Pot Kettle Black

According to Reuters,

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton urged President George W. Bush on Monday to boycott the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies this summer unless China improves human rights.

Clinton, in a statement, cited violent clashes in Tibet and the lack of pressure by China on Sudan to stop "the genocide in Darfur."

First, thought: Reeeeal smart, Hillary. If elected, this is a sure-fire way to get relations with China off on the right foot.

Second thought: The U.S. is guilty of an unprovoked invasion and occupation in Iraq, and Hillary supports this. China is "guilty" of not doing enough to intervene in a civil war thousands of miles away. Who is Hillary to lecture other countries on their foreign policy?

Third thought: What has Hillary done for human rights in the U.S.? Heck, on the biggest human rights issue of the year, the FISA Amendments bill authorizing warrantless spying on American citizens, she was a no-show. Indeed, in just about every issue involving individual freedom and government power, does not Hillary, ideologically, almost always favor government power?

From Guantanamo to asset forfeiture to the highest prison population in the world, the U.S. has a lot of human rights concerns in its own house. Antagonizing the world's largest nation will not improve China's human rights record, it will only help provoke a Cold War with it.

Final, unrelated thought: Why was Beijing awarded the Olympics in the first place? Did not the IOC foresee there would be protests about human rights and concerns about air pollution?