Africa Aid

It looks like Bush is coming around on his position for Africa Aid and offering to increase funding.

Africa is a continent that needs a lot of support from the world's economic powers. It is the globe's biggest source of human suffering. Relief of suffering - helping those who cannot help themselves - is the responsibility of everyone. This is a central Christian value, but it is also a basic human value.

This sounds idealistic and unpractical. It is. But there are many practical justifications as well. The article I linked above has good examples. Providing aid to Africa can be part of the fight against terrorism. It can be part of the quest for oil. It can be a source of new medicines and prevention of new diseases or spreading of existing ones. But even if there were no practical reasons, aid for third world countries is a good thing to do. Such aid could easily become a source of endless spending. But if we can figure out a way to do it right and give it proper attention and priority, it's worth it.