Does Bush deserve a prize for his Africa achievements?

Posted By Prerna Mankad Monday, February 25, 2008 - 2:21 PM Share

JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

Although President Bush's achievements in fighting poverty and disease in Africa have been lauded by popstar and social activist Bob Geldof as well as many Africans during Bush's recent tour of the continent, Brookings senior fellow Homi Kharas offers a "reality check" on U.S. aid to Africa under Bush. Kharas points out:

U.S. economic aid to sub-Saharan Africa increased from $2.1 billion to $5.4 billion between 2000 and 2005. But EU countries gave $21.9 billion to Africa in 2006, and the United Kindgom alone gave $5.2 billion -- with an economy one-sixth of the size of the U.S. economy.
$1.3 billion in U.S. aid to Africa was in the form of food aid, which Kharas describes as "a form of assistance which is so questionable in terms of its impact on development that several large U.S. charities, including CARE, have stopped dealing with it."
The United States' economic assistance to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2006 (and this isn't even touching upon the enormous military expenditures on this region) was more than $6 billion, which is more than what was given to all 45 sub-Saharan African countries combined.

Kharas concludes:

So while we should celebrate the U.S. contributions to Africa, we should also keep in mind the fact that it is Europe, not the United States, that is leading the international fight against African poverty."

EXPLORE:AFRICA, BUSH ADMINISTRATION, DEVELOPMENT, U.S. FOREIGN POLICY

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BGWYNNE

3:30 PM ET

February 25, 2008

While I certainly do not

While I certainly do not approve of Bush, I donâ€™t know why this was spun to criticize him. He isnâ€™t to blame for the amount of money we contribute to other countryâ€™s which falls short in comparison to per capita contributions from other western-industrialized nations. This has always been the case and will be regardless of who becomes President this year.

Itâ€™s not like Bush is continuously lauding himself as being a savior in Africa. Give the guy a break.

APROPO

5:13 PM ET

February 25, 2008

I am not so quick to laud

I am not so quick to laud Europe for "leading" the fight to eradicate poverty in Africa simply because they give a lot of corrupt governments more money than the United States. Bottom line, the "leaders" of foreign assistance have done a terrible job and caused great damage through their large, overreaching hand. Africa has benefited from a new market-oriented approach to foreign aid, which could be ascribed to the US, or at the very least, products of its capitalist system.

SAMUELWU

11:51 PM ET

February 25, 2008

Questionable comparison

It must be noted that European states have vested interests in African affairs, after all, they hold a long history of colonization in Africa. Also, as history shows, money alone will not end poverty in Africa, but instead, it will create an unhealthy dependence on foreign which stifles innovation, entrepreneurship and market-oriented approaches to economic development.

WALTONR

10:20 PM ET

February 26, 2008

Europe Has the Greater Obligation to Assist African Development

The Treaty of Berlin placed approximately 90% of Africa under European control by the end of the 19th century. I can recall no US territorial acquisitions there.

IMHO, it is fitting and just that Africa's former colonizers/exploiters assist her current development by paying the lion's share of its cost.

ACADEMICO

2:59 PM ET

March 3, 2008

Africa fatigue

Same old, same old. In the mid-90s, a series of British TV programs (on Channel 4) wanted to combat the notion that Africa = civil wars + famine + AIDS + corruption. It did not work out, stories seemed to circle round the same equation and the program was shelved. Today we can add to that equation, extremism (Somalia, Algeria, etc).

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