Is America wasting money on AIDS in Africa?

Question

I think that with the Inspi(red), Aldo's campaign, Bono's campaign, and others, we should be aiming towards fixing our own country. I understand AIDS is a major epidemic, but I honestly think we should be spending money on America's problem. We don't need that many campaigns, do we?

I understand that people are dying from this and I realize that some children are orphans, but let's look around us. Hurricane Katrina victims are homeless in OUR country, there are orphans in our country. We should extend a helping hand to other countries, but this is getting out of hand. What about a disease that you absolutely can't control, Cancer? We have soliders dying in Iraq everyday and for what? We Americans need to re-think our priorities.

Answer 1

I say it isn't so much a waste of money, but we could be spending out money in better ways. New Orleans is still basically a disaster zone and could really use more funding. I think we should divert that money we spend on AIDS in Africa towards New Orleans and other issues here in the US.

Answer 2

I have heard this argument before, but you have to stop and think that really, what may seem like a few dollars to us goes a LONG way in other countries, especially to those like Africa. You ask why we're helping countries like Africa instead of fixing our own country first but you forget HOW big AIDS is in Africa. Think of how many suffer and die from it, and how many are left as orphans from it.

It may seem like a bunch of campaigns that are popping all around-so what? Thats great. You ahve to realize that just because there are a few select big name celebs or companies that are trying to donate a percentage of their profits to AIDS doesn't mean that all the money is going towards that.

And who says that we're not trying to fix our problems here in the US? Look around you at the various organizations that try to raise money for AIDS here or cancer. Organizations that try to promote literacy rates here in the US in the hopes of promoting education. To say that we're neglecting our own problems is a mistake.

Realize also that whatever we do here affects other countries much in the same way that what happens in other countries affects us as well. We live a globalized world and to neglect the needs of others is simply wrong.

I disagree with the previous person that argues that if people were moral this would not happen to them. I don't think that mindset applies to those in Africa who are doing nothing wrong but are nonetheless subject to AIDS.

Finally, is it right for us to not help those in need? If we have a chance, if we are able to, then why not?

Remember, simply because you see a few campaigns popping up around doesn't mean that there's this HUGE outflow of money towards Africa. If there was, well quite frankly I wouldn't see the need for more of them being created.

Answer 3

I can't speak to your opinion on Bono, et al, but I have read that African nations created a "checklist" of symptoms that if any combination occurred in a patient, he/she would be diagnosed as having HIV/AIDS. The reason for this is that most African health care organizations did not have the sophisticated equipment to properly diagnose AIDS so they had to rely on overtly symptomatic proof. Unfortunately, there are many ambiguous symptoms that COULD be AIDS, but could also be many other conditions found in tropical climates.

The other factor to consider is that if a health care organization said they had an increase in AIDS, they could get all sorts of extra funding. If they said they had an increase in the more ambiguous symptoms, there was no funding to be had. So not surprisingly, suddenly Africa had a dramatic increase in AIDS.

To get back to your original question, if the above is indeed true, then "yes", we are wasting our money.

Answer 4

On one hand you have a point, since it is up to each individual to keep from having sex with whoever, I mean thats just moraly wrong. However,

America is already such a great country that to think more money should be invested into itself is just selfish.

Compare a typical african to a typical american, and you may clearly see that the US has enough, compared to starving people of africa

So you could restate this question as:

"Should americans indulge themselves with more material possesions, and glamour or should they help suffering people ?

you decide

Answer 5

Ok, there ARE problems in our own country, but they pale in comparison to the crap that's happening in Africa right now. Everything in our own country is NEVER going to be 100% stable. There's always going to be somebody struggling and somebody doing better...

Then you look at the situation in Africa, where the vast majority of the population is suffering. Why not do what we can to help?

Answer 6

Yes, we are wasting money. AIDS is a preventable disease, but it is up to each of us to choose to not do the things that have been proven to spread AIDS. Live by the Biblical rules of sexual morality and your odds of getting AIDS are almost zero. Every time someone chooses to break the Biblical rules of sexual morality that person increases his odds of getting AIDS and he can only blame himself for what he did,and like it or not, that's the way it is no matter what lies immoral people make up to blame society for the individual actions that cause individuals to get AIDS.

Answer 7

It depends on how the money is spent. We are tied to the rest of the globe and their problems will eventually be our problems. I do know of an organization that is educating Africans and who's goal is to change cultural attitudes that contribute to the continueing spread of the disease. WWW.hivnotme.com or www.globalaidsday.com. ps how do I make this a link?

Answer 8

it is waste yes
could we be doing it better ?of course
the plan to infest africans [compulsory polio vaccinations using live virus from monkey serum ] with aids was to genocide african resource empty to exploit the wealth
those susceptible shook it off
why we not study those of us who don't get sick,
why the few who do get sick get all the funds to study sickness
not wellness
its racism that thinks to heal ourselves as well as racists who did what they did ,but they already have the cure but there is more money in treating symptoms
its our own fault for adopting Nazi health retarding industry
but there you go what can we do
privatize the med industry take profit out of sickness
next thing we save a load of cash and can heal the world not enrich a biased colludes murderous medical lobby to get ever more money to suppress symptom not cure disease
3 jumbo jets per day die from adverse reaction to prescribed legal drugs
think on that
each day
we don't need that do we?

Answer 9

The money America is spending on AIDS in Africa would be better spent buying bullets to kill terrorists. Africans with AIDS are none of America's business, but jihadists are our business.

Answer 10

people are people. if some one is suffering and we have the ability to help, we are obligated to do so by the laws of humanity. it does not matter where they live. in general i think our priorities could use a little update, but what we really need are people to better implement them. if we did this, we would not need to choose between them and us.