14 October 2007

Just exactly what the hell is the thinking here?

I am having a hard time understanding what Congressional Democrats were trying to accomplish this week with the no binding resolution that defines the slaughter of Armenians by the Turks during the First World War as genocide.

Yes it was certainly ethnic cleansing; it was almost certainly genocide; by any definition it was an unacceptable atrocity. But even I, an ardent idealist who recognises that much of my thinking and many of my ideas are impractical at best, recognise the role to be played by Realpolitik in the diplomatic game. I do not understand the urgency to pass this measure, at this the worst possible time. There was no particular anniversary to mark; there is no election on the near horizon and even if there were what constituency were they trying to kiss up to? Do they think that damaging relations with Turkey just at this moment when it is most likely that Turkish forces will cross into Iraq to confront Kurdish separatists/terrorists will increase the likelihood that Captain Codpiece will suddenly decide to withdraw American forces from Iraq? Or, more sinisterly, do they believe a low level confrontation with Turkey on the border with Iraq will give any future Democratic president the cover to NOT WITHDRAW once they are in office? Perhaps they were just trying to embarrass Captain Codpiece because they haven't the cojones to cut off funding for the illegal occupation of Iraq.

Can anyone explain?

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