Linkmeister

Compassionate conservatism redux

I am so sick and tired of this Administration. For the third consecutive year, it's decided (on what is clearly ideology rather than evidence) to withhold family planning money from the UN Population Fund. From the AP via the NYT:

The Bush administration will withhold $34 million in congressionally approved assistance to the U.N. Population Fund because of the fund's connection to China and forced abortions, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Friday.

The State Department said it was convinced the fund helped China manage programs that involved forced abortions.

[snip]

The fund called the U.S. allegation baseless. "UNFPA has not, does not and will note [sic] ever condone or support coercive activities of any kind, anywhere," said Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, the executive director.

From the LA Times:

Fund officials said a fact-finding team sent to China two years ago by the U.S. State Department found no evidence that the fund had supported or taken part in management of Chinese programs of coercive abortions, or involuntary sterilization. Investigations by the United Nations, the British Parliament and a group of religious leaders had reached the same conclusion, it said.

Back to the AP story:

Powell said in a letter to Congress that the administration would continue to help women and children around the world through other programs.

The U.N. group estimated the money blocked by the Bush administration could have helped prevent 2 million unwanted pregnancies and nearly 800,000 abortions, 4,700 mothers' deaths in childbirth and more than 77,000 infant and child deaths.

This is a sop to the Gary Bauers and Paul Weyrichs of the religious right, nothing more. See that 34 Million Friends button on the left? If you've got a few dollars to spare, click it to help the women of the world; the United States (that's you and me, folks) can't be bothered.

Posted by Linkmeister at July 18, 2004 12:01 AM