DON'T TELL ME WE AIN'T GOT NO MONEY

From Opinion Journal - Best of the Web
By JAMES TARANTO

Oh No, Not Agana!
Who says the Democratic Congress isn't getting anything done? By a vote of 288-133, the House last week approved the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act, described by Congress.org as follows:

Recognizes the suffering and the loyalty of the people of Guam during the Japanese occupation of Guam in World War II.

Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make specified payments to: (1) living Guam residents who were killed, injured, interned, or subjected to forced labor or marches resulting from, or incident to, such occupation and subsequent liberation; and (2) survivors of compensable residents who died in war or survivors of compensable injured residents (such payments to be made after payments have been made to surviving Guam residents). Defines "compensable Guam decedent" and "compensable Guam victim."

In fairness, the bill, whose text you can read by clicking here and going to the fourth version listed, doesn't actually refer to "living Guam residents who were killed." Still, isn't there something screwy about the idea that the U.S. taxpayer should be paying reparations for atrocities committed by the enemy more than six decades ago? No wonder we can't afford the war in Iraq.