Bringing LIBERTY to Capitol Hill -- 2008
OZARKS VIRTUAL TOWN HALL
Saturday Morning, June 2, 2007, 10:30am

A Discussion of The President's Saturday Morning Radio Address

Notes and Summary of the Broadcast: G-8 Meeting: Africa

The President's Address	A Libertarian Response
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Next week, I will travel to Europe to attend the G8 summit. At this meeting, the leaders of industrialized nations will discuss ways we can work together to advance trade, fight disease, promote development that works, increase access to education, and address the long-term challenge of global climate change.	Why do the leaders of the other seven "G-8" countries have power to determine how U.S. tax dollars will be spent? They can't even assure us that their programs will work. And the history of government programs is one of unmitigated failure.
It is in America's interests to help these efforts succeed. When we help lift societies out of poverty, we create new markets for American goods and new jobs for American workers. When we help reduce chaos and suffering, we make America safer, because prosperous nations are less likely to breed violence and export terror. And this week, my Administration took several important steps to advance peace and opportunity across the world.	It is a fallacy to believe that injections of government aid will civilize the uncivilized. Osama bin Laden is one of the wealthiest individuals on earth. Iran is able to hire hundreds of scientists and build sophisticated nuclear research facilities only because it is prosperous (largely because of trade with the West). Being "prosperous" has enabled these terrorist groups to manufacture and export terrorism.
On Tuesday, America took new actions to address the ongoing genocide in Darfur. On my orders, the Department of Treasury tightened our existing economic sanctions against Sudan and imposed additional ones. I also directed Secretary Rice to work with our allies on a new U.N. Security Council Resolution that will seek to impose new sanctions, expand the arms embargo, and prohibit Sudan's government from conducting offensive military flights over this troubled region. The people of Darfur have suffered long enough. We will not avert our eyes from a crisis that challenges the conscience of the world.	It is a good thing for the federal government to stop investing in corporations in Darfur that are tools of government repression. It would be a good thing for the federal government to end all investment, period. The government simply doesn't have as much knowledge as millions of Americans do. It became common during the Clinton Administration to speak of government spending as an "investment." Congress might therefore attach the following to each spending bill: By voting for this legislation I hereby affirm my belief that the information and knowledge possessed by me and 434 other Congressman-"investors" is greater than the collective knowledge and information possessed by a Free Market of 150 million individual investors, pension fund managers, insurance company executives, mutual fund administrators, and brokers, all of whom do not have the luxury of obtaining investment funds by passing a law, but must earn their investment dollars.
On Wednesday, the United States demonstrated leadership on another crisis affecting Africa: HIV/AIDS. In 2003, my Administration launched a $15 billion Emergency Plan for AIDS relief, and that plan has supported treatment for more than one million people. This is a good start, but only a start. So I've asked Congress to double our initial commitment for HIV/AIDS prevention to $30 billion over the next five years. By making this commitment now, we will help deliver lifesaving treatment, prevent new infections, and support care for millions of people across Africa.	Can the government hope to stop AIDS when a male AIDS carrier is having sex with hundreds of women (and/or men)(and/or animals)? No. The two countries that have been successful in significantly reducing their HIV/AIDS rate, Uganda and Zambia, have focused on behavior change rather than condom use. The Uganda policy hinged on “communication, behavior change and care,” and resulted in a reduction of sexual partners. Zambia’s success is attributed to the fact that the people there changed their behaviors: reducing the number of sexual partners, increasing the numbers of youth who abstain and raising the average age of the onset of sexual activity. Daniel Low-Beer et al, “Behavior and communication change in reducing HIV: is Uganda unique?” African Journal of AIDS Research, 2003, 2(1): 9-21, 9. Should government divert money away from private and religious AIDS relief efforts which have proven successful into government programs which continue to fail? Addressing the African AIDS Crisis More on AIDS.
As we fight violence and disease, America is also using its influence to help struggling countries transform themselves into free and hopeful societies. And on Thursday, I announced three new initiatives that will help the developing world.
The first initiative is a new project called the Africa Financial Sector Initiative. This initiative will help bring African nations the technical assistance they need to strengthen their financial markets. And it will encourage the international financial community to create several new private equity funds that will mobilize up to $1 billion of new private investment in Africa. By taking these steps, we can help African entrepreneurs access capital, so they can grow their businesses and create jobs across the continent.	Capital is needed to raise the standard of living of millions in Africa. If farmer have tractors they can produce more, which will lower prices and make food more accessible. Nobody wants to invest billions of dollars in Africa for needed capital -- and Africa cannot develop capital on its own, like the United States did -- because the African continent is staggering under a load of political instability, moral chaos, envy, Marxism, and "false religion." These are ideological barriers to financial and industrial capital. Bush's initiative will fail.
The second initiative is a new effort to help more of the world's poorest children get an education. In 2002, my Administration launched the Africa Education Initiative, which has provided about $300 million to improve educational opportunities throughout that continent. Now, with the support of Congress, we will devote an additional $525 million over the next five years to help provide a quality basic education for up to four million children in poor nations. With this initiative, we will help young people get the skills they need to succeed and a chance to achieve their dreams.	Government money for education means government money for education departments. Africa does not need a government "Department of Education," it needs educators. Africa needs "social overhead capital," which is necessary for industrial development. More on Education
The third initiative is a proposal to help developing nations meet their growing energy needs while protecting the environment and addressing the challenge of global climate change. Under my proposal, by the end of next year America and other nations will set a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases. And to meet this goal, we must help developing countries harness the power of technology. The United States is investing billions of dollars in clean energy technologies and coming up with new ways to share these technologies with other nations. Through the spirit of innovation, we will help developing nations grow their economies and be responsible stewards of the environment.	Africa needs to produce more energy to run factories, cars, technology, hospitals, and everything else that makes up industrial civilization. Right now, Africa depends on America to consume energy by using tractors to plow fields and grow enough food for America and a billion other people. The only kind of energy that can sustain this level of productivity emits "greenhouse gases." Global Warming alarmists believe that this energy consumption causes global warming. They want it to stop. Bush is caught between the obvious need to produce more energy to end poverty and the desire of environmentalists to destroy energy consumption and return us all to poverty ("sustainable lifestyles"). More on energy More on Global Warming
In all these endeavors, the American people can be proud of our global leadership and generosity. Our Nation is delivering aid and comfort to those in need. We're helping expand opportunity across the world. We're laying the foundation for a more peaceful and hopeful future for all our citizens.	"Our nation" is not solving problems, the federal government is - or is attempting to, and failing. The American people -- organized voluntarily according the principles of the Free Market -- accomplish more good than federal government programs -- and at a lower cost. The government is not America. The government is not "our Nation" (capital "N"). The real government is "We the People."
Thank you for listening.

A New Era of Christian Persecution by Patrick J. Buchanan

Foreign Aid Undermines African Democracy and Economic Reform
Case of Uganda demonstrates the unintended consequences of Western help
Cato News Release - July 12, 2006

What Should America Do For Africa? by Rep. Ron Paul

The Answer for Africa - How Liberty is working in Somalia

Social Order: Morality or Socialism? Why "Liberty Under God" brings nations out of poverty better than government aid, government regulations, government bureaucracies, and fund-raising rock concerts.

Gary North: Social Overhead Capital -- Intensive Service - Why moral capital is more important than government-funded capital.

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The Democrat Party Radio Address: Global Warming

• Massachusetts Congressman Ed Markey says "Scientists agree" on the fact, cause, and solution for global warming.

A Libertarian Response to Democrats:

• There are some scientists who do not believe the earth's climate is warming.
• Some would agree that it was warming decades ago, but more recent evidence suggests we have now entered a cooling trend.
• Others agree that it is warming, but believe that global warming is good; it used to be called "the greenhouse effect" because Global Warming Produced a Greener, More Fruitful Planet. It did not and will not result in catastrophe. Neil Frank, the former director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center, says that there is no statistically significant correlation between global average temperature and hurricane frequency or intensity.
• There are many scientists who do not believe that global warming is caused by industrialized civilization or human technology.
• There are many, many scientists who do not believe that government rules forcing us to cut energy use will stop global warming, (even if it really is occurring). In fact, it is difficult to find a single scientist who would agree that if we cut our greenhouse gas emissions by 80% (imagine being allowed to drive your car only on Thursdays) we would effectively stop global warming.
• Libertarians would never vote for massive government regulation which would not even solve the problem it purports to solve.
• Libertarians would never vote for massive government regulation which would destroy industrial civilization and plunge the world into poverty and still not solve "global warming" (assuming it really does exist).
• Global Warming - Kevin Craig's Campaign Platform

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