If the Clinton Foundation Closes, People Will Die

[La Lioness Priyanka]

Due to the lack of adequate recognition of the breadth and success of the Clinton Foundation’s many HIV and AIDS initiatives, we at Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the world’s first and leading AIDS service organization, felt it was time to speak up.

GMHC is not a partisan or political organization. We have one singular mission — end the AIDS epidemic. To that end, GMHC has sought to raise public awareness of the epidemic’s continuing, harrowing impact and to press government officials to devote the resources needed to accomplish this goal.

We both condemned President Reagan’s failure to address the HIV crisis and praised President Bush’s expansion of federal HIV treatment programs; we have criticized President Clinton’s HIV and AIDS strategy while in office and applauded President Obama’s policy response to the epidemic. GMHC has a long history of speaking up when we have felt that our elected officials and public figures are not doing enough, and an equally long history of praising our leaders, nonprofits, and other organizations when they introduce initiatives or plans that bring us closer to finding a cure.

Thus it is crucial that we recognize the Clinton Foundation’s efforts toward eliminating HIV and AIDS around the world and acknowledge the dangers in discontinuing these initiatives.

http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2016/9/02/if-clinton-foundation-closes-people-will-die

Honestly, I detest every liberal and every person in the media who has demanded that the clinton's shut down the foundation.

[JonLP24]

1. My problems with the foundation

Is they took donations from some of the world's worst regimes such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, and Morocco.

I'm on a phone so it's difficult to expand on my point but if the foundation continued there would be a lot of quid pro quo and conflict of interest concerns, especially in the area of weapons deals.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. except that none of that is true vis a vis quid pro quo

they can hand over the foundation to some non-clinton figure during the duration of her presidency, but asking her to close it down really demonstrates how little americans care about non american lives

[JonLP24]

5. I'm not asking anything of it

But I think I read Bill Clinton would leave if Hillary elected which is a wise move to avoid potential conflicts.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

6. yes, but a lot of people even on DU have advocated the complete closing of the foundation

which is stupid.

[madinmaryland]

25. The ideal solution would be for Bill Clinton to leave the foundation and hand the reigns over to...

George Soros.

Talk about Repubican heads exploding!!!

[NCTraveler]

14. Your concern is real.

It also isn't even close to a reason to shut down the foundation.

[TipTok]

2. Very few suggest that the foundation does nothing...

The questions comes to efficacy and baggage.

[LanternWaste]

3. more than a 'very few'

Huffington Post, Washington Post, USA Today, The New Yorker, Boston Globe, Daily Beast, et. al. is more than a 'very few'

[TipTok]

8. Really?

All of those organizations say that the Clinton foundation has accomplished nothing at all?

Again, the point is how the money is spent, how much is spent, who it is coming from and what the donors receive in return.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

9. the organization is highly efficacious as multiple agencies have reported

and if the GMHC says it going to cost lives, i believe their expertise over the bullshit narrative of people trying to sell news.

[awoke_in_2003]

13. It has an A rating

It must be something right

[TipTok]

19. An interesting article here...

http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-charity-watchdog-gives-clinton-foundation-high-marks-2016-9

The foundation is difficult to assess because they give out a small percentage outside of the organization and instead conduct 'work' internally. Are funds put towards the Clinton library 'charitable'?

Also, Charity Watch (the organization that gave that rating) was a member of the CGI.

In short, it's a big murky issue with no clear answers.

[Igel]

41. Donations for the Clinton library are charitable.

As defined by the law, at least.

Whether you think that's a public work depends on what you think of access to presidential and government records from the period.

If you insist that "charity" must be to help the poor, then, no, it's not charity. But a lot of social work in foreign countries doesn't so much help the poor as help society improve, which indirectly as the effect of helping the poor. That water purification plant built in some location doesn't just water the poor, but also the middle class and wealthy. When malaria is tamped down it reduces the risk of infection for all.

[world wide wally]

7. I want to see an investigation into the Trump Foundation

[madinmaryland]

26. Isn't the Trump Foundation a for-profit criminal organization?

[world wide wally]

30. Just one of the branches.

[Johonny]

10. The media doesn't care any more than they cared about ACORN

They were so busy in their poutrage they never asked what the organization did and who would do it if they were gone (the answer with ACORN is no one.)

[demmiblue]

11. It was the Democratic establishment who ultimately dropped the ball on that one.

Yes, the media poisoned the well, but our elected Dems drank deeply from it.

Overwhelmingly voting to defund ACORN was one of the most shameful things our party has done.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. totally agreed. and this is also what is happening with the clinton foundation

[yallerdawg]

15. "People will die."

Absolutely disgusting.

[Else You Are Mad]

16. I don't want it shut down...

But when Hillary wins they haveto put up a firewall between the organization and themselves. They cannot be associated in anyway with an organization that accepts funds from foreign countries or corporations. That is just logical.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

17. that's a reasonable compromise.

[hamsterjill]

21. Yes, compromise.

I agree that both Bill and Hillary need to distance from the Foundation if (and when!!!) she takes the office of the Presidency. That would be the appropriate action.

But am I the only one who takes at least a small bit of delight in the fact that the Clintons have been successful at getting some of these uber wealthy countries (or citizens of those countries) to cough up some cash to battle global crisis such as hunger and disease? To me, it is Bill and Hillary's standing in the global world that has made those donors give big.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

23. agreed.

[Igel]

42. It's the compromise that was put forward over a month ago.

We're talking like it's February when it's September.

[bullwinkle428]

20. Exactly how I feel.

[Hekate]

24. Bush Sr put his business enterprises in a "lockbox" or some such, so there's definitely precedent

...without all the drama against the Clintons.

[radical noodle]

27. But Poppy's Points of Light Foundation

went on without change during Dubya's years as President and no one said a word about that.

[Hekate]

33. IOKYAR

[radical noodle]

34. LOL! I guess...

[TCJ70]

35. The difference being it was his fathers organization...

...I have no love for Bush2 but it's not the same thing.

[radical noodle]

38. So Chelsea can run the Foundation

with no problem?

[TCJ70]

39. The comparison you're looking for, but not quite finding...

...would be asking Chelsea to shut down an organization of hers because of her mothers position.

Not knowing the full history of the Points of Light Foundation, I wonder if Bush Sr. was even still in charge of it during Bush Jr's reign of terror? I've tried looking but can't find the answer. Either way, it doesn't matter. Apples and oranges and all that.

[radical noodle]

47. Dubya's brother was running it

when he was president. It is fairly equivalent.

[Hekate]

45. See #44. Thanks

[Igel]

43. It's standard.

You put all your assets in a blind trust to avoid conflict of interests. You don't know what you own because a fiduciary that is forbidden from discussing his actions with you makes the decisions.

We know this, but during Bush II's tenure at some point his tax returns said he had owned stock in something when there was legislation pending that would affect that. He didn't know he owned the stock. There are two points there: The first is that since it was a blind trust, he'd only have found out what he owned on filing day from his tax return, and that's not terribly interesting since there's nothing he could do about it. Think it's great, think it's horrible, it wasn't your call to have that in your portfolio (and since there are other things you'd almost certain dislike, it just reduces anxiety). The second is that the public debate occurred months after the filing, and there was no way for anybody, even Bush II, to know if Bush II still officially owned that stock.

[Hekate]

44. I seem to have made myself unclear to everyone. WHILE SENIOR WAS POTUS HIMSELF

Last edited Sun Sep 4, 2016, 12:25 AM - Edit history (1)

The blind trust had nothing to do with Dubya's presidency, except that it had set the example. Btw, thanks to those who remembered the term "blind trust" for me.

The issue came up for the SENIOR Bush when HE was running for president because they are rolling in dough and have been for several generations. It's a business empire with international reach.

The idea was to instil trust in voters that the FIRST Bush president, major international businessman and weilder of influence, would not have access to that particular influence for his term in office.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, told Poppy Bush to divest himself, much less shut the whole damn thing down.

Bill and Hillary Clinton were not born to the extreme wealth and influence of the Bushes. In fact Bill came from just about nothing and worked his way to where he is. The CGI and Foundation are his personal legacy that he inherited from no one and built himself-- and his enemies want to see him Shut. It. Down.

I hope this is clearer.

[ismnotwasm]

18. I Agree

On the left, It's destruction in the name of "liberal" cred. In other words, an ego trip for assholes.

Makes me sick

[Hekate]

22. KnR Lioness. There is Not. One. Word. about Benedict Donald divesting himself and his family --

...who are incidentally his closest advisors -- from Trump Enterprises international and national.

Not. One. Word.

[radical noodle]

28. Jennifer Granholm mentioned that the other day

but the interviewer just glossed over it.

[hunter]

29. I've said it often here. Life is messy.

Puritans of any flavor can go sit on a cholla cactus.

[deathrind]

31. The Clintons need...

To cut all ties with the foundation if/when HRC wins the Presidency (👍🏼 but there is no reason for the foundation to close.

[SCVDem]

32. Screw the right wing propaganda!

Its even worse when the left buys into the bullshit.

Remember their motto during the Bush/Cheney years?

Fuck the left. Our way or else.

Stop buying their bullshit!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

37. Lol

[spanone]

40. they should EXPAND it.

[BYJ439]

46. I agree completely

True, the Foundation has its issues. But at the end of the day, it has helped countless people in America and around the world. Trump's foundation? Not so much.

[radical noodle]

48. Apparently it helped Pam Bondi n/t