Posted 2:21 AM by Paul
Spanish Government Tops Lists for Risk Free Politics

Many column inches have been written about how France's policy is all about self-interest. Oil interests...contracts in Baghdad etc. Accusing a politican of in self interest is a novel criticism.

Lets's not be naive. Bush campaigned in 2000 on an end to racial profiling for Arab Americans, a better deal for Hispanics and a new black friendly Republican Party. Racial profiling was extended, Hispanic Americans went their executions on flimsy evidence at an increased rate and black Floridians were robbed of their vote in their tens of thousands. So lets not be the pot who calls the kettle black. Chirac is a slippery character but that does not stop him being right some of the time.

But the the Spanish government takes the biscuit. Jose Maria Aznar has been implacable in his support for the Bush administration since Day One. He appears next to Bush at the Azores summit, making statements on an equal footing with Blair who has 30,000 troops in the Gulf and Bush who has 250,000. Despite mass demonstrations across Spain and plunging poll ratings he stands firm. A true allie in the hour of need.

So how many troops has the Spanish Government committed to the forthcoming conflict?

None.

That's it. Not one.

So if the body count rises, but the allies (that's the UK and the USA) prevail he wins both ways.

Very clever.