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Entries in rice (2)

Wednesday
May072008

Rice praises United States interactions with the Americas

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke today at the Council of the Americas meeting. As she looked back over the years of the Bush Administration, Rice spoke very highly of the United States and its actions with the other American nations on this hemisphere.

In 2001, the western hemisphere went through a social revolution and its cause was democracy, Rice said. New leaders have emerged in different countries, people are becoming activity in their democracies and they want their governments to create change for them in a positive way.

“Democracy is literally changing the face of politics in the Americas,” Rice said.

The United States has been changing as well. They have become better partners for this region, the United States’ and other states quest for social justice has been the defining feature of this past decade. The U.S. has put no price on it’s friendships but has accepted governments both right and left.

President Bush has made more trips to the Americas since 2001 than any other president. Through those visits the U.S. has developed connections between culture and commerce that have spanned and influenced all of society, Rice said.

“The democracies of the Americas are now interacting and working together as never before,” Rice said. “We are engaged in the global economy with increasing success.”

There has been a convergence of ideals and interests from social justice to an open economy, free trade, health and education for every member of society. Rice said the potential for this hemisphere is enormous and that the United States must remain engaged and really present in order to be a part of the hemisphere’s success.
Monday
Apr282008

Global food aid: We need help from the White House

At a news conference held in the Capitol, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), said this is the worst food crisis he can think of, and it is
not only a crisis about food, it's about global security. The requested amount in US food aid, $550 million, is the same amount of
money that is spent daily in Iraq. He demonstrated the rioting taking place in other parts of the world by displaying large photos of Haiti and Egypt, plus a close up photo of villagers in Mahboobmagar, India, reaching for rice that was being sold by government officials. He said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice agrees with his sentiment, and they need adequate funds to deal with this insecurity. Damage with a food crisis, he said, can be as damaging as any other threat.

Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) said there are two challenges. One, is humanitarian, pointing out the desperation on the faces of the people in the photos. Secondly, this is a national and international security threat, as people are likely to turn to more extreme measures when they are desperate. In the short term, we need to add money to the original request, in order to help as much as possible. Another point needed to be made, is that we need to help permanently increase agriculture production by improving crop yields, so that nations can feed themselves. In addition, prices to export food overseas needs to be addressed, so that food can reach the intended people instead of sitting and rotting in warehouses.

One question raised was whether or not biofuel production is raising food prices. Durbin said he's supported ethanol and biofuel production from the beginning, but it has to be understood that it's had an impact on food prices. We've got to be honest about it, he said, it has. The price of corn is part of the reality. He stressed again the need to find an affordable way to transport food from one place to another, and said they really needed help from the White House.