It strikes me that if the Spanish election really is a response to the bombings, then the Spanish may have come down with a case of the French flu. A debilitating illness, it begins by breaking down the human spine. By the end, it leaves its victims with sunken chests. But seriously, the response seems, if you’ll pardon me, European. With notable exceptions, Old Europe has bought into the post-modernism to such a degree that they no longer believe in themselves. They no longer believe in the capacity for truth. If standing up for principle means taking losses, then they will fold, and fold quickly. If anyone doubts that there is a real difference between Old Europe and the U.S., think what the response would have been in the U.S. if an election were held within days of September 11th, between someone who was aggressive in fighting international terror, and someone who would pull the U.S. out of the fight.