A Bush in Africa
President Bush has embarked on a whirlwind tour of Africa - 5 African countries in 6 days! A few things strike me about this trip. First, how do you visit 5 countries in 6 days? Are you hoping to really visit or just touch down and make a point? For instance, if I am traveling to England and have a 2 hour layover in, say, Paris, have I visited Paris?
Secondly, he has waited till the end of his tenure to visit a continent that has been ravaged by genocide and war. When asked by a Tanzanian reporter why he has waited this long, Bush said he had no excuses except for the fact that he has been a “pretty busy guy.” Most reports I have read comment on the fact that Bush is probably trying to use this trip to improve his legacy as a compassionate president. After all, he has given millions of dollars in aid to some African countries to fight HIV/AIDS. I certainly applaud this. However, all I can see as a counter to this point is Darfur.
With the hundreds of thousands who have died and been displaced in Sudan, President Bush has grappled with his responsibility - first as to whether it actually was genocide, and now on how to handle China, a country that does healthy business with the suspect government of Sudan. Many international organizations and individuals are questioning China about their friendship with the Sudanese government. For example, Steven Spielberg has resigned as an adviser to the Beijing Olympics because of China’s involvement with Sudan. Bush said he would not boycott the Olympics in China because he views the Olympics as a “sporting event.” How compassionate is he, really?
The third aspect of this trip that has made me ponder is the fact that in Benin where, according to the BBC, he stopped over just long enough to refuel Air Force One and hug the president, he was awarded a medal - the highest honor in the land. What? The president of Benin and Tanzania have showered Bush with praise, saying they hope that the next president is as good as Bush has been. This reminds me of the imbalance of power in the world today. Would Bush receive and award any of these presidents in the same manner that he is being treated on his visit? I doubt it.
Bush in Africa reminds me a little bit of Michael Jackson in Africa in 1992 when he was treated like a returning prince and given an honorary kingship. Yet there were reports of him covering his nose when he was walking through the hundreds of adoring African fans. These visits remind me of a famous line from George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”: “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
I think that we must stop looking toward what the europeans and those of european descent are doing. Once we figure out what and how we were living before their invasions and cruel genocidal instincts, then we can return to the essence of ourselves. And, in turn, balance can begin restoring itself.
Well… first let’s discuss the issue of visiting 5 countires in six days….. no… he didn’t visit. Using the word visit would be giving too much credit to him. What he did was drive by… or better yet a “fly” by. And we must have some compassion… he has been a busy guy… those puzzles and toy train sets aren’t going to build themselves!!! As far as boycotting the Olympics, despite the olympics being a “sporting” event, it clearly has underlying politics involved. We all recall Adolf Hitler’s refusal to shake the hand of both Cornelius Johnson and Jesse Owens after they won Gold medals at the Berlin Olympics because of his political and racial beleifs…. so the olympics are much more than just some “athletic meeting”. In the end.. it’s all about image… do we ever really know how politicians truly feel about issues or if they are ever genuinely sincere with their actions?
I am not suprised that Bush waited until the end of his tenure to make a trip to Africa.
My opinion is that he is just trying to look even better before he leaves office.
I have never really payed attention to the president’s in the past, but as I am becoming older I find it improtant that there is someone in office that will help my future.
As far as visiting 5 countires in 6 days, there is no way. I agree with others he probalbly just flew over those countries.
I agree with what the other students have said about bush visiting 5 countries in 6 days. He defiantly didn’t stop and really touch on matters of the 5 countries. That would take more than just flying by or stopping for a half hour or so. You would need to be there to observe for yourself. I could see spending 6 days in 1 country, now that would have more of an impact on the Present and the people of the country. I think he has made a lot of mistakes as the President, and now he is trying to show that he is a compassionate President. It is great that he has given aid to help fight HIV/AIDs but that doesn’t make up for the fact that he has be lacking in so many other areas of his presidency.
I feel as if the black community have been over run by a stuggle of power and greed no body is willing to make change if they do make change then most people in the black community labels the person as being different I beleave we are selfs are scared of different and change
How amusing, Bush in Africa what a joke, I feel as if he’s trying to go out with a bang. It’s like he wants people to think he’s a saint and forget about all of the mistakes he’s made as a leader. Well Mr. President we will never forget how you have managed to turn this country upside down; going to Africa and pretending like you care doesn’t justify your previous actions. How do you visit five countries in six days and still have the trip mean something. This trip is proof that he is intimidated by Africans which is the reason why he wants to leave A.S.A.P I bet if it were a European country he’d stay longer. I’ll give him a cookie for the aid to some African countries for HIV, but I have a theory that the only reason he did it is because it’s the thing to do. Most celebrities are giving aid to Africa right now so how does it look if the people are helping and not the president. Oh and as far as Bush not boycotting the Olympics, it’s not a surprise it’s a typical action by him that we should all be used to by now. The fact that the Tanzanian and Benin presidents showered him with gifts and said that they hope the next president is like him upsets me a bit. Either they have not been paying close attention to our country or they really believe that he did a good job and I think that it’s alarming that someone observing from the outside sees him as a good president, what a thought. Well I am very relieved that this is his last year I think that it is a blessing and I hope our next president will show him how to run a country successfully.