http://www.crosswalk.com/news/commentary/11607599/
Dr. Paul Kengor
Grove City College
August 21, 2009
What if a president, on his own initiative, under no demands from staff or from supporters or opponents, set out to spend an unprecedented amount of money on AIDS in Africa, literally billions of dollars, at a time when the nation could not afford it, citing his faith as a primary motivation and, ultimately, saved more than a million lives?
Wouldn't the story be front-page news, especially in top, liberal newspapers? Wouldn't it lead on CNN, MSNBC, and the "CBS Evening News?" Might statues be erected to the man in the nation's more "progressive" cities?
What if the president was George W. Bush?
I pose these uncomfortable questions for two reasons: 1) President Bush did precisely that regarding the African AIDS tragedy; and 2) a study claims that Bush's remarkable action has indeed saved many precious lives.
And as someone who has closely followed Bush's humanitarian gesture from the outset, I'm not surprised that the former president continues to not receive the accolades he deserves—including even from conservative supporters—for this generous act.
Bush himself realizes the lack of gratitude and media attention. I personally witnessed it recently, on June 17, when I was in attendance for one of Bush's first post-presidential speeches, in Erie, Pa. There, too, he mentioned the AIDS initiative—even adding that one of his daughters is in Africa today, working on the epidemic—and, there again, it received no press coverage whatsoever.
It all began in January 2003, during the State of the Union. In a completely unexpected announcement, Bush asked Congress for $15 billion for AIDS in Africa—drugs, treatment and prevention.
Bush Quietly Saved a Million African Lives
Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by OldRegular, Aug 24, 2009.
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Crabtownboy Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
One of the things I do give Bush great credit for was the work that he and his administration did concerning HIV/AIDS in Africa. This was one area he was 'right on' about.
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I do give everyone involved in the fight against AIDS credit...including President Bush. This is not a point where I have a quibble with him. -
No.
I don't agree with those who posit as anything to do with AIDS as automatically virtuous. -
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Haven't you heard?
Republicans hate black people and Bush is pure evil.
Funny , isn't it? Democrats talk a good game but Bush actually saw the problem and did something about it. Now democrats can go back to taking blacks for granted and keeping them "in their proper place". -
AIDS is 100% preventable unless you are born with it.
Why was there no big social or government push to eliminate and/or subsidize the treatment of syph and Ghonnerea (sp?)? What is special about AIDS? We all know, right? -
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Not just those that happen to be on the radar of celebrities. -
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We have heard that same crap before from your alter egos Baptist Believer, Just Christian, and Freedom. Either stay on topic or start your own thread to discuss Bush and 9/11. It appears to me that you have made that same ridiculous point ad infinitum. -
An even greater tragedy is that an equivalent amount of money has not been spent on finding a treatment for the disease Alzheimers which is not the result of anyones behavior. -
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Baptist Believer Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
- I do NOT subscribe to 9/11 conspiracy theories that do not place the blame on Al Qaeda (there was a conspiracy, but our government was not behind it).
- I am NOT an "alter ego" (whatever that's supposed to mean) of alatide, Just Christian or Freedom. My views are quite different.
And to bring it back on topic, I voted for George W. Bush three times (once for Texas governor and twice for U.S. President) and I have been a supporter of AIDS prevention and the supply of anti-viral drugs to Africans.
Regarding AIDS being preventable, in most cases it is. However what happens in Africa is that men who acquire AIDS through their unfaithfulness, often bring it home to their wives, infecting them. There's also a folk remedy for AIDS that asserts you can be cured of AIDS if you have sexual intercourse with a virgin girl. As a result, AIDS has spread rapidly, with women of all ages being the innocent victims (including teen and pre-teen girls acquiring AIDS from their rapists).
The amount the U.S. government has spent on the problem (a fairly trivial amount compared to the way our government usually spends money) has helped to slow the spread of AIDS through education regarding how it is transmitted, and has helped provide anti-viral drugs to those who need them.
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