Nobody Got Elected By Embracing Concept of Giving Money to Foreigners – John L. Smith
By JOHN L. SMITH
Las Vegas Review-Journal
January 15, 2008
The impressive assembly at last week’s Impact ’08 in Nevada luncheon at the World Market Center was exceeded only by the lofty goals of the representatives of the Center for U.S. Global Engagement. It was hard not to be moved by the cooperative spirit of the coalition of business executives, nongovernmental organizations and community leaders who recognize the importance of protecting our national security while building economic prosperity and strengthening humanitarian values through what is in essence strategically distributed foreign aid. Divergent political views were put on hold as liberals and conservatives broke bread and expressed common sentiments about the need to improve our nation’s image in the world.
As I listened recently to former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge extol the virtues and importance of building a better, safer world through global engagement and real moral leadership, I found myself wondering about two things: First, there was no direct mention of President George W. Bush and his B-movie cowboy approach to complex world affairs. Ironically enough, for as disengaged as Bush has been in so many areas, his focus on battling AIDS in Africa might end up as one of the brightest points of his presidential legacy. Second, at a time when the American public is focused on rising prices at the gas pump and a deepening of the housing mortgage crisis, they might not take kindly to presidential candidates who are willing to promote the high-minded concept of increasing foreign aid in order to improve our moral standing, open doors for business and make us a safer nation.
