William F. Buckley’s latest column (published in National Review Online here) is devoted mainly to pointing out that the United States is not responsible for current conditions in Pakistan.

This should be obvious to anyone with a brain, but alas it is not at all so to the mainstream media types who delight in blaming the United States for all the ills of the world.

Buckley is right.

Although Buckley does not make an argument based on any principles laid out overtly in the piece, he does close with a strong statement that applies not only to Pakistan but in fact to all of international affairs. To wit:

The Bush administration should announce to the waiting world that the United States cannot be charged with responsibility for maintaining order in Pakistan, and does not accept responsibility for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. 

Yes, and not only that, we should adopt and articulate a classical liberal approach to international affairs that places the protection of U.S. citizens within U.S. borders as its paramount concern.

It’s never too late to take the wise course.