First the American House of Representatives, against the wishes of President Bush and the urgrings of eight former secretaries of state, has decided to push for legislation calling the 1915 mass murders of Armenians a “Genocide”. This has gotten the Turks up in arms and ready to retaliate. The Turks have now passed legislation to allow its country’s military forces to enter into Iraq and attack Kurds.
In a post on the book The Bastard of Istanbul, I referenced the whole Turkey/Armenian Genocide controversy. And in a more recent post on the War in Iraq, I discussed Kurdish/Turkey tensions and their effect on U.S. policy in Iraq.
Genocide is a “hot word” for many reasons, and Turkey is in a “hot spot” for American interests. It was during the Balkans in the 1990s and is now with Iraq. Furthermore, there are hundreds of thousands of Armenian Americans lobbying for the Congress to act, and yet the Congress acting is contrary to the U.S.’s interests in the region. For a pretty good summary of the issues involved, check out this week’s The Economist article on the subject.
Grave Error 
We’ve been discussing this at my site.
If you look at HR106, it becomes very clear just how government waste works in this country.
Whether or not the 1915 events are genocide, is a matter for academic historians and political science professors/commentators; it isn’t a government matter. The French parliament officially declared it a genocide earlier this year, so it would appear their government officials are equally idiotic and wasteful.
Of all the matters and/or issues our government should be spending time on, this isn’t one, even in the most remote sense.
We seriously need to consider quarantining D.C. and all politicians, and then set them and the city ablaze.
I have the marshmallows and hot dogs. Nothing could be a more abject waste of respiration than an American politician.
We will officially make enemies of the Turks, and that’s not only a bad diplomatic move, it’s just blatant, unfathomable stupidity. (The Turks have been available for a lot more military support than just the Balkans and Iraq, and have always been a valuable ally. Talk to some Korean War or Vietnam vets … they can tell you some stories … Turks are phenomenal warriors.)
Give our government another two presidential terms, we’ll have destroyed relations with the entirety of the planet.
Did you guys see Now & Bill Moyers Journal tonight? Both pretty amazing.
Now profiled two NJ towns which have two very different approaches to dealing w/ undocumented immigrants.
And Bill Moyers Journal covered Blackwater and other contractors, the guest, Jeremy Scahill, was pretty amazing. And they also covered the “free trade” issue.
James,
You got it right!