Remember Obama’s brother in poverty? Govt's problem

Obama’s half-brother, George, lives on a dollar a month. But it isn’t Obama’s fault. He did everything he could to correct the situation.

On December 7, 2007, Obama introduced S. 2433 with the preamble: To require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.

The bill never left committee.

The first “Finding” by the Congress reads: (1) More than 1,000,000,000 people worldwide live on less than $1 per day, and another 1,600,000,000 people struggle to survive on less than $2 per day, according to the World Bank.

To that, I would add: , and at least one person that lives on about three cents a day.

The components of the bill follow. As I read them, I couldn’t help but think of what we learn about Obama:

It isn’t the people’s place to solve anything – even if the aggrieved are in your own family. That’s the role of government. Only government can solve problems.

That, I suggest, is the fundamental flaw in his philosophy.

The case is made in Component (7), which is precisely where his half-brother George resides – the one Obama met with twice before the press found him, the one Obama did not help either time. It reads, in part: achieving significant improvement in the lives of at least 100,000,000 slum dwellers.

“Hey, Barry, little help, my brother?”

“Don’t you worry, George, help is on the way. If only Bush would get this thing out of committee. Somehow, someway, we’ll take care of you.”

(c) Components- The strategy required by subsection (a) should include the following components:
(1) Continued investment or involvement in existing United States initiatives related to international poverty reduction, such as the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7601 et seq.), the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), and trade preference programs for developing countries, such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.).
(2) Improving the effectiveness of development assistance and making available additional overall United States assistance levels as appropriate.
(3) Enhancing and expanding debt relief as appropriate.
(4) Leveraging United States trade policy where possible to enhance economic development prospects for developing countries.
(5) Coordinating efforts and working in cooperation with developed and developing countries, international organizations, and international financial institutions.
(6) Mobilizing and leveraging the participation of businesses, United States and international nongovernmental organizations, civil society, and public-private partnerships.
(7) Coordinating the goal of poverty reduction [Struck out->]with other development goals, such as combating the spread of preventable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, increasing access to potable water and basic sanitation, reducing hunger and malnutrition, and improving access to and quality of education at all levels regardless of gender.[<-Struck out] with the other internationally recognized Millennium Development Goals, including eradicating extreme hunger and reducing hunger and malnutrition, achieving universal education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating the spread of preventable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, increasing access to potable water and basic sanitation, ensuring environmental sustainability, and achieving significant improvement in the lives of at least 100,000,000 slum dwellers.
(8) Integrating principles of sustainable development and entrepreneurship into policies and programs.