11-M: An Attack Against One
The Breaking of a President
The fate of governments in Spain and Korea hinge on terrorism and toxic politics, not dissimilar to events in the US. It is clear that there is a growing polarization of politics - with right wingers in Spain accusing their opponents of being "soft on terrorism", while in Korea, opposition parties held deputies out in order to go through with an impeachment vote which suspended President Roh.
The message should be clear - the hazards of terrorism and globalization - the issues, respectively, driving events in Spain and Korea - are not limited to the US.
I feel it is time for the left in the US to regain its truly internationalist perspective, and to realize that there is an overwhelming movement of nations in this time and place. Violence, once regimented and distant, and political instability of fledgling Democrcay - once reigned in by the need for unity against the Soviet - are now on the front burner of world events.
Solutions for the US must be more than "it's the Democratic Party" - since to solve America's problems means a deep and abiding involvement with the world's problems. Our solutions, if ours alone, will be isolating, economically, socially, culturally and politically. Since no nation derives as much of its prestige and postion as the United States from global leadership, this would be catastrophic to our way of life. We must ride this particular tiger.
The atrocity in Madrid should make clear that the forces holding back the new world are willing to go to any length to attack civilians and shatter the bonds of social order. The failure in Iraq, and the attempts to smear political opponents as "terrorists" by high ranking officials and commercial publications should make it clear that there are those who still see recent events as merely fodder for scaring their supporters and detractors to surrender.
The hardline for Democracy was put forward by candidate for Prime Minister of Spain: change must occur through dialog and consensus - but it must be possible for change to actually occur, rather than merely be forestalled and forbidden by opaque or corrupt means.
This need - to reaffirm the idea of an international solution to economic and political problems is made ever clearer by the deaths of nearly 200 citizens who did nothing more than try to catch a train. It underscores the painful seriousness of the struggle against those who know no reason, nor limit, to their quest to impose a reign of terror upon the free people's of the world. Using this war as a distraction, or as an excuse for gain of other kinds is a fundamental betrayl of the social contract, and should be treated as such.
We do not send our sons to war, the war has been sent to us.