[R-G] President's hypocrisy in foreign affairs seen in his disregard for Haiti

[Anthony Fenton]

President's hypocrisy in foreign affairs seen in his disregard for Haiti
By: Dan Keenan, 2/5/08
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2008/02/05/Opinion/ 
Presidents.Hypocrisy.In.Foreign.Affairs.Seen.In.His.Disregard.For.Haiti- 
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Last Monday evening was George's night. For the last time on front of  
our
entire government the bipartisan charmer grinned, hugged, and even  
snuck in a
joke off of the teleprompter. In his State of the Union speech,  
President Bush
laid out everything we already knew.

Never one to surprise, he (publicly) reaffirmed, once again, to me  
and millions
of other Americans and international onlookers, that his mind is not  
a hard
thing to figure out.

In George W. Bush's reality, if you aren't talking about the problems  
in the
Middle East or with North Korea or even about that war he is still  
convinced
will succeed, you are not in his world.

But added to his speech, to my surprise, was a paragraph or two on  
Africa --
whose problems, to my astonishment, have been made aware to Bush. But  
it was in
generalities.

Unless you count Darfur, which was highlighted with a quick one-liner of
"America opposes genocide in Sudan," denouncing the genocide by the  
United
States, without actually saying the world "Darfur."

Well I guess that phrase, "better late than never," could mean  
something.

Right?

The president explained how America was the leader in certain fights,  
(other
than the aggressive ones), such as combating disease, enemies to the  
state, and
global poverty. But what made me livid beyond belief was his
more-than-confident statement that "America is leading the fight  
against global
hunger."

After hearing this, my view of his close-mindedness was solidified.

There are Third-world countries strewn across four continents that  
are not only
impoverished, but enduring famine at this very moment. Unfortunately  
for Mr.
Bush and whoever has stuck around to advise him for one more year,  
(one year
from last Tuesday he will be leaving Pennsylvania Avenue), his idea  
of famine
is Africa.

And the latest article I read on a country enduring incomprehensible  
famine
came not from that continent, but rather from the same hemisphere we  
share.

In Haiti, the famine has become so dire that poor residents in the  
island
country's capital of Port-Au-Prince has resorted to mud -- yes wet  
dirt -- to
eat on a daily basis for survival.

No one can afford the daily price of rice, which has increased to an
unattainable price for these people.

The people take a type of yellow dirt that is found in the country  
and make
cookies from it when it is sun-dried on their roofs.

Many remedy their starvation this way three times a day.

The sudden and, in this case, devastating, increased price in oil,  
fertilizer,
and costs of irrigation have caused fatal food shortages and price  
hikes -- so
the only other ingredients these mud cookies have are small amounts  
of salt and
shortening.

According to the Associated Press, 80 percent of Haitians live off of  
two
dollars a day, making it one of the most impoverished in the world.

If you say, Mr. President, that "America is leading the fight against  
global
poverty," why is it that such a tiny island-nation like Haiti is in  
so much
pain and disarray?

Do not lie or mislead if you cannot acknowledge a problem so close to  
the
United States.

The situation Haiti is facing is beyond appalling.

It is inexcusable on the part of this administration and the  
president, who
boasted that the United States is the source of more that half of the  
world's
food aid.

It is clear that this aid, which very well may (accurately) be as  
vast as he
states, is not getting to the Haitian people, who must stretch out,  
at most,
those two dollars over the course of the day.

Imagine trying to accomplish that here in the United States.

It isn't like we have never gotten ourselves involved in this country.

We have sent marines into Haiti in the past for -- as usual -- political
reasons, some of which have not worked out in either end's favor in  
the long
run.

This may not be something that we might find militarily or politically
enticing. Human dignity, however, should always transcend political  
agendas.

Action is needed in Haiti and it must be taken now. © Copyright 2008 The
Greyhound