MEDIA RELEASE PR42106
President Obama Goes to Indonesia, U.S. Taxpayers Foot Anti-Development Funding
FAIRFAX, Va., Nov. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
As President Obama continues his 10-day Asian tour this week, Frontiers
of Freedom President George Landrith issued the following statement today,
imploring the president to rethink the "assistance" he intends to offer
Indonesia in the form of aid money from the U.S. Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC):
"Scared from last week's elections, President Obama has quickly skipped
away from the capital this week to attend two Asian economic summits in South
Korea and Japan. But on his way there, he will make a stop in Indonesia,
where he is expected to announce that the MCC will pledge some of the $700
million it has already allotted to Indonesia to purportedly help the nation
meet its environmental and economic goals. This benevolence, however, is
simply a facade. With $7.4 billion already dispersed from MCC's coffers
worldwide since 2004, this diversion of funds simply does not fit the
agency's bill.
"During the first stop of his trip in India this past weekend, the
president spoke in support of advancing economic growth and increasing living
standards in the developing world. But his intentions for Indonesia would
have the opposite effect. For example, MCC aid money will be slated for
ceasing deforestation; that's an assault on the livelihoods of millions of
Indonesians. And this misguided charity will destroy key sectors of
Indonesia's economy, namely forestry and agriculture. In addition, this
supposed helping-hand is being extended at the same time the U.S. is imposing
tariffs and duties on Indonesia's most widely-traded products.
"The president's plan to use this aid funding to coerce Indonesia to
limit commercial forestry and reduce emissions goes beyond the scope of MCC's
mission, too. The agency was created to fund programs that reduce poverty and
foster economic development. Expending MCC funds like this, though, not only
damages Indonesia's leading exports, but also is a severe misuse of U.S.
taxpayer money.
"The president believes that U.S. taxpayer monies are better spent
restricting a developing nation's trade than solving problems at home. It
appears that the president has yet to learn one of the main lessons that
should have been clearly derived from the mid-term election results, namely,
if your policies kill jobs and sour economic growth, then don't expect a warm
reception. Hopefully Indonesia reacts the same way to the president's MCC
offer.
"Diverting MCC funding away from its stated goals and towards objectives
championed by Western environmental activists will not only restrict the
ability of Indonesia's businesses to compete in the global marketplace, but
also thwart opportunities for Indonesia's labor force to engage in the
sustainable management of natural resources. Our government should not be
funding the goals of 'green' organizations, but rather the development of
industries and enterprises that will provide a more secure economic future
for Indonesia's families.
"Frontiers of Freedom urges President Obama to continue carrying the
pro-growth messages he relayed in India onto Indonesia. His use of government
agencies like MCC to impose ideological views, and those shared by his
environmental supporters, on developing nations is ill-advised. Furthermore,
President Obama's stimulus and attempts to pass environmental legislation
have rightfully failed here in America. Let us all hope the president does
not try to inflict the same sort of damage on Indonesia's people and economy
under the guise of international aid. The poor in other countries should now
not have to live with these bad policies."
SOURCE: Frontiers of Freedom
CONTACT: Heather Bachman of Frontiers of Freedom,
+1-703-246-0110,
press@ff.org
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