Dems End Bad Week in a Blaze of Crap

President Bush, at long last, welcomes Russia fully into the First World.

Thursday’s ruling by the Commerce Department means Russia will receive the same treatment as other major U.S. trading partners in trade disputes including cases of alleged dumping, which have resulted in sanctions against Russian steel companies and others.

The decision, which President Bush personally relayed in a telephone call to Putin, recognized Russia’s decade-long struggle to build a free market economy after more than 70 years of Communist rule.

Democrats, of course, are fuming.

Democrats say Bush will harm U.S. companies by giving Russia ‘market economy’ designation.

That headline is a bit misleading. Some Dems worry that since Russia isn’t yet completely market-oriented (sadly, neither is this country) that some legal protections will be needed to protect US businesess.

First, free trade is always better. Always. I won’t get into why, because it’s a Friday night and I’m only blogging until Melissa gets here in a few hours. But free trade is always better than protectionism, “fair trade,” “starve the darkies,” or whatever they’re calling it this week.

Second, the Democrats are missing the big picture. People, we now live in a world where Russia — did you hear me? that’s RUSSIA — can be considered a mostly free nation, worthy of our respect and our peaceful trade.

That’s big. Huge. Bigger than huge and huger than big. The world has changed so many times and in so many ways in the last dozen years, that maybe the Dems just don’t realize yet that it’s changed yet again. And changed for the better.

Welcome home, Russia.