The Sorry-Ass U.S. Government Is Killing People

[herenthere]

Surely you don't expect the United States to take care of our own...
We are tooooo busy spending billions on a senseless war!!!

Thanks GW

 

[looseliam]

Yup! Look at the money we seem to find to fight a war!

 

[unclaimedblessing]

Then factor in lives lost through our governments blockage of stem cell research. Our leader beleives his religious convictions are more important than American lives; he also beleives his personal aspirations in Iraq are more important than American lives.
No wonder the word "impeachment" sounds sweeter everyday.

 

[chicagobtm]

Don't be so cynical!! AIDS was not man made, period. 9/11 was not a government conspiracy, period. Princess Diana was killed because her driver was drunk and she didn't wear her seatbelt, not some evil plot by the queen or anyone else, period.
A weak mind will buy into conspiracy theories and be easily led...

 

[luminum]

They've traced the origin of the virus back to central Africa, back in the days the Polio vaccine was being researched on Chimps (illegally) in that area. Take from that what you will.

It could have just jumped species around 60 or more years ago from Chimp to human, since some of the tribes eat "bush meat" which is Chimpanzee and they don't always cook it thoroughly enough to kill a virus. They eat the brains, too, and that's an excellent way for a virus (SIV and HIV pass through the blood-brain barrier and dwell in the tissue) to be transmitted to humans.

But the point of this thread is that people are dying from a virus in the millions and one of the richest nations in the world is not sufficiently caring for some of its own citizens.

G.W. pledged to send billions to Africa to buy medicine (then the Republican congress hacked it to death) anyway, why the hell are people dying from lack of meds in South Carolina???

Thank you JD.

Now if we could just dealw ith people who don't believe in AIDS (which, isn't the same as HIV)...

Anyway, this is rediculous. It's good to know that the internal fabric of America can rot so long as there's fighting that 'needs' to be done somewhere else...

 

[blankslate]

and use the gentetic codes of viruses to help create anti viruses

you mean a virus that infects another virus? cuz that doesn't make sense. A virus lacks the machinery to replicate, it needs to be in a living cell to divide.

If you mean medications that are antiviral, ok I agree.

 

[Legend500]

Yikes. First on the AIDS conspiracy...this is something Snopes debunked a while ago.... http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/aids.asp

"Part of the prevalence of the AIDS origin rumor that pins responsibility for the virus on the CIA (or another group within the American government) may be due to deliberate Soviet misinformation designed to discredit the USA. An article charging AIDS was the product of U.S. germ warfare experiments first surfaced in the Soviet newspaper Literary Gazette in 1985 and claimed the AIDS virus was created at a supersecret Army research laboratory in Fort Detrick, Maryland. The only source cited was the Patriot, a leftist Indian newspaper that, U.S. experts charged, was a favored conduit of the KGB for its disinformation campaigns."

As far as government help, i'm all for it. Two questions though....

1. Who's gonna pay for it?

2. Why should AIDS patients take prevalence over patients with other diseases? -or- if you should say that ALL drugs should be covered....then tell me where we get the money.

 

[Kulindahr]

There are two ways of rating a health care system: by the quality of care, and by the quantity of care, that's available.
By the first measure, the U.S. has the best health care system in the world. By the second, it's mediocre.

But there's actually a third way: by the level of education of the people concerning health issues, and how well they pay attention to that. And by that measure, the U.S. system is miserable.
A large number of people get HIV through their own negligence -- those, I say, should be at the end of the line for any government-funded aid. Those who had it done to them -- the raped, for example -- should be at the head of the line. Those who acquired it by accident go in between.
But does the FedGov bother to even find these things out? I can see arguing against spending taxpayer money on people who knew what they were doing and got infected, for for those who are actually victims? If we're going to spend our money on health care, those who are victims should be covered first.

 

[alister9669]

Why shouldn't the federal government pay for lifesaving drugs for poor people?
Why do we have a federal government and a health department if not to help the citizens?

As for the title, maybe I should've said, "The U.S. Government is knowingly withholding funds for lifesaving drugs for poor people with HIV/AIDS, which is resulting in their deaths.

But what's the difference?

The U.S. government is paying for drugs to fight HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately those drugs are going to other countries. Mostly african nations, at a tenth of the price that they would have been purchased in the United States. I think we need to help our own first, then aid other countries.

As a side note. The AIDS problem is even worse in Russia. I recently saw a program on t.v. that stated that new Russian military recruits are being tested positive at a rate of one out of five. Just trying to help those in the military would cripple the Russian economy.

 

[unclaimedblessing]

I have no substantiating reference material, but I beleive the lion's share of the high cost of AIDS meds is probably research.
The meds we have are somewhat controlling the epidemic but not curing it.
The Govt should earmarks more money for AIDS research and monitor the companies doing the research to assure the cost of the meds is fair.
I have read however that the AIDS meds we send to Africa include those that the AIDS virus has already overcome in this country and that many of them have expired shelf life dates also. Granted it's not humane but they may help in an area where there has been little or no help.

 

[Kulindahr]

A question:

if a person needs health care, is it OK for your neighbor to pull a gun and demand that you pay for that care?

 

[Kulindahr]

Okay, so you think it's fine to coerce people at gunpoint to help others, even if it violates their beliefs.

Just wanted to be clear.

 

[dynk]

There are two ways of rating a health care system: by the quality of care, and by the quantity of care, that's available.
By the first measure, the U.S. has the best health care system in the world. By the second, it's mediocre.

But there's actually a third way: by the level of education of the people concerning health issues, and how well they pay attention to that. And by that measure, the U.S. system is miserable.
A large number of people get HIV through their own negligence -- those, I say, should be at the end of the line for any government-funded aid. Those who had it done to them -- the raped, for example -- should be at the head of the line. Those who acquired it by accident go in between.
But does the FedGov bother to even find these things out? I can see arguing against spending taxpayer money on people who knew what they were doing and got infected, for for those who are actually victims? If we're going to spend our money on health care, those who are victims should be covered first.

That is like saying don't give medical treatment to a guy who crashes his car cause he was drunk. It's his own fault. It it just natural for some people to ignore warnings even about HIV.

My roommate is HIV positive, and is very carefull not to pass it on. We have condoms, and gloves all over the house. Bleach is there to clean any possible blood spills also.