It's a lazy Saturday afternoon and I, like many Americans, am lounging on my couch, sipping a cup of coffee and watching TV. Unlike most Americans, however, I am tuned in to C-SPAN. This is partially because I don't have cable, but also mostly because it really isn't bad to watch if you give it a chance. So anyway, they were broadcasting a speech made last Thursday about poverty by John Edwards to the National Press Club. While the speech focused mainly on poverty in America, he made reference to extreme poverty worldwide and America's leadership role, which is how I got hooked into watching it.
Typically when I watch American politicians, I am frustrated by the information that they choose not to mention and the empty rhetoric that is rarely, if ever, made into policy, but something was different about Edwards' speech. True, there was a lot missing from his speech by my standards, because if someone is talking about poverty and they only briefly mention Africa, then they have most definitely left something out, but in a speech that was meant to focus on American poverty, I was (sadly) impressed that he mentioned Africa at all.
Perhaps my veneration for this speech comes from the fact that I watch Edwards with a much less critical eye than other politicians because, really, I just love him. Maybe the whole "son of a mill worker" schtick actually worked on me...whatever the reason, I'd vote for him again in a heartbeat.
I don't want to dwell on this for too long because, obviously, the couple of minutes dedicated to international poverty did not contain too much actual substance in terms of how to fight against it, but I thought it deserved a nod in my blog because I got chills at one point. Honestly, real live goosebumps. And my apartment is like a sauna.
Check out the speech if you get a chance (for text go here: https://oneamericacommittee.com/news/speeches/20060622/). It reminded me a little of a domestic version of Jeffrey Sachs' last book (The End of Poverty), and that could be another reason why I really liked it. I must say, the book is a million times better than the speech and much more relevant to what I usually rant about, but if I were to blog about the book, I would be writing for the next several days straight. Rest assured it will be mentioned in future blogs...it's awesome...idealistic, but awesome.
I will end this random rave review of, let's face it, a speech full of rhetoric by a cute politician, with my favorite quote from the man himself:
"Poverty is the great moral issue of our time, and we all have an obligation to do something about it. Not just alleviate some of the symptoms…Not just find ways to help some of the people…But end it."
Preach on, Edwards, Preach on.
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