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Zodiak · 07-22-2005, 03:21 PM

The group you are referring to are the Basque separatists, and yes, the separatists did not do the bombing, but the conservative government in power tried to blame the bombing on the Basques and lost even more public support.

Since then, the Basques have bombed at least once that I know of, but the train bombing was not a Basque operation.

With the Basque separatists in Spain, I have a feeling that the Spanish didn't want to complicate things by adding more of a target on their back because of involvement in the occupation of Iraq. However, I do not claim to "know" the pulse of the Spanish people, just a hunch of mine.

As far as this "Fight for our Freedoms" issue is concerned. I am aware that the soldiers of this country fight for what the government wants them to fight for, which is noble because it speaks of the civic virtue of the soldier. I will not take that away from them....they are good men and women who do their jobs because it is the honorable thing to do and they care about each other like a family.

However, "they are over there fighting for your freedoms" is simply sloganeering as it is a dubious claim when applied to the Iraq war. This slogan is often hurled by the war supporter as a slap in the face to those who oppose the reasons for a war. Empirically, Americans have lost freedoms because of 9/11 and continue to lose more and more each day to the point where many of us "feel" it in our everyday lives, so if that is what the soldiers are doing, fighting for American's freedoms, then they are losing.

I resent the soldiers of this country being used as pawns in a petty political argument because I think that their sacrifice is not for one side of politics, but for the overarching concept of "country", which includes all of us.

07-22-2005, 03:21 PM	#38 (permalink)
Zodiak Upright Location: From Texas, live in Ohio	The group you are referring to are the Basque separatists, and yes, the separatists did not do the bombing, but the conservative government in power tried to blame the bombing on the Basques and lost even more public support. Since then, the Basques have bombed at least once that I know of, but the train bombing was not a Basque operation. With the Basque separatists in Spain, I have a feeling that the Spanish didn't want to complicate things by adding more of a target on their back because of involvement in the occupation of Iraq. However, I do not claim to "know" the pulse of the Spanish people, just a hunch of mine. As far as this "Fight for our Freedoms" issue is concerned. I am aware that the soldiers of this country fight for what the government wants them to fight for, which is noble because it speaks of the civic virtue of the soldier. I will not take that away from them....they are good men and women who do their jobs because it is the honorable thing to do and they care about each other like a family. However, "they are over there fighting for your freedoms" is simply sloganeering as it is a dubious claim when applied to the Iraq war. This slogan is often hurled by the war supporter as a slap in the face to those who oppose the reasons for a war. Empirically, Americans have lost freedoms because of 9/11 and continue to lose more and more each day to the point where many of us "feel" it in our everyday lives, so if that is what the soldiers are doing, fighting for American's freedoms, then they are losing. I resent the soldiers of this country being used as pawns in a petty political argument because I think that their sacrifice is not for one side of politics, but for the overarching concept of "country", which includes all of us. __________________ They shackle our minds as we're left on the cross. When ignornace reigns, life is lost! Zach de la Rocha Last edited by Zodiak; 07-22-2005 at 03:25 PM..