Bush/Blair News Conference Today

[patricia]

President Bush and Prime Minister Blair will be holding a news conference to announce, among other things, proposed aid to Africa.
The word here, from our correspondants in Washington, is that although the U.S. will be offering millions of dollars in aid, that amount will be balanced by a reduction, dollar-for-dollar in aid in the future. Also, the money is not going to be used to actually assist the displaced people, millions of them, but to set up administrative bodies to decide what to do, a beurocracy, it appears.
So, it seems to be a loan, rather than actual humanitarian help to set up administrative bodies, rather than what Blair is asking for, which is direct help to those who are dying, daily.
It will be interesting to hear how Bush and Blair frame the discussion they had to make it appear positive.
The best buddy relationship between President Bush and Prime Minister Blair seems to have cooled visibly since Blair declared his country's support of the Iraq war, sending British troops there. It appears that whatever Blair thought he would gain by supporting his friend Bush has not come to pass.
Blair, in order to rehabilitate himself at home hoped to collect some of his lost political capitol, but isn't doing all that famously.

[Gary Sisco]

Could I get any more excited?

[patricia]

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

Could I get any more excited?

You're probably as excited as I am.
Considering the positive spin that is being put on their talks, I find it interesting that Blair doesn't appear to be getting anything from Bush anymore. It seems to me that the original motivation for Blair's support of Bush's rush to war in Iraq was a trade dispute regarding high tariffs on British steel and other exports which Blair was given the impression by Bush would be either eased, or lifted. That hasn't happened and the distance between them, now that Bush has gotten the support he wanted is widening. In another context, the term "CAD " would be appllied. Blair is in a similar position to that which a jilted lover would be. It's sad really.
It will be facinating to see how Blair puts a positive frame around the fact that he will be gaining nothing from his cozying up to his friend George W. Bush.
As the saying goes, with friends like Bush, one needs no enemies.

[Coda]

How is this a loan?

[patricia]

Originally Posted by Coda

How is this a loan?

It's not, in the strictest sense, but because aid will be reduced to those to whom it is given, dollar-for-dollar, apart from being charged interest, it might as well be. IMO and in the opinion of Henry Champ, who is our guy in Washington, who has a transcript of the speech Bush will be delivering, it's a case of the Lord giveth, then the Lord taketh away. So, it's not crisis aid in the way that I understand crisis aid, but more comparable to an overdraft, to be paid back, over time, although there was not mention of any interest being applied.
Sorry for the confusion.