Aid to Africa
Something I read here caught my eye:
It is indeed possible that a leader who fails in one area does significant and appropriate things in other areas. For example, Bush has a very impressive record of offering aid to Africa – much more impressive than that of his popular predecessor.
I've never heard about it, not in mainstream media and certainly not in the alternative press. So I decided to check it out myself and it turns out that yes, indeed "Bush Has Quietly Tripled Aid to Africa".
...The president has tripled direct humanitarian and development aid to the world's most impoverished continent since taking office and recently vowed to double that increased amount by 2010 -- to nearly $9 billion.
... because Bush has received little support from African American voters, he has little obvious political incentive for his interest.
...But attacking African poverty has become a growing priority of some of the religious groups at the core of Bush's political base, and some lawmakers credit them with stoking the president's interest in the subject.
"The evangelical community raised the awareness of HIV and AIDS to the president," said Rep. Donald M. Payne (N.J.), the top-ranking Democrat on the House International Relations subcommittee on Africa. "When the Bush administration came in, HIV and AIDS were not an overwhelming priority. Now we have seen a total metamorphosis."
..."I think [increasing aid to Africa] will be one of the things the president is most proud of when he leaves office," Gerson said. "It doesn't fit the preconception, the caricature that the president somehow has a preference for using the blunt instruments of force in international affairs when in fact on a variety of topics, the president has been a root-cause thinker in an unexpected way."
I wonder how many in the African-American community are even remotely aware of these policies. If the words of the most recent self-anointed spokesperson for the Black African American church, Reverend Wright, are to be believed, not too many know that. It's one of those inconvenient facts that may throw his otherwise beautifully seamless victimhood narrative into serious disarray, etc, etc.
posted by The Contentious Centrist @ Saturday, May 24, 2008
6 comments
6 Comments:
Bush is also on track to conserve more total area of the Earth in National Parks and Reserves than Teddy Roosevelt, mostly marine.
But Gaia worshippers demonize him. Go figure.
The same crowd that went out of its way to exonerate Wright of lying, defaming and distorting history and recorded truth is the one that ignores Bush's achievements and efforts to relieve people's suffering and cure the pathologies of this world. It's the same crowd that used to spit on US soldiers when they came back from their tour of duty in Vietnam. No lesson learned, no restraint or limits in the expression of animus, no effort spared in villification of whoever is perceived to be the enemy du jour.
Mind boggling.
With the help of an article I read recently by Trotsky about centrism I came to understand better the difference between conservatives and "liberals". Conservatives tend to place greater importance on values and consistence in maintaining them. "Liberals" are mostly motivated by ideology. I say "liberals" because genuine liberals, like the Eustonites, are also much concerned with values, albeit of a different kind that those of conservatives: human rightys, the meaning of democracy, international justice, etc. I'm thinking about it a lot these days.
I dont think the Eustonite liberals have much of a differnce in values than American conservatives. However their preferred policy prescriptions are different. American Conservatives prefer non governmental and free market solutions, down to the basics of having private organizations like local churches provide food for those down on their luck. There are some values differentiation though.
This topic is a grand one that Ive been contemplating as well.
I always tell far Leftists, "Be glad that your political enemies are Classically Liberal Christians, AKA American Conservatives." Be very glad.
Cheers.
Memorial Day tommorrow for the US. Honor our soldiers.
Peace.
different kind that those of conservatives: human rightys, the meaning of democracy, international justice, etc. I'm thinking about it a lot these days. -- noga
Human rights are a major concern of Western Conservatives, its just that the ideological baseline produces differnt definitions of what those rights are....and thusly the importance of protection of liberty over that of say, equality.
Internationalist institutions are a favorite of Leftwingers as a means to undermine national sovereignty and since they are the perview of Leftists, they get to make the rules that undermine nations. Its a political tool, that Conservatives dislike and dislike even more, because Leftwingers have made it their tool(and its getting real ugly since they have teamed up with the IOC and Third World blocks against the Imperialist Hegemons).
AIDS funding too:
"In 2003, President Bush launched the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), committing $15 billion over five years to combat global HIV/AIDS. PEFPAR is the largest international health initiative in history to fight a single disease. Through this program, the U.S. is partnering with local African communities and organizations, including faith- and community-based organizations, to support HIV/AIDS treatment, care, and prevention activities."
More here:
http://www.pepfar.gov/
I cannot say that there is total blackout on that information. I read about the Bush administration effort in Africa from time to time. But for sure, the media tends to keep mum on the subject.
Not surprising, really.
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