Why I hope Xiaxue will be proven wrong

Ronald Reagan said that the US will never negotiate with terrorists.

Let me further make it plain to the assassins in Beirut and their accomplices, wherever they may be, that America will never make concessions to terrorists — to do so would only invite more terrorism — nor will we ask nor pressure any other government to do so. Once we head down that path there would be no end to it, no end to the suffering of innocent people, no end to the bloody ransom all civilized nations must pay.

But witness the Iran-Contra scandal. Arms for hostages, anyone?

Gen. Petraeus and McCain seemed to be potential hunting buddies. McCain will not sit down with the leaders of Iran.

Obama will.

"Contrary to the claims of some, I have no interest in sitting down with our adversaries just for the sake of talking. But as President of the United States, I would be willing to lead tough and principled diplomacy with the appropriate Iranian leaders at a time and place of my choosing - if, and only if - it can advance the interests of the United States."

And it seems that Petraeus might. Or has already done so.

I do think you have to talk to enemies.

The General continued,

I'm not trying to get into the middle of domestic politics, but I mean what we did do in Iraq ultimately was sit down with some of those that were shooting at us. What we tried to do was identify those who might be reconcilable.

What happens in a world where there is a single calming hegemonic force is the progress we saw during the Clinton years. And that is why I hope Xiaxue is wrong. But she provided some sanity amidst this clarion call to the church of obama.

Let's see what happens in 2009.