Ironworks Gaming Forum - View Single Post - Spain PM-elect: Troops out of Iraq

Skunk · 03-16-2004, 08:40 PM

And had Aznar won the elections, we could have turned the argument on its head - that Al'Qaida forced the re-election of Aznar and that the populace voted him back as a knee-jerk reaction to a new threat.

However, Al'Qaida did do something GOOD for the Spanish population - they made an additional 20-30% of the population realise that their ballot paper is worth its weight in gold; that voting in an election is not something to be missed. Voter turnout was at an all time high with even pensioners (who had never voted in their lives) finding themselves at the ballot box for the first time.

Personally, I do not (for a moment) believe that Al'Qaida made people change their minds about Aznar. When a leader of a country implements a policy that 90% of the population abhor, he/she is bound to find themself in trouble come election time.

So a bomb goes off in Madrid and two hundred die - should the Spanish population throw out life-long principles of decency and civilisation and re-elect Aznar in a knee-jerk reaction so that he can "continue down the path of lawlessness" (as it is widely viewed there) in order to gain revenge rather than justice, or should they uphold those values that they hold so dear and throw him out? The latter action took a lot of COURAGE in my opinion.

By the way, the statement: "You love life and we love death" refers to judgement day - the insinuation being that 'westerners' do not care who they hurt in life as they do not believe that they will have to pay for their 'crimes' in the after life.
It helps if the text is put in context of the original message:

"It is a response to your collaboration with the criminals Bush and his allies.

This is a response to the crimes that you have caused in the world, and specifically in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there will be more, if God wills it.

You love life and we love death, which gives an example of what the Prophet Muhammad said.

If you don't stop your injustices, more and more blood will flow and these attacks will seem very small compared to what can occur in what you call terrorism."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3509556.stm

I'm supposing that the author deliberately removed it from its context in order to make it sound more demonic. Daft - the crime that was committed was evil enough with dressing it up.

[ 03-16-2004, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: Skunk ]

03-16-2004, 08:40 PM	#12
Skunk Banned User Join Date: September 3, 2001 Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Age: 63 Posts: 1,463	And had Aznar won the elections, we could have turned the argument on its head - that Al'Qaida forced the re-election of Aznar and that the populace voted him back as a knee-jerk reaction to a new threat. However, Al'Qaida did do something GOOD for the Spanish population - they made an additional 20-30% of the population realise that their ballot paper is worth its weight in gold; that voting in an election is not something to be missed. Voter turnout was at an all time high with even pensioners (who had never voted in their lives) finding themselves at the ballot box for the first time. Personally, I do not (for a moment) believe that Al'Qaida made people change their minds about Aznar. When a leader of a country implements a policy that 90% of the population abhor, he/she is bound to find themself in trouble come election time. So a bomb goes off in Madrid and two hundred die - should the Spanish population throw out life-long principles of decency and civilisation and re-elect Aznar in a knee-jerk reaction so that he can "continue down the path of lawlessness" (as it is widely viewed there) in order to gain revenge rather than justice, or should they uphold those values that they hold so dear and throw him out? The latter action took a lot of COURAGE in my opinion. By the way, the statement: "You love life and we love death" refers to judgement day - the insinuation being that 'westerners' do not care who they hurt in life as they do not believe that they will have to pay for their 'crimes' in the after life. It helps if the text is put in context of the original message: "It is a response to your collaboration with the criminals Bush and his allies. This is a response to the crimes that you have caused in the world, and specifically in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there will be more, if God wills it. You love life and we love death, which gives an example of what the Prophet Muhammad said. If you don't stop your injustices, more and more blood will flow and these attacks will seem very small compared to what can occur in what you call terrorism." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3509556.stm I'm supposing that the author deliberately removed it from its context in order to make it sound more demonic. Daft - the crime that was committed was evil enough with dressing it up. [ 03-16-2004, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: Skunk ]