Bush’s decision to attend the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics is of course a bad one, but really what choice does he have.  China has it’s finger on the heart of the United States as a doctor can touch the heart of a patient during such surgery, and if China pushes hard enough, the U.S. could have a collective heart attack.

And our most honored and venerable President doesn’t want to be the one to herald a collective heart attack of, at the very least, the American Economy (not that he and his administration has already done a pretty good job of that).  But then again, 40 to 60 years ago, we would have picked up China’s finger off our heart and shoved it back into their eye.

I am reminded, by HBO’s John Adams nonetheless, of President Washington’s predicament in what America’s role should be between French Revolution and British opposition.  While the situation is far from similiar the choices are not.  To hug your enemy and avoid a calamity, or to pick the mud your enemy has thrown in your face and throw it back over.  In Washington’s case to hug one’s enemy and avoiding another costly war was the right choice.  In Bush’s choice, to hug one’s enemy and avoid another costly war may in fact be the right choice.