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Madrid and the Lessons of Democracy

Madrid, our hearts go out to you. We mourn your dead and injured. We share your outrage and despair. We add our voices to the condemnation of senseless violence. We know that our words are insufficient; our sorrow is but a shadow; our empathy is inadequate to heal the wounds and mend the hearts of the suffering.

People of Madrid, people of Spain, we stand with you as we embrace your courage, your strength of character, your defiance and your wisdom.

The advocates of war would have us believe that you have yielded to terrorism and emboldened our enemies. They demand your apology as they have demanded it of us. We stand with you proudly and offer them what they deserve: A lesson in democracy.

It is little wonder that democracy is the least favored form of government to all empire builders. It is the only government that comes with this warning: Defy the will of the people at your own peril. Fully ninety percent of the Spanish people joined the world in opposing the war in Iraq, yet the Asnar government stood unashamedly at the side of George W. Bush. In virtual silence, it sanctioned the Bush Doctrine of preemptive strike and perpetual military dominance. It gave credibility to a blatant act of aggression. It stood with the world’s most powerful military force against all principles of international justice.

The polls were wrong. They were little more than the propaganda of government-controlled media. The people of Spain were poised to throw this government out of office. They had long lost faith in their leadership. Under any other circumstances, an act of terror would have served to bolster the party in power. The government lied about who was responsible for the crime because the truth would have only sealed their fate.

Let us be clear: A government has fallen because it betrayed a sacred oath. The people have spoken. Democracy has triumphed. The Bush administration has now achieved regime change in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti and Spain. England, Italy and America remain.

JACK RANDOM is the author of Ghost Dance Insurrection (Dry Bones Press 2000) and the Jazzman Chronicles, Volume One (Crow Dog Press 2003). He can be reached through: jackrandom.com.