When the next bomb goes off--perhaps this time in Poland--the families of the dead should blame the people in Spain who voted to run from terrorists and cower before them instead of standing strong against them.

Sound cruel? Perhaps, but it is the sad truth. The majority of Spaniards decided to follow the illogical path of blaming their President for the attack in Madrid instead of the people who actually carried out mass murder. In doing so, they handed the butchers a victory. Terrorism and murder have been handsomely rewarded this day.

When word of the vicious attack in Madrid, killing 200 and severely injuring over a thousand broke, I had overwhelming sympathy for them. I no longer do. That sounds horrible but by taking the cowards’ path they have given permission to al Qaeda or any other terrorist group to run amok across Europe and anywhere in the world to “punish” anyone who dares defy them. The terrorists must be giddy with joy over their success. They have been handed an entire country for a relatively inexpensive attack.

My guess is the new socialist president will pull the Spanish troops out of Iraq. After all, to leave them there would be a sign of defiance and he won’t want the terrorists thinking there is any fight left in them. Total and complete capitulation is what the people have chosen. Appeasement, the European way, is the road they will now go down. I will have no sympathy for them from this point forward.

What is mystifying about all this is that Europe never seems to learn from the past. Over and over again there are examples of appeasement that have failed, often leading to terrible wars where millions have died. Yet, once again, they seem willing to give it just one more try. Maybe THIS time, it will work. It won’t. I have no faith in the people of Old Europe ever learning from their mistakes. Instead, they have come to rely on the Americans to come and save them from their own ignorance. I’m beginning to wonder if we should bother.

Neville Chamberlain, perhaps the most famous appeaser, came home with a paper he said would keep England safe from Hitler. The British people could sleep well now, knowing he had removed the threat. Tony Blair did not want to become England’s modern-day Chamberlain. He knew you could not deal with or appease these terrorists but the majority of British people don’t feel that way. Come election time, Blair may well find himself suffering the same fate as Winston Churchill. This will be another victory for the likes of bin Laden.

As country after country tries to hide from the death and destruction by holding up their hands in surrender, the more people will die. You see, terrorists take no prisoners. They have no respect for weakness. Their master-plan is the total and complete destruction of the Western world and its way of life. It is mind boggling that there are people who still cannot see this.

As an American, I have heard the same train of thought here. The attack of 9/11 was deserved. Even an ex-president blamed it on the Crusades and American imperialistic attitude in the world. Yes, we should have taken the attack as punishment long over-due and eat humble pie. We have a socialist party here as well. Its members pass themselves off as Democrats or “progressives” these days. What is progressive about their beliefs is yet to be seen.

The man presently running on that “progressive” ticket is one that will stop the war on terror. In his mind, there is no war--only random “crimes.” Let there be no mistake or misunderstanding about this—the vote in Spain absolutely guarantees there will be a major attack, here, in the States, prior to the November election.

Not only will Islamic fundamentalists run wild all over Europe killing and creating mayhem, they will activate groups here and their attacks will be specifically carried out to alter the outcome of the election. They want George W. Bush out of office. He is their biggest threat. Perhaps, he is their only threat.

The pattern is now set in stone. The machine is in motion and it is unlikely anything can stop it. There will be a massive attack here, somewhere, with many casualties and the opposition will blame President Bush for the attack. Count on it.

Just as in Spain, the Democrats will not blame the true enemy of America-- they will blame the incumbent president. With all the fervor of maniacal Bible-thumpers, they will point the finger of blame at Bush as the evil one. HE started this war. Americans have died because of HIM. HE didn’t try to reason with the enemy. HE chose to irrationally fight our enemies. HE decided to root them out where they live, making them angry and defensive. HE went against the will of the world to simply look the other way and hope it all goes away.

Our only hope is this—that as Americans we have been away from the European mind-set long enough to know that you cannot run from the enemy but must face them. You cannot reason with them because they are irrational. You cannot talk with them because they will not hear. If we as Americans must fight this war alone, then so be it. I will have neither respect nor sympathy for those who will pay the price of trying to bargain with the devil.

Barbara J. Stock