Open Letter to the White House - African Debt Relief
Dear Mr. President:
I read with interest your announcement with Prime Minister Blair of a plan to relieve the debt of African nations who are "on the path to reform". Sounds good - better, in fact, than just about anything I've heard from your administration since the year 2000.
That's not saying much, of course, since I've heard little but nonsense from your office in all these years, and upon closer examination I have a number of questions regarding this "relief" program as well.
Who is going to determine which African nations are "on the path to reform"? Granted that we do not want to support dictatorships, America tragically has a long history of doing just that, including the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein; why are we to trust ourselves to change that pattern now? Furthermore, Africa contains almost nothing but dictatorships at present, from more benign ones in places like Egypt to genuinely frightening ones in places like Sudan - can you give us a more accurate definition of the activity that constitutes the "path to reform"?
I notice that you took the opportunity at your press conference with Prime Minister Blair to announce an addition of $674 million in aid to African nations, over and above the current $1.5 billion America has pledged. This, again, sounds pretty good, until we set it against the $25 billion package that Prime Minister Blair advocates and that you have done your level best to block. I also notice that you took the opportunity to praise your administration's charitable impulses, stating that aid to Africa has tripled during your administration. Again, this sounds wonderful until one recalls that you are woefully behind schedule in terms of the amount of aid you promised to Africa at the beginning of your term. Would you please explain, given all these discrepancies, how you expect an additional $674 million in aid to impact a problem as large as African debt?
Finally, as compared to this additional $674 million, the amounts you have spent on the war in Iraq strike one as colossal beyond all comprehension. Over the last four years, you have spent some $17 billion on the war, and the results are less than impressive. Saddam Hussein languishes in prison, true, and in his underwear at that (as Prime Minister Blair must know, since the photos of Saddam in his underwear appeared in an English paper). On the other hand, the new government in Baghdad progresses toward genuine democratic reform at a snail's pace, while the insurgency grows in strength and boldness every day. If $17 billion over four years produces this morass, could you tell us how you expect $674 million in one year, spread over an entire continent, to produce any more hopeful result?
In short, your plans for African debt relief evidence your usual combination of lazy thinking, delusional fantasies, and lack of forethought, not to mention your usual failure to support your allies. I can only feel sorry for Prime Minister Blair, who has shown you nothing but the fiercest loyalty throughout your term of office to date, only to find the ground cut out from under him every time.
As for your spending plans themselves, as I often find, this announcement of yours has cleared up at least one confusing thing about your character. It's evident now that you like to spend money indiscriminately, but only on war. When it comes to more humane pursuits, you, like many men of your social class throughout history, are the worst kind of cheapskate. Not much has changed since you played toy soldiers on the nursery rug when you were a kid, has it, sir?
I read with interest your announcement with Prime Minister Blair of a plan to relieve the debt of African nations who are "on the path to reform". Sounds good - better, in fact, than just about anything I've heard from your administration since the year 2000.
That's not saying much, of course, since I've heard little but nonsense from your office in all these years, and upon closer examination I have a number of questions regarding this "relief" program as well.
Who is going to determine which African nations are "on the path to reform"? Granted that we do not want to support dictatorships, America tragically has a long history of doing just that, including the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein; why are we to trust ourselves to change that pattern now? Furthermore, Africa contains almost nothing but dictatorships at present, from more benign ones in places like Egypt to genuinely frightening ones in places like Sudan - can you give us a more accurate definition of the activity that constitutes the "path to reform"?
I notice that you took the opportunity at your press conference with Prime Minister Blair to announce an addition of $674 million in aid to African nations, over and above the current $1.5 billion America has pledged. This, again, sounds pretty good, until we set it against the $25 billion package that Prime Minister Blair advocates and that you have done your level best to block. I also notice that you took the opportunity to praise your administration's charitable impulses, stating that aid to Africa has tripled during your administration. Again, this sounds wonderful until one recalls that you are woefully behind schedule in terms of the amount of aid you promised to Africa at the beginning of your term. Would you please explain, given all these discrepancies, how you expect an additional $674 million in aid to impact a problem as large as African debt?
Finally, as compared to this additional $674 million, the amounts you have spent on the war in Iraq strike one as colossal beyond all comprehension. Over the last four years, you have spent some $17 billion on the war, and the results are less than impressive. Saddam Hussein languishes in prison, true, and in his underwear at that (as Prime Minister Blair must know, since the photos of Saddam in his underwear appeared in an English paper). On the other hand, the new government in Baghdad progresses toward genuine democratic reform at a snail's pace, while the insurgency grows in strength and boldness every day. If $17 billion over four years produces this morass, could you tell us how you expect $674 million in one year, spread over an entire continent, to produce any more hopeful result?
In short, your plans for African debt relief evidence your usual combination of lazy thinking, delusional fantasies, and lack of forethought, not to mention your usual failure to support your allies. I can only feel sorry for Prime Minister Blair, who has shown you nothing but the fiercest loyalty throughout your term of office to date, only to find the ground cut out from under him every time.
As for your spending plans themselves, as I often find, this announcement of yours has cleared up at least one confusing thing about your character. It's evident now that you like to spend money indiscriminately, but only on war. When it comes to more humane pursuits, you, like many men of your social class throughout history, are the worst kind of cheapskate. Not much has changed since you played toy soldiers on the nursery rug when you were a kid, has it, sir?
posted by benshlomo at 4:31 PM
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