Mr Bush said "terrible want" still exists in Latin America Posted on 03/11/2007 7:38:16 PM PDT by NRA2BFree
Mr Bush said "terrible want" still exists in Latin America
US President George W Bush has unveiled a social aid programme to alleviate the plight of the region's poor, two days before a tour of Latin America.
Millions of dollars will be spent on education, housing and health care.
In a speech, Mr Bush described poverty in the region as "a scandal" that had caused some people to question the value of democracy.
The Bush administration has been criticised by opposition Democrats for neglecting Latin America.
Correspondents say Washington is adjusting to the election of increasing numbers of left-wing administrations in Latin America, including some that are openly critical of the US.
'Terrible want'
Speaking at the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Mr Bush vowed to boost aid to Latin America, saying "helping our neighbours build a better and productive life" was a US priority.
In an age of growing prosperity and abundance [the terrible want] is a scandal and it is a challenge
US President George W Bush
The region has "made great strides toward freedom and prosperity but despite the advances tens of millions in our hemisphere remain stuck in poverty," he said.
Despite the progress Mr Bush said "terrible want" still existed, adding that nearly one in four people in the region live on less than $2 a day.
"Many children never finish grade school, many mothers never see a doctor. In an age of growing prosperity and abundance, it's a scandal and it's a challenge," he said.
The president said the US initiatives include an additional $75m for Latin Americans to learn English in their countries or in the United States, $385m dollars for housing, and funding for medical assistance via military teams.
Mr Bush will start his trip in Brazil on Thursday. His week-long tour will also take in Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico.
Ditto that!
ummmmm...
Al-Queda is in South America, opening family businesses, buying influence, and staging its attack on us from below.
Latin America is a better investment, if only to stem the flow of ME money to the region, and help secure our southern border...
DM
Oh, Texas, California, Arizona, and Florida are going to be getting aid now?
I am a big believer in 'charity starts at home'. I don't like my tax dollars redistributed period but if they are going to do it anyway, make sure the old and the young are taken care of here at home first.
Actually, more goes to Latin Americans right in America! It's better to spend it in the USA where it's earned by Americans. NOT Latin America, or Muslims in ANY country! Why do you think we owe it to Latin America? I didn't take any of them to raise!
Like it or not, Latin America is the future. Non-Hispanic Americans have not had children at replacement rates.
Latin America has a large, eager and hard-working population. That's why the nutcase from Iran was down there a while ago trying to cultivate them. Now take a deep breath and ask yourself rationally who you'd really want to have in your future: Latin Americans or Muslims. We have to make that decision now.
They're not going to attack us militarily..if anything it would be economically even that's doubtful.
They're not going to attack us militarily..if anything it would be economically even that's doubtful.
Communists tend to build walls to keep people in. They would be building the wall Americans just won't build.
I appreciate your loyalty to the President, but it's still a complete exercise in futility! From the stoning of Nixon in the Presidential limo till now... We're not winning ANY hearts and minds! We're just fattening the tills of parasites who perpetually spit on us unceasingly!!!
Good lord, when is enough enough? I'm all for WOT, but this spending on other countries is getting way out of line!
Exactly. And Ahmanutjob was in Latin America just a few weeks ago, trying to bring them all over to the Muzzie side.
Don't be "sorry".
Sit back and do nothing, and let four alligators spring up in a swamp that you have to walk through, now that is vision!
Do you have ANY knowledge of things like Operation Condor? Or "waht" Pinochet and Stroesner had to do to keep communism from taking root in those countries?
How about Alberto Fujimoro in Peru?
And those were times that the Democratic West still had some balls left, and the hand wringers were ignored.
Today if a Islamic Terrorist stubs a toe in Gitmo these folks pee on themselves and people listen to them.
ask yourself rationally who you'd really want to have in your future: Latin Americans or Muslims
Oh is that another of those 'lesser of two evils' questions? Because all I see on the news at night are hispanic surnames involved in shootings, shootouts, stabbings, etc. I am more likely to be killed by a hispanic in the town I live in than by a Muslim.
If my government actually did the ONLY job it is supposed to do and provide for the common defense I wouldn't have to make that choice.
Why did you leave New Mexico out? ;o)
When you can just print it, its easier to give the stuff away - all day long.
No, they would send the newly minted skulls of mush across the border to agitate for Antzlan, hoping to get an over reaction by the US.
And then there will be the people who lost there jobs because the Comlites confiscated the businesses that they worked at.
And of coruse nicaraugua would be transformed into a paradise now that Ortega has been elected, read up on Daniel Ortega some time.
Latin America is not our future. We would be our future if we had decent conservative leadership. What we need to do is build an impregnable fence and back it up with an amply equipped and funded military, something our government refuses to do. This country has been trying to buy it's way around the world since after WWII. The people we funded 50 years ago just grew up to hate us, and that's all we got for our money. Have you seen anybody trying to overthrow the generous Chinese government, I don't think so.
I'm not either, but I have to agree. IF we feel we must help anyone, we need to help our own. We earned the money, NOT them!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.