Andrew Sullivan on 2003 SOTU

andrewsullivan.com ^ | 01/28/03 | Andrew Sullivan

[auboy]

Well said, Wait4Truth. You are not alone.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

...he is asking us to take another look at the world..at the suffering...the pain...

Actually, he's asking us to do more than look at it, he's asking us to pay for it. And I am mildly more willing to pay for something that will benefit us, as a country, in the future. I'm not sure that AIDS in Africa falls into this category. I suspect that he's going after the women and black voters. But then I like to maintain a healthy cynicism. All in all, a great speech, but he did seem to dwell on this topic a bit more than necessary.

Look, its one thing to say that one factor in invading Iraq is to liberate the people there. It is another thing to say that we will try to save an entire continent from their own self-induced problems (yes, mitagated by the fact that they don't know any better)

[zarf]

I too was really moved by Bush's initiative in Africa. The AIDS crisis is appalling. It's killing millions. Including children.

They are innocent and do not deserve such a horriffic fate. This scurge needs to be tamed and I'm glad to see Bush jumping on it.

[Carolinamom]

Andrew Sullivan gets it in this beautifully written and honest column. Bush touches both hearts and minds.

[zarf]

Nice idea!!! Out of Germany - into Africa!

[zarf]

The AIDS problem in Africa is of another stripe. It's far beyond the "love that one dare not speak". It's ravaging millions of kids. Innocents all.

[goldstategop]

Yeah. I think Bush struck a chord with the black community. Hitlery and Al Sharpton didn't see this fastball coming.

[ClancyJ]

I agree.

What makes Bush so great is his ability to understand the regular people, he has great empathy. This trait will lead us to being a better country in that he will lead us in seeing the needs in our world.

He not only sees the need, he finds a way to help. I would by far rather have such a man than one only seeking loopholes to pad his own personal wealth.

AIDS cannot be ignored and saying they should change the way they act is ignoring the problem. Of course they should. Yet the problem is here. We can't go wrong in trying to help. How cruel to cast sick people aside. As we cast them aside, we also cast aside their families, their children, their orphans and we make ourselves a more cruel people.

I agree with Bush.

[Porterville]

Regardless,

AIDS is a terrible disease, gay or straight.

[Deb]

I think the Democrats were terrified of this speech, which is why they broke all tradition and gave their own pre-SOTU yesterday.

They had good reason to fear him. It's hard to tell people they're seeing an empty-headed, warmonger, when they're looking at a good and kind man who speaks clearly from his heart.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes the 'rats and the media to sink his numbers again.

[carlo3b]

His leadership and his way of speaking about things has changed me. I don't think I'm alone, either

You are not alone at all, as a matter of fact you are in some pretty awesome company...I'm with ya....LOL

[Moonman62]

Bush was speaking for Bush, and from his heart, and if some are not comfortable with his fundamental beliefs, that is fine with me.

I thought it was pure politics, and he was speaking from Karl Rove's talking points. It's easy to be compassionate when you're spending other people's money.

[auboy]

"And I am mildly more willing to pay for something that will benefit us, as a country, in the future. I'm not sure that AIDS in Africa falls into this category."

Maybe by taking the lead in the fight against AIDS in Africa, President Bush is demonstrating to his critics, at home and abroad, that he and America are NOT "just crazed killers looking for the next oil field to steal".

IMO, the long-term benefits of at least trying to help, will outweigh the cost. Power should be used… against evil… and for good.

[HiTech RedNeck]

GRIDS is a terrible disease, but it is not the federal government's role to take on the disease, especially in Africa. That is something that should be left to the world's charities.

Will Bush dare to tell them "STOP SCREWING EACH OTHER'S ARSES DAMMIT!"

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

It is just not clear to me why the AIDS epidemic is more worthy or our attention than, say, the hellhole that is Sudan, just to pick one instance in Africa. You have to argue that the AIDS victims are victims of their own ignorance, since it isn't like some tin-pot dictator is infecting them for his own gain. But why should we choose to help them rather than some other group that might be actively working to better themselves?

(Not arguing, just discussing)

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

Will Bush dare to tell them "STOP SCREWING EACH OTHER'S ARSES DAMMIT!

Ha! This has got to be Point Number One in any education program.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Yeah. I think Bush struck a chord with the black community.

As much as it's popularm among them to trumpet the AFRICAN part of African-American, they don't really care that much about Africa. There's not a lot of concerted charity effort towards Africa among them. They reverence a mythical Africa not the real one.

[saradippity]

Did you know that on the first day of January 1993,the number of AIDS infected persons in Africa doubled. This was due to the inclusion by the CDC of cervical cancer and TB, among other diseases,that had to that point, been considered caused by poverty.

In Africa they do not have HIV testing. AIDS is diagnosed by a complex of symptoms. Therefore any disease usually caused by infection and malnutrition,would manifest the same symptoms generally identified with AIDS,that is wasting away.

As an African woman put it "no one dies of 'runny tummy' anymore,now everyone dies of AIDS". Yes,this has been quite a boon to social engineers.

[zarf]

You really need to do some reading about the virus. It's way beyond sexual behavior at this point. Innocents by the millions are being infected....women, children etc.

It is utterly out of control in the 3rd world; soon it will be China's biggest problem. The Chinese government in utter denial and will soon pay for their ignorance.

[auboy]

While it is true that many AIDS victims are victims of their own ignorance (root word: ignore) or self-indulgement, not all are. Girls (and probably boys, too) raped and infected. Babies born to infected mothers. I guess I look at them as individuals, sick and dying and hopeless.

I had major surgery in 1992. Because of the possibility of AIDS tainting blood supplies, my wife ate massive quantities of liver so she could donate blood for my operation. A friend of her's from work donated for me also. I did not want to end up being an AIDS victim through no fault of my own. I was more fortunate than some have been.

So how do we sort them out, the guilty and the innocent?

As the Cristy Lane/George W. duet goes… "one soul at a time…"