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More Policy Dissertation
2003-08-15 - 2:07 a.m.


before/after
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So, it seems that my prediction about a US interdiction of peacekeepers in Liberia has come true. 

The sad thing is that this is a situation where the US could have burnished its reputation in the world.  GWB, in an ironic move, by maintaining his aggressive foreign policy, could have hit a home run.  Picture throngs of jubilant citizens, greeting our soldiers, waving our colors in celebration, rather than burning them.

But, like I said, no money in it for his administration.  Furthurmore, Ugandan peacekeepers will be the main force of the mission, which is a rather bad idea.  Uganda does get a bum rap from time to time, genocide notwithstanding (AIDS rate of about 5% or so/ high infant mortality/ approx 6 children per woman/ average life expectancy 44yrs/ gnp 31 billion/ per capita gdp1260$/ 35% below poverty line/pop 25 million, size smaller than oregon)but they're just plain terrible peacekeepers.  The reason can be summed up in one word:  looting.  They tend to take whatever is not bolted down back to Uganda.

Perhaps the upside is that there's not a whole lot left in Liberia to take, being on the brink of bleakest poverty due to a succession of wars and insurgencies that have plagued the area.

Regardless, a great non-victory for the Bush administration.  People could have been helped.  Now through tepidity of action, the whole situation has a higher degree of likli-hood of devolving into a cluster-fuck. 

Prediction:  within the next 12 months, Uganda will recieve a massive debt relief from the IMF and/or a foreign aid package from the US that will total not less than one billion dollars.

And nobody says dick about things like this.  Money changes hands, people die, the wheel keeps on spinning.

Why?


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