Posted on 05/21/2012 5:04:08 AM PDT by SJackson
(CNSNews.com) President Barack Obama invoked his poor family members in Kenya as a reason why economic growth cant just be for the lucky few at the top, its got to be broad-based, for everybody.
Obama delivered remarks Friday at the Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security in the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington where he talked about plans for the United States and developed countries from the Group of Eight (G8) nations to assist African countries in agriculture.
Ive spoken before about relatives I have in Kenya, who live in villages where hunger is sometimes a reality -- despite the fact that African farmers can be some of the hardest-working people on Earth, said Obama, who along with first lady Michelle Obama have a net worth of between $2.6 million and $8.3 million, according to financial disclosure forms released by the White House on Tuesday.
Most of the worlds unused arable land is in Africa, the president continued. Fifty years ago, Africa was an exporter of food. There is no reason why Africa should not be feeding itself and exporting food again. There is no reason for that.
Bono, lead singer of U2, sat in the front row during the speech.
The president went on to say that growth shouldnt be reserved for those who already have enough.
In Africa and around the world, progress isnt coming fast enough and economic growth cant just be for the lucky few at the top, its got to be broad-based, for everybody, and a good place to start is in the agricultural sector, Obama said.
So even as the world responds with food aid in a crisis -- as weve done in the Horn of Africa -- communities cant go back just to the way things were, vulnerable as before, waiting for the next crisis to happen. Development has to be sustainable, and as an international community, we have to do better, he added.
Obama presented a plan he said would help African countries be more self-sufficient. He pointed out that three years earlier, the G8 established a $22 billion package for global food security.
On the other hand, we see an Africa that still faces huge hurdles, stark inequalities; most Africans still living on less than $2 a day; climate change that increases the risk of drought and famine, Obama said. All of which perpetuates stubborn barriers in agriculture, in the agricultural sector -- from bottlenecks in infrastructure that prevent food from getting to market, to the lack of credit, especially for small farmers, most of whom are women.
He said under the new alliance, the United States will continue food and emergency aid to Africa, under the plan, but challenges more nations, companies and non-governmental organizations to take action and G8 countries to honor commitments.
He announced 45 companies from major international corporations to African companies and cooperatives pledged to invest more than $3 billion for the effort. The plan also calls for exploiting mobile phone and satellite imagery for weather forecasts and market prices to be in the hands of farmers. The World Bank will also weigh in on rising food prices. Lastly, the plan focuses on nutrition.
When there is good nutrition, especially in those thousand days during pregnancy up to the childs second birthday, it means healthier lives for that child and that mother, Obama said. And its the smart thing to do because better nutrition means lower health care costs and it means less need for assistance later on.
The family he never lifts a finger to help. If this was Bush he would be getting skinned alive for not helping out his poor relations. Or can you imagine Romney if he was not helping out his family? Its so laughable except the guy just skates along and nobody says a word. Unbelievable!!
LOL...so, uh, tell us what you really think!
O'Bozo still has family in Kenya?I thought they were all here as illegal aliens.
Maybe if Africans starting working more and 'warring' less they could feed themselves... How long have we been 'helping/enabling' these African countries anyway?
Great summary of the situation, and hi there, Dan.
And further, South Africa is only 10 years behind Zim, is my guess.
Gee, Odumbo, I thought the US was wrong and never worked. How come your grossly inferior Kenya has such problems?
Since the USA has done more than any other country to feed the inferior people of the world maybe your inferior intellect is wrong along with your fellow Marxist followers.
If a failed Kenya bothers you so much just resign (oh please do). Take Holder with you and a bunch of “his people” and go to Kenya and try your Marxism directly and see how it works.
No, you would rather bankrupt the USA with Marxism. How is that going to work for the rest of the world with a defunct USA? Your ignorance knows no bounds and all your supporters, also known as the enemy within, are exactly like Muslims in that they only destroy societies.
Odumbo, the first wookie and all the rest of his Marxist filth are just like sexually transmitted diseases. Fun to get, awful to have, difficult to get rid of, and can be deadly.
Incidentally, reference to those who succeed & prosper as a "lucky few," is a certain tell-tale that the speaker is wholly clueless--destructively clueless--as to how any people prosper. (To give the chief demagogue a hint, which will never appear on his teleprompter, it usually involves the multi-generational pursuits of families where children are taught that they must work for what they would achieve; must husband their resources for future needs & above all, must accept personal responsibility for the good or ill results that follow their personal efforts.)
William Flax
I think you are optomistic. SA in 5, if this Kenyan is re-elected, it will be U.S. in 10.
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.