The world isn’t winning the fight against AIDS, according to a new United Nations report. Despite increased education efforts and greater availability of antiretroviral drugs, the number of people infected with the virus that causes AIDS keeps increasing — now totaling 40 million.
Some of the disturbing statistics, as reported by The Washington Post:
Of the more than 3 million people who have died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2005, more than 500,000 were children.
Three-quarters of those who died of AIDS-related illnesses lived in sub-Saharan Africa, as do two-thirds of the nearly 5 million people estimated to have become infected in 2005.
There were a few bright spots, such as slight decreases in infection rates in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Burkina Faso. But overall, the news is discouraging.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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34 Comments
I was listening to that on NPR yesterday. Even the decrease in infection rates in those countries, were really a decrease of the increase of precentage of AIDS infections. It was not a decrease in the amount of people.
Now there is Super TB, Super Malaria, and Hepetitus C that is exploding as well. It’s been a disaster indeed.
But I don’t know what to do. I know there are many people working on solutions and helping people, NGO’s and governments around the world are pouring in billions to stop these infectious diseases.
I guess we would just have to hope that cures will be found in the near future.
As hard as this sounds, Mother Nature takes care of herself. This is what happens when the earth gets overpopulated; war, disease, and natual disasters root out the weak and vulnerable. It’s happened time and time again in human history. I believe it’s only the earth trying to survive.
As hard as this sounds, Mother Nature takes care of herself. This is what happens when the earth gets overpopulated; war, disease, and natual disasters root out the weak and vulnerable. It’s happened time and time again in human history. I believe it’s only the earth trying to survive.
Sorry!!
Bullshit!! Damoon, why doesn’t the earth try to kill off people in China?
Its a cultural/political thing. Even though China is one of the mowt populated cuntries, the people aren’t immoral!
Aids is being spread in Africa because of all of the prostitution.
“Mother Nature taking care of herself” What a load of BS!
People have been being wiped out since man walked upon the earth. It has nothing to do with morality. It’s just the nature of life on earth.
esod,AIDS is spread by sex because sex is one way people get close enough together to transmit the virus. TB is airborne, so one of the places it transmits best is in church. By your logic, going to church should also be considered immoral!
I have to disagree with you about China, esod. China’s government has the worst human rights record on earth. They execute more of their citizens than any other country, often for petty crimes. They force women to have abortions against their will. Their government has no regard for individual rights, freedom of expression, or freedom to practice religion. Their law enforcement officals are corrupt and their justice system is a joke. Yet, we welcome them into the world market while we destroy Iraq because we want “freedom and democracy” for it’s citizens!
Damoon,
Do you intentionally miss the point? The Chinese peope are very family orientated. There is very little drug abuse. I responded to your point on overpopulation. It’s your point. Defend it. Focus. Overpopulation has nothing to do with ‘mother nature’ and the spread of aids.
Using your logic aids should be a bigger problem in Hong Kong than San Francisco. Culture. Morality. Focus.
I agree with you about China. I can think of 20 reasons its government and culture are worse than ours. Has nothing to do with aids or Iraq. Focus.
Keep your friends close and keep your enemies even closer.
Over population is exactly the point, esod. Whenever a natural disaster hits, it’s the populated areas that suffer the greatest loss of life. During the Chinese revolution, it’s estimated that close to 100 million people died. Disease is always is a factor in areas of high populations. Every now and then, a pandemic wipes out a good portion of the earth’s population, like the great flu epidemic at the beginning of the 20th century or the black plague in the middle ages.At any time Yellowstone could blow up and most of North America won’t fair so well. I’m just saying that these events are just part of nature, probably in her attempt to stay in balance.So what do you believe? That all catastophic events happen as a direct result of God’s anger and to punish man for his sinfulness? If that’s what you honestly believe, then I doubt you are open to listening to another point of view, so I’m obviously wasting my time. Have a nice Thanksgiving, esod.
Dear Damoon,
Had a great Thanksgiving! Hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving and continue to be blessed this holiday!
You need to argue the point. Aids is not a world wide epidemic. Why? If one was to use your logic China should be suffering from some ‘mother nature’ population control. It isn’t.
Aids is a disease that is behavior driven. Promiscuity and drug abuse are the ways it spreads. You argue against my points by assuming that I am a right wing religious nut. Nothing in my posts would lead you to that conclusion other than I have a more conservative view than others on this BLOG. That or you are mislead by the liberal nitwits that read into my posts and argue against their preconcieved notions based on liberal biases.
If you can’t argue the point, construct a straw man and argue against it. Or pretent the person you are arguing against is someone else and argue against them!
Why isn’t aids a bigger problem in Hong Kong than San Francisco? This is an important question because in the answer lies the solution to stopping aids. The answer is just too painful for the liberals to contemplate!
Overpopulation has noting to do with aids. Politics and culture.
You’re right esod, Aids is a behavior driven disease, just like many viral diseases. It is a world wide epidemic, including ALL the provinces in China. Right now there are over 40 millon documented cases worldwide. Last year over 2.5 millon died, 600,000 of which were children.Viruses have often wiped out huge populations throughout history, and viruses spread in all sorts of ways. Of course sex, IV drug use, and inutero is the way Aids is most often transmitted. So what? What about that fact do you think is “too painful for the liberals to contemplate”? I’m not sure I get your drift.I really don’t give a damn if you’re a wingnut or a bleeding heart liberal, what’s your point? And WHY are you so angry?Mother Nature (I’m speaking metaphorically) has all kinds of tricks to keep the human population down, which include man’s tendancy to war against his fellow man, natural disasters, and all sorts of diseases. Get over it!
Let me reframe this and maybe you can understand what it is I’m trying to say.Many diseases can be behavior driven. Cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, liver disease, diabetes, and infections just to name a few. Natural selection is nature’s way of making sure the smart and the strong survive and keep the gene pool at its best. Those who choose to engage in risky behaviors like smoking drinking, using drugs, overeating, promiscuous sex, driving fast and reckless, joining the armed services during wartime, or live along fault lines or in hurricane prone areas tend to not fare as well as those who don’t. Its man nature to prefer the unhealthy behaviors, because the endorphins and the adrenaline rush it produces within our bodies feels good, that’s just how we’re programmed. I know I’d rather eat a hot fudge sundae than a soy burger and I hate to exercise, so there’s a good chance I probably won’t live as long as someone who exercises and prefers a vegetarian diet.Culture does have a lot to do with mortality rates. In third worlds countries, just trying to be born and live until your 5th birthday requires good genes and a strong body. In Japan, people generally live to be quite old because of their diet, exercise, and attitude. In the US, our love of fast food will be our undoing. All of this is nature’s way of trying to keep the human population under control and allowing the strong and healthy to survive, although lately due to our increasing awareness and medical interventions, she seems to be losing the battle. I am not sure why you focus so much on Aids, it just one of many diseases man brings onto himself with the blessing of Mother Nature.
Dear Damoon,
You appear to be agreeing with me! Thanks! Of course you still have some erroneous assumptions about me that still color your debate but on the basic point we now agree. You’ve also muddied up the waters a little with a bunch of facts and figures that are off the point, but you still seem to now agree that aids is behavior driven. Behavior that is encouraged by the cultural and political climate of a particular country.
The basic point that you originally made was that overpopulation was the reason ‘mother nature’ was allowing aids to devastate sub-Saharan Africa.
My point was “bullshit” overpopulation has nothing to do with it. Culture and politics had more to do with the problem in Africa with aids than overpopulation. I gave China as an example.
In your last two posts you give a lot of facts and figures but you have abandoned the ‘overpopulation’ argument.
Now let’ talk about some of your erroneous assumptions. I’m not angry. I’ve never posted anything that would lead you to believe that I am angry. Or, does merely disagreeing with your liberal views mean I must therefore be angry? You ask, “Why are you focusing so much on aids?” I’m not! I’m merely responding to your original post, the premise of which you seem to now have abandoned.
I have responded to your last two posts because you have obviously broken out of your typical ‘bumper-sticker’ mode. You are to be congratulated for your attempt at real thought. Now if you can stick to the point and quit making erroneous assumptions about my character and belief system we can have some great discourse.
Again, thanks for agreeing with my opinion on the spread of aids!
When did I disagree that Aids was NOT behavior driven? It’s still about overpopulaton, anytime there are too many people, disease, war, natural and man made disasters happen. It’s nature’s way. Culture and politics is the result of man’s nature and how we’ve evolved. Not the other way around as you seem to be suggesting.You seem to have misinterpeted my views, because I’m not saying anything different than I was before. It was only after I clarified my position that you finally thought you understood what I was saying. Maybe because I wasn’t being clear enough.Now let’s address YOUR erroneous assumptions. Why do you keep trying to label me as a liberal? I’m fairly conservative in some of my opinions and somewhat liberal in others, but most of the time I’m pretty middle of the road. It’s pretty obvious you have a problem with anyone you think is liberal because you talk with such a condenscending and disrespectful attitude to those who are. I get the impression you may be somewhat insecure.Let me give you a suggestion: if you want to have “discourse” with someone, try not being so arrogant and rude when expressing your thoughts. In case you haven’t noticed, hardly anyone on this blog will even respond to you.
Dear Damoon,You are liberal. Tis is not an assumption, it is a conclusion after reading your posts. You are a secular liberal. You don’t believe in God. Without actually reading all of your posts I don’t know of a conservative stance you’ve taken on anything.
I don’t have a problem with liberals. I have a problem with the way most liberals defend their views. Although I don’t consider you arrogant and rude, you do have a few liberal misconceptions when you respond to my posts. As an example in an previous post you ask:
“So what do you believe?”
Then based on your erroneous assumptions, you answer for me (a little arrogant maybe!):
“That all catastophic events happen as a direct result of God’s anger and to punish man for his sinfulness?”
Then based on your assumptions and nothing in my previous posts in this thread you write:
“If that’s what you honestly believe, then I doubt you are open to listening to another point of view, so I’m obviously wasting my time.”
Liberal claptrap. You assume my thoughts and argue against them.
Now then, if overpopulation is the reason that aids is such a problem in sub-Saharan Africa, why isn’t it a big problem in China? If aids is a big problem in San Francisco, why isn’t it a big problem in Hong Kong?
Furthermore, gentle lady, please don’t concern yourself with the nitwits on this BLOG that don’t respond to me. In case you haven’t noticed I respond to fewer of them!
Well, let’s see……If you were really reading my posts, you’d know that I don’t condone abortion, I support the death penalty, and I think porn should be outlawed.I believe gay people should have the same rights as everyone else, I’m all for woman’s rights, I’m a passionate advocate for children’s rights, I became a registered Democrat after the election of George W Bush, and I think science class is no place to teach religion.I guess I’m in the middle on everything else.If you want to call me a liberal, that doesn’t ruffle my feathers, you are intitled to your opinon and I really don’t give a rat’s butt what anyone thinks of me (except those I love).No, I’m not a Christian, but I do believe in God and I talk to her on a regular basis.
China has been hit with the Aids virus, it is a problem there, but not to the extent, YET, that it is in Africa. They have many other problems caused by overpopulation that threaten the people there. For example, the most polluted city in the world is in China. They lost approximately 100 MILLION people to genocide in the cultural revolution, they dump toxins in their rivers, they execute more people than any country in the world.When my son was in China, he was on a train with a friend from Europe. One of the locals stole his friend’s camera and of course he reported it to the security guards on the train. They found the man who stole his camera, and despite pleadings from both my son and his friend, they took him off the train and shot him in the head. That’s what they do in China.Maybe the aids virus hasn’t hit them as hard yet, but they have their share of death. Life has little value there, that’s what happens with overpoulation.The reason there is so much Aids in Africa is because of their sexual practices (if you want me to get grafic, just ask), but not necessarily prostitution. It is a heterosexual disease there and many children are born affected.Like I said before, many diseases are a result of certain behavior, and Aids doesn’t kill as many people in the USA as heart disease and cancer.Mother Nature has many ways to try and keep us humans in check, just think about how crowded the earth would be if there were no wars, disease, or natural and man made disasters. It’s what we risk to live here for a short while.
Dear Damoon
Good morning!
I call you a liberal, not to ‘ruffle your feathers’, but to merely explain why you have some of the views you support and to explain the way you argue your points. You use boilerplate liberal talking points. I don’t use the term liberal as a pejorative term, however, I’m amazed at how many people that are liberal don’t like the label! I’m a conservative. I think. I am a fiscal conservative and a social conservative. Unashamedly so! I am a registered republican, but I will support a conservative democrat over a moderate republican.
The average nitwit on responding on this BLOG is extreme left. Looney left. They parrot the DNC talking points and are beyond reasoning with. When I really read your posts, you pretty much agree with them! Reading your posts I can’t see that you don’t condone abortion. You don’t like abortion, but you support a woman’s ‘right to choose’. You are against pornography and for the death penalty, but are a registered democrat!
As far as aids is concerned, I repeat:
If overpopulation is the reason that aids is such a problem in sub-Saharan Africa, why isn’t it a big problem in China? If aids is a big problem in San Francisco, why isn’t it a big problem in Hong Kong?
Of course there is aids in China, but is it a big problem? No. The problems in China past and present you list are due to over population. In fact, none of the problems in China are a result of over population. They are political and cultural.
I disagree with you about the value of life in China. I’ve been there too. The Chinese are very respectful of life. Their government may not be, but the people are!
esod,Whay are you so hung up on HIV? It’s just one of a lot of plagues coming down the pike. Whether or not you want to call 6.1 billion of us overpopulation, the fact that there are so many of us so close together. combined with so much more and faster travel than ever before, will ensure that whatever hits will hit a lot harder and faster than it would a smaller, more insular population. It’s not god’s punishment, it’s just the nature of nature, and if we had done a better job of controlling our numbers, nature wouldn’t have to do it for us!
My point exactly, Jed. Thank you!
Dear Jed,
This BLOG thread is on aids/HIV. I’m hung up on liberals that use the myth of over population as an excuse for all of the world’s problems. It is a lazy argument that ignores the real cause of the problems.
As far as God’s punishment goes, I have never blamed God for man’s problems. It’s not His punishment I fear, it’s His ultimate judgement I fear. Nothing in my posts ever bring God into the discussions, I only respond to the liberal BLOGers erroneous assumptions.
The key to the solution of any problem is to first define the problem. Aids is not a problem of over population. To approach the solution from that standpoint will only delay the ultimate solution.
I ask you:
If overpopulation is the reason that aids is such a problem in sub-Saharan Africa, why isn’t it a big problem in China? If aids is a big problem in San Francisco, why isn’t it a big problem in Hong Kong?
Esod, don’t you think that the politcal and cultural climate in China is due largely to the overpopulation problem? What about the one child policy and forced abortions?If the chinese people value life so much, then why would they choose to abort, drown, or abandon their female babies? I understand the reasons and social implications, but it’s a glaring example of how only male (not female) life is valued in China.I like the Chinese people,too. I have a good friend there, but they are not morally superior anyone. So what if they don’t have a big Aids problem compared to Africa? They have more than enough other problems caused by their overpopulation to make up for it. Nature works in many ways to keep the human population in check.
Dear Damoon,
Jed’s post pretty much proves my point on the way liberals argue! By posting in a thread on aids/HIV, I’m now “hung up on HIV.” Of course, because I’m a conservative I’m the only one “hung up on HIV.” You’re not because you have the liberal view.
He then admonishes me about “(G)od’s punishment” although it was you that originally brought God into the discussion by assuming that I accepted aids as His rightous retribution for immoral behaviour.
Then to further prove my point about you being a liberal, like a good little cheer leader you immediately chime in with your ‘bumper sticker’ thanks!
I repeat to you:
If overpopulation is the reason that aids is such a problem in sub-Saharan Africa, why isn’t it a big problem in China? If aids is a big problem in San Francisco, why isn’t it a big problem in Hong Kong?
Focus, let’s stay on point!
What I guess you’re driving at, esod, is that sexual promiscuity is the driving force behind Aids, and that if Africans and homosexuals living in San Francisco would keep their pants on, then Aids wouldn’t be such a big problem. That it’s a culture which condones irresponsible sexual behavior that underlies the Aids crisis. Am I right? Well, duh! Many diseases are spread through sex, it’s just the vehicle that that particular virus chooses to take.Do you think that I’ll get judged by God if I eat too many Big Macs and die from a heart attack? What if I drive too fast and get in a car wreck? What if I get liver disease and die because I’m an alcoholic? Or if I die jumping out of an airplane and my chute doesn’t open? Risky behavior is just that, risky behavior. We humans have all sorts of fun ways to kill ourselves, risky sex is just one of them!!Or do you think God lets us pass on the others and only judges us for being sexual?
Sorry Damoon,
You posted to me while I was posting to you! You asked:
“Esod, don’t you think that the politcal and cultural climate in China is due largely to the overpopulation problem?”
Dammit girl! NO!! The Chinese culture dates back to almost 4,000 years! It’s the Communist Chinese government’s inability to deal with the population, not the population. The communist Chinese government is doing a lot of terrible things to control its population, none of which you can blame on God’s wrath, the earth or mother nature!
You then ask:
“If the chinese people value life so much, then why would they choose to abort, drown, or abandon their female babies?”
It’s a cultural thing! Many cultures and countries devalue their women. The Chinese that I know love their children! But their culture is one that reveres their ancestors. In order to continue the family name you must have a male child. If the government only allows on child, guess what?
You then ask:
“So what if they don’t have a big Aids problem compared to Africa?”
So What? Dammit girl! My question goes to the heart of your false premise that over population is reason for the aids epidemic in Africa! It’s your premise! Defend it!
You then say:
“Nature works in many ways to keep the human population in check.”
BULLSHIT! Don’t blame our problems on poor old mother nature!
Again I ask:
If overpopulation is the reason that aids is such a problem in sub-Saharan Africa, why isn’t it a big problem in China? If aids is a big problem in San Francisco, why isn’t it a big problem in Hong Kong?
I’ve made an effort to answer your various questions, even when I didn’t agree with their premise. Do you think you can formulate an answer without it being another question?
Well poo.
You posted again while I was posting. Sorry.
In your last post, you again ignor your original premise that over population is to blame.
Then you again bring God into it. Why do liberals always seem to ty and make conservatives defend their religion? Even when it the liberal that can’t seem to make a point without introducing God into the discussion?
I repeat:
As far as God’s punishment goes, I have never blamed God for man’s problems. It’s not His punishment I fear, it’s His ultimate judgement I fear.
I’m trying to explain this in a way you can understand OK?You have to look at the big picture, now focus.Often throughout history, nature comes up with a new bacterial or virual disease to thin out the herd.When people get too crowded, there is often a war to help thin out the herd.When a lot of people in 3rd world countries build shacks along a faultline and a big earthquake hits, a whole bunch of them die, thus thinning out the herd.Yes, politics and culture play a part in the grand scheme of life, but only as the mechanism for which mother nature keeps thinning out the herd.Who knows, maybe in 20 yrs the Chinese will all die from Aids, if they’re smart enough to practice safe sex and avoid blood transfusions, maybe they won’t.You have to remember, for awhile China was isolated from the rest of the world, so they could have avoided the newer viral diseases until lately, maybe THAT’S why it’s so overpopulated there.As long as the earth is overpopulated, we’ll continue to have these sorts of problems, that’s just natures way, whether you choose to accept it or not.NOW, does that answer your question?Now quit avoiding my questions and explain yourself, the ball is in your court.
PS you were the one who brought God into the discussion first, not me.
The aids epidemic will continue as long as it is not taken seriously in third world countries. When it is, and the people start practicing safe methods of contraception, the numbers will drop.
The epidemic has nothing to do with God, Mother Nature, Mythology, are any other non-real world reason. It is a virus that has evolved. For you who don’t understand what evolved means, look it up in a non-religious dictionary.
The common flu bug evolves and/or mutates every year. Why? Because it can.
Dear Damoon,
I repeat, Bullshit. You brought God into this discussion first. You wrote:
“So what do you believe? That all catastophic events happen as a direct result of God’s anger and to punish man for his sinfulness? If that’s what you honestly believe, then I doubt you are open to listening to another point of view, so I’m obviously wasting my time. Have a nice Thanksgiving, esod.
Posted by: Damoon | November 24, 2005 at 10:27 AM”
You asked a rhetorical question and then answered it based on you own liberal biases toward any conservative that disagrees with you.
Dearest Damoon, you can write to me as condescendingly as you want, the problem in not me being unable to understand what you mean, it’s your inability to explain how over population has any thing to do with a behavoir driven disease.
Nothing you have written supports your premise that overpopulation in sub-Saharan Africa has anything to do with the spread of aids! Nothing!
Because you don’t beleive in God you must substitute a bunch of metaphores: nature, mother nature, earth, etc. But its none of these things. Culture and politics!
What, pray tell gentle lady, question of yours have I avoided?
PS The ball is back in your court.
You’re right, I don’t believe in your idea of God. I have my own, thank you very much!
It looks as though my “assumptions” about you were right!
You haven’t answered any question I’ve asked you, you just dance around trying to invalidate everything I say.
You REALLY don’t get it, do you?
I’m getting really bored with this one way discussion. Bye, Hank!
Dearest Damoon,
You write:
You haven’t answered any question I’ve asked you, you just dance around trying to invalidate everything I say.
You are very dense. Do you even read my posts before you go off?
This is from a previous post in which I answered three of your questions. Again I will repeat your questions with my answers!:
“Esod, don’t you think that the politcal and cultural climate in China is due largely to the overpopulation problem?”
Dammit girl! NO!! The Chinese culture dates back to almost 4,000 years! It’s the Communist Chinese government’s inability to deal with the population, not the population. The communist Chinese government is doing a lot of terrible things to control its population, none of which you can blame on God’s wrath, the earth or mother nature!
You then ask:
“If the chinese people value life so much, then why would they choose to abort, drown, or abandon their female babies?”
It’s a cultural thing! Many cultures and countries devalue their women. The Chinese that I know love their children! But their culture is one that reveres their ancestors. In order to continue the family name you must have a male child. If the government only allows on child, guess what?
You then ask:
“So what if they don’t have a big Aids problem compared to Africa?”
So What? Dammit girl! My question goes to the heart of your false premise that over population is reason for the aids epidemic in Africa! It’s your premise! Defend it!
Would Hank really put up with your erroneous crap? I think not! You my dear are either dense or just a liar. I did answer your questions and I am now done with you unless you answer mine.