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Jewish World Review Nov. 14, 2005 / 12 Mar-Cheshvan, 5766 ‘Uno, dos, tres, catorce ...’ By Debra J. Saunders
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
On Tuesday, I met one of the sharpest politicians I've ever
encountered — U2's Bono, probably the first Irish rock star to meet with
The San Francisco Chronicle's editorial board.
Bono shows what one man can do if he's willing to work with
people who aren't his partisan allies. He doesn't hide the fact that he
lives on the left side of the political spectrum. Still, he has managed to
work with the most conservative Republicans by searching for common ground
in his fight to end "extreme poverty" and disease in Africa. Having worked
across the aisle, Bono has saved more lives than he could have by working
with the left alone.
Former Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., credited Bono for turning him
into an international AIDS activist. Helms had condemned foreign-aid
programs as "rat holes," but after Bono appealed to Helms' Christian values,
the senator proposed a $500 million increase in U.S. global AIDS funding.
A recent New York Times magazine profile notes that when Bono
decided to bone up on the problems of African debt — and spearhead an
effort to push American pols to cancel debt repayment — he was tutored by a
Kennedy, Bobby Shriver. But Bono didn't stop there. He asked for a meeting
with an academic who opposed debt cancellation.
Bono has criticized President Bush when he thought the president
was not doing enough. But he also gives Dubya credit for the
administration's large increases in foreign aid — which many other leftists
don't want to do. In fact, Bono told The Chronicle, "I think I'm a pretty
good judge of character," and as for President Bush, with whom he recently
had lunch at the White House, "I really believe he has this (helping and
healing Africa's poor) in his mind and heart."
Bono noted that because of a Bush push, 250,000 Africans are
using the antiretroviral drugs now, when zero Africans were using them a
year before. "It is an amazing thing he's pulled off. Three years ago,
people would laugh openly, in your face, at the idea that we could work with
the (Bush) administration on this stuff."
Overall, the Bush administration has trebled American aid for
Africa. That's big. Bono is the guiding light for The One Campaign to Make
Poverty History (www.one.org), with its goal of pressuring Congress to
dedicate 1 percent of the federal budget to improve life in the poorest
nations. He helps his cause with his practical approach. While the — all
bow — international community has blasted the Bush approach to dispensing
aid, One's website notes, "Approaches like America's Millennium Challenge,
which directs assistance to honest governments, are the most effective."
He also sees where the policy of requiring African countries to
open their markets has hurt those countries. Consider Ghana: Thanks to free
trade, you can now buy American rice in Ghana. That's not good, as so-called
free trade has destroyed African agriculture. Bono rightly opposes America's
farm subsidies, while noting, "Europe is worse."
Bono also understands that if you want to sell the fight against
world poverty, you get further selling the effort as a great "adventure,"
not "a burden."
So Bono has taken a cue from the right, by setting out to create
an "NRA for the poor." It is his goal to change the face of politics in
Washington so that members of Congress want to broadcast their votes to
boost foreign aid, not downplay them.
National Rifle Association chief lobbyist Chris W. Cox noted
that it took the lobby 135 years to reach 4 million dues-paying members. He
figures that if Bono wants to mirror the NRA, that means he's "pretty
smart."
Smart and effective. In his trademark wraparound sunglasses and
a cowboy hat, he's the John McCain of the left — a man who wants to get
things done, not just beat the other side.
On a recent "Saturday Night Live" episode, comedian Tina Fey
quipped on the show's weekend update: "U2 lead singer Bono met with
President Bush in the White House on Wednesday and urged the president to
help the world's poor. The president urged Bono to get back together with
Cher."
Funny joke, but what Bono and Bush have done together is save
lives.
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Comment JWR contributor Debra J. Saunders's column by clicking here. © 2005, Creators Syndicate |
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