Bush the humanitarian

[igloo]

Bush the humanitarian

Mona Charen

May 30, 2003

This may mark me as a bit of a crank, but I still recall Bob Geldof's heated denunciation of the United States back in the 1980s. He was the moving force behind Live Aid and the "We Are the World" recording that raised money for famine relief in Ethiopia. But in typical "Useful Idiot" fashion, he just assumed that famine in Africa must somehow be the fault of the West, and particularly of the United States.

I was so annoyed at the time that I did a little research and found 1) that the United States had donated more food and medicine than any other country in the world; and 2) that the famine was the result of the communist government's deliberate decision to collectivize agriculture and deport large numbers of farmers.

But times do change -- sometimes for the better. Reuters is now reporting that Bob Geldof, who, to his credit, never abandoned his interest in Africa's welfare, is praising President Bush's AIDS initiative.

"You'll think I'm off my trolley when I say this," Geldof told international aid workers, "but the Bush administration is the most radical -- in a positive sense -- in the approach to Africa since Kennedy." Lord Alli, described by Reuters as "an aid activist accompanying Geldof on the trip," agreed, adding "Clinton talked the talk and did diddly squat, whereas Bush doesn't talk but he does deliver."

And this raises the question: Why hasn't President Bush gotten more credit for this here at home?

This is precisely the sort of generous, humanitarian, decent act liberals claim to admire. I would venture to guess that if Bill Clinton had proposed it, he would be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

But Bush the "unilateralist," Bush the "militarist," Bush the "tool of big business" has looked at the world and seen that there is a humanitarian crisis in Africa that we have the power and the means to alleviate. Africa currently has 25.3 million people living with AIDS. But they don't live long. Without drugs and adequate training for doctors and patients, the death rate from HIV is much higher in Africa than in the developed world. As President Bush stated it: "Because of the AIDS pandemic, a child born today in sub-Saharan Africa has a life expectancy of 47 years. ... Nearly 60 percent of those infected by HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are women. Three million children under the age of 15 have the AIDS virus ... and the disease has left 11 million orphans; more children than live in the entire state of California."

The AP recently offered just one example: Pascazia Mukamana of Rwanda is just 16. But when her mother died of AIDS, she became the sole caretaker for her 3-year-old sister Solange, who herself is beginning to evidence symptoms of the disease.

"I was not prepared for the role of parenting at my age," Pascazia lamented. President Bush cited Imbaganini, a 15-year-old boy who lost both of his parents to AIDS and now struggles to care for two younger siblings as well as two nephews.

Because Africa is so poor, most AIDS patients cannot obtain or afford the medications that can save their lives. The bill the Bush administration pushed through will spend $15 billion over the next five years to provide low-cost anti-retroviral drugs and get them to patients in remote areas. It will also fund child-care workers for the millions of orphans AIDS has left behind, and home health-care workers for those too sick to reach a clinic. The money will fund laboratories and train doctors and nurses in AIDS management, and provide testing throughout the continent of Africa. The funds will also support abstinence-based education programs to slow the spread of the disease.

This is the kind of humanitarian intervention that the wealthiest nation on earth should undertake. Besides, unlike government-to-government "development" grants, this is the kind of foreign aid that really makes a difference in people's lives. Instead of impeding Africa's development, this aid will advance it.

It's difficult to imagine anyone denying that this policy is in the finest tradition of the American republic. But where is the applause?

[igloo]

Originally posted by igloo

Bush the humanitarian

Mona Charen

May 30, 2003

This may mark me as a bit of a crank, but I still recall Bob Geldof's heated denunciation of the United States back in the 1980s. He was the moving force behind Live Aid and the "We Are the World" recording that raised money for famine relief in Ethiopia. But in typical "Useful Idiot" fashion, he just assumed that famine in Africa must somehow be the fault of the West, and particularly of the United States.

I was so annoyed at the time that I did a little research and found 1) that the United States had donated more food and medicine than any other country in the world; and 2) that the famine was the result of the communist government's deliberate decision to collectivize agriculture and deport large numbers of farmers.

But times do change -- sometimes for the better. Reuters is now reporting that Bob Geldof, who, to his credit, never abandoned his interest in Africa's welfare, is praising President Bush's AIDS initiative.

"You'll think I'm off my trolley when I say this," Geldof told international aid workers, "but the Bush administration is the most radical -- in a positive sense -- in the approach to Africa since Kennedy." Lord Alli, described by Reuters as "an aid activist accompanying Geldof on the trip," agreed, adding "Clinton talked the talk and did diddly squat, whereas Bush doesn't talk but he does deliver."

And this raises the question: Why hasn't President Bush gotten more credit for this here at home?

This is precisely the sort of generous, humanitarian, decent act liberals claim to admire. I would venture to guess that if Bill Clinton had proposed it, he would be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

But Bush the "unilateralist," Bush the "militarist," Bush the "tool of big business" has looked at the world and seen that there is a humanitarian crisis in Africa that we have the power and the means to alleviate. Africa currently has 25.3 million people living with AIDS. But they don't live long. Without drugs and adequate training for doctors and patients, the death rate from HIV is much higher in Africa than in the developed world. As President Bush stated it: "Because of the AIDS pandemic, a child born today in sub-Saharan Africa has a life expectancy of 47 years. ... Nearly 60 percent of those infected by HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are women. Three million children under the age of 15 have the AIDS virus ... and the disease has left 11 million orphans; more children than live in the entire state of California."

The AP recently offered just one example: Pascazia Mukamana of Rwanda is just 16. But when her mother died of AIDS, she became the sole caretaker for her 3-year-old sister Solange, who herself is beginning to evidence symptoms of the disease.

"I was not prepared for the role of parenting at my age," Pascazia lamented. President Bush cited Imbaganini, a 15-year-old boy who lost both of his parents to AIDS and now struggles to care for two younger siblings as well as two nephews.

Because Africa is so poor, most AIDS patients cannot obtain or afford the medications that can save their lives. The bill the Bush administration pushed through will spend $15 billion over the next five years to provide low-cost anti-retroviral drugs and get them to patients in remote areas. It will also fund child-care workers for the millions of orphans AIDS has left behind, and home health-care workers for those too sick to reach a clinic. The money will fund laboratories and train doctors and nurses in AIDS management, and provide testing throughout the continent of Africa. The funds will also support abstinence-based education programs to slow the spread of the disease.

This is the kind of humanitarian intervention that the wealthiest nation on earth should undertake. Besides, unlike government-to-government "development" grants, this is the kind of foreign aid that really makes a difference in people's lives. Instead of impeding Africa's development, this aid will advance it.

It's difficult to imagine anyone denying that this policy is in the finest tradition of the American republic. But where is the applause?

But where is the applause?.....sassa, bigpoppoinails..

Can't give credit where credit is due?..I think you can take one second from your endless Bush-bashing to acknowledge this excellent policy by Bush...

[igloo]

Originally posted by igloo

But where is the applause?.....sassa, bigpoppoinails..

Can't give credit where credit is due?..I think you can take one second from your endless Bush-bashing to acknowledge this excellent policy by Bush...

still waiting....

[normalnoises]

Bush?

Humanitarian?

That'll be the day.

There's your fucking applause... Idiot.

[mr mahs]

Originally posted by normalnoises

Bush?

Humanitarian?

That'll be the day.

There's your fucking applause... Idiot.

Why am I not surprised about your response, LOON!

[igloo]

Still waiting......are the lefties here that shallow they can not recognize Bush for a good thing?

Even Chirac stated this was a significant achievement and policy.....

Still waiting.....

[normalnoises]

Originally posted by igloo

Still waiting......are the lefties here that shallow they can not recognize Bush for a good thing?

Still waiting......are the righties here that shallow they can not recognize Bush for a bad thing?

[igloo]

Still waiting....

[igloo]

Still waiting hypocrites

[igloo]

Still waiting.......

[kramadas]

This was passed in good will, I agree. Also, it seems like Bush is taking interest in Africa. However, we'll see in the next few years if any of this really makes a difference or that money, again, gets bogged down in the bureaucracy. In the past, much aid was donated to Africa, but a lot of good that did.

[igloo]

Originally posted by raver_mania

This was passed in good will, I agree. Also, it seems like Bush is taking interest in Africa. However, we'll see in the next few years if any of this really makes a difference or that money, again, gets bogged down in the bureaucracy. In the past, much aid was donated to Africa, but a lot of good that did.

Raver, you are all good. I don't agree with most of your views, and I enjoy debating you, but I respect that you at least stepped up here and recognized a good thing, irrespective of politics

p.s. I still think you are wrong on Iraq ;)

[kramadas]

Originally posted by igloo

Raver, you are all good. I don't agree with most of your views, and I enjoy debating you, but I respect that you at least stepped up here and recognized a good thing, irrespective of politics

p.s. I still think you are wrong on Iraq ;)

haha...I usually do try give credit where its due. I guess time will tell what will happen in Iraq.

As with most affairs such as this, there will probably be both good and bad outcomes.

[sassa]

it's nice but it won't solve the problem nor will it even begin to combat a small part of it. i guess time will tell what happens there. what those people really need more than anything is education about how to protect themselves from the disease. these stupid rumors about how you can get rid of aids by having sex with virgins or animals need to be stopped.

education is the core of so many things..if only people know a little bit more about everything, then perhaps their actions will reflect their newly gained knowledge for the better.

[kramadas]

Originally posted by sassa

it's nice but it won't solve the problem nor will it even begin to combat a small part of it. i guess time will tell what happens there. what those people really need more than anything is education about how to protect themselves from the disease. these stupid rumors about how you can get rid of aids by having sex with virgins or animals need to be stopped.

education is the core of so many things..if only people know a little bit more about everything, then perhaps their actions will reflect their newly gained knowledge for the better.

I agree - education, or rather lack of, is at the core of most of the world's problems....disease, middle east problems, stupid superstitions, etc, etc.

[igloo]

Originally posted by raver_mania

I agree - education, or rather lack of, is at the core of most of the world's problems....disease, middle east problems, stupid superstitions, etc, etc.

I thought American foreign policy was

[kramadas]

Originally posted by igloo

I thought American foreign policy was

Not the world's problems, just America's

[bigpoppanils]

i'm still waiting to see how the administration plans on implementing it....especially after the conservative furor over condom distribution

[igloo]

Originally posted by bigpoppanils

i'm still waiting to see how the administration plans on implementing it....especially after the conservative furor over condom distribution

It kills you to say Bush did a good thing....very revealing