The Belmont Club's Wretchard speculates that Zapatero has adopted a strategy strongly reminiscent of Lyndon Johnson's in Vietnam, calibrate your fight so you don't overly provoke the other side but that you don't lose. Winning is never even in the picture. This ends up costing thousands upon thousands of lives and in the end, even the most callous of free people tire of neverending casualties without prospect of ever winning.
Now the minor parties have a momentous choice to make. Zapatero isn't guaranteed to lead the next government. He can only do so with the support of at least two other parties (unless the PP loses its mind and supports Zapatero). They need to satisfy themselves that Zapatero not only has a plan to manage terrorism but to beat it. Otherwise, their votes of support for his government will put blood on their hands as much as fighting against terrorism with no intention of winning would bloody the hands of Spains socialists.
I really do wonder how things will turn out.
Posted by TMLutas at March 17, 2004 06:19 PM