One
Down, Two To Go -
Lessons From Spain
By Jeff Cohen
16 March, 2004
commondreams.org
"Political
shock in Spain!" blared ABC News on Sunday night, as regime change
came to Madrid. Along with Tony Blair, Spain's conservative Prime Minister
Jose Maria Aznar had been the staunchest of Bush allies.
One down, two to
go.
The deciding issue
in Spain's election was government deceit over war in Iraq and terrorism
at home, especially the bomb blasts that rocked Madrid three days before
the balloting. In a country where major TV channels routinely echo government
propaganda, grassroots activists defeated Aznar's Popular Party by reaching
swing voters and young voters through mobile phones, the Internet and
creative, nonviolent protests.
For weeks polls
had showed Aznar's hand-picked successor comfortably ahead of Spain's
uninspiring Socialist party, which had been voted out of office in 1996
amid corruption scandals. Then came Thursday's terror attacks, killing
200 Spaniards and injuring 1500.
The conservative
government that had brought Spain into the Iraq war (despite overwhelming
opposition) by echoing U.S./U.K. lies on WMDs immediately blamed the
Madrid terror attacks on Basque separatists -- before there was any
evidence, and continuing in the face of evidence pointing to Islamist
terrorists. Antiwar Spaniards had long warned that aligning with the
U.S./U.K would intensify the threat of foreign terror.
By election day,
government manipulation had become the salient issue in the minds of
millions of shell-shocked swing voters. But the seeds of doubt about
Aznar's government had been planted by the antiwar movement. After all,
intelligence on Iraq had been manipulated; now it seemed Spain was manipulating
the truth about who had murdered hundreds of Spaniards. It leaked out
that, within hours of the terror attacks, Spain's foreign minister had
written ambassadors: "You should use any opportunity to confirm
[Basque] ETA's responsibility."
In his vivid street-level
account from Madrid in the hours before the election, writer Paul Laverty
described a mass nonviolent revolt. One grandmother told Laverty that
she had voted conservative the last time, "but I can't vote for
these thugs again who led us into a war nobody wanted. They lied about
the weapons in Iraq, and they're lying again today. How dare they manipulate
the dead?"
With suspicions
mounting that the government was holding back the truth about the terror
attacks, and that mainstream TV couldn't be trusted, "thousands
of mobiles were on the go flashing messages between friends" about
independent news and spontaneous protests that became massive the night
before the election. In cities across Spain, protesters gathered outside
Popular Party headquarters, chanting: "We want the truth before
we vote," "Our Dead, Your War," "Liars, Liars, Liars...Don't
play with the Dead."
Then, at a time
established through mobile messaging, came "cacerolada" protests
-- banging of pots and pans -- from balconies and porches and spreading
into town squares. After midnight, Madrid protesters marched to Atocha
train station, near ground zero of the terror attacks, and the huge
crowd went silent for a vigil and prayers and tears.
On election day,
the New York Times quoted a Madrid voter as saying: "I never would
have gone into the streets for a demonstration like yesterday except
that I felt like they were not telling us everything."
Voter turnout was
very high. Late-deciding voters (and many who hadn't expected to vote
at all) swung hard against the government, and in support of the Socialists,
who campaigned on a pledge to withdraw Spain's troops from Iraq.
AP quoted a Barcelona
voter: "I wasn't planning to vote, but I am here today because
the Popular Party is responsible for murders here and in Iraq."
A law student told the BBC: "It's the first time I voted. I feel
very happy because the government had to change...because of the Iraq
war." As Prime Minister Aznar cast his ballot, protesters shouted:
"Manipulator!"
After winning, Socialist
Prime Minister-elect Zapatero called for "self-criticism"
by Bush and Blair: "You can't bomb people just in case...You can't
organize a war on the basis of lies."
There are lessons
for Americans seeking regime change here at home:
* A winning issue is government deceit and manipulation; late deciders
can be won over if the Bush administration's basic honesty is in question.
With enough swing voters questioning Bush's honesty, even a late-breaking
"October Surprise" could backfire against him. John Kerry
was caught on mike accurately referring to the Bush team as "the
most crooked, lying group I've ever seen" -- if only the Senator
would add some principle and bite to his policy statements.
* Take the offensive
against the administration for failing to defend our citizens on the
homefront on Sept. 11 and in Iraq and beyond. Despite all the pundit
blather, Bush has been a "security" failure. 9/11 victims'
families need not be alone in expressing anger at a White House that
politically manipulates 9/11 while taking no responsibility for its
failure and stonewalling the investigation. Bush could continue to lose
faith with veterans and their families for cluelessly sending U.S. soldiers
and National Guard into Iraq unprotected -- as thousands return home
badly wounded to inadequate health and veterans' services.
* Use creativity
and all available means of communication to reach out to undecideds
in swing states until the very last vote is cast. In the weeks before
Nov. 2, disinformation about Kerry will be flowing furiously in mainstream
media while accurate information about Bush will be blocked. We need
to use everything from email and door-knocking to paid ads and rock
concerts to reach folks who aren't getting the full story.
* Don't cast a risky
vote this year for a 3rd party or independent presidential candidate.
In our winner-take-all elections, only Kerry can retire the most dangerous
and extremist regime in recent U.S. history. A cautious, mainstream
Democrat like Kerry may be as uninspiring to some of us as the often-vacillating
Socialists are to activists in Spain. But the demise of Madrid's conservative
regime has electrified peace and progressive activists worldwide. Imagine
the elation we'll feel if Bush is retired next November.
Jeff Cohen is a
columnist, media critic and TV pundit.