RedState pisses me off! ... I guess that's why I read it

I'm sorry to keep beating this dead horse, but the "Obama denigrates America!" meme circulating among conservatives is getting under my skin.

Today, RedState helpfully pointed out U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice's statement that our human rights record has "not been perfect."

The occasion was the U.S. admission to the Human Rights Council, and RedState's general point is valid: the Council includes egregious violators of human rights, including China, Cuba and Saudi Arabia, making it a huge farce. This, I agree with.

RedState also believes the U.S. should not "grovel at the feet of these abusers of their own people and apologize for the United States of America." In wholly diplomatic terms, RedState is correct. We should not let China off the hook for its offenses in a self-serving attempt to prostrate ourselves. Unfortunately, I doubt RedState's interest is really in refining our diplomatic repetroire, but rather to demonize anyone who opens up a converstion about America's human rights record.

They say "Obama’s 'We Suck' tour of the world continues," but Bush's "We're Totally Awesome!" tour wasn't a diplomatic winner either. It is outright insulting to the intelligence of the worlds' citizens for us to claim the path righteousness when we imprisoned our own people in shacks, evicted entire nations, and ENSLAVED HUMANS.

*deep breath*

Again, RedState demonstrates conservative punditry's appalling inability to perceive the level of analysis in matters of foreign policy. The Obama administration's new tone is not directed at China and Cuba, but at China and Cuba's people. You see, humility is a strength, not a weakness, that can inspire people everywhere.

Nothing, however, is less inspiring than a jingoistic bully.