Charmaine Yoest looks back on her trip to Scotland to live-blog the G8 summit, which turned out to be even more eventful than she had expected. In particular, she wonders whether there is a real potential for an alliance of conservatives and liberals on the question of African economic development:
John Hinderaker and I talked before I left for the trip. We were both curious about whether or not the potential for a right-left convergence on this issue is real.
It could be. The boos of the Live8 crowd any time President Bush’s name was mentioned left me skeptical. But in Bono and Geldof’s praise for President Bush, George Clooney’s refusals to accept bait to criticize the administration, and other obvious efforts to craft a coalition-building message, I saw a glimmer of potential.
I don’t have any illusions about Africa, nor do I have any illusions about the American and European left. Nevertheless, I think that a congruence of interests could occur that would greatly benefit those African countries that are willing to embrace reform, and also benefit the Western countries that are serious about draining the terrorist swamp.
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