I'm glad to hear about McCain's interest in aid to developing nations to help alleviate poverty.
China is a good example. ABC had a special last night on China, its growing power and why we should care. The nation is helping to develop Cambodia so much so that the kids in the region are all learning Chinese.
The question is who could actually get it done, given that most Americans could care less. A CBS poll out this week shows that Americans don't see the connection between foreign policy and our own economy. Of course, the question is loaded:
In fact, with the global economy, domestic and foreign issues are one and the same. That's what I appreciate most about Obama. He sees the big picture, how everything is connected.
CBS In general, domestic concerns -- not foreign policy issues -- are on the minds of most voters. 77% say the next president should focus on domestic issues over foreign policy issues.
WHAT SHOULD THE NEXT PRESIDENT FOCUS ON MORE?
(Among registered voters)
Domestic issues 77%
Foreign policy issues 8
Both (vol.) 12
In fact, with the global economy, domestic and foreign issues are one and the same. That's what I appreciate most about Obama. He sees the big picture, how everything is connected.
NPR: Every so often at town hall meetings on the campaign trail, Republican John McCain calls on people from a grassroots organization known as the ONE campaign. They ask him what he'll do to help poor nations fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and illiteracy. McCain has said he sees foreign assistance as a key factor in securing America.
"It really needs to eliminate many of the breeding grounds for extremism, which is poverty, which is HIV/AIDS, which is all of these terrible conditions that make people totally dissatisfied and then look to extremism, particularly Islamic extremism," he told a town hall meeting in New Hampshire last month.
At a speech in Washington this summer, Democrat Barack Obama also spoke about development aid as a strategic imperative for the U.S. in today's world.
"I know development assistance is not the most popular of programs, but as president, I will make the case to the American people that it can be our best investment in increasing the common security of the entire world and increasing our own security," he said. "That's why I will double our foreign assistance to $50 billion by 2012 and use it to support a stable future in failing states and sustainable growth in Africa, to halve global poverty and to roll back disease."
