[nypokerface]

"plan to impose an international tax on jet fuel - an idea floated by French President Jacques Chirac"

- Only Chirac can come up with such a stupid plan.

[thoughtomator]

Here's an idea. Let the Europeans pay for it - up front, in cash - and we'll administer it and make sure it gets done. That's about as far as I'm willing to have us cooperate with yet another corrupt European plot.

[ruiner]

Its about time we got together and offered money to help, er, umm, rebuild (?) Africa!!

[Altair333]

Maybe Bush can figure out a way to import illegal aliens from Africa- I don't think there are enough coming from Latin America to satisfy him.

[oldleft]

While I think we need to take on Africa, I don't understand why the ENTIRE CONTINENT is always talked about. If we dedicated, say, 1 TRILLION dollars over 10 years, we may be able to make something of the West African Countries (Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Liberia.)

I don't know if it's worth it, but remember, these countries are VERY, VERY, rich in natural resources. Of course, the biggest obstacle isn't money, it's the corrupt regimes of Africa.

[Calvin Locke]

They didn't mention the fine print. Fuel for Airbus planes is tax-exempt.

[Wiz]

Africa news ping

[agitator]

NEPAD[s] That's what we're gonna need if we get involved in this crap.

[KarlInOhio]

Will this money have to go through a bunch of middle men, or can we just dispense with the BS and send truck loads of money directly to Credit Suisse in Zurich?

[reelfoot]

If Mr. Bush does decide to send money to Africa, let him dig into his own pocket.

I'm against even $1 of taxpayer money being sent to the continent of Africa. It is wrong, generally, to tax Americans for foreign aid. And Africa, in particular, is an unworthy recipient: the corrupt leaders invariably rake off most, with very little getting to their starving subjects. Hundreds of billions in welfare have already been spent on Africa over the years with little, if anything, to show for it. I see no prospect that any further amount of welfare largess will transform subSaharan Africa from the toilet bowl it now is. I certainly don't want any of my hard-earned money being confiscated by the government and transferred there. If the French want to throw their francs away, have at it.

[Ohioan]

The idea of Western Governments launching programs to tax their people to fund aid to Third World Nations involves an implicit Socialist, One World, ideology.

African countries have many natural resources. If they seriously want to develop them, there are myriads of ways to lure private capital--immense amounts of private capital--in, to fund development. Artificial subsidies from Western Governments can only retard rational development, just as the Welfare State and the Great Society's War on Poverty, have retarded the progress of the poor in America.

Why would anyone imagine that what is stupid at home, somehow makes sense overseas?

Of course, American Aid to Africa can not be Constitutionally justified, unless there are strings attached, connecting it to our military needs or interests.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[ARCADIA]

The United States is willing to look for ways to fund a "Marshall Plan" for Africa

This conservative is starting to consider joing the Democrats in asking for the impeachment of the communist in the White House. Is there any form of spending that W will oppose? Not even Jimmy Carter was this bad.

[Publius6961]

The United States is willing to look for ways to fund a "Marshall Plan" for Africa even if it opposes Britain's plan for a new lending facility, South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Friday.

Would someone be kind enough to explain to me how even the name Marshall Plan, and the concept behind it even applies to Africa by even the most painful stretch of the imagination?

The Marshall Plan was not a form of International Welfare.
The Marshal Plan's goal was to restore the 20th Century Industry and infrastructure destroyed during years of war.

What is there to restore in Africa?

[Publius6961]

Mbeki said he did not expect resistance to the idea to fund the recovery of Africa

Recovery from what? 80 years of inter-tribal wars?
Recovery to what? The stone age?

[Publius6961]

- Only Chirac can come up with such a stupid plan.

To be totally fair, we have at least a dozen domestic idiot politicians I can think of right off the bat who can do as badly; or worse. Parasites, who set their own wages, and are taxpayers in name only.

[RightWhale]

give me the target (funding), but leave to me the matter of what method I will use to produce this outcome

With the track record in Africa, this sounds like a perfect idea.