The Anchoress

Geldof on Bush: “he’s curious and quick.”

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Joel Pett Lexington Herald-Leader Feb 20, 2008 EditorialCartoonists.com

The best read of the day may well be this Time Magazine piece by Bob Geldof, a report of Geldof’s time with President Bush during his recent, and mostly ignored, tour of Africa.

To start with, the reader gets a taste of just how powerfully America has been acting for good in the matter of AIDS in Africa. The numbers are just astonishing.

It was, for example, Bush who initiated the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) with cross-party support led by Senators John Kerry and Bill Frist. In 2003, only 50,000 Africans were on HIV antiretroviral drugs — and they had to pay for their own medicine. Today, 1.3 million are receiving medicines free of charge.
[…]
So why doesn’t America know about this? “I tried to tell them. But the press weren’t much interested,” says Bush. It’s half true. There are always a couple of lines in the State of the Union, but not enough so that anyone noticed, and the press really isn’t interested. For them, like America itself, Africa is a continent of which little is known save the odd horror.

There is some truth to that, but I suspect that the press would be more interested in all of this if only the president had a D after his name, too.

Read the whole article - it is quite enlightening. I was particularly interested in reading the president’s thoughts on the innovative idea of training African nations in conflict resolution:

People in Africa are worried about this new, seemingly military command. I thought it was an inappropriate and knee-jerk U.S. militaristic response to clumsy Chinese mercantilism that could only end in tears for everyone concerned. (And so did many Africans, if the local press was anything to go by.)

“That’s ridiculous,” says Bush. “We’re still working on it. We’re trying to build a humanitarian mission that would train up soldiers for peace and security so that African nations are more capable of dealing with Africa’s conflicts. You agree with that dontcha?” Indeed I do….Trouble is, it sounds to me a lot like what the U.S. did in the early Vietnam years with the advisers who became something else. Mission creep, I think it’s called.

“No, that won’t happen,” Bush insists. “We’re still working on what exactly it’ll be, but it will be a humanitarian mission, training in peace and security, conflict resolution … It’s a new concept and we want to get it right.” He muses for a while on the U.S. and China, and their policies on Africa — Africans are increasingly resentful that the Chinese bring their own labor force and supplies with them. Then, in what I took to be a reference to the supposed Chinese influence over the cynical Khartoum regime, Bush adds, “One thing I will say: Human suffering should preempt commercial interest.”

Geldof has a blind spot on Iraq and I think he should have just engaged the president on the question when he seemed to want to. But I also suspect that the press is so heavily invested in the Iraq narrative they’ve built that had Geldof engaged, TIME would not have printed it anyway.

But I do like that he gives the president serious credit not just for his humanitarian aid to Africa, but for his smarts in general. The press narrative since 1999, has been that Bush is “incurious and slow.” Geldof writes precisely the opposite, noting after a discussion of Africa and trade tariffs, “he’s curious and quick.”

And while in not engaging the president on Iraq is a bit unfair because does not allow rebuttal to Geldof’s own meme’d musings, the Irish rocker does allow Bush to make his case as to the steadiness of his interest in Africa, going back to his debates with Gore.

I suggest that his commitment to Africa has been revolutionary in its interest curve. “That’s not true,” he says. “In my second debate with Al Gore, I came out for debt cancellation and AIDS relief. I called AIDS a genocide. I felt and still do that it was unacceptable to stand by and let a generation be eradicated.”

All in all, yes, this is a very good piece for Bush. And for Geldof, who shows himself to be a passionate and smart fellow who is able to look beyond his ingrained ideologies to give props where due.

I thought his “who will read it to you, Mr. President” remark was so disrespectful - both to Bush and to his office - as to warrant a good smack upside the head, but I credit Geldof with including that passage as a means to juxtapose his own increased respect for Bush by article’s end.

Slightly O/T: Geldof notes in his piece that the rest of the world, while happy to bloviate on issues, rarely takes constructive action on urgent issues, and he writes:

At our hotel in Ghana, the porter carrying my bag said they had thrown out all the other guests because “the President of the World was coming.”

I think perhaps the Ghanese porter was correct. Bush is “the President of the World.” For all his mistakes and weaknesses, I don’t see anyone on the political horizon - here or abroad - who really is ready to step into his shoes internationally. I am seriously hopeful about Bobby Jindal down the road, though.

Welcome Hot Air readers - thanks, Ed Morrissey for the link!. Writing here has been rather Lent-heavy, recently, but today we’re also talking about The Clintonian Conundrum, we’re remembering George Gobel, Dean Martin and Bob Hope on the the Tonight Showand we’re having a little cartoon fun, too!

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12 Responses to “Geldof on Bush: “he’s curious and quick.””

1. Captain's Quarters Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 2:52 pm

   Geldof: The Unexpected Bush…

   Bob Geldof pens an unusual article for Time Magazine today, extolling the intellect and virtues of President George Bush. He starts off by noting — as have we conservatives since early in the administration — that Bush has no talent for marketing. Ge…

2. Hot Air » Blog Archive » Geldof: Bush smarter than people think Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 2:55 pm

   […] The Anchoress notes: But I do like that he gives the president serious credit not just for his humanitarian aid to Africa, but for his smarts in general. The press narrative since 1999, has been that Bush is “incurious and slow.” Geldof writes precisely the opposite, noting after a discussion of Africa and trade tariffs, “he’s curious and quick.” […]

3. Kyle R. Cupp Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 3:38 pm

   To understand another we have to realize that the other is always more than our understanding, more than our constructed narratives by which we understand.

4. NewEnglandDevil Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

   “I thought his “who will read it to you, Mr. President” remark was so disrespectful - both to Bush and to his office…”

   FWIW - I took as good natured banter between two guys who would generally be **thought of** as “less than” in the brains department (even though they clearly aren’t “less than”). Taken in context with President Bush’s directly preceding comments to Mr. Geldof (”Who wrote this for you?”) I think its a wry riposte.

   NED

5. TheAnchoress Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 4:54 pm

   New England, under ordinary circs I would more than agree with you. But this is the POTUS…no matter who the POTUS is, you set a limit to the banter, and I felt Geldof crossed it. Then again - Bush isn’t his president!

6. NewEnglandDevil Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 5:09 pm

   You don’t have to be so formal, you can call me NED

   One of the interesting aspects that I think you’ve focused on in your blogging, and that you see occasionally elsewhere, is the humanness that Pres. Bush exudes. That he is a mensch. That he is real; a real person.

   This is as opposed to Reagan: the icon (or, the Great Communicator); Clinton: the Charlatan; etc.

   You see Pres. Bush engage in this kind of wordplay with nearly everyone. He is self-deprecating and humble. I don’t think it is discouraged, and I think it may even be encouraged by the President that others engage him with that kind of wry, understanding, and understated, humor. That kind of humor is actually saying everything about his critics; it says nothing about the President.

   Food for thought,

   NED

7. Terrye Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 5:50 pm

   I think the people of Africa know what Bush has done for them, or tried to do. Maybe that is all he cares about. I hope history will be kinder to him than the present has been. He deserves better than he has gotten.

8. alice Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 6:59 pm

   Thanks Anchoress, I would not have seen this if not for you. I continue to be a great admirer of Pres. Bush. I’m sure he has made plenty of mistakes, but so do all war time Presidents. I have great admiration for him and his family. There is character there where the previos administration had none. He is comfortable in his own skin. I do wish he could communicate his accomplishments better. Maybe he does need a marketing department.

9. Blue Crab Boulevard » The Unexpected Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 11:39 pm

   […] I found this item over at Memeorandum . But it has been hit by a number of other bloggers today. The Anchoress, Captain's Quarters (and I did not read his post until after I had posted mine - but boy, the […]

10. dmd25 Says:
    February 29th, 2008 at 9:03 am

    I loved reading your insightful analysis of Bob Geldof’s article.

    Have you seen the President’s slideshow about his trip to Africa? It is wonderful–great pictures and terrific commentary by the President (and it isn’t all serious–there are some very funny parts!). Go to the White House website and look at the top right corner “Video Slideshow of the President’s Trip to Africa.”

11. Jean Says:
    March 1st, 2008 at 12:40 pm

    Thanks, Anchoress! As usual, you find an article that I would never find on my own.

    Also, thanks to DMD25 - I had no idea that the White House had a website like that.

12. Right Wing News Says:
    March 2nd, 2008 at 12:12 pm

    Looking Toward The General Election…

    The day of doom is upon Hillary Clinton. Here in Texas, her strength is in doubt. If I’m to believe the local news reports, Obama’s messianic message (not) taps a deep well here and he has solid support in the……