what you think. If 20 million Spanish people all wrote a blob telling you why they changed their vote you'd probably still call them cowards. You'd still believe yourself and not them. Their government screwed up. They lied and tried to manipulate the people. They tried to use the bombing in a political way to drive the war against ETA. The police however found links to Muslim terrorists very quickly (which wasn't expected) and so they got caught lying before the Sunday election. The population punished them in the tradional democratic way.

Paul.
on Mar 22, 2004
I could understand that, but that still doesn't explain why they removed troops from Iraq.
on Mar 23, 2004
They plan to remove troops from Iraq because that was what they have been promising for the last 9 months of their campaign. I personally disagree with this action but it's what they have been telling the Spanish people they would do if elected.

They have however promised to leave the troops there if the US gives control of the peace keeping force to the UN. France and Russia have both indicated that they would also send troops under this condition. Spain's problem is that they do not want their troops under US control in a war they feel is not the same as the war on terror. All the Us has to do is hand control to the UN and Spain would stay. Many other countries would also send troops. This however is NOT what Al Qaeda wants though. Al Qaeda wants US control of Iraq as it makes it easier to gain supporters. The US is likely to keep doing what Al Qaeda wants.

Paul.
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