Bush's AIDS bill

[Anonymous]

I want to do something revolutionary on this website: give a shout-out to President Bush for what he has done to help people with AIDS in Africa. Make sure you read Michael Gerson's editorial in today's Washington Post. He describes what Bush has done in Africa as "a major legacy of George W. Bush -- a grand, aggressive international compassion that dwarfs the Peace Corps and is unequaled since the Marshall Plan."

[Anonymous]

On this board, unfortunately, few will speak up. Even the NY Times has given him credit.

[Anonymous]

Interesting that only 23 or so people have looked at this entry.

[Anonymous]

It's a shame his other policies will overshadow this. But good for Bush for doing this - coming from a Democrat

[Anonymous]

Kudos to Bush for acting a bit more like what I'd expect from McCain. Unfortunately, McCain is acting more and more like Bush.

[Rich]

Along these lines, take a look at Fareed Zakaria's article about the turn Bush's foreign policy has quietly taken in his second term. I have enough respect for Zakaria that I read all the way through, and I'm reluctantly ready to credit Bush with significant improvement.

[Anonymous]

Where is the article? (and by the way, thanks, Rich.)

[Rich]

Anonymous wrote:Where is the article? (and by the way, thanks, Rich.)

Sorry I forgot to include it last time: http://www.newsweek.com/id/151731

[Anonymous]

I can't say that I am a big fan of this bill. Great, he wants to cut down the spread of HIV and AIDS, but I don't think circumcising every penis in Africa is the answer. There needs to be education and condoms available to everyone. A few years ago Prince Harry went on a humanitarian mission to Africa. I remember him holding a baby who was infected with the HIV virus. The child had been infected by a grown man, who had intercourse with the child. The reason he had done such a thing, was because he had heard that having sex with and infant would cure AIDS. It is this type of thing that needs to be corrected. People need to be educated, and they need to have condoms available.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/19/AR2007081900885.html
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,627821,00.html

We also need to stop giving money to the governments of African countries, and give it directly to those who are trying to do the work that needs to be done. Much of the money and food that we give these nations, goes right into the pockets of those in charge, and very little (if any) makes it to those who desperately need it.

FYI for those of you who don't know. DC has an extremely high HIV/AIDS rate. Perhaps we should go and hack off the foreskin of every man, just to be careful not to spread this disease. Or we could use the money for educating those about the disease.
http://www.emaxhealth.com/53/18442.html
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/01/07/hll20107.htm
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/july-dec08/aidsdc_08-05.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't say that I am a big fan of this bill. Great, he wants to cut down the spread of HIV and AIDS, but I don't think circumcising every penis in Africa is the answer. There needs to be education and condoms available to everyone. A few years ago Prince Harry went on a humanitarian mission to Africa. I remember him holding a baby who was infected with the HIV virus. The child had been infected by a grown man, who had intercourse with the child. The reason he had done such a thing, was because he had heard that having sex with and infant would cure AIDS. It is this type of thing that needs to be corrected. People need to be educated, and they need to have condoms available.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/19/AR2007081900885.html
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,627821,00.html

We also need to stop giving money to the governments of African countries, and give it directly to those who are trying to do the work that needs to be done. Much of the money and food that we give these nations, goes right into the pockets of those in charge, and very little (if any) makes it to those who desperately need it.

FYI for those of you who don't know. DC has an extremely high HIV/AIDS rate. Perhaps we should go and hack off the foreskin of every man, just to be careful not to spread this disease. Or we could use the money for educating those about the disease.
http://www.emaxhealth.com/53/18442.html
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/01/07/hll20107.htm
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/july-dec08/aidsdc_08-05.html

Oh, and I forgot to add this one.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0000543

Most interesting of them all. It's the prostitution factor.

[Anonymous]

OP here -- I was in Tanzania in February and they are immensely grateful to President Bush for his work on AIDS. The only protesters I heard about (on his visit to Africa then) were radical Muslims. BTW, I was not with Bush -- we just happened to be in Tanzania at the same time of his visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- I was in Tanzania in February and they are immensely grateful to President Bush for his work on AIDS. The only protesters I heard about (on his visit to Africa then) were radical Muslims. BTW, I was not with Bush -- we just happened to be in Tanzania at the same time of his visit.

Most likely because they don't have all the information that is available to us. Think about it. People on this board are always pointing to AIDS in Africa and Circumcising, without mention of the frequent propositioning of prostitutes.

I can't even begin to explain how insulting and demening it is to tell someone we will help them, and then carve away at their genitals.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but I'll take what Africans have told me directly over what you think their views are. I think it's demeaning to them to insinuate that they don't know how they feel, or how they should feel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, but I'll take what Africans have told me directly over what you think their views are. I think it's demeaning to them to insinuate that they don't know how they feel, or how they should feel.

Never said they didn't know what how to feel. Just that the information they are given is probably more limited that what we receive or have access to. People here often forget to mention (or are not informed) that the reason for the rise in the Non-Muslim, non circ'ed societies, is because there is more prostitiution.

Don't think for a minute that just because I wasn't in Africa when the announcement was made, that I have some sheltered or preconceived notion of what Africa, and the people, are like. I My best friend's husband is African, and I have had many African friends. We have discussed what things are like in their countries. The families that my friends left behind, usually can't read or write, have electricity (or if they do, have it reliably).

Many who are cheering, probably aren't aware there are other options.

I just think it is insanely stupid to go and whack off some part of someone's body, when giving them proper information and tools, is all that is needed.

[Rich]

Anonymous wrote:I just think it is insanely stupid to go and whack off some part of someone's body, when giving them proper information and tools, is all that is needed.

I guess you'd say it's a wacky whacky policy?