Our president, yesterday:
Q Thank you, Mr. President. Prime Minister Blair has been pushing for wealthy nations to double aid to Africa. With American aid levels among the lowest in the G8 as per portion of national income, and the problems on the continent so dire, why isn’t doubling U.S. aid a good idea?
PRESIDENT BUSH: [. . .] Now, in terms of whether or not the formula that you commented upon are the right way to analyze the United States commitment to her, I don’t think it is. I mean, I don’t think — there’s a lot of things that aren’t counted in our desire to spread compassion. But our country is — has taken the lead in Africa, and we’ll stay there. It’s the right thing to do. It’s important to help Africa get on her feet.
Yes indeed. We so much want to load up American air tankers with compassion and bombard all Africa with it. Let compassion flow across the plains of Sudan!
Really, how is Bush’s talk of spreading compassion all that different than Clinton’s “feel your pain” line that was endlessly blasted by rightists thereafter?