Along with making strong coffee and pacing about in my housecoat while listening to free-jazz, an essential part of my morning routine is picking up the Globe from my porch and diving right into it at the kitchen table. More often than not, three-legged Miko jumps right up into my field of vision and sprawls out, pressing her black fur into the newsprint and demanding my attention be diverted from world events. An act of love on her part, since the front-page headlines leave me both intrigued and depressed.

But last Monday, I was ecstatic to learn that voters in Spain had thrown out their conservative ruling party and elected a new socialist government under Jose Luis Rodgriguez Zapatero. (How cool would it be to have a last name like Zapatero? How could you not become a freedom fighter?) It's funny that I was so excited, since I don't live in Spain, and have no idea when I'll ever get a chance to visit. See, I took this as a happy reminder that sometimes, democracy works. (As Churchill said, 'œdemocracy is the worst form of government except for all the others.'? At least that's what I read on a bathroom wall at the Green Room.) The election came just days after the horrific commuter-train bombing which killed 202 people in Madrid. Ousted President Jose Maria Aznar tried to pin blame for the attack on the Basque separatist group ETA, but it seems that in fact the group responsible was an Morocco-based Islamic fundamentalist group that may or may not have ties to al-Qaeda '” because, of course, no one knows how these terrorist cells work, or if they even have any overlying structure whatsoever.

Immediately after his stunning electoral victory, Zapatero withdrew Spain's support of the war in Iraq. This leaves only the U.K. and Italy as the major European members of the 'œcoalition of the willing.'? Even gung-ho Poland is now having second thoughts about that 'œfiasco'? (as Zapatero called it) that began exactly a year ago as I write this. The predictable reaction by the Bush administration and their big-media toadies? Spain let the terrorists win! I only needed to look at the headline of Marcus Gee's Friday Globe column '” 'œImagine the terrorists' chortle of glee'? '” to know its contents. I didn't even want to read it, but I still did, and in a fit of self-control, digested it before tackling Rick Salutin's missive next door '“ which of course was brilliant and there's no possible way I could say anything better than he already did on this subject (but on I go).

Anyway, I've been following Gee's writing for a while, infuriating as it is, because it's astonishing to observe how much one dimwit can swallow the lies of the neocon ruling elite so wholesale. Throughout the piece, he refers to the terrorists as this nebulous 'œthey'? that succeeded in toppling the government of Spain. That is giving this fractured bunch of fundamentalists way too much credit, and is positively insulting to the people of Spain. This is a country where 90% of the population were opposed going to war last year, and who were ignored by their political leaders '” and it is they who paid the price with their lives on the day of the bombing, not their leaders. It is only fair that they decide that the sellouts who govern them should pay the price for not listening to their majority's wishes, and letting this tragedy happen on their home soil. I had another 'œchortle of glee'? this morning '” does that make me a terrorist? '” when I saw the cover of The Economist, which depicted Bush, Blair, Aznar and Australia's John Howard as aces in a deck of cards, with Aznar's face X'ed out and a tagline that read, 'œOne down, three to go?'? Here's hoping. I would love to see the leaders of these 'œdemocracies'? eat some humble pie and learn that 'œyou're either with us or against us'? doesn't wash with the spirit of democracy, that their citizens have the choice to agree or disagree '” with the war on terror or any other ill-conceived attempts to force their will upon them. Or should I say, us.

I know it's been said before (but I'll repeat it): I'm really glad to live in Canada, and feel extra vindicated by Chrétien's decision to stay out of the war on this unhappy anniversary. I really wonder what would have happened if Paul Martin had been in power. And I know who I'm voting for when he finally works up the nerve to call the election. Can you guess? Next month, I'll tell you why.