Filed under: africa, global justice, politics | Tags: africa, drinking water, ghana, mccain, obama, peace corps, poverty, togo, world
You’ve heard–and like me, probably appalled–by the statistics like this: one billion people survive on less than a dollar a day. When I was travelling in Ghana and Togo this summer, I was amazed at the absence of the most basic necessities: clean drinking water, functional roads, even availability of toilet paper.
I’ve been listening and learning about the candidates’ policies on foreign policy, and so often it focuses solely on economic sanctions, the Middle East, and Russia. These issues deserve their attention and my own understanding of their positions. But how often do we learn about Obama and McCain’s policy on fighting the incredible poverty that plagues the world’s poorest nations?
This is the method my friend JT and his villagers used to obtain drinking water in Togo. Fortunately, for us, the U.S. government--through the Peace Corps--provided a simple water filter in which we added two drops of bleach (yes, bleach) to the river water we drank.
If you care about the health of other nations in addition to our own, take a look at this chart detailing Obama and McCain’s policies on fighting global poverty. It breaks down, in a visual way, the basic differences between the candidate’s positions on helping other nations. As the world’s strongest economy (I know this seems like an oxymoron), we have the responsibility to help other nations.
Obama cites statistics like the cost to get all children into elementary school: one billion dollars. He backs this up with a commitment: “I will invest at least $2 billion in a Global Education Fund.” McCain, however, evades a concrete contribution. He sets down a vague policy (or non-existent policy) that says: “This is why we all should agree that a quality education is the right of every child.”
I don’t want to become didactic or to proselytize. Yet it seems so easy for us as Americans–yes, real Americans–to take on the challenge of eradicating these horrible sanitary, educational, and health conditions. I’m not shy to echo Senator Obama and say it’s good to spread the wealth around.
Filed under: politics | Tags: ayers, fake america, jon stewart, mccain, obama, olberman, olbermann, palin, real america
Keith Olbermann is unrepentant in his political views. Whether you agree with him or not, he supports his bold statements with evidence and reason. About the divisiveness of McCain’s campaign: the McCain staff is “taking a crack in a dam” and “burrowing into it.”
This video of McCain-Palin supporters at a rally in Strongstown, Ohio, highlights the “mob rule” that Olbermann refers to.
Okay, it might be argued that Senator McCain and Governor Palin can not be held responsible for the erroneous, small-minded views of their supporters. But they are certainly capable–and responsible–for their own spokespeople, television ads, and stump speeches.
Examples of the divisive McCain campaign:
- Nancy Pfotenhauer, a McCain Senior Policy Advisor: Let’s discuss the “real Virginia”–not the fake Northern Virginia in which those darn democrats from D.C. reside. The “real Virginia” is “more Southern in nature.”
- McCain TV ad: Obama is “too risky for America.” Message: Obama is a terrorist and hides the truth, because of his relationship with Bill Ayers.
- Gov. Sarah Palin herself speaks about the “real America”: It’s wonderful to visit “the small little towns..the wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America” who are “very patriotic, very pro America areas”
As Olbermann puts it, the McCain campaign has created an “us and them, the pro and the anti” areas and citizens of the United States of America. Personally, I hope that I’m not reduced to choosing an “either-or” model of national identity.
Do you belong to the real or fake America?
The inimitable Jon Stewart did a great mockumentary about the real and the fake America.
