Hold the phone! Obama shook the hand of Venezuela’s lunatic-in-chief Hugo Chavez. To hear the conservatives rail against this act you’d swear we’d just signed over Florida to Cuba. As if somehow, the mere act of recognition, of opening a dialog, creates a vulnerability.

For a nation hooked on advice from the likes of Dr. Phil, why is this scary behavior? At the individual level, the common counsel for two estranged parties would be to open a dialog. It doesn’t mean you forgive the other person, or even like them very much. It simply means that you feel there is value in trying to create or salvage some form of relationship. Why is this a bad thing at the national level?

I’ve never understood the statement that such-and-such a country “doesn’t recognize” another one. What are they, 6? Will the next complaint be met with a chorus of “na-na na-na boo-boo?”

It seems the real news here is that the U.S. is starting to act like an adult. That clearly doesn’t mean that Chavez, Castro, Ahmadinejad, and others will suddenly grow up as well. But at least they have a good example to follow. And often treating children like adults tends to inspire more mature behavior on their part. And if they don’t respond? Well, then it was a wasted handshake. We’ll recover.