I've seen the debate over the reasons and consequences of Aznar's defeat with increasing incredulity. The people most supportive of George W. Bush's policies are the ones most vociferously proclaiming a large victory for the "evil doers." Well, I happen to agree with them there; I do think that Al Qaeda has an interest in isolating the US, and the Spanish elections helped that interest. But, doesn't the formulation "that was a big defeat, therefore we need to be even more resolute on the path that took us to this point" seem just a wee bit strange to anyone else?
One of my main objections to the entire Iraq adventure was that it seemed guaranteed to isolate us in a deepening quagmire. Every Bush action since then has led us to be further isolated, and the elections of last week took that process one giant step forward. But, the debate simply ignores that fundamental reality. Instead, we get endless debate on whether it was a good or bad thing the Spanish voted the way they did. But this ignores the fact that the George W. Bush policies have taken us down this road to increasing isolation and has created such a weak political position for the United States in the world that Al Qaeda has far more strategic flexibility than the US. That's the most salient fact of this entire situation. The right wing likes to claim moral superiority over our isolation, and I say: "screw you." Besides the fact I don't agree that we have any such superiority, I don't give a rat's patootie for moral superiority. I want effectiveness. And a world with an isolated United States is not an effective one.
But our media culture has debased itself so far that any such question of rank incompetence seems beyond the pale. Instead we get chest-thumping machismo (sort of ironic to direct machismo at the Spanish), and "steely-eyed resolve." We need to move beyond this wacky "did the Spanish people cave to terrorists?" debate, and start pointing out that whatever moral claim Bush may make, he's still utterly incompetent.
So, the right-wing is going on and on about how the Spanish dealt us such a big defeat with their appeasing ways, but, in the end, it's George W. Bush that is steering this ship, and it's his policies that are putting the United States and the world in this position. So, if it's a defeat, it's time to blame the Commander-in-Chief.
[As a general aside: It's time for the Democrats to get serious about pointing out George W. Bush's on-going attempts to pin the blame for his failures on everyone else. It should be a central theme of every major appearance on any subject. Talking point #1.]
