Africa

[heyhey11]

If this has already been a thread sorry I didn't feel like researching the history of CT...

That being said i would like to know your opinions on issues in Africa. HIV/AIDS needs to be stopped, however there is no plausable solution that has been considered by world leaders. Simply handing out condoms is not going to do anything. Also the Darfur situation is the biggest hush-hush holocaust know to mankind thus far. Darfur needs a solution now and needs to be spoken of, it has been quieted too long.

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Africa

Uh, yes, AIDS needs to be stopped. Darfur and other genocide situations are bad.

What else do you want?

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[Omeganitros]

Re: Africa

Africa is ****ed up.

[Bahamut-X]

Re: Africa

Africa likes its sex.

[heyhey11]

Re: Africa

Wow, my bad for thinking this was the critical thinking forum, maybe a little discussion on the situation, some ideas for change and anything more intelligent than

Africa likes its sex.

[JurseyRider734]

Re: Africa

There's pictures of Darfur all over my school. I was just like "uh...ew?"

Yeah. I would never want to live in Africa.

[-Izzy-]

Re: Africa

I wish people would do things for others without having to gain something in return.

[Tasselfoot]

Re: Africa

Next person to post crap in CT is getting a 48 hour ban.

Even though the topic wasn't well throught out or rife with information, that is no reason to answer it with mental diarrhea.

PS - I have nothing to add to this topic that hasn't already been said.



EDIT: In case you guys never noticed, there is now a list of up to 5 posts at the bottom of the page. This list shows threads that MAY be similar in nature to the current thread. Within that list for this thread is: http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...ead.php?t=5952 and while I am glad you didn't bump that thread, that thread is on a similar subject.

[heyhey11]

Re: Africa

Thank you Tass.

In my opinion the issue of AIDS is one that seems to be a filler issue that is focused on and off in America. Being the ADD country we are, we tend to forget about issues up to a month later. AIDS has carried in the minds of many but only for days at a time. The point of a cure now needs to be embedded in the minds of this country and we need to stop wasting money on war whilest a whole continent goes to shambles. Meanwhile Genocide, a barbaric and winless event(?), is going on and barely anyone wants to talk about it. If an American soilder dies, that person is all over the news on every channel, but when thousands of innocent people die everyday noone says a word on any major channels. America is a self-centered country that tries to be "World Police" but only with issues that effect us directly.

[-Izzy-]

Re: Africa

Its not like you can do anything though. If i had the power of course i would kill my men to save thousands of others. But what can i do.

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Africa

If an American soilder dies, that person is all over the news on every channel, but when thousands of innocent people die everyday noone says a word on any major channels. America is a self-centered country that tries to be "World Police" but only with issues that effect us directly.

You can't blame the major channels; they're businesses.

But really, would you care more about your brother being killed or some random person halfway around the world?

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[Tasselfoot]

Re: Africa

Really Izzy? You'd kill thousands of your own people when you know the outrage of millions more of your own people would nearly guarentee you wouldn't be re-elected? Also, what would the benefit be? You have to look out for your own people first, not the people of other countries. Do not forget the retardation that was the Vietnam War (or go research it if you don't know yet). That is what happens when we stick our nose into other people's business.

AND you'd be saving people who:
-50% have AIDS and will die regardless
-People who are third-world, without wonderful things like the Internet or cellphones (let alone more important things like food, water, shelter, medicine)
-People of a continent who have been fighting amongst themselves for longer than there have been Europeans on our continent. Why try and help them when they haven't been able to help themselves for hundreds of years?

This is likely a harsh viewpoint, but frankly... I see no point in wasting our money on helping countries such as many of the African nations. It isn't being put to good use and is doing minimal good. While their current conditions is the result of hundreds of years of history, the fact remains that currently they are a burden on the society of the world and it would take MUCH more than we're currently doing to remedy it. So either we focus all out attention there and actually fix their issues, or we do nothing. I don't understand the reasoning behind a less-than-half-assed attempt at aid, except to keep those African supporters within our country happy. "See? We're TRYING to help. We send them food and supplies. What else can we do?"

I'd be much happier if we focused our attentions more on homeland security, border patrols, military training, counter-terrorism and intelligence... and also on social security, education, and the sham that currently is the welfare system.

[-Izzy-]

Re: Africa

I was trying to be sarcastic >_> didnt work.

[heyhey11]

Re: Africa

But really, would you care more about your brother being killed or some random person halfway around the world?

--Guido

Random Person = Thousands

You make a really convincing agruement along with Tass, the AIDS and war probably will never be corrected no matter how much money we supply the continent with... Maybe I need some further research.

[Trunkx3]

Re: Africa

...Simply handing out condoms is not going to do anything...

So if the tables were turned and Africa were the most powerful nation on earth. You'd prefer that they not assist us in our AIDS epidemic because it simply woudn't do anything? I know most people will think "its not like that so it doesn't matter." This response (or similar responses) is a completely selfish thought and a product of our selfish/uncaring American thought process. Let me ask you this. What have you EVER done in your life that has allowed you to live in the luxury which you live in. Other than being lucky there isn't anything else. You might argue that your fore fathers' hard work and dedication are the result of your comfort in life but is that any reason to horde all of the luxury? Its not Africa's fault that their people initially did not come up and expand on the same ideas that the Europeans did. The Africans lived a life of simplicity and were content with their lifestyle which had an emphasis on the tribe rather than personal gain (i.e. Capitalism). Its completely selfish to keep all of the bonuses and benefits that we've acquired through our fore fathers' hard work and determination.

Yes it is important that we take care of our own people as well, but we the United States of America have the most resources and a relatively few number of people (in comparison to the booming populations of other countries). We could revamp our economic status and set aside a small percentage of our GNP (Gross National Product) specifically for helping countries in dire need. I'm sure it would be easy to free up a mere 1.5% of our total GNP (the American GNP for 2001 was roughly 12.5 trillion dollars. And a mere 1.5% of our TOTAL NATIONAL PRODUCT is an astounding $186,150,000,000.) [check the GNP here: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/.../2001rank.html Be sure to note that China (a single country with more than a billion more people than our own) is still 4 trillion dollars less than ourselves. But back on track, One hundred and eighty six billion dollars could make a huge impact on the aids epidemic. A mere $315 billion (roughly 2.5% of our GNP) has been dedicated to the war in Iraq. If anyone knows the figures for AIDS research (i.e. a vaccine or cure) please do tell; but I'd think if the U.S. dumped $186 billion into the AIDS research fund, there would be leaps of progress.

Enough with numbers and National Products. Just think about how the United States would appear to you from the eyes of an African dying of AIDS. Here is a nation with the full capability of aiding your nation far beyond the aid it is recieving now. But they are worried about their own people over yours regardless of the massive amounts of wealth they enjoy to the few number of people that occupy the country (roughly 250-300 million americans, to 12.5 billion dollars : in comparison -> 1.3 billion chinese to 8 billion dollars). Our government is very inefficient and our mindset is too self centered. There are reasons so many people around the world hate us. We're just too arrogant to realize it let alone do anything about it. Our general feelings of "Its not our responsibility" (which may or may not be true but its hardly humane) can easily result in the death of thousands if not millions of people.

There is also a conspiracy theory (keep in mind that its only a conspiracy) that the AIDS virus is a man-made disease with the intent of genocide OR that it was a product of biowarfare research. I really am not going to go anywhere with this, I just thought that it was an interesting note.

I apologize for the lengthy post and I appreciate it if you read it. Thank you.