So Spain suffers their September 11. As has been observed, the U.S. media (and in a kind of stunted manifestation, the front pages of local Carolina papers I saw while traveling down the coast this weekend) seemed rather desperate to watch a re-enactment of the patterns of response (scripted by them, incidentally) seen in our own homeland after our terrorist attacks. Well. I'm guessing that many of those newspaper editors (not to mention the wingnuts, squawking and ranting all weekend and no doubt feeling a tad impotent, that they couldn't force the voting Spaniards to listen) were rather surprised to find that their headlines were not inaccurate: Spain did mourn collectively; people did join together by the millions to repudiate terrorism.

So: did they fall prostrate at the feet of their Great Leader as soon as he saw fit to be filmed while visiting the bombing sites? Did they demand a reconfiguration of their criminal justice system? Did they declare themselves ready to "stand shoulder to shoulder" with Aznar, and agree to "watch what they say"? Did they call for an immediate invasion of Morocco? Did they put "Power of Pride" bumper stickers on their cars and start shooting patriotic music videos? Did they call down the End Times and the Apocalypse?

No: they called their president a liar (because he was lying), they blamed him for dragging their country into war (which they seem to have understood from the very beginning would make them less safe, not more--q.v. the bombings), they threw the bum out and elected a new president and a new party that they hope will--will what?--will make life in Spain better.

Confusing, huh? Don't they Stand United? Don't they yearn for Steady Leadership in Times of Indiscriminate Violent Death? Nope.

Following Attacks, Spain's Governing Party Is Beaten

The turnout was higher than expected. More than 77 percent of the country's 35 million eligible voters cast ballots, compared with 55 percent four years ago. In Madrid, the figure was 80 percent.

At El Pozo train station, where one of the attacks occurred, the walls were covered with graffiti that read, "Aznar Killer," and "No to Terrorism." Red candles and bouquets of flowers were haphazardly arranged in tribute to the victims. Just across the street, the polling station was set up in a school, some of whose students had lost parents in the attacks.

"I certainly did not vote for the Popular Party," said a 79-year-old retired carpenter who identified himself only as Julián. "My daughter's hand was cut off, and she almost lost a part of her leg. Aznar should come here to see that, to see these people. But he did nothing for us. He did nothing for the poor. He is one who brought us to war. I went through the civil war, and the postwar. But this is worse."