Talk Cancer

Question:

I thought it was obvious in the context it was written, but to clear up any misunderstanding it should have read:Comparing many African governments response to the Brazilian government response to the disease is comparing apples to oranges. Correct me if  I am wrong, be has there been any meaningful response from the South African government.

The first only meaningful response from any government so far… Everything I see from the media suggests that anything positive in the fight against aids has come from the outside or from foreign owned corporations. I would like to add that for Bush to support billions to fight aids and then have a big tax cut for the rich is like buying a round for the house and putting it on someone else`s tab.

So basically you are saying that Bush and "the rich" are one and the same ? Hayek. — The small particles wave at the big stars and get noticed.

Response:

      [snip] As I posted years ago,giving     drugs to a population that is unlikely to follow a    drug regiment only hastens the day when the   drugs become ineffective. Personally I think we   should keep the drugs in reserve incase the   African strain starts showing up in the US in   large numbers.     [snip]     Drug resistance is on the rise in the western world   as well, so it’s not an african problem. Would you   deny treatment to gays in major american cities for    the same reason? It is often seen with cancer patients that their cancer can be brought into remission with chemo or other therapy. But then, the second or the third round, the therapy does not work anymore. Do the cancer cells get resistant ?  Since we all know that cancer is not a virus, I wonder why there is such a coincidence between anti virals and cancer therapy. Or could we be overlooking something in hiv-theory ? Hayek. — The small particles wave at the big stars and get noticed.

Response:

I would assume that opportunistic diseases differ around the world. North and South America,Africa,southeast asia and India would all have different opportunistic diseases. Has anyone cataloged them?

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – From what I`ve seen on TV, most of Africa is much more in denial www.bareback.com So there. With *pop*-up ad for poppers ! Hayek. Ironically, it’s the poppers*, but not bareback sex, that lead to AIDS. *Not just poppers (amyl/butyl nitrites) but also so-called "anti-AIDS" drugs, such as AZT.

And do not forget Bactrim/Septra http://www.drgreene.com/21_551.html about Long-Term Septra (or Bactrim) Use Bactrim is especially dangerous when there is heavu alcohol (ab)use. But those fire-island party-go-ers barely drank alcohol, so it must be the virus . Read this very carefully : http://www.virusmyth.net/aids/data/hkpneumo.htm More from dokter Kremer : http://www.virusmyth.net/aids/index/hkremer.htm Hayek. — The small particles wave at the big stars and get noticed.

Response:

I promise I’m not trolling here…..but I really would like to know precisely where this money is going, or at least where it is targeted to go…. How much for AIDS drugs? Which drugs? For reduction of mother-to-child transmission, or treatment?

We’re waiting to see what happens, some people with more hope than others. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How much for faith-based organizations like Rev. Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse, to do "humanitarian work" (and maybe a bit of "converting the heathens" and other proselytizing and recruiting for Jesus?) among AIDS victims? Remember that our retired US Senator Jesse Helms and Reverend Franklin Graham co-hosted a huge AIDS conference for evangelical Christians in DC last year, with over a thousand participants? To my knowledge, neither Senator Helms nor Reverend Franlin Graham had shown much interest in AIDS, at least not among American gay men, or African-Americans, until George W. was elected, and got control of billions of dollars of federal AIDS money, which could possible be awarded to "faith-based organizations" like those who attended that evangelical AIDS conference in DC?

I attended that conference, and reported on it back then.  The work being done in Africa (and elsewhere) by the little faith-based organisations which receive funding from Samaritan’s Purse (and elsewhere) is invaluable in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Having worked for both faith based and government organisations I can assure you that we, in Africa, cannot afford to be scathing about either.  Although I do see where you are coming from … – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How much of that $15 billion will go for various shadowy operatives, researchers, sociologists, and others who may also just happen to funnel information back to Langley, VA (CIA HQ in case you’re guessing!). Humanitarian efforts, whether for AIDS or any other medical, education, agricultural, or other purpose, are wonderful covers for CIA and military intelligence operations, as most major imperial powers, including the UK, the US, the former USSR, and the People’s Republic of China, have realized. Remember the civil wars in Angola, with participation by Russian, Chinese, Cuban, and US/European operatives all backing their favorite factions? Remember the assassination of Patrice Lumumba in the former Belgian Congo (Zaire)? Foreign aid is also great cover for outright bribery of key foreign despots, like the Shah of Iran, Manuel Noriega, Mobutu Sese Seku, Duvalier, Marcos, and many others….It will be interesting to see which nations get the money, how it is spent, who gets bribed, etc….I suspect there will be some correlation between the AIDS money, the "humanitarian" programs, and the natural resources and geopolitical importance of the nations involved….

I do hope that the people really benefit.  I see so much misery caused by HIV. I’d love to be proven wrong on this, of course, and to learn that folks like Jesse Helms, Franklin Graham, and George W. really have had a "conversion" and become true, kindhearted humanitarians…..!

I’d be delighted to know that they are meeting with humanitarians and supporting them financially. Moira, the Faerie Godmother

Response:

From what I`ve seen on TV, most of Africa is much more in denial www.bareback.com So there. With *pop*-up ad for poppers ! Hayek.

Ironically, it’s the poppers*, but not bareback sex, that lead to AIDS. *Not just poppers (amyl/butyl nitrites) but also so-called "anti-AIDS" drugs, such as AZT.

Response:

Correct me if  I am wrong, be has there been any meaningful response from the South African government.  Everything I see from the media suggests that anything positive in the fight against aids has come from the outside or from foreign owned corporations.

It is difficult to know what sort of help is actually trickling down to the people from what sources – and how much of it is general improvement and deterioration (there has been both) since 1994, how much of it is related to political electioneering, and how much harm and good (there has been both) has been done. Many of the faith-based organisations are given huge amounts of support from the government and/or foreighn owned corporations. Many of the AIDS charities are dependent on other activities being put in place by the government.  When I started an HIV/AIDS programme in Kimberley in 1994 and 1995 it was staffed by me and my faith based group, but entirely funded by the government, including our training costs – the time was provided by the faith based group. My present HIV/AIDS volunteer work is being funded by government, but staffed by volunteers. Moira, the Faerie Godmother

Response:

I thought it was obvious in the context it was written, but to clear up any misunderstanding it should have read:Comparing many African governments response to the Brazilian government response to the disease is comparing apples to oranges. Correct me if  I am wrong, be has there been any meaningful response from the South African government.  Everything I see from the media suggests that anything positive in the fight against aids has come from the outside or from foreign owned corporations. I would like to add that for Bush to support billions to fight aids and then have a big tax cut for the rich is like buying a round for the house and putting it on someone else`s tab.

Response:

    In Spartanburg, South Carolina, an epidemic   occurred in June, 1962 at a large textile plant.     [List of work-related psychological stressors   snipped]     For about three weeks people had been complaining   of bugs and of being bitten, and one week before   the epidemic started the plant had been sprayed three    times with malathion (the "silent" penumbra of   the epidemic). On Friday one person became ill,   complaining of severe nausea, and had to be   treated by the company physician. Five more got   ill on the Tuesday following, fainting and   breaking out in hives all over so that some even   had to be hospitalized (core syndrome of the epidemic).     http://www.virusmyth.net/aids/data/csfantasy.htm       Nausea, dizziness, and rashes are known effects of   excessive malathion exposure.  This case cannot   logically support the author’s alternative theory   unless the more obvious and ordinary cause has been    ruled out. The author did not even try to do so. In any way, the malathion "came from abroad"     May you be treated by psychiatrists for crab lice. Been there, underwent that, and weirder things. "Were you allergic as a kid? Well you are allergic again!" http://www.drgreene.com/21_821.html Quote The unfolding story of cat-scratch disease is a tale of mystery followed by mistaken certainty, followed again by mystery and then certainty. This twisting tale helps us to put medical knowledge in perspective. Our understanding of disease is truly amazing and is growing rapidly, BUT there is much that we do not know, and much that we now consider certain will one day prove to be in error. Acting based on the best of our knowledge will usually produce good results, but let’s also act in humility before all that we don’t understand! By the way, a new cat-scratch mystery has popped up. We know that Bartonella bacteria are present in the blood of cats and in the lymph nodes of infected humans. We also know that if infected kittens are housed with non-infected kittens, the Bartonella is not passed — unless fleas are present. Fleas pass Bartonella from one cat to another. We don’t believe that fleas pass Bartonella to humans, though, since the pimples occur in healing scratches, not in flea bites. (And almost all the people with the disease have been scratched by a cat, while only a few seem to have had flea bites at all). Surprisingly, though, multiple recent attempts to find even traces of the bacteria on the nail clippings of infected kittens have proven completely unsuccessful. Unquote Are you sure hiv-aids is not another "mistaken certainty" ? http://www.drgreene.com/21_551.html about Long-Term Septra (or Bactrim) Use Hayek. — The small particles wave at the big stars and get noticed.

Response:

Comparing Africa to Brazil is apples and oranges . Like people everywhere, Africans are individuals.

Quite a concept, that. B/

Response:

In Spartanburg, South Carolina, an epidemic occurred in June, 1962 at a large textile plant.

[List of work-related psychological stressors snipped] For about three weeks people had been complaining of bugs and of being bitten, and one week before the epidemic started the plant had been sprayed three times with malathion (the "silent" penumbra of the epidemic). On Friday one person became ill, complaining of severe nausea, and had to be treated by the company physician. Five more got ill on the Tuesday following, fainting and breaking out in hives all over so that some even had to be hospitalized (core syndrome of the epidemic). http://www.virusmyth.net/aids/data/csfantasy.htm

Nausea, dizziness, and rashes are known effects of excessive malathion exposure.  This case cannot logically support the author’s alternative theory unless the more obvious and ordinary cause has been ruled out. The author did not even try to do so. May you be treated by psychiatrists for crab lice.

Response:

Resistance arises even in the most adherent individuals. It is a problem with the ARV that is available, as much as it is with some less adherent individuals. Adherence issues are a challenge in the United States and Europe–challenges that can be met. This has been shown to be true for TB, if treated properly.

TB drug regimens in South Africa usually use a mentor to check the drug usage.  My aunt regularly supervised TB regimens for poor people, rewarding every attendance with a boiled egg, bread and a piece of fruit (proper food serves as an anti-nausea and a good diet as an invaluable aid to general health) and a perfect week of drug taking with a food parcel to take home. I was chatting to a friend about my own new drug programme (hypertension) and how I link it to brushing teeth, something I do every day.  He is on HIV meds and reckons that his compliance is such that he could link anything to his taking meds, a routine which is more reliable than mere things like brushing teeth.  :-)  His HIV positive lover is only 80% compliant at times. Moira, the Faerie Godmother

Response:

From what I`ve seen on TV, most of Africa is much more in denial then Brazil. Besides large numbers of people who won`t even admit to having the disease, there are areas where  aids patients are harassed or worse,and even distributing Nevirapine it a challenge. One is very close to throwing pearls before swine. Comparing Africa to Brazil is apples and oranges .

Like people everywhere, Africans are individuals. Moira, the Faerie Godmother

Response:

From what I`ve seen on TV, most of Africa is much more in denial www.bareback.com So there.

With *pop*-up ad for poppers ! Hayek. — The small particles wave at the big stars and get noticed.

Response:

  So Bush has decided to spend $15 billion of American tax    money on fighting AIDS in Africa.  This is a rotten    idea!  If anything, we should be BILLING Africa   for the costs of the virus which THEY gave to us! The group Fantasy of aids ! The US believes it came from Africa. Europeans want to believe the US is to blame. Heterosexuals blame homosexuals. and so on…. The June Bug Epidemic In Spartanburg, South Carolina, an epidemic occurred in June, 1962 at a large textile plant. There were many sources of strain within the plant: lots of overtime had been put in; many of the workers earned half or more of the income of their respective families; there were strained relationships with supervisors and concerns over work output; in addition, many workers showed role-conflict denial, or a lack of concern that their overtime work kept them from their families (distal causes). June was a particularly busy month, when production was at a peak for the fall line (proximal cause). For about three weeks people had been complaining of bugs and of being bitten, and one week before the epidemic started the plant had been sprayed three times with malathion (the "silent" penumbra of the epidemic). On Friday one person became ill, complaining of severe nausea, and had to be treated by the company physician. Five more got ill on the Tuesday following, fainting and breaking out in hives all over so that some even had to be hospitalized (core syndrome of the epidemic). There was a widespread belief that people were getting ill after being bitten by a poisonous bug, introduced into the plant on cotton from England on that Wednesday (belief in a poison threat). The spread of cases was as shown (Figure 1). On Wednesday the plant was closed down and fumigated. (This was the unconscious epidemic aim, which resolved all tensions related to the work situation through simple avoidance.) Over the next few days the plant opened again, with workers returning in an agitated state. Various experts and authorities were called in (health officials, entomologists, representatives from the plant’s insurance and the local exterminating company) and samples of food, bugs and air were taken. More cases occurred on Friday, on Saturday and the next Monday, after which the episode ceased. The time from the onset of the penumbra to the onset of the core syndrome (penumbral lead time) was three weeks, and the duration of the core syndrome itself was 11 days. Two months later, when the researchers investigated the epidemic, 51% of the unaffected expressed a belief in "the bug" as the cause of the disturbance, while 81% of those affected thought so (extent of the belief in the poison threat). In their analysis of the dynamics of the epidemic, the investigators found that 75% of those affected could be predicted by a few variables: (a) strain (the more strain, the more likely persons were to be affected); (b) social influence (if workers knew two or more affected cases, they were more likely to fall ill themselves); and (c) denial (which increased the likelihood of becoming affected in all categories). They found that the psychic contagion (the belief that people were getting ill from the bite of the bug) spread by imitation, by suggestion and by personal contact: In any such case there are several processes of dissemination going on at the same time, all of which are interrelated but any one or combination of which may become the focus of attention: (1) the spread of a belief in a threat; (2) the spread of the experience of symptoms; (3) the spread of relatively unobtrusive methods of coping with the threat and/or the symptoms; (4) the spread of cases of collapse in the face of the threat and/or the experience of symptoms via seeking medical aid. The most promising approach to the complex phenomenon of epidemic hysteria is from a psychoanalytic point of view, of which Sirois is the foremost and most eloquent proponent.(4) (Trying to understand group dynamics of this kind without the conceptual tools such as "the unconscious" and "group-fantasy" is self-limiting, like trying to understand diabetes without recourse to concepts such as "molecule" and "blood sugar".) Central to his theory and also that of most social psychologists working with such epidemics, is the idea of an unconscious belief shared by many (a group-fantasy). Sirois theorizes that these epidemics represent a contagious type of psychopathology, where the contagion is "a wish whose vector is a fantasy that circulates in a reservoir of susceptible persons".(5) He defines three elements of the epidemic: a prodrome, an epidemic moment (when first cases become manifest), and a rebound (or secondary waves of affliction). For each episode, he says, there is an underlying fantasy which is cathartically worked- through via the epidemic disturbance. An epidemic of hysteria develops (as opposed to other forms of disturbance) due to three factors: (a) the group regression; (b) identification with the index cases; and (c) the unconscious nature of the underlying conflicts or fantasies. "This last aspect is a crucial factor in fostering the manifestation of the conflict through displaced, symbolic or alternate channels."(6) Thus, he argues, the psychosomatic presentation of most epidemics. The biggest theoretical challenge to the researchers, and the aspect most resistant to explanation or to plausible hypotheses, is the simple fact that perfectly normal and seemingly healthy people get caught up in these epidemics. The disconcerting possibility that this raises is that we are all susceptible. When the psychometricians measure the subjects they find nothing to explain why certain people with a certain make-up get sick and others with identical profiles do not. The tools used to measure them are, however, those designed for picking up individual psychopathology, often of a gross kind. It seems to me that they are measuring the wrong thing. To state it by analogy: if one were to try to determine, in a crowded disco, which people would get up to dance to a certain number, the highest probabilities found would lie on an intersect between the person’s drive state (how strong the urge is to dance) and some particular characteristic (what a specific song or partner means to a specific person). Thus, what is sought to be measured here is something inherently evanescent. In an epidemic of hysteria these variables would seem to be (a) the strength of the propensity to get sick in a psychosomatic way (a conversion factor), and (b) the specific contents of the group-fantasies and how well they fit the fantasy structure of the individual (so that the same person would be susceptible to a dancing mania but not susceptible to an epidemic of depression). In time all of these epidemics come to be organized around – and retrospectively explained by – a core fantasy, which may be called the fantasy of a poison threat. It belongs to the psychology of belief systems, and we have to look to the dynamics of delusions for an explanation. Just as with individuals, the delusions shared by groups are reparative mechanisms: attempts at making sense out of inchoate or incoherent preverbal or affective experiences, or out of a painfull and poorly understood reality. As such they come after the fact, once the disturbance is already well under way. In most instances where the formation of delusions has been studied extensively (see Frosch(7) and Arieti(8), the person experiences a sudden and remarkable sense of relief once the delusion is formed. The confusion subsides.(9) Especially in hypochondriacal and melancholic delusions, the formation of the delusion and its psychosomatic expression permits massive relief from psychotic anxieties. Sperling(10) found that psychosomatic symptoms are solutions for anxieties of psychotic intensity. When conversion symptoms are "released" from their somatic form, they reveal intense and terrifying, and usually psychotic symptoms.(11) And in an epidemic of hysteria the delusion of a poison threat becomes the organizer for tremendous amounts of "poison feelings". This shared fantasy of a poison threat is found in all cases of epidemic hysteria where there is enough information, and my hypothesis is that it will prove true for all cases if properly studied. These fantasies are culture-specific in contents (based on the theory of disease for each culture), and syntonic with the rest of the cultural beliefs. Underlying these various contents there is a universal radical which remains cross-culturally the same: in all epidemics the bad feelings are ascribed to some contact with poison or a poison threat. During the twentieth century, since most epidemics take place in schools or factories, and in keeping with the dominant theories of disease, these epidemics are thought to be caused by: Poison gas, mystery gas, anesthetic gas, strange odors, acid or acrid smells, contaminated air, radioactive fall-out, poisonous dyes, fumes and solvents, and to on, in monotonous profusion. And despite extensive toxicological work-ups, no evidence for any of these toxins is ever found. (Suffice it to say that I exclude all cases of genuine poisoning.) [...]   Another frequently encountered finding is the fantasy that the poison which caused the epidemic was introduced from outside. It is obvious from analyses of these epidemics that tensions and unresolved conflicts originate from within the group. When these factors, which are psychologically speaking "poisoning the workplace", cannot consciously be identified and reasonably dealt with (due to denial or other defense mechanisms), they are projected outwards. Thus the poison threat is nearly always seen as coming from at least outside of the individual. When more severe regressions occur, the threat is seen as coming from farther away: in the June bug epidemic the culprits were thought to be poisonous insects that had … read more »

Response:

And this from a political party that not that many years ago asked the immortal question, Is ketchup a vegetable?

Response:

[snip] As I posted years ago,giving drugs to a population that is unlikely to follow a drug regiment only hastens the day when the drugs become ineffective. Personally I think we should keep the drugs in reserve incase the African strain starts showing up in the US in large numbers.

[snip] Drug resistance is on the rise in the western world as well, so it’s not an african problem. Would you deny treatment to gays in major american cities for the same reason? Frank

Response:

From what I`ve seen on TV, most of Africa is much more in denial

www.bareback.com So there. Frank

Response:

I promise I’m not trolling here…..but I really would like to know precisely where this money is going, or at least where it is targeted to go…. How much for AIDS drugs? Which drugs? For reduction of mother-to-child transmission, or treatment? Interestingly, the pharmaceutical industry donated $30 million to George W’s Republican Congressional campaign at a SINGLE dinner last year, a gala event at which the CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, Bob Ingram (now retired), gave the toast to President Bush! Of course, if Al Gore had won, I guess the dinner would have been held for the Democratic Congressional campaign! There’s plenty of AIDS money to go around for politicians! How much for faith-based organizations like Rev. Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse, to do "humanitarian work" (and maybe a bit of "converting the heathens" and other proselytizing and recruiting for Jesus?) among AIDS victims? Remember that our retired US Senator Jesse Helms and Reverend Franklin Graham co-hosted a huge AIDS conference for evangelical Christians in DC last year, with over a thousand participants? To my knowledge, neither Senator Helms nor Reverend Franlin Graham had shown much interest in AIDS, at least not among American gay men, or African-Americans, until George W. was elected, and got control of billions of dollars of federal AIDS money, which could possible be awarded to "faith-based organizations" like those who attended that evangelical AIDS conference in DC? How much of that $15 billion will go for various shadowy operatives, researchers, sociologists, and others who may also just happen to funnel information back to Langley, VA (CIA HQ in case you’re guessing!). Humanitarian efforts, whether for AIDS or any other medical, education, agricultural, or other purpose, are wonderful covers for CIA and military intelligence operations, as most major imperial powers, including the UK, the US, the former USSR, and the People’s Republic of China, have realized. Remember the civil wars in Angola, with participation by Russian, Chinese, Cuban, and US/European operatives all backing their favorite factions? Remember the assassination of Patrice Lumumba in the former Belgian Congo (Zaire)? Foreign aid is also great cover for outright bribery of key foreign despots, like the Shah of Iran, Manuel Noriega, Mobutu Sese Seku, Duvalier, Marcos, and many others….It will be interesting to see which nations get the money, how it is spent, who gets bribed, etc….I suspect there will be some correlation between the AIDS money, the "humanitarian" programs, and the natural resources and geopolitical importance of the nations involved…. I’d love to be proven wrong on this, of course, and to learn that folks like Jesse Helms, Franklin Graham, and George W. really have had a "conversion" and become true, kindhearted humanitarians…..! Gary http://gjminter.addr.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – [...snip...]                           /|  /|  |                  |                           ||__||  |      Please do   |                          /   O O__         NOT      |                         /               feed the    |                        /               trolls     |                      /    |____         ||                     /     | | | |____/     ||                    /       |_|_|/      __||                   /  /              |____| ||                  /   |   | /|        |      –|                  |   |   |//         |____  –|           * _    |  |_|_|_|          |     -/        *– _– _     //           |          /  _     _ //   |        /        *  /   _ /- | –     |       |

Response:

From what I`ve seen on TV, most of Africa is much more in denial then Brazil. Besides large numbers of people who won`t even admit to having the disease, there are areas where  aids patients are harassed or worse,and even distributing Nevirapine it a challenge. One is very close to throwing pearls before swine. Comparing Africa to Brazil is apples and oranges .

Response:

[...snip...]                           /|  /|  |                  |                           ||__||  |      Please do   |                          /   O O__         NOT      |                         /               feed the    |                        /               trolls     |                      /    |____         ||                     /     | | | |____/     ||                    /       |_|_|/      __||                   /  /              |____| ||                  /   |   | /|        |      –|                  |   |   |//         |____  –|           * _    |  |_|_|_|          |     -/        *– _– _     //           |          /  _     _ //   |        /        *  /   _ /- | –     |       |

Response:

So Bush has decided to spend $15 billion of American tax money on fighting AIDS in Africa.  This is a rotten idea!  If anything, we should be BILLING Africa for the costs of the virus which THEY gave to us! Another problem I see is that there are severe budget shortfalls at both national and state levels.  Many states, including my state of Texas, are finding it necessary to curtail spending on AIDS services for their residents.  Here in Texas there is talk of not accepting any new AIDS patients in the public program.

Hmmm.  National shortfall and Bush is President?  State of Texas shortfall and Bush was Governor?  Is it possible there’s something in common there?  I wonder what it could be…. B/

Response:

If memory serves, the strain in Africa is different than the one in the US. Are there drugs against the African strain that have already been made useless because of resistance? As I posted years ago,giving drugs to a population that is unlikely to follow a drug regiment only hastens the day when the drugs become ineffective. Personally I think we should keep the drugs in reserve incase the African strain starts showing up in the US in large numbers. I am surprised Fauci would think this was the correct approach to the problem on a long term basis. Continue funding Nevirapine for use at delivery and wait a decade before taking further action.

Response:

The reality is, there is no barrier to taking ARV. There are data from the rural wilds of Haiti, to Brazil to Africa showing that people, rich and poor, educated and not, can learn how to provide ARV (physicians, healthcare providers) and can take ARV. Some people will be more adherent to regimens than others. But there are certainly means. Resistance arises even in the most adherent individuals. It is a problem with the ARV that is available, as much as it is with some less adherent individuals. Adherence issues are a challenge in the United States and Europe–challenges that can be met. This has been shown to be true for TB, if treated properly.                 George M. Carter – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If memory serves, the strain in Africa is different than the one in the US. Are there drugs against the African strain that have already been made useless because of resistance? As I posted years ago,giving drugs to a population that is unlikely to follow a drug regiment only hastens the day when the drugs become ineffective. Personally I think we should keep the drugs in reserve incase the African strain starts showing up in the US in large numbers. I am surprised Fauci would think this was the correct approach to the problem on a long term basis. Continue funding Nevirapine for use at delivery and wait a decade before taking further action.

Response:

So Bush has decided to spend $15 billion of American tax money on fighting AIDS in Africa.  This is a rotten idea!  If anything, we should be BILLING Africa for the costs of the virus which THEY gave to us! Another problem I see is that there are severe budget shortfalls at both national and state levels.  Many states, including my state of Texas, are finding it necessary to curtail spending on AIDS services for their residents.  Here in Texas there is talk of not accepting any new AIDS patients in the public program. This essentially leaves them in the position of dying because they cannot afford the expensive drugs.  Meanwhile, America throws money at Africans, a group of people almost no one in the world cares about. I can think of hundreds of nice thing $15 billion can buy.  A new space shuttle to replace the Columbia comes to mind.  Many school districts across the country are also desperately starved for cash.  But sending $15 billion to Africa is the same as burning the cash or tossing it into a black hole.

Response: