George W. Bush, Third World hero
The sad thing about President Bush's disastrous image, both domestically and overseas, is that he doesn't even get credit when he does something right. Europeans revile him for his Iraq policy but seldom mention that he has done more to relieve poverty and disease in Africa (supposedly an issue of great concern in Europe) than any other American president. I have friends who are such committed Bush-haters that they find it impossible to believe that he has ever done anything morally right or geopolitically beneficial; when I point out that his global AIDS initiative has saved thousands and possibly millions of lives, they quietly admit they didn't realize that.
Today, Bush upped the ante by asking Congress to double the size of his AIDS program, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, to $30 billion over five years. That is a vast commitment that dwarfs past efforts and provides real hope that humanity will in the near future be able to stop the spread of AIDS—an accomplishment akin, at least in scope, to putting a man on the moon. This disease has killed 25 million people so far and is still raging out of control, especially in Africa. PEPFAR has come in for its share of criticism because of some rules that seemed based more on evangelical ideology than science, but most of its critics have quieted down in the face of its obvious successes.
It's very cheap and easy for a lame-duck president to make financial commitments his administration will never have to keep. Bush's extension is aimed at keeping PEPFAR going after 2008, by which time he will have left office. But his successor will pay a political price if he or she breaks this funding promise.
None of this, of course, makes up for Bush's blunders in the Middle East and elsewhere, but at least give the guy his props. He's showing people overseas that the United States isn't just about bombs and oil.
"Europeans revile him for his Iraq policy but seldom mention that he has done more to relieve poverty and disease in Africa (supposedly an issue of great concern in Europe) than any other American president."
How many horses were in that race?
God bless the good people of Africa, but when I think about all the qualities that make for a good President, for a good American President, that is, I don't have what he's done for people elsewhere, be they in Africa or Greenland, anywhere near the top of my list.*
I don't care about what the President of France has done for the people of South America; why do people in Europe care about what our President's done for people in Africa?
*I have a list of qualities that make for a good philanthropist, but that's a different list.
Posted by: Ken Shultz | May 30, 2007 at 04:26 PM
Bush is not fully appreciated for what he has done. Bush was wrong to invade Iraq, but he has tried to make the world a better place. He tried Social Security reform, but Democrats blocked it. He is trying immigration reform, but both parties may block it. He's dealing with Iran through the UN. He hasn't attacked the represive government in Sudan. I mean after the Iraq mistake it seems, to me, that he has made a lot of progress, but the fact that he failed on a major issue has led to an unjustified lack of support on the part of the Nation. It's time we used some logic and think of issues and proposals not by who is sponsoring them, but by the merit of the idea. Bush has, mostly, failed in Iraq, but that doesn't mean he hasn't, at least, tried to do well elsewhere.
Posted by: Paul | June 01, 2007 at 10:27 AM
The only subjects, it seems, that George Bush is open to listening to others about are issues like immigration & some Third World matters. It is a shame that a man who hired his father's best friend to help with Iraq then spurned the advice (and the man) as it did not fit with his own opinions. Bush has not attended a single military funeral for the young kids who've died in Iraq. Why does this not receive more press?
Posted by: Geoff Hasler | June 02, 2007 at 10:44 AM
I think 25 Billions is not a good enough amount for AIDS. It should be the tip of the iceberg. Surely the situation abroad does not necessitate so many troops and there could be some reduction in the military budget.
The promise should be fulfilled in the sense in which it was meant.
maricarit@yahoo.com
Posted by: Caritina | June 02, 2007 at 12:46 PM
Honestly I think he did as a publicity stunt. It's the only good thing he's done.
Posted by: Jessica | June 15, 2008 at 02:43 PM