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George Bush and Global Concerns
11.18.2004
On November 2, the people of the United States re-elected Mr George W. Bush for another term of four years. Bush and the Republican Party emerged from a decidedly bitter and passionate contest to claim a mandate that still left the United States and the world divided. As reactions to that victory showed, majority of the people outside the US preferred Bush’s rival, Mr John Kerry of the Democratic Party. Curiously, the reason for which Bush was re-elected also appears to be the factors that raise anxiety about another four years of the Bush White House. He rode the wave against terrorism to victory, but the world, including even members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is sceptical about the focus of the war. There is anxiety about the hardening single-mindedness of the Bush Presidency and the unilateralism of the United States, so willing to disregard the United Nations and the interests and sentiments of other countries. The point today is that there is widespread anxiety over the direction of the United States in the next four years. The world is waiting for a lead from the make-up of the cabinet, which may not emerge until early in January 2005. For now, there is a widespread hope that the United States returns to a pragmatic foreign policy, which will see the country willing to consider the concerns of the rest of the world. Significantly, the European Union (EU), has expressed desire for a re-engagement with the Bush Administration. Subtle hints of change emerged from last week’s summit between President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain. Some world leaders, foreign policy experts and decision makers project that an isolationist US policy will lead to more conflicts, diminished US influence in world affairs, and an escalation of those dangers which the US has elected to fight unilaterally. The possibility of these concerns becoming real depends largely on Bush and the Congress which is now dominated by the Republicans. For us in Africa, the fear of the consequences of US indifference is a lived reality. In the last four years, American involvement in Africa has been very limited. Some have attributed that to the pre-occupation with the war on terror and US withdrawal from peace-keeping roles following the disaster of Somalia in 1995. This immediately means that Africa is of insignificant concern to the present US government. That is a troubling prospect to expect from a government which claims to spread freedom and democracy. The question that naturally arises from that is how the US can secure its interests in a world fractured by so many regional conflicts? Today, most democracies in Africa are under the danger of regressing into dictatorships because of their declining economies. Others are in the grip of ethnic strife. Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Uganda, Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, are few examples. The rest are ravaged by poverty, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, famine, draught, food shortages and plain maladministration. In Africa’s present circumstances, it does not expect the US, a world leader, to turn its back on its desire for development. There is so much that can be achieved through a US re-engagement with Africa. Fortunately, there is a new development focus. Through the New Partnership on Africa Development (NEPAD), African countries are willing to be partners in global development and no longer receivers of aid. We therefore advise that in his second term, the Bush Presidency should incorporate Africa’s development as one of its goals. African countries are also in the league of the heavily-indebted countries. The debt overhange, has continued to hamper development even in countries heavily endowed with resources like Nigeria. One reality of a globalized world is that a problem in one continent impacts on all others. For example, the grim economic situation in Africa has given rise to a new wave of migrations to Europe and America. No country will be willing to discourage its citizens from fleeing to places where inspite of all, there is palpable evidence of affluence. It is acknowledged that one major contributor to the economic despair is the debt burden. The Bush Administration must not only seek partners against terrorism in Africa, it should seek partners in development in Africa. A world divided along the lines of affluence and poverty cannot hold hands against terrorism. Nigeria, Africa and indeed, the rest of the world expect the United States to resume its proper role as a leader in the world. Again, if the US wants to be relevant in the new world, it needs to be led by a leader whom majority of the world respects. The Bush doctrine, which expresses the pursuit of America interests in a supremacist and arrogant way, does not sit well with the world. There is a lot the Bush Presidency can do to change that.
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