Too terrified not to vote..

A 62% Turnout with a landslide victory for a pro-peace socialist party. As I watched the news reports this morning, I found myself cheered by the jubilant scenes of Zapatero's success; but then the camera focused on a tearful woman obviously grieving for a loved one and again I felt a familiar pang of empathetic sadness. Yet it is funny how this result feels politically cathartic and in some way restores a sense of political balance. Despite the obvious implication that terrorism may be challenging our governments' positions, it appears as though the Spanish electorate required a social response to the brutality of last week. The collective response was to choose peace. I am not surprised as the result can be seen as the culmination of recent grief and the despair that has been evident since the World wide anti War protests on February 15th 2003. This is perhaps the most positive response to terror: To collectivise our suffering and to push for collective solution.