On Aids in Africa

Some thoughts from Michael Kelly, at Townhall today.

"President Bush did not until now appear to promise much better than Clinton. His last previous global AIDS proposal was a modest $500 million program aimed solely at the politically safe goal of preventing mothers with AIDS from passing it on to their babies.

But then this: $15 billion, and not just for babies--for vast programs of treatment with the cheap generic drugs, for wide-scale condom distribution. Billions in taxpayers' money. For condoms for Africa. In a recession. In a time of record budget deficits. It is a rare and wonderful thing.

History will very easily be able to judge whether a world led by America stood by and let transpire one of the greatest destructions of human life of all time--or performed one of the greatest rescues of human life of all time. President Bush has opened the door to the latter possibility. The drugs that are, day by day, saving the lives of thousands upon thousands of Americans can do the same for millions upon millions of Africans.

The response to the president's proposal has been faint and largely uncaring. It must become deafening. It must become--from Congress, from conservatives and Republicans, from liberals and Democrats, from the media, from our wealthy European friends, from all of us: Yes, do it. Do more. Up the ante. Make that $15 billion $30 billion. Do it now. Save 10 million lives."

Obviously I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Kelly's assessment.