Posted on 02/28/2002 11:24:31 AM PST by Pokey78
Former US president Bill Clinton today vowed to dedicate the rest of his life to helping redistribute the world's wealth.
At his fourth Australian speaking engagement, Mr Clinton said prosperous nations including Australia and the United States held the key to the world's future.
He said it would cost America $US2.5 billion ($A4.87 billion) to meet UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's request for an extra $US10 billion ($A19.47 billion) to fight AIDS and other infections diseases.
"For us, you know what that is?" he asked the $1,100-a-head charity dinner in Melbourne for the Microsurgery Foundation.
"Two-and-a-half months of the Afghan war, and about one tenth of one per cent of the federal budget.
"That's it.
"There are 40 million AIDS cases a day and if we don't do something about it, there will be 100 million AIDS cases a day."
Mr Clinton said Australians needed to identify with people of poorer nations.
"If we can, then our children will have the most peaceful and prosperous and the most interesting and fun time in all of human history," he said.
"I'm going to do what I can for the rest of my life to make that happen, and I hope you will too.
The 42nd president of the United States said Australians should not be afraid of change, or of people who were different.
Such fears had resulted in the assassinations of Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Israeli President Yitzak Rabin and the September 11 terrorist attacks.
"We are struggling to find a balance in our two countries to not just tolerate people who are different, but actually venerate those differences, respect them, celebrate them, in the context of our common humanity," he said.
In a direct reference to the Howard government's woes, Mr Clinton also warned Australia needed to pull its weight in addressing global warming or the refugee crisis would get worse.
"If the world warms in the next 50 years as it has done in the last 10, ...agricultural production will be disrupted across the globe," he said.
"You'll have literally millions upon millions of food refugees, leading to more violence, more disruption and more boatloads of refugees that you will have to face."
This is why he bought a house in Chappaqua, a wealthy town that has a tiny minority population. Just another Orwellian animal who is more equal than others.
This clown re-defines the term "national embarrassment".
Excerpt:
Former US president Bill Clinton today vowed to dedicate the rest of his life to helping redistribute the world's wealth.
At his fourth Australian speaking engagement, Mr Clinton said prosperous nations including Australia and the United States held the key to the world's future.
He said it would cost America $US2.5 billion ($A4.87 billion) to meet UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's request for an extra $US10 billion ($A19.47 billion) to fight AIDS and other infections diseases.
"For us, you know what that is?" he asked the $1,100-a-head charity dinner in Melbourne for the Microsurgery Foundation.
"Two-and-a-half months of the Afghan war, and about one tenth of one per cent of the federal budget.
"That's it.
(((PING))))))
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my ping list!. . .don't be shy.
They don't hate themselves, they hate you and me. Attacks on the "rich" are just diversion tactics.
That was my first thought too...
Totally redundant.
Huh? At 40 mil cases per day and a world population of about 6 billion, the entire world will contract AIDS in about 150 days.
Must be that new, "constructivist" math. Remember, Bill Clinton is brilliant, and we're just peons. Why, he was even a professor of Constitutional law.
Come on Bill You stuck your foot in - now bite hard. I want to see you out there with Jimmie Charter making shelters for the homeless.
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.