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Originally Posted by il Padrino Ute
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Originally Posted by homeboy
But as the wealthiest nation on earth, do you think we have any responsibility (moral obligation, whatever) to help the poorest nations on the earth deal with a crisis that completely dwarfs anything we have ever faced?
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No. The world bitches about our unsolicited help - and I can't really blame them - but bitches even more when we don't place money in their open hands.
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Originally Posted by homeboy
Are you supportive of our effort to bring democracy to the Iraqi people? I dare bet we have spent far more on that effort than we have spent to solve the crisis in Africa. I am not saying democracy is not important nor do I want to get into a debate over which is more important. But the fact of the matter is, we are already sending a fortune beyond our borders. It's partly a question of allocation.
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You make a very good point about spending money outside our borders. I would say that the difference between the situation in Iraq and AIDS in Africa is that the Iraqi people had no choice as to how they were treated, whereas in Africa, they do know about preventative measure to prevent AIDS, yet have made the choice to ignore it. |
Your post reveals a lot of ignorance about Africa, and hints at an underlying perception that AIDS victims deserve what they get.
The overwhelming majority of Africans have NO IDEA how to prevent AIDS. AIDS education, like formal education, has not found its way to most areas in Africa. Apparently you don't understand the complexity of teaching AIDS prevention to Africans. Millions of Africans speak local dialects that few Westerners understand. Millions are located within areas that are not easily accessible or located within countries engaged in civil war where political conditions make teaching people about AIDS prevention an impossibility. Many Africans are poorly educated, and don't know how to react to a statement that somehow having sex makes you sick (particularly with religious tribal influences that tell them to "spread their seed" and be polygamous).
Millions more are BORN with AIDS, or get AIDS through breast feeding from mothers who have AIDS. With no money to purchase formula, what would you teach a breast feeding mother to do to prevent spreading AIDS to her child?
You are trying to view the AIDS experience in Africa through American eyes, something that will only result in disaster and death for that continent.
Your statement that they have somehow "made a choice to ignore" AIDS preventive measures sounds more like your choice to ignore their plight.