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Calling it What it Is
I'd been chalking up the whole "genocide resolution" dust-up to politics-as-usual causes that always bubble up whenever a majority of our 435 instant foreign policy experts get a bug up their butt. But I couldn't understand why it was going on for so long, until I read this:
If Congress has gone nearly a century without passing a resolution accusing the Turks of genocide, why now, in the midst of the Iraq war?It is hard to avoid the conclusion that this resolution is just the latest in a series of Congressional efforts to sabotage the conduct of that war.
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Japan has yet to acknowledge its atrocities from the Second World War. Yet the Congress of the United States does not try to make worldwide pariahs of today's Japanese, most of whom were not even born when those atrocities occurred.
Believe what you want to. This particular essay has moved the whole can of worms from the "safe to ignore" box to the "call your congressman" box. Time to get the phone.
That's an interesting piece. It'd be very informative to hear a detailed rebuttal to the case as presented.
Yeah - I laughed to myself as well when I wrote that. Any politician giving a detailed rebuttal and not just rhetoric that sidesteps the question? Inconceivable.
Posted by: Ron on October 16, 2007 03:02 PMActually I heard on Fox Radio (On my way to work) that it's something that is brought up before (Not just by this congress) and has apparently been around for quite awhile. (Take it for what it's worth it was from Fox and I haven't really researched it)
So it's not something that was "Just" brought up like the author says but something that has been brought up several times in the past.
Posted by: jeff on October 17, 2007 08:50 AMMaybe the question would be why now - in the midst of a bit of a diplomatic pickle, why bring it up now?
Posted by: ron on October 17, 2007 09:06 AMTo be honest it wasn't just brought up now. It was brought up back in January (Right after the Dems came to power) by a California Dem whose district is the single largest enclave of Armenians in the country (Probably some sort of campaign promise or some such)
That gives it a good cover reason - but lots of things are brought up and get no wide support. This doesn't seem to be in that case, no?
Posted by: ron on October 17, 2007 11:56 AMI am sure that has quite a bit to do with the coverage it's receiving but to say *ZOMG Look at this new proposal designed soley to derail the war effort* when the proposal isn't exactly new and has been around for quite awhile is just more of the same smoke and mirrors crap that is Washington.
Everybody is using this for thier own reasons.
The Dems to try to embarass Bush
The Reps to try to embarass the Dems
The Turks to try to give themselves another reason to invade Iraq (Isn't it amazing that this has ONLY come to such a head right when the Turks are contemplating invading Iraq?? Why not one of the other times it's been introduced??)
Posted by: jeff on October 17, 2007 12:29 PMI am sure that has quite a bit to do with the coverage it's receiving but to say *ZOMG Look at this new proposal designed soley to derail the war effort* when the proposal isn't exactly new and has been around for quite awhile is just more of the same smoke and mirrors crap that is Washington.
Everybody is using this for thier own reasons.
The Dems to try to embarass Bush
The Reps to try to embarass the Dems
The Turks to try to give themselves another reason to invade Iraq (Isn't it amazing that this has ONLY come to such a head right when the Turks are contemplating invading Iraq?? Why not one of the other times it's been introduced??)
Posted by: jeff on October 17, 2007 12:30 PMActually, hasn't it been knocked down all the other times it's come up, such that one could've considered it a dead issue? After all, we're talking about something that occurred quite awhile ago AND would do nothing but annoy an ally, no? So, why with the timing? Also, wasn't it Pelosi who brought this forward?
Sure, it could be nothing more than a campaign promise - but continued success in Iraq is a Very Bad Thing for Democrats to retain and grow their powerbase, no?
Posted by: Ron on October 17, 2007 01:47 PM