You picked a fine time...

...to dredge up the past, Congress.

As a student of history, I realize there were mass killings of Armenians nearly a century ago. What I can't understand is the practical value (aside from politics) of tsk-tsking this particular evil at this particular time, when the support of the current generation of Turks is pretty important to the optional war we launched in Iraq. Is this really the most important issue our representatives need to address right now? Much like the perennial proposals for slavery reparations do more to drive people apart than bring them together, this particular resolution is custom designed for shooting ourselves in the foot. Or, as Ron Paul (again) so cogently puts it:

A few months back, I wrote back-to-back weekly messages regarding globalism and isolationism. In writing those columns, I focused on the fact that our nation's interventionist foreign policy was precisely what was isolating us from other countries...

Even though I am no fan of the war in Iraq, keeping positive relations with Turkey is important to protecting our troops who have been sent to fight this war. We are likely to need cordial relations with Turkey so that we can get our troops out of Iraq as quickly and safely as possible, when the time comes...

In this instance, the problem is that many of my colleagues in Congress are more interested in seeking to score political points and proclaim their moral superiority, instead of worrying about our nation's best interests. Also, in most of these situations, those who oppose the resolution regarding Turkey all-too-often fail to realize that similar resolutions dealing with other nations have the exact same effect. Namely, they isolate our country from the rest of the world.

Paul hits the nail right on the head. Those who oppose foreign adventurism often are labeled "isolationist," as though they want to pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist. For most, though, this is hardly the case. It's simply a recognition most constructive interaction revolves around building ties and understanding, not dropping resolutions and bombs. There's a time and place for the sword. But our foreign policy today is so bellicose, smug, self-righteous and violence-oriented (or "kinetic" as the bureaucrats call it) it's a wonder we haven't yet reaped more overt hostility from the rest of the planet.

The Democratic Congress rightly faults much of Bush's foreign policy but this is one time the administration has better sense than Pelosi & crew. If EVERYBODY in D.C. would stop trying to run the world and turn their energies toward home, the entire planet--especially America--would be much better served.

(HT: Vox Day)