Those Mean-Spirited Conservatives

Once again, the conservative blogosphere and right-wing radio nuts prove just how mean-spirited they can be. Their newest target is the Global Poverty Act. The bill was introduced by Rep. Adam Smith (D-Washington), and passed the House of Representatives last Fall.

Of course, the reason they are attacking the bill now is because the bill was sponsored in the Senate by Barack Obama. Obama is becoming more popular every day, and stands a very good chance of becoming the nation's next president. They're actually having trouble finding some way to attack Obama, so now they have latched on to this bill as a way of doing it.

Rush Limbaugh and many conservative bloggers are making all kinds of accusations. They say the bill will cost American taxpayers $845 billion years over the next 12 years. They say it will tie the U.S. to many United Nations programs and force our country to virtually become a slave to these programs, including the banning of small arms, the ratification of the Kyoto Treaty, the International Criminal Court Treaty, and the Convention of Biological Diversity among other things.

The truth is very different. The bill has no set amount of money enumerated in it. It also has nothing to do with the United Nations or any treaty or effort supported by the U.N. It is simply an effort to help the tragically poor of the world -- something a nation like ours should be doing.

The bill would require the president to develop a plan to help reduce extreme global poverty and halve the number of people who live on less than $1 a day by 2015. The bill is currently being considered by the Senate.

I find it incredible that these same right-wingers are willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year to fight an unwinnable war to steal Iraqi oil, but the thought of helping to eliminate extreme poverty sends them into a screaming paroxysm. They don't mind giving billions in handouts to corporations, but the thought of helping starving women and children is anathema to them.

Just how mean-spirited can they be? They might as well say "I've got mine -- screw everybody else."

Personally, I am proud of the House of Representatives for passing the bill and I hope the Senate follows suit. I'm also proud of Barack Obama for sponsoring the bill in the Senate.

It is the duty and responsibility of rich nations like ours to do something to help those who are less fortunate. It is simply the right thing to do.

Isn't it odd that these right-wing "christians" would think this is wrong? Have they never studied the teachings of their own religion?