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| Europe |
| Spain snubs US as France joins the big parade |
| 2004-10-06 |
| The Spanish government snubbed the United States yesterday by cancelling an annual invitation to US troops to join the celebrations of Spain's national holiday parade and instead invited French soldiers to Madrid. The Spanish defence minister, Jose Bono, told the COPE radio station there would be no Americans in this year's "fiesta nacional" which commemorates the day on which Christopher Columbus sighted the New World. The national day "is not the national holiday of the United States, and no one is under any obligation to see the flag of another country in the parade, though it was is a friend and an ally for sure," said Mr Bono. "This is in no way an insult nor a sign of contempt towards the United States." Weasel words, too. Learning fast However, the minister then added that Spain was "no longer subordinated" and "kneeling" before Washington. "We have bravely chosen to adopt a - what do you call it - doggy position, better to accommodate jihad." "With Bush, peace and liberty have not exactly triumphed," he said. "We loved Saddam. [sniff] He was a good man. A National Socialist, you know. No time for democracy. A good, good man. Now look at Iraq and Afghanistan: elections! [sniff}. It's just awful. It's horrifying!" Then in reference to the former prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, who was often lampooned as a puppet of President Bush, Mr Bono said the new Socialist administration wanted to "show its sovereignty". "We're Chirac's puppets now!" Relations between Washington and Madrid have been tense since the Spanish Socialist government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero won elections in March and infuriated Washington by withdrawing troops from Iraq. American troops have taken part in the Oct 12 military parade every year since 2001, when the government invited them out of respect for the victims of the Sept 11 attacks. Mr Bono, who was once recorded calling Tony Blair "a complete dickhead", has suggested French troops could appear as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the liberation of Paris in 1945. At which Spanish troops were notably absent, the French contingent were allowed a role out of proportion to their actual number, whilst the Brits and the Yanks once again did the lions' share of enabling "peace and democracy" to triumph - a role which certain Euroturds try to denigrate through sick propaganda. Sounds familiar. |
| Posted by:Bulldog |
| #21 Wasn't the Aznar administration more of the exception than the rule? |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-10-07 12:23:25 AM |
| #20 The Spanish government snubbed the United States yesterday by cancelling an annual invitation to US troops to join the celebrations of Spain’s national holiday parade and instead invited French soldiers to Madrid. If by this Spain is insinuating that they'd rather the French assist them in any future conflict, I don't have a problem with it. Good luck, boys. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-10-06 11:58:12 PM |
| #19 Now that Aznar is over here, perhaps we can get him to form a Espana Libre government to oppose the Vichy government ruling over there. |
| Posted by: jackal 2004-10-06 4:04:55 PM |
| #18 Isolation does not work. Appeasment of the terrorist does work. I doubt that 3/11 is the end of terrorism for them. |
| Posted by: John (Q. Citizen) 2004-10-06 1:49:13 PM |
| #17 I think we need to distinguish between Spain (which is really a very nice country since they finally tossed out the fascists), and the current Spanish Government, which is a bunch of lily-livered commies/socialists of the worst sort. Give 'em a few years, they'll wake up. |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-10-06 1:32:24 PM |
| #16 To quote Lewis Grizzard (A Great American), "Spain!? Spain couldn't beat Vanderbilt, for God's sake." This is not really a new development in the U.S. - European relations. Read Kissinger's Years of Upheaval regarding U.S. attempts to become closer allies to European countries, to actually make them more important. France put up all kinds of obstacles and the U.S. was seen as trying to subvert European soveriegnty. It would seem they still haven't gotten over their collective inferiority complex. |
| Posted by: Psycho Hillbilly 2004-10-06 1:28:18 PM |
| #15 I wish Spain well, but have no desire at this juncture to either help or hinder them in any endeavor, nor to patronize them in any sort. The Spanish wil decide whether it wants to fight for western civilization, or not, when the battle for al-Andalus is joined. Either way, Americans should stay out of it Amen. Time to admit that the notion of "the West," as a coherent entity unified in the face of a mortal threat, no longer has much meaning. Spain does not share our moral universe. Aznar was a giant in a nation of pygmies. Let NATO die a quiet death. Start instead to forge significant bilateral and regional alliances with truly serious nations that recognize the threat and are willing to project power alongside the US into the jiahdists' home turf. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-06 12:26:16 PM |
| #14 The re-reconquista of Al-Andalus, one step closer to reality. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-06 12:13:31 PM |
| #13 I wish Spain well, but have no desire at this juncture to either help or hinder them in any endeavor, nor to patronize them in any sort. The Spanish wil decide whether it wants to fight for western civilization, or not, when the battle for al-Andalus is joined. Either way, Americans should stay out of it, except to make money. If they win, well good for them. If not, then my grand and great-grand kids will take it back and colonize it for America. Either way, we win. |
| Posted by: ed 2004-10-06 10:57:38 AM |
| #12 "Big Parade" is about right. A big party under the big circus tent led by the world's greatest clowns. I wonder if Anzar will honk Chirac's big red nose. Too bad Bill Clinton isn't still around - a regular Ruldoph, he was. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-10-06 10:41:47 AM |
| #11 Spain, France, most of Europe = has been. I really believe Islam is invading Europe in a very smart way. They are being patient about it, taking gererations to do it. They will integrate and dominate Europe in the next 75 years and they will succeed at it because they are not constrained by the sanctamonious view that political correctness directly corrolates to civility. |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2004-10-06 10:41:28 AM |
| #10 Yeah, Dave. But at least Manuel had a good heart. Jose Bono told the COPE radio station there would be no Americans in this year’s "fiesta nacional" which commemorates the day on which Christopher Columbus sighted the New World... They are celebrating the discovery of the new world but are snubbing the actual new world. Yep-sophisticated Euro thought at its best. |
| Posted by: jules 187 2004-10-06 10:36:37 AM |
| #9 BFD. Good we wont be spending any money on that. If Spain wants to be under France's heel I say good on them. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-10-06 10:30:43 AM |
| #8 Spain peaked with the Armada. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-10-06 10:30:21 AM |
| #7 I! Can speaka English! English! I can speak English! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-10-06 10:27:41 AM |
| #6 I wonder if the Muslims will "unveil" their new plan, to take steps to implement Sharia within the Spainish, French and Canadian governments, during the parade. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-10-06 10:19:13 AM |
| #5 Oh no! We can't be in their parade? Oh no! Guess they showed us. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-10-06 10:09:02 AM |
| #4 France and Spain, coalition of the scared, stupid and spineless. |
| Posted by: JerseyMike 2004-10-06 10:03:34 AM |
| #3 What fools. Under Aznar, Spain was a brave ally; after the 3/11 bombings, I ascribed their withdrawal to a failure of nerve; but anymore, my view of the Spanish is once again informed by the portrayal of the Spanish waiter in Fawlty Towers. Idiots. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-10-06 7:36:39 AM |
| #2 Just a piffle, but my snarky quote (snarquote?) "...peace and democracy'..." should read "peace and liberty". Wouldn't want anyone to think I was misquoting the Hon. dickhead Mr Bono. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-10-06 6:01:37 AM |
| #1 no one is under any obligation to see the flag of another country in the parade So I guess France has the OK to fly their white battle flag. Wonder if they will also parade their tanks in reverse. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-10-06 4:51:22 AM |