Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero became a hero of mine when he followed through on his pledge to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq--and particularly when he dressed down John Kerry with such patient assurance, like an adult ignoring a tantrum as he teaches a simple but crucial lesson to a pouting child:
The other day Kerry urged Zapatero not to appease al Qaeda by withdrawing Spanish troops from Iraq. Yesterday, the Scotsman reports, Zapatero responded by telling Kerry to buzz off: "Maybe John Kerry does not know--but I am happy to explain it to him--that my commitment to withdraw the troops goes back before the tragic, dramatic terrorist attack."
I can't imagine a clearer demonstration that Zapatero has more integrity in the
microscopic particles of skin that slough off onto his pillow each night
than Kerry has in his entire body.
But withdrawing troops from Iraq was just one of a steady stream of exemplary accomplishments for Zapatero--and one of the most important of these has just come to fruition:
Parliament condemned Gen. Francisco Franco's nearly 40-year dictatorship Wednesday in historic legislation addressing a dark chapter of Spanish history that had been largely off-limits.
The bill sponsored by the Socialist government and passed by the lower house of parliament also makes symbolic amends to victims of the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War. It formally denounces Franco's regime, mandates that local governments fund efforts to unearth mass graves from the Civil War and declares as "illegitimate" the summary military trials that led to the execution or imprisonment of thousands of the general's enemies.
The legislation orders the removal of all Franco-era symbols such as streets and plazas named after him or generals who fought for him. There are dozens of such symbols in Madrid alone.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whose grandfather was among the tens of thousands executed by Franco's forces, had made the legislation a top priority and cobbled together an agreement between his ruling Socialists and several smaller parties.
On our side of the political spectrum it's easy to feel like the forces arrayed against us are overwhelming, and that the ideals we believe in have no chance against them. It's easy to lose hope. But this is a genuinely beautiful, transcendent moment. It's proof that given enough time, our principles will win out. We should take the time to savor that, and to understand what it signifies. This is a great day not just for Spain, but for people throughout the world who believe in justice and human rights.
So congratulations once again to Zapatero for having the courage of his convictions, and for being able to turn those convictions into concrete results. I can only imagine what it must feel like to live in a country that produces mainstream politicians like him, and--more importantly--that has an electorate with enough sense to put him in high office.