Bush Has Quietly Tripled Aid to Africa

Washington Post ^ | 31 December 2006 | Michael Fletcher

[shrinkermd]

President Bush's legacy is sure to be defined by his wielding of U.S. military power in Afghanistan and Iraq, but there is another, much softer and less-noticed effort by his administration in foreign affairs: a dramatic increase in U.S. aid to Africa.

[shrinkermd]

To many longtime Africa supporters, all of this is surprising for a president who is often criticized as lacking curiosity about much of the world and who heads a political party traditionally skeptical of the efficacy of foreign aid.

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."

What the leftists and MSM misses is this not a hunt for "legacy." POTUS does what he thinks is right. Until they discover that they will not understand his true stature and ultimate power in foreign affairs.

[ARE SOLE]

While we quietly pay for it.


Regards.

[ca centered]

Sending aid to Ethiopia would be great to help in their fight against Islam. But more dollars to fight aids or whatever is a waste. Is he sending his money or ours?

[Bon mots]

Every penny of it wasted.

We should stop sending money to turd world countries.

Give it back to the taxpayers.

[ShadowDancer]

While we quietly pay for it.

There is nothing that even remotely resembles quiet around here at bill paying time.

[Dick Bachert]

The Dark Continent has again become a Black Hole for the tax slaves of the U.S.

Does anyone REALLY think a group of folks who believe that raping 2 YEAR-OLD babies will cure AIDS will stop the behavior that infected them in the first place?

[fso301]

I don't think he had any choice. Aid had to be increased to counter the mid-East petro dollars pouring into sub Saharan Africa.

[shrinkermd]

Comments are missing the point. President Bush did what he thought was right full well knowing that many in his party would be disappointed or angry.

[Zeon Cowboy]

That money is just going down the toilet as far as we're concerned. Those countries need extensive social reforms. Throwing money at them isn't doing anything.

[Non-Sequitur]

President Bush did what he thought was right full well knowing that many in his party would be disappointed or angry.

Legacies are never cheap.

[shrinkermd]

Well not hundreds, not thousands but hundreds of thousands will receive life sustaining AIDS medications. I do think that is a worthy cause. It is also self-serving since epidemics don't respect national borders.

[Flightdeck]

"Well not hundreds, not thousands but hundreds of thousands will receive life sustaining AIDS medications."

I hope some of the dough is going towards a little education. Maybe then they won't rape young girls because "sex with a virgin cures AIDS".

[Zeon Cowboy]

I hope some of the money goes towards that, too, but I bet you a fair amount of it is lining one of their corrupt government official's pockets.

[BenLurkin]

True.

What they miss is that egotistical blow-hard from the 90s who would have made numerous public pronouncements as to how hard he worked and how he had taken these measure and why he....

Well -- you know what I mean.

[KantianBurke]

Disgusting waste of taxpayer dollars. Might just as well set the money on fire or flush it down a toilet.

[A. Pole]

We should stop sending money to turd world countries.

Do not worry, most of this money will stay in USA. These are the key words:

"When the Bush administration came in, HIV and AIDS were not an overwhelming priority. Now we have seen a total metamorphosis."

Pharma business and expensive consultants.

[ClaireSolt]

I'd personally contribute to Ethiopia. They made my day this week.

[popdonnelly]

"Bush doesn't care about black people." - Kanye West.

Someone should write a book about how the popular myths about the Bush Administration displaced the reality.

[Jakarta ex-pat]

I don't see how spending billions of dollars on Africa equates to "caring".

[Plains Drifter]

Wouldn't it be nice if Bush went to Africa and quietly stayed, God I'm sorry I ever voted for this moron.

[lonestar67]

I think he is awesome.

I am glad I voted for him.

[baseballmom]

I'm glad too.

God bless him.

[Lancey Howard]

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.

$9 billion here, $9 billion there....

[Black Republican for Bush]

As conservatives, we shouldn't lack compassion for the plight of others. We can carefully and intelligently give foreign aid. Uncaring people give conservatives a bad name. The president has clearly shown that he has a heart. One day the world will come to acknowledge this.

[norton]

"Comments are missing the point. President Bush did what he thought was right full well knowing that many in his party would be disappointed or angry."

...knowing that the new majority in congress will not recognize or laud the action despite their liberalness.
...knowing that the money will be wasted on an African elite long before a nickle gets to the masses.
...knowing that he will still be rated as 'worse than Saddam' by the majority of Africans.
...knowing that the next UN 'study' on any related subject will denounce the US for not sharing its wealth.

Great investment George but at least it didn't go to mexico.

PS: I KNOW I've read this same article before this posting. (?)

[ßuddaßudd]

Buying friends is not a good idea until they get here.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

And all of the money goes to corrupt tin-pot dictators. Foreign aid never goes to the people who need it.

And the funny thing is Bush will still get blamed for one thing or another anyway.

[Democratshavenobrains]

If this administration was smart, they would start allying with Ethiopia for PR purposes. I'm not saying that the country should be treated like Great Britain, but we have more in common with them than we do typical third world places.

[July 4th]

And we still haven't found what we're looking for.

[Dante3]

Money wasted. I wonder in whose pockets most of it goes. Bush spends our money like a Democrat. This and other spending, along with amnesty for foreign criminals and support of CFR, speaks for itself.

[hedgetrimmer]

The AIDs money is a bribe so that African countries will allow Direct Foreign Investment and so that their economies can be regionalized into the trading blocs the soviets, er internationalists are slavering for.

See the Doha round negotitations for details.

[JasonC]

Completely unsurprising and most welcome.

The narrow minded types who want their $30 back haven't got a clue.

[ClarenceThomasfan]

Good for President Bush. As an evangelical, I am very pleased.

Sadly his good efforts will not be applauded by the liberal blacks or by the extreme conservatives.

He did the right thing but with no hope of any kind of payback. Now there is someone with character!

[Toggameid]

I'm with you on this. All foreign aid should be stopped and that money returned to US, the taxpayers.

We should not be forced into paying for other people's and country's lack of self-sustaining capabilities.

You want to feed the Africans, shelter the poor Asians? Then donate to charity and left my money alone!

[A. Pole]

And the funny thing is Bush will still get blamed for one thing or another anyway.

Why? We can always blame Clinton!

[Centurion2000]

Comments are missing the point. President Bush did what he thought was right

When I see him using his OWN money for this pet project I'd agree.

Spending other people's money on what they think is right is a DEMOCRAT perspective.

[PeterPrinciple]

"...We can carefully and intelligently give foreign aid...."

Explain how to do this? My experience is that giving people things and solving their problems only prolongs the inevitable.

[hedgetrimmer]

Good for President Bush. As an evangelical, I am very pleased.

Evangelicals don't want the president to protect the rights of US citizens as guaranteed by the Constitution?

I think Clarence Thomas would disagree with your position.

If you look up the WTO, Doha and TRIPS and Africa, you'll see that Mr. Bush is doing this EXACTLY for the 'payback' US taxpayers will fund, for the globalists to collect. He never does ANYTHING that defends the rights of American citziens, that I can tell.

[Plains Drifter]

As a white conservative I'm tired of paying the world's bills. The infrastructure of this country is in need. Our seniors in this country are in dire need of help. Our military is in need of this money. In this country alone in the last three decades we have given three trillion dollars and what has it got us, nothing. The same goes for Africa. Africa is a bottomless pit that can never be fixed, and if it can, why can't the people there fix it. This conservative remembers back to 35 years ago when I got out of the United States Air Force and applied for government jobs and was told to step aside for less qualified minorities. My coffers and my compassion have run empty for minorities.

[A_perfect_lady]

I do think that is a worthy cause. It is also self-serving since epidemics don't respect national borders.

It's a lovely cause. For charity. Not tax dollars.

[ClarenceThomasfan]

I can't believe how cold-hearted and stingy some Conservatives are. They are the ones who give Republicans a bad name.

'For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’
—Deuteronomy 15:11

Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
—Proverbs 3:9-10

Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.
—Proverbs 11:25

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will repay him for his deed.
—Proverbs 19:17

Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered.
—Proverbs 21:13

Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed,
for he shares his bread with the poor.
—Proverbs 22:9

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
—Matthew 6:3-4

[Czar]

"...full well knowing that many in his party would be disappointed or angry."

I'm one of them.

Bush continues to be a very big disappointment. His legacy may well be the sinking of the good ship GOP. Abandoning conservatives produced the recent midterm election results. Nice work, Bush/Rove/Mehlman.

[fish hawk]

When we give millions and billions to other countries, does anyone actually know where it goes and if it does any good or what politicians of that country are stealing it for themselves? K.Annan and Co. comes to mind.

[Dead Corpse]

What ever happened to "give a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and feed him for life".

If you really want to be compassionate, you teach them to fish. You do not keep giving them MY fish. Keep doing that, and you are taking fish out of my children's mouths.

Impoverish me to make yourself feel better and I've got nothing left to lose. You really don't want that...

[Jaysun]

I don't see how spending billions of dollars on Africa equates to "caring".

I don't agree with sending more money to Africa. But what else would equate with "caring" if not that? Is he supposed to send them Christmas cards or fly over there and read them stories?

[hedgetrimmer]

There is nothing 'conservative' about the global socialism you are preaching, and the global socialism that the president is practicing.

Donate your OWN money, which is what the Lord is asking YOU to do. DO NOT STEAL from others to assauage YOUR conscience, or to LINE YOUR POCKETBOOK with your foreign investments!

[jamese777]

"I'd personally contribute to Ethiopia. They made my day this week."

According to the CIA World Factbook, Muslims are between 45-50% and Christians are between 35-40% of Ethiopia's population.

[Wiseghy]

I seem to recall fierce attacks in the press against the Administration for failing to put enough Africa spending in the '02 and '03 budgets. They were pretty ugly about his "hypocrisy" in promising a post 9/11 initiative against aids and poverty in Africa as part of the PNAC strategy of draining the swamps.

Gee, could it be that those attacks were UNFAIR and BIASED in light of this low-key, non-politial giving since?

It seems the administration was simply looking for effective programs amid all the corruption, instead of just throwing money to around to score short-term domestic points, as Democratic Administrations have done. The money has increased as they have found those programs.

[shrinkermd]

Yes, I remember those too. I think the President knows he is swimming upstream when he sends money to Africa for AIDS and other purposes. Part of the silence is probably by preference!

But I really do admire someone who does what he or she believes to be best regardless of the social ambiance he or she is enmeshed in. Bravo President Bush!

[KantianBurke]

Shame on US? No pal, shame on YOU! You conviently leave out one of those pesky 10 Commandments - THOU SHALL NOT STEAL!
Which is precisely what your holiness is doing with regards to these policies which by the way do NOT work, are unconstitutional and prevent solutions that can and do help the poor from being enacted.

On a related note, how much of your OWN money have you donated to said causes? Not a damn penny I'm willing to bet. Easier to argue for politicans to steal it from others rather than endure some personal sacrifices. Once again, shame on YOU!