Exhibit 10,507:
ABC News blares the headline: "GOV. SARAH PALIN WARNS WAR MAY BE NECESSARY IF RUSSIA INVADES ANOTHER COUNTRY", and lefty bloggers are acting as if Palin were Dr. Strangelove in high heels.
Sigh.
OK, let's go over this slowly.
- Allies defend their allies.
- So if Georgia is our ally, we would consider defending them.
- NATO is a military alliance.
- America is a member of NATO.
- If Georgia joined NATO, that would make Georgia an ally of America.
Now stay with me here, because I know for some who don't understand anything about international relations, that this leap in logic will be difficult.
So, if Georgia joins NATO, a military alliance with all the consequences that you'd expect from an "alliance," which is an alliance that America already belongs to, then if Russia attacked Georgia, ... then?
Come on! SAY IT!! SAAAY IT!!
That's right, you know the answer. Don't be shy. If America and Georgia are members of the same military alliance and Russia attacks Georgia, then America would logically consider defending Georgia--which would mean we'd be at war with Russia.
Debate Georgian membership in NATO, by all means. But get a clue about what joining NATO means.
And don't forget that Russia has to contemplate war with America if they invade Georgia again. And if you don't believe we could deter Russia, don't even talk to me about our ability to deter Iran.
On the other hand, maybe I'm being unfair to the intellect of our Leftists. Maybe our Left is just reflecting how little alliances mean to them and that they really are shocked about the idea that we'd defend friends we're pledged to help.
That's another problem altogether, of course, but not a reasoning issue.
