Posted on 01/30/2005 7:16:22 AM PST by Ginifer
PRIME Minister John Howard has leapt to defence of the US and President George W. Bush at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
Mr Howard has also questioned the track record of the United Nations, pointing to the organisation's inability to respond quickly and decisively to humanitarian crises.
The war and continuing strife in Iraq has dominated discussions at Davos this year.
The picturesque ski village high in the Swiss Alps fills with world leaders, business heads, rock stars and movie stars every year, serving as a swank forum for lofty debate about the world's big economic, humanitarian and political issues.
On Saturday, during a lively panel discussion over US global relations, leaders from a number of nations attacked Mr Bush and US actions in Iraq.
"Can I just say, I mean the negative mind-set of the last five minutes is ridiculous," Mr Howard told the panel.
"I think some of the criticism of the Americans by some Europeans is unfair and irrational, and I have said so."
He said the UN had often been sluggish to act in situations where intervention was desperately needed.
"The reality is, and it was proved in Bosnia, it was proved in Kosovo, that if you rely entirely on international institutions, it won't work," Mr Howard said. "People say to me back home you're anti-the UN. I'm not anti-UN, I'm in favour of the UN when it works."
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley urged Mr Howard to become a voice of reason in Australia's relationship with the US.
Yesterday, Mr Beazley indicated he would like to see Mr Howard offer the US some firm advice when it was needed, particularly in relation to Iraq.
"He needs to be the friend that the Americans need, not just the friend that they want," he told Channel 7.
"They appreciate him, they like the fact that he has stood in behind them during the course of this conflict. Time's moving on. What the US now needs is good counsel, and that's what they need from him."
Mr Beazley said Australia had not been the ally the US needed either before or after the war.
"They desperately needed warning, they desperately needed counsel and patience, and after the war they desperately needed sound advice on how the post-war administration should take place," he said.
"None of that came from Australia."
Mr Howard expressed disappointment over a decision by the European Union that it would resume subsidies on wheat exports.
"That's a matter of very great concern for Australia; it seems to run completely counter to all the rhetoric we've had about more open trade," Mr Howard said. "If this is their idea about more open trade, well then Australia is deeply disappointed."
Mr Howard said nothing would help poor nations more than the removal of trade subsidies and barriers.
"If the nations of Europe and North America and others that have highly protected agricultural policies wanted to really help many of the developing countries, then they could do more to help them in changing their trade polices than they could through official development assistance," he said.
Other visitors to Davos this year were actors Sharon Stone, who appealed for funds to combat malaria; Angelina Jolie, who is seeking corporate backing for UN refugee programs; and Richard Gere, who asked for funding to fight AIDS in India. U2 frontman Bono also made the trip to talk about the long-term consequences of failed states in Africa.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates used the forum to announce a $975 million donation to infant vaccination programs in developing countries.
"I think some of the criticism of the Americans by some Europeans is unfair and irrational, and I have said so."
Thank you Mr. Howard!
if the united nations, european weenies, and american "democrats" had their way,
we'd be living in the post-vietnam funk of the 70s,
with jimmy ca'ta as president,
cubanos in angola,
marxist guerrillas spread across the hemisphere,
etc.
God bless John Howard..The Aussies were also there with us and way ahead on relief in Indonesia..Truly a partner..but the UN is taking credit for all, of course.
Good for Howard but Davos is nothing more than an anti-american circle-jerk.
These lofty debates by self-aggrandizing jerks who usually made their money off ordinary hard-working people. Scrap the Davos summit and it will make 0 (ZERO) difference to the world.
Sharon Stone, funds are not needed to combat malaria, what is need is DDT.
Thank God for the Aussies!!!!!!
They have their idiot-liberal subset, just like the USA and Brits do, but I think they are closer to the USA in general than the Brits. In Britain, it seems liberalism has infected nearly all aspects of society.
But I know not all Brits are falling for the liberal clap-trap either.
People also made their money because they worked hard on an idea, marketed it and formed a business,giving many people jobs.You must dislike capitalism.
That doesn't make me like Davos any more or mean I think rich business owners know a thing about how to make things work in the world nor do I trust them to decide who should lead this country .
bump
Gosh, he makes it sound like it's a friend counseling an addict.
The Global left is supposed to be having an "alternative" summit in Brazil, but frankly, from what I've been hearing from Davos, I don't see much difference. Both are full of America-phating, blame-America first leftists and Eurotrash.
Just once I'd like to see a UN conference held in some fly-blown place that needs help-- like Addis Ababa, Kabul, Pnom Penh, or Zimbabwe--instead of Davos or the like.
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