Bush Asks for $15 Billion to Fight AIDS in Africa (It's unprecedented and will save lives)

reuters ^ | 1/28/2003 | Maggie Fox

[shrinkermd]

Happygrl, Luke 12:48 is definitely on your side. The President is trying to do the right thing. Anytime you can extend someone's life for $300, do it! Incidentally, a black Warrant Officer pulled me out of a tight spot in Viet Nam, otherwise I wouldn't be reading all of these messages.

Never give in when you know you are right.

[wimpycat]

Excuse me, but most of the criticism against this initiative is based on the principle of foreign aid to AIDS victims, not against any strategy, because Bush didn't mention exactly how he wants to use that money, so there is no strategy to criticize, only the principle.

In the U.S., AIDS is confined largely to gays and drug users. In Africa, it is not a gay/junkie disease; it affects men, women and children. Sure, changing people's behavior is the key to preventing the spread of this disease; we all know that. But in Africa, what you and I know to be true they don't know. There's a lot of ignorance and superstition in Africa about AIDS.

Oh, and as for the African and Caribbean AIDS victims, just because they are foreigners who "brought it on themselves" doesn't make them any less human. They are still human beings whose lives are worth just as much as yours. They aren't dirt; even though they may treat themselves like dirt. They don't suffer from the disease any less because of it, either.

And another thing, many of the people here aren't arguing against this initiative because the money might not get to the right people; that's a valid concern, and I hope if Congress does approve this that they plan it in such a way that the money doesn't go straight down the toilet. Many people are against it simply because they are against foreign aid to a passel of sick foreigners, no matter how well distributed the money is. There's something wrong with that way of thinking. Luckily, all most Americans want is to know that the money will be used the way it was intended. I don't mind helping sick people, even if we don't get anything out of it, as long as the money goes actually to help sick people and prevent new cases. Who cares if the rest of the world doesn't appreciate how much we help out other countries? Do we feed the starving, heal the sick and prevent disease in the Third World in order to receive appreciation and recognition, or do we feed the starving, heal the sick and prevent disease in the Third World in order to feed the starving, heal the sick and prevent disease in the Third World?

You can call Chad "self-righteous" and "pious" all you want to, but something tells it's not your approval Chad needs or wants.

[Jason_b]

Not a wise move at all.


I'm not suggesting we do it. I'm a gold and silver coin man myself. I'm just pointing out that is what is being done. So no need to worry that the dollars Bush will use for this purpose will come out of your pocket. Just that over time, prices will rise to reflect the depreciation by inflation of your currency. Not just against other currencies. It will lose value period.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Bush Asks for $15 Billion to Secure U.S. Borders.

That’s what I was hoping to hear last night.

He is more concerned with Africa than our own damn borders and sovereignty.

Insanity rules the day.....

[wimpycat]

Oh, and I'm not saying we can save the world; we can't. But we help out where we can and when we can. We are selective about it, and I've got no problem with that.

[Peter Libra]

Please to remember Mr President, that:

Those who receive vast sums of money from the USA, so very often spew abuse and hatred at their benefactors later.

My own observation of human beings who receive monies- any situation - an indigent relative, a regular borrower (friend), is this: If, and when the monies are cut off, the former recipient is more outraged at the former benefactor, than they are at those who told them to "go fly a kite".

[Capt.YankeeMike]

your name is exactly what we would be doing here, throwing pearls before swine....sorry dont mean to sound inhumane, but lets face it, you cant educate an idiot....

[jaime1959]

Well, at least you consider "liberal" to be a dirty word. There may be hope for you yet.

[justshe]

His response to world hunger was to tell people to "Move away from the f***ing desert" his approach to foreign affairs was to nuke all those pissant countries which hate us( oh and no money to rebuild either). If he was still alive and ran for President he'd have my vote.

---

An earlier post that you are a child....might be close to the truth. Let me see if I have this correct:

If you are totally impoverished and dying of hunger...just pack up and move? To where? And how? And do you take your dying children? Or just leave them behind?

And second, nuke all countries who hate us? Just kill all the men, women and children?

Are you sure you are an American? Don't mean to offend but this philosophy is sounding VERY much like certain terrorist organizations, isn't it?

Fairly brutal. And you would VOTE for the man who advanced these ideas to be your President? Scary.

[weikel]

So if straight people get it there then why don't they get it here?

[babaloo999]

Not to be a troublemaker, but I'm just curious where AIDS is on the list of killer diseases in Africa. Has it made the top ten? Top five? Has it overtaken cholera?

[justshe]

How come the voter who funds this stuff NEVER gets asked what they think?

---

Civics 101: Representative Democracy. Your vote is your opinion. And if you want your view known, tell it to your elected representative. You don't have to be ASKED ( although some are). You can 'do the contacting', too, you know.

[kidd]

To those who ask "why use taxpayer funds":

1) Africa is probably the ONLY place where AIDS education will be effective. At present, many African men believe that having sex with a virgin will cure AIDS.
2) If Bush does this on his own, WITHOUT United Nations help, it only further demonstrates the irrelevancy of the UN.
3) Africans are generally unaligned with any major faction (Communism, the West, Muslim countries). If Bush can get these millions of peoples to look favorably on the United States it will only help to stop the spread of Islam and Communism.
4) At present, cheap labor manufacturing is performed in China. Wouldn't it be better to have African countries take away what the Chinese are doing? It can't be done if they're too sick to work.

[artifactual]

Another liberal talking point pulled from under their feet!

Isn't this the same as saying, "This is something that we agree with the liberals on." Or are you saying we are not sincere aboout the Aids epidemic and are just trying to quiet an issue?

[weikel]

If you ever saw a Sam Kinison routine well... I don't think any country would mess with us. Because the thing is he probably would nuke them. As for the hunger thing ( after talking about how his 1st thought on seeing one of those starving children was that the camera crew could give the kid a sandwich) he said the charities should give them some boxes and take them in a UHAUL and to put it delicately get out of the desert.

[mhking]

Provided it can also add the benefit of saving lives here at home, let'er rip!

(Now, if this is just window-dressing, which won't have any domestic benefit, then it's a mistake...)

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[luckodeirish]

That's funny, I did not know that HIV was caused by lack of American dollars.

And not a dime of this will go to the patients.

[uncbob]

AIDS in Africa is the same diseases they have always had all rolled into one category called AIDS
Big scam job to get $$$ especially the drug companies

[justshe]

Very good analysis. And I agree.

[Sir Gawain]

They're doing this proposal to preempt the socialist demands for a $120/person donation to the African AIDS fund. Instead, they're offering $50/person.

So by compromising the Constitution, it's really a win for Republicans, because we're only halfway gutting it, right?