CNN conducted an interview with Microsoft founder Bill Gates in which he said that he hopes President-elect Barack Obama and Congress will "double the United States' commitment to foreign aid."
On his Web site, Obama has pledged to double the United States' annual investment in foreign aid to $50 billion by the end of his first term, with the goal of fully funding debt cancellation for poor nations and fighting AIDS and global poverty.Calling for an economic stimulus package, Gates also said:
In the interview with CNN, Gates said he thinks Obama will live up to that commitment.
"Obviously it's the Congress that gets to actually vote the final decision for how the money is spent, but I do think he will get to that commitment," Gates said. "I am thrilled to be able to see that people are responding to the success stories. Aid from the United States did go up in the last eight years."
"The key point I'd make is that in addition to that stimulus, you've got to fund the kind of scientific work and educational investments that could really have us be a much better country as we emerge from the recession."
Comment: Congratulations to Bill Gates for both his appreciation of the need for more U.S. foreign aid funding, and for his appreciation of the need to invest in the knowledge systems of our country! He did not say, but it is true, that we now spend so little on foreign aid that we could double the amount and not notice the difference. That difference would save millions of lives, and would be an important step in restoring foreign faith in the good intentions of the American people. JAD
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