The Sun Says... posted by Richard Seymour

You know how it is. You're on the train, a few crinkled newspapers lie scattered across the opposite seats. Noone's looking. The Sun. There it is in all its glory, winking at you like some VD-ridden rent-boy, inviting you to probe its mucky depths. Well, as yer man Wilde once said, "I can resist anything except temptation". So, I had a look at their pencil n crayons editorial, "The Sun Says" . Their view on the Spanish ouster of their contemptible government:

"THERE seems little doubt that al-Qaeda carried out the Madrid massacre.

But did the terrorists strike because Spain backed America and Britain in the war on terror?

No. They murdered 200 innocent people because they are bent on destroying everything Western.

If, in their hours of grief, Spanish voters have exacted revenge on their Government then that would be a sad mistake.

Muslim fanatics were at war with the West long before September 11 forced countries like America, Britain and Spain to stand up and be counted.

The latest bloodshed has nothing to do with with our ousting of Saddam. Because France and Germany sat on their hands, does that mean they are not a target?

No country can afford to do nothing. This is a war on the world — and we have to fight back.

You can’t appease terrorists. That just makes you a soft target."

I get the sneaking suspicion that The Sun has hired Christopher Hitchens to be their leader-writer. But I have to question their logic there. I mean, maybe if we want to find out why Al Qaeda affiliated groups concocted this atrocity on the European mainland, they could have a look at Al Qaeda's own "mission statement" for this particular attack:

"We declare our responsibility for what happened in Madrid exactly two-and-a half years after the attacks on New York and Washington. It is a response to your collaboration with the criminals Bush and his allies.

This is a response to the crimes that you have caused in the world, and specifically in Iraq and Afghanistan..."

Fairly cut and dried I would have thought. But no. There's no connection - and you'd be a fool and a communist to make one. And if you disagree with bombing Iraq, you're appeasing terrorists. Makes perfect sense to me.

I should just note, in passing, that the headline to the Sun's editorial on this was "Sad Mistake" in this early morning edition. It now says "Brave Spain". The Lawd woiks in mysterious ways, bruthas and sistaaaaas!