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Political interpretation of assassinations

By: psr | 2008-03-09

Yesterday (March 8th 2008), the daughter of the slain former town councilor (Isaías Carrasco, killed by ETA last Friday), called for high turnout at today’s general elections in Spain, asked his father’s killing not to be used politically, and ended her speech cursing the assassins.

Her wish of high turnout is elemental and necessary, and it is also desirable in this general election, regardless of whether it is advantageous for one political party or another, as some say. The curse directed at the assassins is natural, understandable, and I fully back her in expressing it.

However, unfortunately, the very killing of her father, like every other terrorist killing (ETA’s or not), is a political act. Those killers intend to do politics by killing, and precisely for this reason, it is mandatory that the response from individuals, society and politicians is a political response.

Despite her wishes to avoid any political utilization of this killing, that is sadly impossible, as the killing itself was politically motivated. It was the assassins who turned the tragic death into a political event. Politicians and regular people are not to blame for making Carrasco’s death a political issue.

Most political analysts in Spain claim that high turnout at the elections normally benefits the PSOE. Most likely such high turnout is what ETA was after by getting a PSOE member killed just two days before the election, to cause a feeling of empathy for the PSOE, due to the relationship of the slain councilor with that party.

If Carrasco’s family support for high turnout is eyeing a victory by PSOE in the general election, in the belief that PSOE would represent the best solution to terrorism, I am afraid such posing is erroneous.

The high turnout at the general election is important, and will only be useful if the resulting government takes the necessary measures to end the blackmailing, the terrorism and the intolerance that the Basque Country people is subjected to by ETA and its supporting environment.

Sadly, if the PSOE (socialist party) heads the next government, it will likely follow the strategy of the dialogue with ETA, already initiated by some of Carrasco’s colleagues (PSOE members) in past 4 years. Dialogue with ETA helps only to validate their methods.

I can only hope the PSOE will come to realize that their strategy is flawed, and correct their course of action as soon as possible.