Posted on 02/02/2003 5:15:50 AM PST by RJCogburn
The US is the most powerful nation in the history of the world, it is our responsibility to demonstrate that greatness in more than mere power but in compassion as well.
And that holds true whether we are receiving cudos or insults, afterall, we are not supplying help simply to receive praise or political advantage, we are supplying help because it is the right thing to do.
Modern AIDS drugs, made by companies such as Abbott and Pfiser, will save lives in Africa - however imperfectly the beaurocracy over there distributes the pills.
Incorrectly put. Money put to that use will merely delay death. Not save life.
Stopping the spread of AIDs is the key.
Train your thinking on reality - not on you self-enclosed little theories.
Your simplistic observations are that somehow throwing free drugs at people to delay their death is the key to the AIDS problem in Africa. It does not cure the disease. It does not prevent the next person from becoming infected. It does nothing for the thousands upon thousands of AIDS orphans. The dosing on AIDS remission drugs is quite complex and treating multiple millions of people is beyond the ability of their medical resources, I am sure.
Reality, and it is a tough reality, is to let nature take its course and spend the limited resources available on stopping the spread of the disease or looking for a cure. It's obvious your bleeding heart can't handle that particular sort of reality.
How true. AIDS is not caused by the lack of drugs. Until the behavior is changed (whether in this country or another) this is like pouring money down a rathole.
In my estimation, the author is against this giveaway all for the wrong reason. I viewed this shameful act to be nothing other than a vote buying scheme that Bush let someone foist upon him. To me, giving away money we do not have should have been the prime interest, not vote buying or trying to look good in the eyes of the world.
Me, too.
Actually, a significant portion of the money is being dedicated to prevention. The model used in Uganda , abstenance and teaching, has lowered the spread of this disease in that country. The black man sitting beside Laura Bush at the SOTU was the health official from Uganda who has pioneered this approach.
Unlike in the US, AIDS in Africa has spread to the general population. If the civilized world doesn't stop it there it will no doubt soon be upon our door and not limited to a certain demographic.
If they were sincere, they'd give up their mansions and their designer gowns and donate their money to stopping AIDS in Africa.
That shouldn't cost $15 billion.
It's also being spent on medication and care among other things. Hell, 15B is chump change in a Trillion $ budget.
Not true. AIDS drugs delay the inevitable and do some good in managing symptoms. But there is not, I repeat NOT, a cure for AIDS at this time.
Until the health beliefs and sexual culture of Africa changes, AIDS infections will continue. The vast majority of Africans refuse to believe the facts of AIDS transmission because it runs counter to their cultural belief systems of illness and disease. Therefore, for example, African men with AIDS continue to pay the male relatives of young virgin girls large sums of money to have sex with the girls because their folk medicine tradition says this will "cure" them. Billions of dollars have already been wasted on educational efforts and mass condom distributions by international health organizations that have failed to curb the statistical nightmare of AIDS in Africa.
It's a depressing situation and one with no immediate signs of relief. Because I understand that throwing money at AIDS drugs, which the people will probably not be compliant in taking anyway, does not mean that I "don't care." It's the liberal way to feel good about intent rather than results. Until a critical mass of culturally influential Africans - I don't mean political or social leaders, I mean local people who are respected within individual neighborhoods and such - take steps to model the positive behavioral changes that will result in a decrease in AIDS transmission, the AIDS epidemic will continue. The people themselves must lead others to make these massive changes in their prevailing culture and day-to-day lives. Nothing else is going to work.
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