Does this mean the terrorists \"won?\"

In a related development, the Bush administration has suddenly come to the conclusion that Spain is harboring WMD's, let the bombing begin.

[ March 19, 2004, 10:15 AM: Message edited by: RazorbackTX ]

Rodríguez Zapatero isn't wasting any time! Go RZ!

Infidels! I thought the U.S. had cornered the market on the idea of the "activist" judge. I guess progressive thinking is catching on everywhere. So, how long before this country is on the same list as France? Infidels!

Well, this action ought to make Islamic terrorists real happy. Look for more attacks now that Spain is becoming more like its Western friends.

Well, except for the fact that a lot of the bigots in Washington hate us.

They're just a bunch of blowhards. At least they're not bombing people to force their way of life upon them.

[ March 19, 2004, 11:44 AM: Message edited by: MIB ]

What the hell are you talking about? You think Spain is going to get attacked more because... um... why? They're certainly not becoming more like the U.S.!

No, just trying to amend one of the founding documents of this country to force their way of life upon us.

given the ominous lack of weapons of mass destruction, and justification shift to "spreading democracy", isn't that exactly what the u.s. is doing in iraq?

You just sit there all naive if you think Fundamentalist Moslems will sit back and let a country become more like the U.S. We're quite hated by such monsters because we have many freedoms, many freedoms that allow us to do what Islam says is immoral and against Allah. Give them nutballs a chance and they'll attack any country they believe is adopting American ways or ideas.

I think Middle Eastern Muslims have enough issues of their own with the Spaniards, dating back to the late 1400s, without it having anything to do with us.

As for the terrorists "winning" ... nothing I've seen anywhere has topped the USA PATRIOT (yes, the whole thing's an acronym) Act as an example of that.

But then I thought Franco and Pinochet were bad guys, so don't listen to me.

[ March 19, 2004, 06:42 PM: Message edited by: danimal ]

Umm actually, I believe our foreign policies in the Middle East incite more hatred for us than our freedoms. It is our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms that the vast majority of Muslims living under repressive governments want and need.

[ March 19, 2004, 07:45 PM: Message edited by: SFHoya ]

Yep, there's the steady fall of the Muslim regions of Spain in the 13th century, the Crusaders' attack on Ceuta (which Spain and Morocco were quarreling about just last year until Colin Powell stepped in) in 1415, and the banner year of 1492, when Ferdinand and Isabella expelled the Muslims and the Jews (or tortured the ones who remained), and the many subsequent years of the Holy Inquisition, which pursued unconverted Muslims and Jews not only Spain and Portugal, but in Spanish and Portuguese (and to an extent, French) America! So Spain (and the catholic church) has its own long history with the Muslims, who once ruled over all of al-Andalus.

But let's get back to gay marriage. Don't Belgium and the Netherlands have gay marriage? Don't Sweden and Denmark also have fairly open marriage laws? Are the Islamic fanatics bombing there? The pope and the roman catholic church are probably more worked up about Spain's gay marriage plans than ObL.

And I venture to guess the Republicans are more worked up over the very thought of it in the USA than OBL. I guess if we just adopt the Taliban ways, world peace will spontaneously occur across the planet. Shame on Spain for poking a wild animal with that Gay Marriage stick.

I'd qualify this by agreeing that the average Moslem citizen would love to have our freedoms. The Islamic Fundamentalists do not. Moreover, they'd like to ensure their own people don't get such freedoms. Keep them repressed and in the dark is their desire. It is this group who seeks to destroy us.

Another European country, Switzerland, approved more rights to same-sex couples. This was done in a referendum with almost 60% voting to give same sex couples the same tax/pension rights as married couples, but does not allow them to adopt children.

The other measure on the ballot was to join in on the passport-free zone of the EU, which was passed with only about 55%.