http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/21/AR2008102102523_pf.htmlFearing a Drought of Aid
Financial Crisis Shouldn't Lead U.S. to Curtail Foreign Assistance, Bush Says
By Dan Eggen and Anthony Faiola
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, October 22, 2008; D01
President Bush, who has made international aid a cornerstone of his foreign policy, warned yesterday against cutting U.S. assistance to impoverished nations in the midst of the financial turmoil sweeping Wall Street and Main Street, arguing that doing so would undermine America's economy, national security and moral authority.
"During times of economic crisis, some may be tempted to turn inward -- focusing on our problems here at home, while ignoring our interests around the world," Bush said at a White House summit on international development in Washington. "This would be a serious mistake. America is committed, and America must stay committed, to international development for reasons that remain true regardless of the ebb and flow of the markets."
MORE...Is the expression "I don't know whether to laugh or cry" more or less apt than the expression "I don't know whether to shit or go blind"?
Moral authority. Moral authority. Really?