Africa trip may mark transition (GWB as leader of the free world)

Bangkok Post ^ | 7-15-03

[SJackson]

Two and one half years into George Bush's presidency, his trip to the Middle East last month to try and push the Palestinians and Israelis along the road to peace was his first real foray outside the United States in the role of a world statesman. And the Africa tour which he finished up on Saturday was another tour in which he was more of an ambassador than a politician.

President Bush has a well-known dislike for travel. Before being elected president he had rarely been outside the United States, except to neighbouring Mexico, despite his family's wealth.

Since becoming president he has travelled relatively little, mostly to attend world summits such as the G8 meetings in Italy and Canada, and mostly designed to achieve specific goals he deemed in the interest of the United States.

During the five-day tour which spanned the continent and took him to Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Uganda and Nigeria, Bush surely was mindful of advancing the position of American corporations, and with securing deals to develop Africa's enormous oil wealth. But the main focus of the tour seemed to be on humanitarian issues. Until recently, Bush's international focus has been mostly on the wars on terror, Afghanistan and Iraq.

In Africa, he pledged his commitment to ending the factional conflicts which have bloodied Africa for so long, with special reference to Liberia, where the US may send troops to assist African peace-keeping forces when President Charles Taylor, who has been indicted for war crimes, steps down as promised.

A major focus of the trip was on the fight against HIV/Aids, to which Bush has pledged $15 billion to African nations. Most of the money will be spent on treatment, but about one-third will go for education for preventing the spread of the disease.

Bush has also promised to increase foreign aid to Africa, with economic and political reforms as a precondition.

It's too early to tell whether President Bush will be able to make the transition from national leader to world leader, or if he really wants to. If he does, he has some obstacles to overcome.

One is his unwillingness to listen to and work with those who disagree with him.

Before his Africa trip, for example, he didn't meet with African-American leaders, who are traditionally liberal and Democrat, but who also might have given him some valuable advice and credit with his African hosts. When in South Africa, he did not meet with Nelson Mandela, who is regarded as possibly the world's greatest inspiration for freedom and democracy, but who strongly opposed the Iraq war.

Another area that needs improvement is his commitment to sustainable development and environmental quality. These are perhaps the most important issues facing the world today. The US is the world's greatest consumer of natural resources and the world's largest contributor to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It is also the wealthiest and most technologically advanced nation. It is logical that the US should take the lead on these issues, but thus far they have hardly been on the screen of the Bush administration.

A lot has happened on his watch, but it is important to remember that Mr Bush has been in national and world politics a relatively short time. He is very likely to win re-election in 2004, and be around for a while. He has shown that he can be unrelenting in pursuing issues such as massive tax cuts and the war in Iraq. It appears that he is now committing himself to more universally appealing themes such as fighting the scourge of Aids and finding peace in the Middle East. It remains to be seen if he will be able to keep his focus and determination on these and other issues. If so then he could truly become the leader of the free world.

[SJackson]

The editorial page is a bit Schizophrenic today.

Revealing sexed-up stories

[Support Free Republic]

We Salute Free Republic's Donors! Be one!
	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[KantianBurke]

Guess its too much to hope that Bush will give a damn about this country's future rather than handing out freebies to turd world nations.

[SJackson]

Maybe he's running out of things to spend money on.

Actually, I think there may be some good reasons to focus on Africa, related to the reason we've had 2,000 troops in the Horn of Africa for a year, the spread of fundamentalist Islam on the continent. But the administration hasn't focused on that in public statements. Maybe it's not part of the equation.

[SunStar]

Before being elected president he had rarely been outside the United States, except to neighbouring Mexico, despite his family's wealth.

Nonsense. I know for a fact that GWB visited Israel before he was elected.

[SJackson]

November, 1998. In the words of the Arab Press

Israel Seeking to Cultivate George W. Bush...[but] the bloodlines don’t indicate that Mr. Bush will be pro-Israel

The Arab press knows everything :>)

[George W. Bush]

This article should win a Pulitzer for a unique mixture of insanity and ignorance. It's a masterpiece.

After I read it, I was ready to post, "This article is truly insane". Then I read your "a bit schizophrenic" remark and laughed. I'll defer to your more clinical diagnosis.

[Ann Archy]

Ed Chin, LA Times reporter said that he had been shown W's passport on the campaign trail and he nearly FAINTED!!! He said there were coutries that W had been to that He, Ed, had never HEARD of!! He was stuttering just TELLING how flabergasted he was!!

Did the press not think he visited his family when theylived in China???

[SJackson]

Then I read your "a bit schizophrenic" remark and laughed. I'll defer to your more clinical diagnosis.

Please, read the other one I linked first, Revealing sexed-up stories . Three martini lunch for the editorial staff in Thailand today.

[livius]

It's really paining the left to admit this, but GWB has done more for Africa - and has been more genuinely concerned with Africans - than any other president, particularly their idol, BJ Clinton.

Clinton was all lip service and no action (which may have described him in other areas, but who am I to know?).

Bush, on the other hand, realizes two things: there are good humanitarian and historical reasons for us to help Africa; and, if we do not help Africa, it will be swamped by Islam, our sworn enemy.

Islamics are attempting to overrun every part of Africa. The slave traders of old were North African Muslims, something which the PC world politely ignores, and these same people are now attempting to subjugate subsaharan Africans, and, in fact, any non-Muslim African populations. For our own security, we need to get in there and nip this stuff in the bud.

Africa will be much happier if it is not under the thumb of Islam, and so will we. And if we can win with dollars and aid, rather than having to fight wars against these pathetic Islamic puppet populations, so much the better.

[LasVegasMac]

handing out freebies to turd world nations

Major giggle's here.

Thanks,

LVM

[LasVegasMac]

One is his unwillingness to listen to and work with those who disagree with him.

Before his Africa trip, for example, he didn't meet with African-American leaders, who are traditionally liberal and Democrat, but who also might have given him some valuable advice and credit with his African hosts.

Yo, Skippy, traditionally speaking, Lib and 'Rat American-African "leaders" have nothing to say except, "gimme yo money!"

Now you know why GWB did not bother.

LVM

[squidly]

Nelson Mandela, who is regarded as possibly the world's greatest inspiration for freedom and democracy,

Something is wrong when people make statements like that.

[SJackson]

Bush, on the other hand, realizes two things: there are good humanitarian and historical reasons for us to help Africa; and, if we do not help Africa, it will be swamped by Islam, our sworn enemy.

I agree completely. I sure wish he'd make that case, and not talk about slavery.

[Billthedrill]

When in South Africa, he did not meet with Nelson Mandela, who is regarded as possibly the world's greatest inspiration for freedom and democracy, but who strongly opposed the Iraq war.

Oh, good grief - Mandela is also a poster boy for racism, intolerance, political violence, and the total ruination of a once-thriving country. What, exactly, would Bush learn from him except what to avoid?

The author of this piece might be reminded that the interests of sick, starving people are not necessarily to be served by kissing the hands of those who are oppressing them, however great a photo opportunity it presents. Africa's thugs are not Africa's people.

[Miss Marple]

Not only Israel, but Greece, China, and Great Britain, and of course, Mexico. It is in his book and on several web sources.