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Kropcke wrote:

"We shall fight with great confidence and great strength in the...welfare system???", Churchill. No, I don't think so."

Actually, now you come to mention it...

“I am on the side of those who think that a greater collective sentiment should be introduced into the State and the municipalities. I should like to see the State undertaking new functions.”

or indeed;

“My heart was filled with admiration of the patient genius which had added these social bulwarks to the many glories of the german race. . . . [I am setting out to] thrust a big slice of Bismarckianism over the whole underside of our industrial system.” (upon visiting the Bismarckian welfare state and central economic planning system)

Both Churchill quotes. As a student of history, I really couldn't resist pointing that out ;). Not hugely relevant to the thread I admit, but I do wish some of the posters on here wouldn't use Churchill as a shorthand for everything they believe in when in fact he was a supporter of the post-war British welfare state (and European integration, for that matter from what I remember).

As for the Spanish elections, I can't help but think there's a little over-reaction going on here- The Spanish population overwhelmingly opposed the war in Iraq so it shouldn't be too much of a surprise to see them (closely) elect a party that takes this position as well. From what I can see it isn't as if their presence in Iraq was that much more then symbolic in any case.

But Azner was pretty much expected to win hands-down...and he just got destroyed instead.

Terror worked. Sux - but it did.

But it's not that they opposed the Iraq war, it is that they allowed the terrorists to dictate the result of their election. Pre-bombing polls showed the PP ahead.