"I happen to believe in the people and believe that the people are supposed to be dominant in our society. That they, not government, are to have control of their own affairs to the greatest extent possible with an orderly society." - Ronald Reagan

More of this, please.

Posted: July 11th, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: International | No Comments »

I just read Obama’s speech and his interview with allAfrica. Bravo.

I have been generally underwhelmed by his past speeches; I found his race speech craven and self-serving, and his inauguration speech far too littered with petty barbs toward his predecessor. The tone and tenor the President strikes here is spot on, though – clear advocacy of western values and a focus on self-determination and individual responsibility.

Surprisingly I found much to agree with in terms of policy. His remarks to the effect that the purpose of aid must be “creating the conditions where it’s no longer needed” even put me in mind of Reagan speaking on welfare policy, and focusing on investment over aid is just plain smart.

I was also pleased to see him acknowledge Bush, if only for one aspect of his efforts in Africa. Sadly few seem to be aware of that aspect of his legacy, much less praise him for it.



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