Sands a Shifting

Bi-partisanship is a standard of US foreign policy. For years the destruction of the native population, invasion and land theft of Mexico, expansion into Asia and Latin America, massive funding of despotic plutocrats the world over and generalized plunder and reckless slaughter have been enjoyed by Federalist and Anti-Federalist, Democrat and Whig, Democrat and Republican. This generalized joy and glee over the misfortune of others and bounty for the few here has rarely shown cracks that have actually altered the policies of the war party. Iraq is starting to shatter this bedrock of the ruling class. The moves of the Democrats may be largely symbolic at this point and have mostly to do with partisan advantage in the upcoming election but not since very late in the destruction of southeast Asia or during David Wilmot's resolution and Honest Abe's "spot" resolution has the party in opposition shown this sort of tenaciousness. We certainly want more but historically speaking this, along with the pre-war popular resistance, is significant.

Pelosi's visit to Syria should be seen in this context. They see Bush and the Republicans as weak on international relations so they are flexing some muscle.