PoochyB’s Wordstock

When China enjoys close economic and diplomatic relations with pariah states such as Burma, Sudan, and Zimbabwe, tension will result.

pa·ri·ah
n.  

1. A social outcast: “Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village, Huckleberry Finn, son of the town drunkard” (Mark Twain).
2. An Untouchable.

The linchpin to Asia’s promise is continued American engagement.

linch·pin or lynch·pin
n.  

1. A locking pin inserted in the end of a shaft, as in an axle, to prevent a wheel from slipping off.
2. A central cohesive element: Reduced spending is the linchpin of their economic program.

Democratic candidates have promised to withdraw U.S. troops and “end the war” by fiat, regardless of the consequences.

fi·at
n.  

1. An arbitrary order or decree.
2. Authorization or sanction: government fiat.

Given the present dangers, our country cannot afford the kind of malaise, drift, and fecklessness that followed the Vietnam War.

mal·aise
n.  

1. A vague feeling of bodily discomfort, as at the beginning of an illness.
2. A general sense of depression or unease: “One year after the crash, the markets remain mired in a deep malaise” (New York Times).