I had earlier done a post on why the President declined foreign aid when people were dying.
Today, he not surprisingly declined another offer. from Cuba.
However, as the article says, Despite Bush administration assurances that international aid offers will be kept free of politics, Cold War tensions seem to be freezing out help from Cuba.
Empty words, apparently.
Now I have no great love for the regime of Mr. Castro, and there is no question that he is a despot whose death won't be mourned by a great many people. However, a doctor is a doctor, and aid is aid, and it is very presumptuous of President Bush, who took several days to make up his mind about aid from even friendly countries, to turn down any aid. Heck, if they don't want the doctor cited in the article in the disaster region, then send him here-- like most rural areas, we are chronically short of doctors here (I even know some people on the reservation who go the medicine men instead of doctors-- not because of some deeply held faith, but simply because they can get in to see the medicine man and the doctors are booked up for weeks or months in advance).
This is clearly another example how most of America is still mired in Cold War mentality. It's profitable to have them fearful. Also, there is an underlying bias (dare I call it racism?) to this decision by Bush. Ask the average American if they would want to be treated by a Cuban doctor, and they would probably decline, for fear of recieving substandard care. Lastly, while in the advanced stages of many ailments, Western medicine is capable, my contention that many "rural" folks might benefit from a visit to a medicine man who may brew a tea to treat their ailment, say, instead of throwing antibiotics at it first.
ReplyDeleteBush is still hoping to invade some day I think.
ReplyDeleteMack:
ReplyDeleteThere are some very good medicine men. But it is tragic that people should be going to them because they CAN'T get in to see a doctor.
And, if you are not a Navajo, then it is hard to get in even to see the medicine man and the doctors here are overworked.
Dorsano:
Maybe, although he has taken the most powerful military machine in the history of the world and squandered it, so he probably can't invade right now even if he wants to.