Today's Wall Street Journal has a good editorial [link for subscribers only] detailing the vacuousness of the Democrats' foreign policy/national security views. The article was prompted by Pelosi's recent visit to witness some of the brutal genocide in Darfur and her call to take strong, decisive action -- naming a special envoy.

A recently published Democratic "plan" for "real security" offers some poll-tested words on "finishing the job in Afghanistan," spending more on body armor and veterans' benefits, getting out of Iraq fast and achieving energy independence by 2020. The word "democracy" is never mentioned, nor is the word "prevention." On outrages such as the one in Darfur, the plan promises to "lead international efforts to uphold and defend human rights; and renew long-standing alliances that have advanced our national security objectives."

Terrific. In Sudan, that and the United Nations will get you exactly . . . what we have now: slaughter. With the best of intentions, Ms. Pelosi urges Mr. Bush to "do something" about Darfur. But she then refuses to confront the fact that the very international institutions and sometime allies she wants the U.S. to defer to are unable or unwilling to help Mr. Bush do anything at all.

Her "special envoy" is a substitute for the kind of action that might actually make a difference. In the short term, that would mean arming the Darfuris so they can defend themselves. In the long term, it means regime change in Khartoum -- which would almost certainly require the use of U.S. military force.

People like Pelosi live in a fantasyland where people -- especially non-Republican Americans and all foreigners -- are deeply committed to freedom, happiness, rainbows and cute little bunny rabbits. Unfortunately, that isn't the real world and sometimes guns are the answer.