Terrorist attack in spain : 200 people killed, 1500 wounded

[segovius]

Originally posted by hardhead
So now ETA is going to start to collaborate with Al Queda.

This (presumably) sensitive info your friend gleaned from his trip or is it a deduction of yours ?

[Anders]

Looks like Hassans guts are tuned in. From CNN:

Breaking news: London newspaper says it received e-mail from al Qaeda-affiliated group claiming responsibility for Madrid bombings. Details soon.

And

But Spanish Interior Minister Angel Acebes said authorities are investigating a van found in the town of Alcala de Henares, outside Madrid, with at least seven detonators and an Arabic tape with Koranic teachings.

The tape contained no threats and is a type available commercially. The van was stolen last month.

[KANE]

Originally posted by hardhead
So now ETA is going to start to collaborate with Al Queda.

This is just unfounded speculation and quite honestly I don't believe it one bit. ETA would >not< want to be associated with the most hated terror organization in the world. Not to mention the fact that they would wound up much higher on the list of prioritized enemies in the eyes of the American government. And exactly why would al Qaeda want to cooperate with ETA?

[Zarathustra]

Terrorism against a fascist governement like Franco, i can understand (but not approve), but terrorism in a democratic countrie, where peopel have the right to vote ?

Doc, I'm not sure whether we agree or disagree?

We need to understand the causes without condoning the actions- but we need to recognise the implications of our own actions.

Its a little strange that when we kill (via direct military action, covert interventions, support for repressive regimes, unfair 'free' trade leading to poverty & starvation or witholding medicines) large numbers of civilians in pursuit of our objectives they become unavoidable, necessary collateral damage, yet when others, who may be equally convinced that we are wrong and they are right, attack our citizens it is a very different matter.

(While we're (nearly) on the subject... can someone explain what is so heroic about spending biilions of dollars on arms so that our servicemen can kill civilians (by accident - many times over) from high altitude or beyond viible range and at almost no risk to themselves?

I don't agree with 'suicide' bombers... but I don't see that their acts of killing are any more abhorant where innocents are killed by both parties. If everyone that intended to kill, knew that they would have to die to do so, there might be less deaths all round...)

BTW... if this attitude prevails -

This is a war. On a battlefield there is no judge or jury. Kill or be killed. Death. Immediate death for all accused of these atrocities. Bring a couple of semi-trucks and flatbeds...you know we'll need it...

we will certainly lose. If we wish to live the (largely) free lifestyles that we have we are gonna have to do better than that. Aircraft carriers and satellites can not protect you from your angry next door neighbour.

[SDW2001]

Originally posted by Zarathustra
Well said.

So long as we, or our governments in our name, sanction the deaths of innocents in order to pursue the causes that we believe in, we are in a weak position to criticize others doing the same. The ends do not always justify the means for us or for them. We need to set an example and act from a position of moral strength. Win hearts & minds.

Its very sad for all those affected, victims, friends, families, Europeans...those responsible should be captured, tried and if convicted punished.

Those who support their aims should be shown the civilised way to respond to injustice.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. The ONLY thing terrorists respect is violence. Of course we have to do more, partiularly with regard to improving our own security. You might disagree, but I'd argue that by bringing Democracy to the Middle East, we WILL be going after root causes. The implication I hear on this board is that the US is someow responsible for terror because of poor conditions in many countries. I think that's very misguided. We didn't and don't cause the abhorent conditions, those countries' corrupt and oppressive terror sponsoring governments do.

[pfflam]

Originally posted by SDW2001
Wrong, wrong, wrong. The ONLY thing terrorists respect is violence. Of course we have to do more, partiularly with regard to improving our own security. You might disagree, but I'd argue that by bringing Democracy to the Middle East, we WILL be going after root causes. The implication I hear on this board is that the US is someow responsible for terror because of poor conditions in many countries. I think that's very misguided. We didn't and don't cause the abhorent conditions, those countries' corrupt and oppressive terror sponsoring governments do.

Seems to me that it is you who are trying to make this an Us (patriot-American) vs them (liberal-America-haters) vs them (terrorist-fascist-idiots) issue, then you are wrong.
Zarathustra mentioned cases where we also have killed and many means through which governments, including ours, have done so. . . . then, you generalized that "the implications that I hear on these boards" is some unnanimous opinion about the evilness of America.

Leave it will you . . . give it a rest!

These terrorists have simply reinforced the fact that they have no respect for human life when the people involved do not ascribe to their miserable world view . . . and also, they show that they have no respect for living in this world even if they do believe their idiot ideas, after all they love suicide deaths and imagine them sme kind of 'Beautiful death'. -typical fascist idea . . . and Islamism of this sort is definitely a form of fascism.

I agree with you SDW, that there really is a qualitative difference with this kind of activity . . . warfare is abhorent, in all cases. And Americans do kill civilians often and it is wrong and horrible . . . it uually is a mistake, however, and that distinguishes America profoundly from over 90% of warfare in the history of the world . .. and even a high percentage of contemporary warfare.

[Aries 1B]

Deepest sympathies for the Spanish people.

Aries 1B

[Powerdoc]

Originally posted by Zarathustra
Doc, I'm not sure whether we agree or disagree?

We need to understand the causes without condoning the actions- but we need to recognise the implications of our own actions.

Its a little strange that when we kill (via direct military action, covert interventions, support for repressive regimes, unfair 'free' trade leading to poverty & starvation or witholding medicines) large numbers of civilians in pursuit of our objectives they become unavoidable, necessary collateral damage, yet when others, who may be equally convinced that we are wrong and they are right, attack our citizens it is a very different matter.

(While we're (nearly) on the subject... can someone explain what is so heroic about spending biilions of dollars on arms so that our servicemen can kill civilians (by accident - many times over) from high altitude or beyond viible range and at almost no risk to themselves?

I don't agree with 'suicide' bombers... but I don't see that their acts of killing are any more abhorant where innocents are killed by both parties. If everyone that intended to kill, knew that they would have to die to do so, there might be less deaths all round...)

BTW... if this attitude prevails -



we will certainly lose. If we wish to live the (largely) free lifestyles that we have we are gonna have to do better than that. Aircraft carriers and satellites can not protect you from your angry next door neighbour.

When we kill ? show me the connection with spain. Spain did not bomb anybody, nor committed collateral damage in the last years. ETA has no support even in the Basque countrie.

In Bilbao, San sebastian people have stayed 15 minutes without speaking in public places. Basque are revolted.
Many people here doubt that ETA is at the origin of this crime, but i heard on the radio, that all experts about terrorism are sure that it's ETA (type of explosive, detonator ...)

[Zarathustra]

When we kill ? show me the connection with spain. Spain did not bomb anybody, nor committed collateral damage in the last years.

Doc, I think we're at cross purposes. I am not saying that there is a simplistic cause and effect relationship between this latest outrage and a particular act by Spain. But, our (Western Developed nations) attitudes towards others does help to create the conditions where maniacs can delude themselves and others that they have a 'cause'.

Spain was a supporter of the coalition 'at War' in Iraq wasn't it?
Together we believed in a cause, (generalising wildly for a moment..) that of getting rid of Sadaam Hussain.

We also believed that if that meant that thousands of innocent civilians had to die that was a price worth paying (for our convictions) - eventually they and their families would be grateful.

Our European C.A.P. routinely destroys agricultural economies across the world turning food exporters into countries unable to feed their own populations.
We encourage people to grow cash crops. Once they become dependent upon them we drop the prices we are willing to pay. People suffer and people die because of us and our insistence upon maintaining our high standards of whatever the human costs.

Whilst we demonstrate that we do not respect life how can we expect others to do so?

I am not claiming a moral equivilence.... but we have the luxury with our resources of pursuing our objectives via 'Wars' and open military aggression. If we were the ones with no such means would we givew up our aims or find other methods?

What happened in Spain was wrong. Very, very wrong. Let's search for, convict and punish those responsible yes. lets not become that which we despise. People on here seem actually to support the idea that we should kill anyone 'accused' of involvement. I'm afraid don't share their degree of faith in the accusers and do not want to live in such a place.

As for:

but I'd argue that by bringing Democracy to the Middle East, we WILL be going after root causes

that's a nice idea. we should try it sometime. Perhaps by actually letting the Iraqis elect whatever style of government THEY want. Rather than yet again imposing our ideas upon them and hoping the cracks dont show. How would we react if they decided to split into seperate states, wanted a strict Muslim state, or even worse perhaps become socialists? How about we stop supporting the non-democratic countries in the Middle east. The House of Saud seems a good place to start.

We need to learn that imposing our models on others at the point of a gun is not 'bringing democracy'.

[New]

Is it just me or does the spanish government use this a bit to much in their own interest?

With elections just around the corner the bombings could influence quite a lot. If it was an ETA attack it would probably boost the government, while an al-quaida attack would boost the opposition. In my opinion.

And they called it immediately. Even pressuring the UN security council to blame ETA without much hard evidence.

Seems a bit too opportunistic to me. For a tragedy of this magnitude.

Now it might be the ETA. But we really don't know that yet, do we?

(btw, A friend just told me that yesterday the 11th of march (or 3/11), was exactly two and a half years after 9/11, and thats exactly 911 days. )

[sammi jo]

The Spanish government, against the wishes of 90% of the Spanish people, supported the Bush and Blair regimes in their own cowardly act of (ongoing) international terrorism against the Iraqi people when indiscriminate bombing killed over ten thousand Iraqi innocents last year (casualty wise, thats fifty Madrid style incidents, or nearly four "9-11's"), all for the aim of private corporate gain for criminals close to the Bush White House. Yesterday's atrocity against the Spanish people is "international bad karma"...where the misdeeds of a group of rogue leaderships (Asnar, Berlusconi, Blair, Bush et al) have backfired on the blameless people who, in misplaced good faith, put them there. Who is next? The people of Rome, and London?

Perhaps this was the aim of the Bush administration: Their entire purpose is to put the fear of hell into us by (mis)informing us that there's a terrorist around every corner. The war on terrorism cannot survive without the raw materials to "legitimize" it...namely terrorists and terrorism. Without terrorists, Bush and company are purposeless, with nowhere to hang their hats.

[hardhead]

"So now ETA is going to start to collaborate with Al Queda." That was pure speculation on my part...

To elaborate on my freind's trip a little bit more, from meeting many Basques (Basquians?) face to face, it just doesn't seem likly that they would cooperate with Muslim extremist. On the other hand, ETA may be more than a little desperate and willing to work with Al Queda as many of ETA's top dogs have been captured. My buddy didn't ask a lot of political questions while there for obvious reasons.

Just as an aside, MOST Basques don't hate Spaniards. I was watching some of the spanish speaking stations and they showed videos of the capital of the Basque region, Vitoria. Thousands of people protesting this cowardly act. Just like the rest of Spain. If ETA had anything to do with it, it will probably backfire on them as they might lose safe haven in Basque country. Maybe.

[Powerdoc]

Originally posted by hardhead
"So now ETA is going to start to collaborate with Al Queda." That was pure speculation on my part...

To elaborate on my freind's trip a little bit more, from meeting many Basques (Basquians?) face to face, it just doesn't seem likly that they would cooperate with Muslim extremist. On the other hand, ETA may be more than a little desperate and willing to work with Al Queda as many of ETA's top dogs have been captured. My buddy didn't ask a lot of political questions while there for obvious reasons.

Just as an aside, MOST Basques don't hate Spaniards. I was watching some of the spanish speaking stations and they showed videos of the capital of the Basque region, Vitoria. Thousands of people protesting this cowardly act. Just like the rest of Spain. If ETA had anything to do with it, it will probably backfire on them as they might lose safe haven in Basque country. Maybe.

You are right. If ETA commited this attack, it will be a political suicide for them even in the Basque countrie. Batasuna the ex political branch of ETA logically denied any implication in this story. But as you pointed out Hardhead, it prove nothing.

It's hard to believe that Al Quaeda has infiltrated ETA, they are too different (excepting terrorism behavioring of course).

Al Quaeda should have done this, even the spanish governement has becoming very cautious now.

Most european, including most spaniards wisht that ETA commited this crime, and not Al Quaeda :
" ETA is enought for us" , said one spaniard on an interview,"it will be a disaster if we had to face a new terrorist organisation, we could not anymore walk peacefully in our countrie) "

So much interrogations and despair.
As i wrote this, hundreds of thousands of people in Madrid ,and perhaps millions of spanish people are walking in silence in the great avenue of big cities to express their pain.

[Hassan i Sabbah]

Extract from an e-mail to the London office of the al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper from The Brigade of Abu Hafs al-May:

This is part of settling old accounts with Spain, the crusader, and America's ally in its war against Islam. Aznar, where is America? Who will protect you, Britain, Japan, Italy and others from us?

When we attacked the Italian troops in Nasiriyah and sent you and America's agents an ultimatum to withdraw from the anti-Islam alliance, you did not understand the message. Now we have made it clear and hope that this time you will understand."

We, at the Abu Hafs brigades, have not felt sad for the so-called civilians. Is it OK for you to kill our children, women, old people and youth in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and Kashmir? And is it forbidden to us to kill yours?

We announce the good news for the Muslims in the world that the strike of the black wind of death, the expected strike against America, is now at its final stage _ 90 per cent ready _ and it is coming soon.

Spain apparently still think it's ETA, although ETA have just denied it. The email from the Abu Hafs Brigade apparently came very soon after the atrocity, however, which isn't al-Qa'ida style. My feeling is that it's still the Islamicists, what with the simultaneous bombing, the scale, and the train station target, but I guess we'll find out soon.

[segovius]

Originally posted by Hassan i Sabbah
Extract from an e-mail to the London office of the al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper from The Brigade of Abu Hafs al-May:



Spain apparently still think it's ETA, although ETA have just denied it. The email from the Abu Hafs Brigade apparently came very soon after the atrocity, however, which isn't al-Qa'ida style. My feeling is that it's still the Islamicists, what with the simultaneous bombing, the scale, and the train station target, but I guess we'll find out soon.

Basically Aznar can't say it was Islamists or his party is out of office - Ana Palacio was on French TV earlier today telling people to keep saying it was ETA (literally).

If they say it was al-Q it starts to look like revenge for the stance over Iraq and there were millions that opposed the war, right now they are hating ETA but the election is on Sunday.

I heard a Batasuna spokesman say earlier "yesterday there was one theory of who was responsible, today there are two. There will be two until Monday....."

[Fellowship]

Originally posted by New


(btw, A friend just told me that yesterday the 11th of march (or 3/11), was exactly two and a half years after 9/11, and thats exactly 911 days. )

Yes I was listening to NPR on the radio today and indeed it was mentioned that the bombings in Spain happened exactly 911 days after 9/11 NYC.

Makes a person ask some questions.

No matter who did this it is absolute evil.

Fellowship

[hardhead]

Words of condolences ring somewhat hollow on an online forum. Man, my heart goes out to the victims and survivors. This was like 9/11 for Spain.

Whomever is responsible, may they suffer harsh justice, in whatever form it comes.

That being said, until the source problems (poverty, famine, political oppression of a population's rights and the GREED of multi-national corps) are nipped in the bud, religious fanatacism will be there to offer an offset. I know this is way over simplified. Nor do any of these factors justify at ANY time the taking of innocent lives.

Commenting on segovius, Hassan and Powerdoc's post's, it's kind of unfortunate but it seems like the current Spanish Government is trying to keep the blame on ETA for the election's sake. Even if evidence may prove otherwise...

[Hassan i Sabbah]

Originally posted by hardhead
Words of condolences ring somewhat hollow on an online forum. Man, my

snip

enting on segovius, Hassan and Powerdoc's post's, it's kind of unfortunate but it seems like the current Spanish Government is trying to keep the blame on ETA for the election's sake. Even if evidence may prove otherwise...

Like you said. Personally I'm sort keeping out of the Aznar thing though, but I still don't think it was ETA.

[Powerdoc]

Anyway it's not an hazard that theses bombings occurs three days before the legislative elections.
it's a way to destabilise spain. The color of the terrorist should not change an election (in one way or another).

[Randycat99]

How about a worldwide ritalin medication program as a solution? Ritalin and weed- everyone needs to just chill-out and watch cartoons or something...

[hardhead]

The thing I would hate to see Powerdoc would be Spainard persecution and retribution on all Basque people. Whether it turns out to be ETA or not... Hard to keep your cool as a nation when this kind of horror comes around.

Randycat, your suggestion ain't bad at all. Anyone willing to blow up trains full of civilians is a bit beyond "chilling out" unfortunatly.

[Randycat99]

I think a "dosed" population would certainly go a long way toward keeping people from ever getting that far out of whack. These sort of radicals seem to get far too focused on some thing, and the absence of any other avenues of diversion or gratification (longterm, or even immediate) just feed them further into focusing on the thing. The focus never ends for the person until they destroy the thing or the thing destroys them. Naturally, I'm only entertaining this notion half in levity, but also half in a genuinely inquisitive "what if" mode.

[Powerdoc]

You are right Hardhead, Basque are not ETA.

The spanish gov prematuraly said that ETA was the only suspect. Now, officialy there is two suspect. Spanish gov will prefer ETA, the socialists the contrary. ETA canno't assume this act (political suicide), and Al Quaeda tend to revendicate bombing months after via video tapes.

[segovius]

Just hearing on French news that Spanish police have arrested four Arabs - looks like the al-Q thing is more likely.

[Powerdoc]

Originally posted by segovius
Just hearing on French news that Spanish police have arrested four Arabs - looks like the al-Q thing is more likely.

Just ear the same info on France info radio. 5 arabs suspects have been arrested by spanish police (no more no less)

I feart that will hear reliables info only after the legislatives elections.

[Powerdoc]

i have hear some details. One bag did not explode. They found the cell phone who was supposed to make explose the bag. They discover the last phone call made, and see who emitted it.
They caught three morocco people and two spanish people of india origin.
One of this people is directly linked to an extremist islam org

[Powerdoc]

People in spain are furious.

The info about the 5 people arrested : 3 morrocan and 2 native people from india was avalaible yesterday in the french media, but not in the spanish one. In fact police did gave this info, they where pissed that the governement hide all this infos. Policemen wanted to appear serious, and not jokes who follow blindly only one target.

People of Spain where furious and make a huge street pressure : the spanish gov give this info.

There is also the discoverging of a videotape, where this bombing is claimed to be initiated by Al Quaeda (retaliation of spain to have participate in the Iraqi war)

[drewprops]

If I were a citizen of Spain I would have questions. If the Spanish government suppressed the information about the real suspects in an attempt to close a trap around the ones who got away I would understand and agree with the logic. If it were done solely for political gain then that's galling.

The timing of this attack in conjunction with the Spanish elections is frightening to me because I am now expecting a similar incident to perpetrated against us to time with OUR upcoming elections.

This is seriously scary.

There's no telling where they could strike or the form it could take.

[Anders]

Originally posted by Powerdoc
People in spain are furious.

The info about the 5 people arrested : 3 morrocan and 2 native people from india was avalaible yesterday in the french media, but not in the spanish one. In fact police did gave this info, they where pissed that the governement hide all this infos. Policemen wanted to appear serious, and not jokes who follow blindly only one target.

People of Spain where furious and make a huge street pressure : the spanish gov give this info.

There is also the discoverging of a videotape, where this bombing is claimed to be initiated by Al Quaeda (retaliation of spain to have participate in the Iraqi war)

So Al Quada won a round.

Al Quada is punishing the spanish government for its role in he Iraq war by slaughtering 200 of its citizent. The government tries to deny the connection, pissing of the population and thus risking to lose the election today.

[New]

And it seems they lost that election...

[New]

And the new spanish government will withdraw their soldiers from iraq...

BBC LINK

In June that is...

[Powerdoc]

And they will change their attitude concerning the european constitution.
Tony Blair is officialy happy, but in fact is in troubles : less support in Europe for the iraq war
Same apply for Poland, now for the european constitution project she is alone.

[Defiant]

What a change in Spain. I'd never thought something like that would happen.

What a chance to do some things right. And finally a election where not everything moves to the right.

[Northgate]

The right would like to set up the following argument: If there are no attacks between now and the election, then Bush has defended us from terror and deserves re-election; if there is an attack between now and the election, then voting for Kerry would be appeasement.

Spain is just the dry-run. Matthew Yglesias

Conservative mindset: You cannot have your enemies believing they have won a victory. Your enemies morale is your principal target. Therefore, the only option is to keep Bush in office.

Liberal mindset: Unfortunately, it is the current US administration's disastrous foreign policy that has put us in this difficult situation. We have no choice but to take the short term risk of changing our bad leadership, however it is misinterpreted by our enemies, just so that we can reestablish a winning strategy.

But the real question is this: why didn't Spain or the US have a better handle on this? Why didn't they pick up on it? The fact that this caught both countries off-guard is awfully telling of how badly Bush has setup anti-terrorism countermeasures.

We are no safer today than we were on September 10, 2002.

[segovius]

Originally posted by Northgate
The right would like to set up the following argument: If there are no attacks between now and the election, then Bush has defended us from terror and deserves re-election; if there is an attack between now and the election, then voting for Kerry would be appeasement.

Spain is just the dry-run. Matthew Yglesias

Conservative mindset: You cannot have your enemies believing they have won a victory. Your enemies morale is your principal target. Therefore, the only option is to keep Bush in office.

Liberal mindset: Unfortunately, it is the current US administration's disastrous foreign policy that has put us in this difficult situation. We have no choice but to take the short term risk of changing our bad leadership, however it is misinterpreted by our enemies, just so that we can reestablish a winning strategy.

But the real question is this: why didn't Spain or the US have a better handle on this? Why didn't they pick up on it? The fact that this caught both countries off-guard is awfully telling of how badly Bush has setup anti-terrorism countermeasures.

We are no safer today than we were on September 10, 2002.

Exactly, in fact you're less safe.

By any token Bush has failed - unless all he cares about is the defence of the US to the exclusion of the other 'allies' in the WOT, in which case then Spain was wise to jump ship and throw in their lot with a wider (anti-war) Europe.

Neither Bush nor Blair have the answer to this - they are just the publically acceptable face of the 'hang em high' sentiments so often spouted in here by extreme Rambo wannabees and knee-jerk reactionary armchair generals. Basicallym they haven't got the intelligence or statesmanship to even dream of solving it. All they can do is wait for another attack and go in heavy in retaliation. I don't call that solving the problem.

[Jubelum]

Dear Spanish Socialists:
Greeting from the USA. Thank you very much for promising to pull your troops out. You have shown the world that goals can be achieved by people with bombs... on trains in this case. You have illustrated your lack of resolve for fighting terrorism. Bombs go off, Spain retreats. One in the win column for Al Qaeda.

Thanks for nothing, you spineless fools.

[segovius]

Originally posted by Jubelum
Dear Spanish Socialists:
Greeting from the USA. Thank you very much for promising to pull your troops out. You have shown the world that goals can be achieved by people with bombs... on trains in this case. You have illustrated your lack of resolve for fighting terrorism. Bombs go off, Spain retreats. One in the win column for Al Qaeda.

Thanks for nothing, you spineless fools.

They call it democracy.....used to be popular in the States too

[Powerdoc]

Originally posted by Jubelum
Dear Spanish Socialists:
Greeting from the USA. Thank you very much for promising to pull your troops out. You have shown the world that goals can be achieved by people with bombs... on trains in this case. You have illustrated your lack of resolve for fighting terrorism. Bombs go off, Spain retreats. One in the win column for Al Qaeda.

Thanks for nothing, you spineless fools.

You are wrong with this one. The new prime minister have announced in his campaign that if he is elected he would pull out the spanish troops. It was announced months before the bombing.

[Jubelum]

Originally posted by Powerdoc
You are wrong with this one. The new prime minister have announced in his campaign that if he is elected he would pull out the spanish troops. It was announced months before the bombing.

You gotta realize that the bombing had something to do with the election. It's not the PM alone... it is the Socialist party that won with great help of terrorist bombs. In the end, the people and their fear were the deciding factor.

[Powerdoc]

Originally posted by Jubelum
You gotta realize that the bombing had something to do with the election. It's not the PM alone... it is the Socialist party that won with great help of terrorist bombs. In the end, the people and their fear were the deciding factor.

I don't think it's the case.

Aznar lost this election because he started to lied about the nature of terrorists. They claimed that it was ETA at 100 %. Spaniards get the impression that an another time their governement lied to them again. It was already the case with the catastrophe of the oil tanker the prestige. They said that everything was ok, dispite all this oil who was bleeding throught the ship at 1000 meters depth. They lied, and worse they managed this catastrophe poorly (if the ship sinked, it's because the gov refused to let enter the ship in a port)

For the record in the Basque countrie the right lose 10 % of votes. Basques where pissed to be designate responsilbes via ETA of this action.

Aznar was a poor politician, that's why he lose. I will add for the good understanding that i have never voted for socialists. If my opinion is biased, it won't be because of my political color