WHAT IS NEEDED IS A ECONOMIC PLAN

The United States spends approximately $9 billion dollars a year in Africa, funding programs in support of a wide range of areas. The U.S. is helping to train health care professionals and provide desperately needed hospital equipment, train teachers and provide educational materials, prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS through various awareness programs, train prosecutors in support of the legal reforms and the promotion of independent judiciaries, train police forces consistent with important human rights norms, and to train customs and border control officers to increase capacities to thwart illicit trafficking of weapons, narcotics, and even children across national borders.

Not only are these programs good for the continent they are essential to our goal of maintaining our status as a super power. But what is missing? An agenda that provides strong incentives to move to a unified economic model. The European Union is a great example and the United States must start to push African nations to unify their economies. A unified economically connected Africa would not only raise the living standards in even the remotest of villages, it would provide new trading opportunities for the United States. Furthermore there is no reason to believe that it would not quell unrest if there is more to loose by fighting than to gain. The Bush Administration could pursue such a policy and if successful under any subsequent administration the President would have a solution to point to that has evaded every other American President. Now is the time for a positive policy because Iraq is diminishing our stature world wide and we need to put the brakes on this slide. This is a great idea for Africa and even a better idea for America.