[Pietro]

A couple points:

1) The US, as the richest nation on earth, has an obligation to help the poor. Randians may disagree but, thank God, most Americans do not.

2) The $15B will be spread out over a few years and so represents less than 1% of our annual budget (that's chump change)

3) Many charities do contribute to the AIDS disaster, as well as other disasters, in Africa. The problem is obviously greater than private groups can address

and finally,

4) There are many things the gov. spends money on that I disagree with, this is not one of those cases.

[The Electrician]

You have made the point better than any "Randian" could. Because millions of Americans, either acting as individuals or through charities, are apparently unwilling or incapable of coming up with the "chump change" of $15 Billion, you are completely in favor of forcing them, effectively at the point of a gun, to do so. Apparently as long as it is "you" (figuratively) who is holding the gun, you are happy to do so. And you get mighty moralistic when a person who is at the other end of that gun has the gall to protest.

[B4Ranch]

Any man that is willing to put his dick into an infected woman or another mans butt deserves what happens. Don't ask me to pay your medical bills if you can't control your sexual desires. Don't come whining to me if you were drunk when you did it either. How much money would you have if your taxes had been reduced just 1% all of your working life? Probably an extra $100k. Well you give your money to the people you feel deserve it and let me do the same. Self control and self reliance is the path to success.

[Zack Nguyen]

The US, as the richest nation on earth, has an obligation to help the poor.

I certainly agree here, but that does not mean that the government has the right to take from me without asking to give to the poor. That is my job, not the government's job. The government is not charity and it is not compassion. It is raw force, and I resent being told that I must be more "compassionate" with the barrel of a gun shoved against my head.