“It is true Bush is going to spend a sum of money . . . surpassing any his predecessors committed to Africa, and yet he will never be liked on this continent,” read an editorial in The Nation, Kenya’s influential daily. “In Kenya especially, America has become a dirty word. . . . Africans respect power, of course. But there is something they respect more. Wisdom. They are not sure what they are seeing in the White House represents anything close to that.”
Quick- name some wise African leaders. Quick, name the wise policies that have made Africa the paradise it currently is. It is amazing to me that a continent whose key leisure activites are machete massacres and burning people alive while they are held in place with a used tire, where some states have a population in which 40% are afflicted with AIDS, and where you are hard pressed to find a self-sustaining stable democracy that people are this mad about the War in Iraq. This has been fomented by the elites- the same professional protestors that are everywhere. The article even makes that clear:
In Uganda, which Bush will visit briefly on Friday, ordinary people are proud and happy to have an American president visit. But they see Bush’s interest in Africa as simply part of his war against terrorism. Already, intellectuals in newspapers and on the radio in Uganda have characterized him as a “cold fish,” who does not really care about Africans.
We really are living in a post-modern world- perception is more important than reality. Go read the whole article- the deck has been stacked against this administration, and nothing he does will be good enough for many of the African elites. In that regard, I guess they are more sophisticated that many people would guess- they sound just like Gore voters.
Dean
One of the photographs at the WaPo site showed protestors holding signs, including one that reads, “Mr Bush visit is a campaign strategy.”
Now, where would foreigners come up with THAT as a sign??
If there were protestors against a visit by Sharon, or Howard, or Putin, what are the chances that they’d condemn them for being on a CAMPAIGN swing?!??
MommaBear
… intellectuals in newspapers and on the radio in Uganda…
And just where were those “intellectuals” educated; most likely a fair amount received their higher education in the good old USA. Too bad they can’t put their “intelligence” to good use fixing up their own country instead of spouting such ravings.
Susan
Obscurants are unable to deal with reality. Pity those who will never experience enlightenment nor rationalism.
MommaBear
Better to pity all the others in those countries who suffer outrageously because of those psuedo-intellectuals prancing and posing instead of doing something useful!
the talking dog
Well, the Africans have every reason to despise Mr. Bush– exactly the same reason that Americans– Conservatives especially– should be united in their derision as well.
The Farm Bill: one of the largest income transfer boondoggles of its kind in American history, sheperded and signed by the President. American consumers pay too much in taxes to subsidize giant agribusiness players for agricultural products at home, while African farmers are simultaneously denied access to our markets AND get to see agricultural prices suppressed, adding to their misery as they are unable to develop anything like a modern health, transportation, or communication infrastructure that allows the butchers and tyrants to hold so much sway.
Anyway, every President is seemingly entitled to take Air Force One on campaign wing dings– so that’s Dubya’s privilege. No point, however, in denying that that is ALL this is.
David Perron
Or claiming that it is, sans any evidence at all, other than a severe predisposition to believe that which you want to believe.
John Cole
Discussions of Aids, Liberia, Debt Relief, terrorism, all seem to be nothing more than campaign issues- at least to the Talking Dog.