The atrocity quickly spawned a political spin contest, though neither side had a factual basis for their assertions. Within hours of the atrocity, Aznar focussed blame on the Basque outfit ETA, while Zapatero tried to pin it on Al-Qaeda. Aznar's message was calculated to increase support for his tough-on-terror stance. Zapatero's message, was calculated to persuade voters that Spain had stupidly picked a fight with people it had no beef with, and was paying the price.
The atrocitry was politicized immediately, so that whatever assumptions voters took to the polls, they were working from speculation and spin â?? not facts.
This is no victory for terrorism. Rather, it is a defeat for democracy brought about by the cheap politicization of national security. One candidate promises to keep us safe from mean, angry people; another promises to keep us safe from the ineptitude of the first. National security becomes a search for what people wish to hear, followed by a crowd-pleasing performance enacted for political advantage.
John
