Posted on 03/28/2004 9:17:44 AM PST by Chi-townChief
Since 1940 the word "France" has been synonymous among many detractors with "surrender."
But now, in a blitzkrieg strike, Spain has wrested away the crown of unmanliness.
Who knew the gazpacho-eaters had it in them?
The French at least held out for nine days against the Third Reich. The Germans began their killing blow on June 5, the morning after the fall of Dunkirk. They attacked along a 400-mile front, deploying 143 divisions against 65.
A few French units fought bravely, but the nation had no heart for the fight. On June 14 their leaders had fled, and the hooked cross flew over the Eiffel Tower.
By contrast, Spain took just three days to surrender to the Islamic Reich.
On March 11, al-Qaida terrorists killed about 200 Spaniards with bombs on commuter trains in Madrid. Promptly on March 14, voters dumped the conservative government of Jose Aznar for socialist Jose Zapatero, who vows to recall Spain's 1,300 soldiers from Iraq by July.
But first, said Zapatero: "My immediate priority will be to combat all kinds of terrorism. The terrorists must know that they will confront all of us together. We will win."
This is astonishing. The man has introduced Europe to an era in which a gang of killers has a supervote in its political decisions. And now he's boasting about tough he is?
Spain is mocked by its killers. The Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades boast: "Praise be to God who gave us this victory in the conquest of Madrid … We change and destroy countries … and this is God's blessing to us."
And so the "Madrilenes" find the price of groveling is steep. In Paris the day after 9-11, Le Monde ran the headline, "We are all Americans now." Today the headlines in France and Spain could read, "We are both capitulators now."
In Europe, terrorism works.
Yet, John Kerry boasts that he has quietly heard from several world leaders who can't wait until he beats President Bush.
Well, yes, I'm sure. Shall we start with the original surrender monkeys of Europe?
Kerry has the support of Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, who compares America to Nazis; Mahathir Mohamad, former leader of Malaysia, who complains the Jews control the world; the North Korean news agency, which says Kerry has a "sincere attitude" toward negotiations while Bush lies; Romano Prodi, president of the European Commission, who says it is clear that force "is not the answer to resolving the conflict with terrorists"; and al-Jazeera, the television voice of fanatical Muslims.
I predict the "foreign leaders" comment will prove to be the beginning of the end for John Kerry. He is another Howard Dean, but not as much fun to laugh at.
One Lucianne.com reader wondered recently whether he was on course to produce his own "Iowa Scream":
"Not only are we going to win France, and Spain, and Jordan, and Indonesia … we're going to win Iran, and Pakistan, and Morocco! "And then we're going to Washington, D.C., to take back the White House! "YEARGHHHH!"
The British fear they're next on the hit list. If that should happen, it will be telling to see if they cave like the Spanish.
On the one hand, in 1940, Britons defied the bombs of the Luftwaffe. They didn't win the war, but they saved it from being lost. On the other hand, after 9-11, a lot of Britons said quietly that America had it coming.
So we arrive at November in the United States:
The Pentagon fears an attack the week before the election. If any comes, whom will we honor: Churchill or Zapatero?
Sixty-four years after the Battle of Britain, the fate of the world again depends on the will of the people of England and America.
The loss of nearly 600 soldiers is bitterly painful. In hindsight, I think it may be that we should have said no.
Still, I believe the war in Iraq is just. Bush understood the response to 9-11 must not be a law-enforcement operation.
Clinton and Kerry would have had us respond by putting specific individuals on trial. Bush, fortunately, knew he must destroy not only the killers, but also their state sponsors, such as Saddam.
This is known as "getting to the root cause of the problem." Liberals also understand this concept, but only for squishy issues like poverty. When it comes to international slaughter, they say: "Root cause what? Did you say something?"
Bush may fail. But by God, he is fighting with courage and disregard for the grave political risk.
As the first President Roosevelt would have said at the Sorbonne in 1910: Mr. Bush is the brave man in the arena. Shame on his critics — relentless, unmanly and slurping cold tomato soup.
Michael Bowers is a copy editor and page designer for The Star. His column appears every other Sunday. He can be reached by e-mail at mbowers@starnewspapers.com.
Bush may fail. But by God, he is fighting with courage and disregard for the grave politicalIndeed.
Oh, I don't think we'll capitulate, they don't know us very well. An attack right before our November election would be the stupidest thing the terrrorists could do.
Nice
Owl_Eagle
”Unleash the Hogs of Peace.”
P.J. O'Rourke Parliament of Whores
Simply disgusting.
My first reaction was Tapas eating surrender monkeys, but it just doesn't have the same charm of cheese eating surrender monkeys. Hmm, Madeira swilling surrender monkeys?
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