Congress Moves to Make Other Countries Mad
Oct 11th, 2007 by Micah Tillman | 3 Comments |
Interesting things are happening in DC that are making China and Turkey (I’m sorry, Chinese and Turkish officials) angry. While President Bush will be attending the “Take That, China!” ceremony, he’s more worried about the “Take That, Turkey!” bill.
I, personally, enjoy seeing Congress having some guts. One has to wonder exactly what China thinks it’s (rather, what Chinese officials think they’re) going to accomplish by opposing the Dalai Lama. Americans love the Dalai Lama. He’s the symbol of peacefulness. How can you hate him?
Bad PR move on China’s (I mean, on the Chinese official’s) part.
The Turkey bill has to do with declaring the Armenian Genocide a genocide. I don’t know the history that well, but evidently Turks under the Ottoman Empire (circa WWI) slaughtered a million or so Armenians.
I’m not sure why Congress is just getting around to saying something about it. Nor do I know why they feel the need to say anything about it all. The Ottoman Empire no longer exists, and Congress was hired to make laws, not do history.
One has to suspect that they’re trying to get Turkey (or the Turkish officials?) angry enough to interfere in the War in Iraq (see the article) since they don’t have the guts to stop the war themselves.
Oh, the pettiness of world leaders!
I do suspect that this is a backhanded effort on the part of Democrats to sabotage the Iraq war. After all, something like 74% of all air-transport for the war goes via Turkey, so if that route gets closed, the war will be totally unfeasible.
I’m personally flummoxed by those who sympathise with Turkish officials’ anger (such as this Guardian blogger, who is soundly trumped by his own readers), obviously failing to see the parallels between the Turkish attitude RE: Armenians and, say, Iran & the Holocaust, or Japan & the Rape of Nanqing. How on earth could anyone possibly support such vengeful, willful ignorance?
How many other genecides of the past should congress go and condemn? How about Israel for the genacide of the Caananites? A bit ridiculous and annoyingly political.
Seb–
Nice stat! That does seem to make it an urgent issue!
“Flummoxed.” What a great word! Awesome.
Chuck–
It would be fascinating to see them try that one!